We have had exactly one five-day work week since January. So it was no wonder we were exhausted from it and required a five day weekend to just get away from it all. We decided to stay close so we hopped on the thirty minute flight to the
Mediterranean island of Cyprus, but we couldn't have chosen a place more culturally different from Lebanon. The irony is that Cyprus has been the victim of ethnic, religious and cultural divisions that inspired a military invasion, political coup and UN intervention. To this day the green line dividing the country's north and south halves remains the longest standing UN demilitarized zone. Despite its political similarities to Lebanon, Cyprus couldn't be any more European if it tried.
We visited the more tourist friendly south side of the island. We had no reservations, but our loose plan was to rent a car at the airport and drive to Pafos on the west end of the island for two days, then drive to Ayia Napa on the east end for the last two days. Our plan worked perfect. Customs was a breeze, renting a car was a breeze, driving was a breeze, and finding places to stay was a breeze. The only pain in the neck was exchanging money or seeking out an ATM every 23 minutes. We spent more money in four days than we spent in a week in Thailand, even including airfare. Ouch. But the European experience was refreshing and it was nice to get out of the middle east for a weekend.
They drive on the other side of the road in Cyprus. But the more I travel the more I think that it might be North America that drives on the other side of the road. I've driven in South Africa, Thailand, and Cyprus on the other side of the road and hear that they d it that way in England, Greece, random European countries and possibly Australia. It's easy to get used to, even shifting with the left hand.
In fact, it allows us right handed people to hold our beer and shift at the same time. The only downside I can see are traffic circles. Or "roundabouts" as the Brits say. I can manage to stay on the left side of a straight bit of road but a circle doesn't have a damn "side" to it. I went counter-clockwise more than clockwise.
Pafos proved to be a quaint, sea-side ancient tourist trap. I began to wonder if the Greek ruins we were meandering through weren't "planted" there to attract unsuspecting Eastern Europeans on holiday. I swear I saw "made in Taiwan" carved into many of the marble
reliefs or hidden in the corner of the mosaics. Tarpon Springs, Florida is a more authentic Greek fishing village than Pafos. We drove up the west coast of the island to a more isolated area. We enjoyed lunch at a small cafe tucked into the top of a cliff overlooking a beach known for being a turtle hatchery. It wasn't egg laying season so the only ones using the beach that day was a few stray dogs. We had to drive about 20km on dirt roads to get there so very few tourists make it. It was actually a highlight of the weekend.
Back in Pafos we enjoyed English breakfasts in Irish pubs and a decent, but expensive,
Mexican dinner. Saturday night we were awoken by explosions outside our window. Bright flashes lit up the room and were followed quickly by thunderous booms that shook the balcony doors. After several of these explosions we deduced that there was a fireworks display in the parking lot below our balcony and sure enough we were right. The fireworks continued for an hour and rivaled anything I've seen at Disneyworld. Except they were being detonated twelve feet away. Apparently it was all part of the Easter celebration. The orthodox
Christians hold a midnight candle-lit vigil on Easter Eve where they gather around the cathedral, sing
Gregorian chants and ignite anything that will explode. Perhaps they were celebrating the biblical story of Jesus blowing a finger off with a roman candle. I didn't ask questions.
The next day we drove to Ayia Napa on the opposite end of the island. Ayia Napa is like Daytona Beach for grownups. Wild On! the popular party show on MTV has actually hosted an episode here. The night clubs are all theme based. There's the
Titanic, Medieval Castle, Hollywood, Flintstones, Groovy 70's, and Wild West. Scores of bars and clubs all with throbbing music, smoke machines and
Jell-O shots. This is the place where Europeans come to party all night and sleep on the beach all day. Usually without their bikini tops. Especially the
Scandinavians. Damn those pilgrims and their puritanical beliefs. I'm sure that if our founding fathers had taken a holiday to Greece to
celebrate the end of the revolution, beaches in the States would be far more interesting today.
So after a five day weekend of European decadence we returned to Beirut for a two day work week before another three day weekend. We have to rest up.
I hear a rumor that we might have a full work week later in the month.