A little story about a little vacation in a little country
We decided to choose our summer vacation according to the following criteria:
1. Not far to fly.
2. Nice beach and sea.
3. Seal rest.
4. Complete relaxation.
On the world map, the eye fell on Cyprus. Fly less than 3 hours, closer than we need to go to Boryspil airport)))
TUI tour package with Windrose Airlines flight, everything is clear, departure on time, service is excellent, meals are paid.
Passport control went very quickly. In my opinion, without even looking at the photo: slap, slap, slap the passport - and we are already in the country of Cyprus.
The meeting of the host TUI also passed quickly. At the counter with the inscription, packages with names and information are shoved into the hands of tourists, it looks like a conveyor)))
It's our turn. "Surname? City? Hotel? " - "Welcome, your bus number 25! ". I feel how convenient it is when we are SO taken care of, like children in a kindergarten))) In single file, everyone went to their buses, very neat, convenient, comfortable and filled with tourists completely (50 people, probably, this travel time will increase, until we'll take everyone! ) The guide counted the tourists, grabbed the microphone and began his brief but fairly detailed overview of the country.
Looking around the neighborhood, I wonder where am I going? Everything scorched by the sun. . . the steppe, stones, in some places a bush and a tree. . . everything is gloomy.
Even the lonely luxurious villas were not pleasing to the eye. Just driving through Ayia Napa, I cheered up a little.
There are people here! But I didn’t even know how many people!! ! : ))) The statistics say: in 2018, the number of tourists was a record for the entire history of the island. Cyprus - 3.9 million people. Such a small island.... how does it hold up? That's where we got : ))))
Calling into hotels, settling tourists, I like to observe and discuss hotels. Basically, our tourists choose city hotels and apartments, they are more budgetary, but quite comfortable and beautiful in appearance.
Beaches throughout the island are municipal, an umbrella and a sun lounger for 2.5 euros per unit.
Here is our Protaras - a great town, small, clean and cozy. Guessed with a town for recreation (we wanted Paphos).
And here is our hotel, the bus deftly taxied into a narrow street (I never cease to be amazed at their driving skills, on such colossus, in such conditions).
They guessed right with the hotel too, Sunrise Beach is a great hotel! There are minuses, minor, but about them in the review. First line and top notch service. Settled very quickly, at the reception no one speaks Russian, especially Ukrainian. English to help us - my "little speak and end stand inglish" and an excellent "inglish" son.
The room is spacious, comfortable and modern, with a side sea view.
Life is getting better. A glass of martini with sweets, air conditioning, a huge bed and a view of the sea calmed my soul and body after a sleepless night on the road. I don't like the road, I don't like fatigue from the road... you pay money, and this is how you torment your body. But the anticipation of holidays in different countries humbles my dislike for the roads.
Vacation! Ah! I'm ready to swim, read, knit, dream! : ))))
My son urgently needs Wi-Fi, there is no life without it; ))) And the husband... the husband was suspiciously quiet. Of course, he only wanted the 3rd and 4th item of our holiday. And I, as an exemplary one, very kindly convinced him: "Beloved, no excursions, honestly, honestly. " At the same time, she folded her lips into a kiss and made her eyes. Yeah. . . wait!!! , for us women, the main thing is to lull our vigilance! )))
The next day, when meeting with the guide, resisting a little, the husband realized that it was useless to argue.
I urgently and definitely needed to see: the ghost town of Famagusta, the "arch of love" - Cape Cavo Greco, the Troodos mountains, the salt lake - flamingo migrations, try "meze" - a local dish and a lot of everything. It was decided to take 2 excursions. The first is sea, evening. At 16.00 exactly on time we were picked up from the hotel and having wound a huge hook (due to one-way traffic) around the city of Protaras, they brought us to the pier. A group of 50 people boarded the ship in single file - decrepit, but everything is clean and tidy, there is enough space for everyone.
We went to sea, beauty! The seashore smiled at us with azure waves, and the breeze in the subject brought a gentle coolness. Guide Anna began her story.
From a distance we see Famagusta, the ghost town of Varosha. It is hard to imagine that this was the most touristic resort in Cyprus. Creepy. Farther away is Northern Cyprus.
We turn around and sail along the beaches of Protaras and Fig Tree to the blue lagoon for swimming. Music, the sea and here it is - the Blue Lagoon. The son made his record jump from the upper deck. As a mother, I was scared for my child, and dad shouted "Forward! ".
The water in the lagoon is really the bluest of all blue and the cleanest! )
Seeing a bar with alcoholic drinks (included in the price), the husband began to grumble. "Now we will see the true face of our companions. . . ".
In turn, everyone began to pull up to the bar, for their portion of wine or zivania (Cypriot moonshine 40-45% of the fortress). But no, everyone drank and ate normally, no showdowns, talk about politics. Everyone just relaxed, had a great time! What grumbled? : )))
Anna (guide) commanded: "Look to the right! We are approaching Cavo Greco. All lovers - throw coins and make a wish! ".
Everyone (more or less sober) stuck to the starboard side - well, where is that arch? ! Mdaaaa, but from the sea it’s just caves, just stones and no arch at all... Hello, they sailed... and it was necessary to endure the husband’s brain because of this piece of stone? : )))
And Protaras from Cavo Greco 17.5 km, by bus 2 euros and the photos are beautiful.
C'mon, what's done is done.
The second one is the so-called VIP sightseeing of the island (by minibus) for the whole day with lunch in the mountains. Group of 15 people. Drive to the other end of the island to the beach of Aphrodite, to the Troodos mountains to the Cypriot craft village, to the monastery of Kykkos and to the vineyards for wine tasting. I chose this tour with the desire to see the whole of Cyprus, hear its history and something interesting. But no luck. The guide, a Cypriot girl, muttered a dry story and the same dry dates into the microphone all the way, just worked out the shift, without desire and the "zest" that I was waiting for. The husband dozed all the way, the son stared indifferently out the window, listening to music. I won't go into details, it's long, tedious and tedious. I'll tell you what I liked and what I didn't like.
I didn't like the guide - that's understandable.
1st stop, Lefkara craft village.
High in the mountains, beautiful silverware and various laces, all handmade, but annoying sellers just want to sell this or that product.
Beautiful, but personally I'm not interested in buying this at all. I would love to see craftswomen and masters of these products in action. After all, the craft is dying out, there is no one to share the experience with (from the guide).
2nd stop - a winery in the mountains, with wine tasting and a shop. Cat paradise and magnificent landscapes with vineyards.
Wine "Commandaria", appreciated with dignity, I love it!
I bought 2 bottles, 13 euros for one, I didn’t see it in stores. Zivania - 12 euros per bottle, in the store from 7 to 9 euros. Carob "black gold" of Cyprus, very useful. But after tasting the syrup, fuuuu....I decided that I would be an old, sick wreck, but I won’t drink this)))) And people bought it. A lot of everything, namely Cypriot, you can buy. Maybe the price tag is a little high, because it is designed for tourists.
Then we arrived at the most beautiful place - Aphrodite's Bay.
That's really where the beauty is! The only pity is that the guide again dryly told excerpts from mythology, about how the goddess of beauty and love was born from sea foam.
The passage to the beach through the tunnel.
The beach is not equipped, but there are changing rooms and showers for a fee. My family did not swim, because I did not want to carry towels and swimwear with me.
It's time for lunch, brought to a clean cafe. Buffet with wine and drinks. The food is very tasty. But where is my coveted dish "meze"? Not? How not? And they promised me. . . Eeehhh, I never tried it, it's a lie everywhere: )))
Full and satisfied (after wine, probably), we climb higher and higher up the mountains to the Kykkos monastery along a terrible serpentine.
Where the Orthodox can pray, light a candle for health and peace, write a note with names. According to legend or true, an oligarch from Ukraine presented the monastery with a very valuable and rare icon. But I did not find confirmation of this information anywhere.
I am a Catholic, and my men are believers, but not religious.
We walked, looked, and went out to admire the views of the mountain peaks in the haze. "What a blunder!!! ".
And most importantly, it's cool, only +23.
On the way back, our guide fell silent altogether. She is bored with us, or she has worked, poor thing, a shift. Well, at least she suggested what a strange mountain near the village of LefkeLefka... and that mountain is the largest copper ore waste dump on the planet. Terrible to watch. It is difficult to take a photo due to the speed of the car, serpentine and trees.
In vain I talked my husband into these excursions, absolutely nothing impressed me. Or maybe "our Galya is spoiled? ")))
I repeat: Protaras is a small town. Walking along the promenade, to the right of the hotel, we slowly reached the famous Fig Tree Beach.
What is he famous for, where are those fig trees?
The beach is like a beach. A lot of tourists, everything is somehow uncomfortable... gray cafes, stones, wind and dust. Evening.
Let's go back down the street, it's even sadder there, there are even more tourists, noise and noise, many cafes, shops, not overcrowded. Music, different smells, the noise of cars, Russian obscenities and foreign babble mixed into one whole buzz. Still, it was more comfortable to walk along the promenade. Light, cool, evening breeze from the sea and very few tourists. Oh, I almost forgot, there are a lot of cats there! Near each hotel, all kinds of colors, thick, fluffy purrs are waiting for a portion of caresses from tourists. Shaggy antidepressants! : )))
We returned to the hotel, how quiet and comfortable it is here! Light live music and a wonderful dinner were waiting for us, in a restaurant overlooking the sea. That's bliss.
The next day, we walked along the same promenade to the left. I really wanted to see a show of dancing / singing fountains at 21.00.
And what was our surprise - the show was paid! (And paying as much as 23 euros for one was not at all pleasing. we definitely won’t see anything like that. We decided to buy souvenirs and treats, fortunately, they are here for every taste and budget.
Having a rest in different countries of the world, I always loved to watch the sunset. . .
I had no idea that you can get twice as much pleasure admiring the dawn. The sun woke up in the sea, a new day was born quietly and beautifully. . .
11 days flew by very quickly. . . the vacation is over.
Although Cyprus itself did not impress me, you can return to the sea and to the hotel.
I finished reading the book, which means I had a great rest!
Well, that's it. . . the story was promised to be short, but she wrote everything.
Have a nice vacation! : )
P. S. There is a crisis in the country, and the garbage is separated and bottle dispensers are everywhere.
And tourists are apparently invisible, and tourists are taken on such "geldings" - taxis.
Photo specially for Kolia_oro. egor, so as not to say that girls are not interested in cars; )))
