After our initial introductions, it was finally time for our tour to get underway. The next day, we headed for the ancient port city of Salamis, where Paul would have first landed. The first thing we did in Salamis was go to the theater. I was excited to see my first Greek theater. It had been a dream of mine for quite some time to sit at a theater with a good view shed and read an ancient Greek play (preferably by Sophocles or Euripides) and imagine what it would have felt like to have watched it performed live. I've also been told that the acoustics of a Greek theater are so good that if you are sitting on the top row, you can here the people at the bottom whispering. I wanted to know if it was true. I had tried this at Pompeii and was disappointed to find that my friend couldn't hear anything I was saying. I blame this on the inferior design of Roman theaters.
Although this theater did not have the best view shed, I still ran to the very top and sat down. I put my head in my hands like a spellbound child and waited for my professor to begin teaching. If you've ever gone on a tour in Europe, you'll know that the tour guide has a microphone and everyone has a personal headset they can wear. I turned mine off and listened. Sure enough. I could hear every word, even with the wind blowing in from the ocean and the excavator in the distance. I did not encounter a theater in Greece where I couldn't hear my professor from the farthest seat, and I even have a video which picks up his words which is surprising since video recordings don't pick up sound well.
Anyways, its the little things.
I will say, Salamis was probably the least impressive sight we visited during our two week excursion, so it's a good thing we visited it first, because I was in heaven and felt like the richest archaeological student in the world. Our tour coordinator, Erin, and my professors, quickly found out that I was liable to disappear at any moment and could not be kept in one place for long (I was always responsible and respectful of our time though, and I have quite a few fun stories about that).
 |
The agora
|
 |
<3
|
 |
| See the mosaic pomegranate? Pomegranates were a symbol of abundance and eternity. |
 |
| Fresh pomegranate juice to combat the Mediterranean sun. |
 |
| A classic Greek design. Did you know that these swirls represent fire, not water? |
After visiting Salamis, we were scheduled to head to the north side of the Island, which is under Turkish control and has been since 1974. The history of Cyprus is complex, and I would encourage you to research it for yourself. It was devastating to hear what the Cypriots have gone through over the last fifty+ years. We had to jump through quite a few hoops just to go to the Turkish side of the country, and were told to be very quiet and respectful at the checkpoint.
Once we were over there, we got to drive through the Troodos and Kyrenia Mountains. To the standards of someone who grew up in the Rockies they were not really mountains, but they were still beautiful.
I would like to give you a little backstory about Cyprus that I have neglected up to this point. When I was twelve years old, I was asked to do a geography project on a country of my choice. I knew so little about the world at that point that when I saw Cyprus on the map I thought to myself, "Hey, heres a small island that I've never heard about. I bet no one else has either. I should do my project on that." To me, there wasn't a more obscure country. Who would have thought that that obscure country would become such a big part of my life? Not only did I visit for four days, but it is integral to my studies as a classical archaeology student.
As a twelve year old, I had always thought that it would be so fun to visit Cyprus, but that I probably never would. Because of that, being on that island was a surreal experience. I could look back to a very specific point in my past and compare it to where I was then and ask myself, "What happened in between to make this happen? How excited would little me be if she knew?" There are too many things for me to write here.
Furthermore, much of what I had studied as a middle schooler was still locked away in a quiet part of my brain and many of the places I saw, or facts and names that were tossed around, would spark a dream like memory and I would say, "Oh yes, I remember googling pictures of the Troodos Mountains," or, "Oh, I recognize this fortress." Even though I was seeing everything for the first time, it felt like I was revisiting places from my childhood.
 |
A blast to the past, but here I am dressed in traditional Cypriot clothes.
I had made fresh baklava and even learned the Greek alphabet for this project.
(an advantage when I got to college) |
Our journey ended in a highland town carved into the mountain slope. There, we had dinner under the spires of a medieval abbey. This was my first introduction to Turkish food beyond Kebab and it was delicious! It was also my first time eating with the tour group. Apparently, they tell the restaurants we are coming in advance and the restaurants prepare accordingly. The next two weeks, every restaurant would serve us a five course meal, stuffing us on fresh salad, moussaka, fava, grape leaves, and bread. I think I ate the same meal every day, but I never got sick of it. The food in Cyprus and Greece was the best European food I have had so far!
 |
| I was so excited about having fresh fruits |
 |
| I can still taste it and it makes me cry |
 |
| The Abbey |
 |
My lunchtime view of the sea and the Turkish mainland in the distance.
|
 |
| Don't come for me, but I really do enjoy Turkish Delight. |
The next place we visited was an Ottoman fortress where the second oldest shipwreck in the world was housed! I'm sure you can imagine, but I was totally overjoyed at the prospect of seeing it.
 |
This amphora is stamped by a vineyard on Rhodes
|
 |
| Isn't she a beauty?? |
After seeing the shipwreck, we explored the fortress for awhile and I climbed to the top of the wall so I could see the ocean. Yes, this was one of those defining moments where my tour coordinator and my professors realized they needed to keep an eye on me (the other one was when I saw a cat). In my defense, I could see everyone from where I was.
Here are my journal entries from that day:
Comments
Post a Comment