Where's Johnny Jet? Sorting Through History in Cyprus

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Yahsu from Cyprus. We left off last week in London and this week we hop on a Cyprus Airways flight to Larnaca. If you're interested in learning about this historically rich country that's only 100 miles west of the Syrian coast, then pack your bags: We're off to Europe's southernmost country.

Cyprus Airways

I'm not a big fan of taking morning flights just after traveling east. From L.A., London is an eight hour time change and when I checked into London's Egerton House Hotel for the night, the staff handed me a note which essentially read, "Don't forget to switch your clocks ahead before you go to sleep." Their daylight savings time had kicked in a few weeks after ours. Ugh. This was the second time that "spring forward" had crept up on me in the span of a few weeks. Normally, I wouldn't care, but both followed long, eastbound flights. I wanted to cry from sheer exhaustion. I didn't sleep much on the flight over and I knew that getting up at 6am was going to be that much tougher. The following morning, I arrived at Heathrow's Terminal 1 at 7:30am for my 9:30am flight. The line at Cyprus Airways was ridiculously long (they only had two agents working but later increased it to four). When I saw this, all I wanted to do was cut to the front of the line, grab a blanket and pillow and curl up by the desk until it was my turn to check in. It would've been perfect -- I could've just lifted my arm and handed the agent my passport and bag. I should've done it; the line took 45 minutes though it felt like three hours. The good news is that I was able to get an aisle seat. Unfortunately, Cyprus Airways doesn't pre-assign seats. Don't you hate that? I even called their reservations agent in Cyprus to try and get one secured but still I was denied. Cyprus Airways has two flights a day to Larnaca (LCA) out of Heathrow and British Airways has one non-stop flight. Cyprus Airways uses British Midland Airlines (BMI) agents for their check-in (must be cheaper to outsource it) but they weren't too friendly; I suspect that like me, they were all tired from the time change.

Security at Heathrow

Security at Heathrow has the same strict rules as the United States except that I didn't need to take my shoes off here. I was surprised; the last time I was in a London airport it was when all heck had broken loose. It was last August when the plot to blow up planes using liquid had been uncovered. I practically got strip searched and had to check everything, including my laptop and camera. Fortunately, that's not the case anymore. Once you're through security, Heathrow offers plenty of duty-free shopping and restaurants. That helped pass the time because my flight was delayed two hours. Ugh. I could've slept in. FYI: Bottled water is cheaper here than it is in major airports in the U.S. Two good-sized bottles of water went for £1.60 ($3.20). But Internet access was just as expensive at £5 ($10) for an hour.

London to Larnaca

Cyprus Airways was operating a wide-body A330 (two aisles) on this 2,039-mile route; a four-hour and 25-minute flight. The flight attendants were fashionably dressed, good-looking but not that happy. I didn't see many smiles. Maybe they too, were tired from the hour time change (kidding.). Each seat had a built-in entertainment system, which was nice, but the screens were small and old, making them difficult to watch. The food was not good but I was so hungry it didn't matter. Besides, I was excited to be traveling to a part of the world I have never been to before.

Cyprus

To be honest, I didn't know much about Cyprus before I went. But I quickly learned that the 3,372 square-mile, island nation is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia). Cyprus (here's a map) is also Europe's southernmost country and just a few hours by ferry (or a short flight) from Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt. Cyprus is not a part of Greece. It's actually 600 miles south of Greece's mainland. Cyprus used to be a Greek colony and for most of its history, it's been occupied by one nation or another. The last were the British. Cyprus gained its independence from England in 1960, but it's still a part of the Commonwealth. The country's official name is the Republic of Cyprus. The official language is Greek, though almost everyone speaks English and many speak Turkish as well. Most interestingly, the island is now divided. Two thirds of the island (the south side) is Greek Cypriot and the northern part is referred to as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (but it's not recognized by any country except Turkey). The Turks, Cyprus' geographically closest neighbor, invaded the northern third (about 37%) of the island in 1974. The Greeks and Turks have been fighting for thousands of years and this takeover didn't help matters. I couldn't possibly go into all the details. First, it would take 500 pages and secondly, I'm no expert on all the facts. This is a very sensitive issue and both sides are understandably extremely emotional about this subject. All I know is that the Greeks and Turks were living on the island together for generations and have been fighting for many of these. The good news is that in the past three years, the Greek Cypriots and the Turks are beginning to get along much better and although this trip will focus on the Greek Cypriot side, I will try and cross the border.

Practicalities

The first thing I did after clearing Cyprus' passport control is what I always do when I arrive in a new country -- hit the ATM machine. Although Cyprus joined the European Union in May 2004, it hasn't switched to the Euro yet (it's expected to do this on January 1, 2008). At the date of publish, US$100 equals 42 Cyprus Pounds (CY£) and 100 Cyprus Pounds equals $233. Use www.xe.com to determine current currency rates.

I was in Cyprus because the Cyprus Tourism Board invited me to tour their country. I was with five other journalists and for the week, they hired us a driver (here's a scan of the bus company's business card) and a local guide. Both were excellent, though our guide, Christina Mita, was stubbornly closed-minded about the Turks. But besides that, she was very knowledgeable and fun. Her rates per group are CY£63 (US$146) for 8 hours or CY£40 for 4 hours. If you're interested, here's a scan of her business card. Some of the most interesting things I learned from her were: The island used to be full of copper mines, which is why it's called Cyprus. It's Latin for "copper". Today, the country's main exports are citrus, potatoes and wine, primarily to Europe and the UK. Christina also enlightened me to the fact that during the last years of WWII, the Allies contemplated three countries to relocate fleeing Jews: Israel, Zimbabwe and Cyprus.

Palm Beach Hotel

I was picked up at the Larnaca Airport and taken to the Palm Beach Hotel. The hotel was located just 15 minutes away and still in Larnaca. This trip, I'm covering a lot of territory and checking into four different hotels that will meet everyone's budget. To be honest, The Palm Beach Hotel and the city of Larnaca weren't the best first impression of the country for me. The 228-room Palm Beach Hotel was built in 1981 and is rated four stars . . . but I would only give my room three stars. It was very basic, with thin walls and uncomfortable pillows. It had a bedspread . . . I don't even want to think about how dirty it was. These days, most hotels don't use bedspreads. They use duvet covers so that they can clean the sheets for each guest. After pulling the bedspread off the bed, I took out the ol' sanitary wipes and went to work. I wiped down the remote control, phone, light switches, door handles -- everything and anything that could be full of germs and bacteria. Did you know that the dirtiest thing in a hotel room is the remote control? The second is the glasses in the sink. I'm not a Howard Hughes germ freak or anything, but I try to spend a few minutes wiping down every surface in every hotel room I check in to. The bathroom wasn't spotless and had abrasive towels that weren't even suitable for a car wash. When it was finally time to get some shut-eye, the thick, lumpy pillows didn't allow me to fall asleep right away. Instead, I just lay there, listening in embarrassment to my honeymoon neighbors getting busy -- all night long. But after the first night, the hotel grew on me. For starters, they offered a large, delicious breakfast buffet, a sweet outdoor pool (it officially opens each year on April 1), a year-round indoor pool, and wireless Internet (CY£6 a day). The hotel is also kid-friendly. The Palm Beach Hotel is on the beach but since it wasn't beach weather, no one was there and it didn't look too appealing. The sand looked dark and dirty. Room rates begin at CY£35 ($81) for a single in the off-season and CY£41 in the high season. If I were to stay here again, I would stay in their newly renovated bungalows (rates begin at CY£185 a night). The Palm Beach Hotel & Bungalows; tel. +357/24 846600.

Larnaca

Larnaca is the third largest town in Greek Cyprus and is located on the southeast coast. This port city has a population over 70,000 people. The whole island has a population of 850,000 on the Greek side and an estimated 350,000 Turks in the north. Larnaca is centered around a seaside promenade that has a hard, sand beach and rows of palm trees. In the Cypriot dialect, this place is known as Finikoudes. A few blocks away is the ninth-century Agios Lazaros Byzantine Church (The Church of Lazarus). This incredible Greek Orthodox Church was built over the tomb of St. Lazarus who is the patron saint of Larnaca. However, his body is supposedly buried in Marseilles, France. While visiting, I learned that the Orthodox Greeks use three fingers to make the sign of the cross and make the gesture the opposite way that Catholics do. On the tour, worshippers kept coming through, lighting candles and kissing the St. Lazarus icon. They kept kissing the same spot and I was going to ask if they wanted to wipe it down with my sanitary wipes . . .

Just outside the church is a fruit stand selling traditional Cypriot treats including figs, dates, apricots, raisons, wild pistachios, and a snack made of peanuts, honey and sesame. The most popular item is called Soutzioukos. It's made of grape juice, flour and almonds but I wasn't a fan.

Agia Napa

About 21 miles from Larnaca in Ayia Napa (the English spell it with a "g' so it's Agia Napa) is the Thalassa Municipal Museum of the Sea. The museum, which opened in 2006 is quite modern -- I was surprised and impressed. The three-floor museum is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Cyprus' marine heritage. It has plenty of open space, with colorful, educational exhibits for all ages. The highlight is the life-sized replica of the ancient ship "Kyrenia II". It dates back to 9200 B.C. Entrance fee: CY£1.50 for adults and .50 for kids under 12. Thalassa Municipal Museum of the Sea, 14, Kriou Nerou, Agia Napa; tel. +357/238-16366. Oh yeah. While in Agia Napa you should stop by the Agia Napa Monastery. It's built like a medieval castle and dates back to the 15th century. It's not a monastery anymore but rather a cultural center.

Dining

On my flight over here, I sat beside a Cypriot man who now lives in England. He told me that the best thing about Cyprus is the food and boasted about how inexpensive and freshly made everything is. I didn't think I was going to agree since I'm a finicky eater but let me tell you -- he was right on the money. The food is exceptional in Cyprus. The first restaurant I ate at proved this. It was five minutes from the Palm Beach Hotel and called Voreas Tavern (tel. +357/246-47177). Here's a scan of their business card). My party arrived at 8:15pm on a Sunday night and the place was empty. The hostess said we were early. She was right; around 9:30pm, the place quickly filled up with locals. Cyprus is known for its meze plates. These are small plates, like tapas, so customers can sample everything. For CY£8.90 per person ($20) you get 27 plates. TWENTY-SEVEN. Is that crazy or what? I can't even name them all but they included pickled carrots with spices, olives, salad, tahini, tabulie, red peppers in garlic, potato salad, feta cheese in olive oil, eggs with spinach, artichoke, chicken/pork kebobs, beef liver, divine bread and grilled Halloumi (a local cheese and a specialty of the island). The following day I ate at Cava restaurant, (21 1st April Avenue; Paralimni; tel. +357/237-30545. Here's a scan of their business card) which had a similar barrage of small plates. This time it was a fish meze, which included 16 dishes of all kinds of seafood and fruit and dessert. Cost: CY£12 ($28) without wine and CY£15 ($34) with wine.

Lemesos Castle

On day three we checked out of the Palm Beach Hotel and drove an hour to Lemesos. There, we visited the Lemesos Medieval Castle, which features pottery, weapons/armor and decapitated skeletons. It was built before the end of the 12th century to defend the town. It became famous when Richard the Lionheart King of England encountered a problem with his ship at sea, and stopped in Cyprus. He ended up getting married in Lemesos and making war against the Byzantine Empire which, at the time, Cyprus was part of. He took Cyprus away and sold it to the Templar Knights who in turn, sold it to the French. The French added a Gothic room to the castle but made few other changes. Cost of entry to the museum is CY£2.

Kolossi Castle

A short drive down the road through orange groves is the Kolossi Castle (cost of entry CY£1). This castle was bare inside but what I liked most about it was its atmosphere and view. It reminded me of Blarney Castle in Ireland, minus the crowds. And the view here was much better than those at Lemesos Castle.

Bottled Water

Out front of the Kolossi Castle was a food/souvenir stand, which sold bottled water for just CY£.30. That's roughly the same price I found at all the stores I went into and even some of the hotel mini bars weren't priced much higher. I mention this because I appreciate when a country or hotel doesn't rip you off on one of the world's most natural resources.

Wine Museum

Near the Kolossi Castle is the Erimi Wine Museum (entrance fee CY£2.50). It's in Limassol, which is the second largest city on the island. There are hundreds of bars, hotels, and restaurants mostly catering to the British, who comprise Cyprus' highest number of visitors. The wine museum opened in November 2004 and depicts the history of wine on the island. There are currently 52 major wineries in Greek Cyprus. The guide was awesome, knowledgeable and entertaining. I learned a surprising fact: Did you know that Cyprus was the second region in the world to make wine? The oldest wine-making country in the world is Iran (Persians started back in 5,000 B.C.). A ceramic jar discovered in 1933 was tested in 1985 and it was scientifically proven that it was a wine flask that dated back to 3,500 B.C. It turns out that back then, wine was considered a divine gift and was eaten with bread. That's right . . . eaten. The wine was thick like honey. After the tour and a short film came everyone's favorite part: wine tasting. It takes place around the bar on the ground floor. Though I am not a huge wine drinker, we all loved their dessert wine called St. John Commandaria. It sells here for CY£9.50 ($22). Cyprus Wine Museum, 42 Paphou Street, Limassol; tel. +357/258-73808.

Kourion Ancient Site

Not far from the wine museum is the historic site of Kourion. Kourion was believed to have been one of the most important and glorious ancient kingdoms of Cyprus. The stone Kourion Amphitheatre dates back to the Bronze Age. It was once used by the Romans for animal fights and gladiatorial contests. These days, it's used to host open-air theatre and live music performances. The setting is perfect; it overlooks the coastline with jaw dropping views. The building to the left of it was excavated in 1938 and thought to be a palace from the Roman Period. Archaeologists believed that it was drastically altered in the 3rd and 4th centuries. The floors contain some wonderful mosaic patterns and the welcoming inscription reads: "Enter to thy good fortune and may thy coming bless this house." For more information on the Kourion, see this website.

Aphrodite Hills Resort

Our group went up to the Intercontinental Aphrodite Hills Resort for lunch. Now this place is phat. It's named after the Greek goddess of love because the resort/residential community overlooks the very spot where Aphrodite is believed to have emerged from the Mediterranean Sea. (FYI: Houses in this area begin at CY£500,000). Aphrodite Hills opened in 2005 and the development company spent close to $300 million. Sprawling over 578 acres, it's a 5-star deluxe intercontinental hotel that has 290 rooms and some even have private pools. There's a superb 18-hole golf course with an Indiana Jones-esque adventure hole. Golf is relatively new to Cyprus. The first public course was built here in 1992 and this is the island's third course (a round of 18 costs CY£73). There are tennis courts, an upscale spa, and a little village with shops and restaurants. They even offer kids clubs for children and teenagers. The place reminded me of Laguna Hills, California. And like Laguna Hills, the beach is nearby but it requires a shuttle. The buffet lunch was excellent as well as the service. I look forward to staying here one day. Room rates range from CY£130 ($300) to CY£1800 ($4,100) a night. Aphrodite Hills Resort, 3, Aphrodite Avenue, 8509 Kouklia; tel. +357/268-28000.

Cyprus Delights

On the way to Paphos where our next hotel was located, we drove along the coast. I was amazed because a portion of it looked exactly like the Palos Verdes coastline, which is near where I live in Los Angeles. We stopped in town to pick up some Cyprus Delight candies (Americans know them as Turkish Delights but don't you dare make the same mistake I did and say that to a Cypriot.) There are many companies that make these candies but we stopped off at Aphrodite Delights, where we enjoyed a tour of the facility. A box of these sweet treats goes for CY£1.75. For more info see www.aphroditedelights.com.

Elysium Beach Resort

I was little bummed we weren't staying at the Intercontinental Aphrodite Hills Resort but the moment we pulled into the Elysium Beach Resort those feelings faded away. The Elysium hotel is sweet. The resort is intended to offer visitors an experience of the rich history of the island and they do just that. You'll notice the fine service the moment you walk in. Guests are welcomed with orange juice and cold towels sprinkled in rose water. There are 250 rooms in the four-year-old hotel. Each room includes a balcony or a terrace and the bathrooms are made of marble, with soft towels and Molton Brown toiletries. There are two sections of the hotel; one is family- and business traveler-oriented. There's a conference center that can accommodate up to 400. The other section is a bit more refined and does not allow children under the age of 16. This section of the hotel has its own private pool but the main pool is massive and just steps away from the small, black sandy beach. Kids love this place because there's plenty of open space, a children's playground, two pools, a slide and a game room. During the high season, all five of their restaurants are open and Cava restaurant was named Best Cyprus Dining by Time Out magazine. The hotel has everything adults need too: free wireless Internet (which works only in or near the lobby), an excellent fitness center, library, gift shop, hair salon, spa, tennis courts and an outdoor amphitheater. The grounds are perfectly manicured with olive trees and plenty of rosemary bushes. The hotel is rated 5 stars but I would give it 4 or 4 ?. Staying here won't break the bank; room rates begin at CY£60 ($139) and includes an incredible breakfast. Elysium Beach Resort, Queen Verenikis Street, Paphos; tel. +357/268-44444.

John E. DiScala (aka Johnny Jet), is the founder of www.johnnyjet.com, the ultimate travel website and weekly newsletter. He logs over 150,000 miles a year, has been featured in over 850 articles (including Frommers.com, USA Today, Time, Fortune, the New York Times, CNBC and MSNBC), and has published the book, You Are Here Traveling With JohnnyJet.com.

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