CYPRUS ADVENTURE

   Cyprus was chosen as a visa-free destination. Tickets at a promotional price and a room in a hostel, with payment on the spot, were booked six months in advance. I made insurance on Cherekhapa, e-provisions were sent free of charge to the post office. I chose Limassol as the city of stay, which seemed to me the most interesting. plans were to visit the zoo, water park, archaeological museum, Archimedes, Kourion, Kolossi, the sanctuary of Apollo (it turned out to be far away), Amathus and, if possible, Larnaca, Nicosia and Paphos. I also wanted the Troodos mountains, but this is how it turns out. The term is 12 days. For children in Limassol has a lot of things, this is Bubble Park, Galaxy, Oasis Park with attractions, Cyrus Land-Medieval Park. I chose Archimedes, an interactive museum similar to St. Petersburg’s Labyrinthum, only according to Archimedes’ laws.

   So, before leaving, my daughter broke her nail and said that everything, there will be no luck. Then I received an SMS about the flight delay.

   It so happened that, focusing on the raised bridges, we arrived at the airport a lot in advance. And there it turned out that the delay was extended by another 3 hours. That is about 6 hours of sitting. This was just the beginning.

   Arriving in Larnaca, I went to look for a stop for a direct shuttle to Limassol. At the information desk they told me where to go. The ticket costs 9 euros. Tickets are sold before leaving the airport, there is a sign there. We drove about 40 minutes. The end of the church of St. George. Further on foot, In the heat. Finally slipping into the hostel, I went in search of the administrator. Who, after examining my reservation, informed me that there was an error on the site and the room had been booked several times. And it turns out that we have nowhere to live.

   But he quickly found a way out and put us in a luxury apartment with mountain views, not far from the hostel and a supermarket, at the same price, though only for 3 days.

   When asked what will happen next, he transparently hinted at booking.

   I decided not to take a steam bath. And we went to the sea. On the way we met a lot of skinny cats. They are everywhere. In Cyprus, they are loved, the drivers always let them through, and everyone is fed.

We passed the imposing cathedral.

   And also such murals came across. There are many murals on this topic.

   In the description of the hostel it is indicated that the sea is less than a kilometer. In fact, more. But that’s not all. To the sea, yes, but to the nearest beach there is still a kilometer along the embankment. We walked and wondered where they swim here.

   Mollos Embankment, also known as a sculpture park (rather strange), was made relatively recently. There, in addition to strange sculptures, there are simulators that are simply covered with people in the evenings, selling fried and boiled corn, ice cream and cocktails. In the beginning there are shops with all sorts of sweets , tea, wine and cosmetics.

   Delicious ice cream by weight. Three balls 3.20 euros. The choice of flavors is great. I advise you to try, and by the way, “after eight” is mint with chocolate.

   Cypriot sweets didn’t impress me. Turkish delight, coconut and carob bars, you can try, but nothing special. Cooling multi-colored cocktails, as a result, turn into half a glass of tasteless ice. On the embankment they add more balls with different tastes that burst in the language.

   In the middle of the embankment there is a toilet (useful information in itself), and opposite it, across the road, they sell a good shawarma for 4 euros. You can control the process of filling it, but I said “AII” (put everything). The main thing is not to forget to add “ no spicy. ”And then they will add chilean pepper.

   And about Cypriot wine is best told by the one who took a ride to the winery and made a direct opinion.

http://www.veganchef.ru/kiprskoe-vino/

   We passed by the Limassol Castle. The entrance costs 4.5 euros per person. But you can walk around the territory for free.

   We were unlucky with the weather, the sea was icy, and we returned to our luxurious apartment with two common terraces, sun loungers, a kitchen, a common area and three rooms, in one of which lived a woman from Norway, in the second a Russian girl whom I saw only twice.

   As for the supermarket, I won’t say that the prices were exorbitant. Cherries from 4 euros, peaches, nectarines and even cheaper. Cheese 3-4 euros. I really liked the soft white cheese with a goat on the package. It cost about 2 euros. We added it to the salad and They ate like this. Olive oil from 4 euros, canned olives about 3 euros. They like to sell olives in soft packages.

  During these three days we only went to the zoo and tried to go to Amathus. Let’s start with the zoo. It is in the municipal park, rather small, but cozy. I don’t remember the cost, because. tickets are dropped into the box in front of the entrance. There is a crocodile, hippos, kangaroos, pelican and ostriches. There is a terrarium and a branch-farm with cow-sheep.

  Travel on a city bus costs 1.5 euros in the afternoon and 2.5 after 21 hours. You can buy a pass for 5 euros for the whole day (daily), on any bus. So we did and went first to the Oasis Park. It turned out that he works only from 5 pm, and the attractions were not impressed. Limited choice and a small Ferris wheel. My daughter said that she would not come back here. We had a snack at McDonald’s nearby and sat on the same number 30 that goes along the entire coast. Hearing the word “Amathus ”, The driver dropped us off at the hotel of the same name. Having twisted around the place, we realized that we had not arrived, and drove another stop at the next thirty. The views of the sea were gorgeous. And from Amathus we found only this.

   In general, we did not reach it and did not find it. We had to go back and it was pretty decent, but it was not possible to walk along the busy highway without the side of the road. Then we passed it by bus.

   Apparently, only the columns have survived; by the way, there is an interesting church nearby.

   Then we went on the same number 30 to the My Mall shopping center, the final stop. The largest in Limassol. There I bought a bunch of tea. Well, I can’t pass by good tea. Everywhere I take half a suitcase of herbs. There are Cypriot herbs and my favorite dictamus , and herbal cocktails and green tea with ginger and orange, etc. And nuts and honey, and cosmetics in olive oil. This is all sold also on the shopping street along the road to the embankment. Cypriot sweets, cosmetics, wine, soap, etc. Everything that you can bring for yourself and as a gift. But the olive oil itself was bought in an ordinary supermarket, it is gorgeous, it costs from 4 euros per liter. I also liked the Tigger store. It is in My Mall and in the city we found it .Very unusual, with all sorts of things.

   After returning home, I climbed into Booking, to see what was there, and thinking about spending the last few days in Larnaca, but the prices were going through the roof, and I decided to just wait.

   At the end of the third day, the hostel administrator came to us and said that there is an option with a room in an apartment with the owners. 3 km from our accommodation. I haven’t lived like this yet. On the one hand I wanted privacy, on the other, I thought it would be not bad experience. We agreed that the owner would pick us up by car the next day at 12 o’clock.

I started the alarm.

   No one came to pick us up at 12:00 or 13:00. But the administrator came, a girl from Ukraine. She said that there is a variant of a room in a 3-room apartment, completely new, after renovation, where no one else lives. On the way, it turned out that the owner of the apartment and the room where they originally wanted to accommodate us was alone. A couple from Ukraine. And something else turned out. She admitted that they had converted the room we had booked into a room for staff. And cancel the reservation. , for some reason they could not warn. And we were not the only ones who booked it. And that it was completely their fault. There were no failures, it was obvious, because. the room was on different sites and they could not be buggy at the same time. Then, I also changed the booking dates, and they confirmed it. I still had my suspicions when they did not take the prepayment.

   This is a view to the other side, to the mountains. And the church by the sea. Weekends woke up to the sound of bells, every hour.

   A woman from Norway also came with us. She had lived for about a month and was looking for a new home. She moved in with us after 5 days.

  Now you could relax and devote all the remaining time to rest.

   We started with a water park. For some reason it was impossible to buy tickets through the website, I had to stand in line on the spot. This water park took first place in my daughter’s rating. She visited many water parks in different countries. And she said that this is the best. You need to catch it by bus. You need to catch it at stops close to the sea. It says “Fasouri”, the fare costs 2.5 euros one way. We caught him at about 10 am, the last one goes back at 6 pm. If you sit for a long time at the bus stop, Taxis will start to drive up to you and offer services. Prices from 5-10 euros, depending on the distance and the number of people.

   The entrance costs 30 euros per adult. The water park is really unusual. There is something that I have not seen in others. For example, an orange slide. They are allowed in in turn, and there are two queues. Adults and children separately.

There is quite a child

   Very original playgrounds with water labyrinths, swings, and cars instead of cheesecakes. You twist the handle and go. Also, an obstacle course, which turned out to be not so easy to overcome. There are adults and children.

The set of slides is standard, and there are also three-seater cheesecakes.

Swimming pool with waves and bungee.

You can go rafting on the lazy river, and at the end you can do a fish peel.

   Time flies by. On the second visit, they give a discount, the ticket will cost 18 euros, but provided that it is bought before leaving and is valid the next day.

   Wear T-shirts, sunscreen doesn’t help. We’re all badly burned out.

   The next number on the program was Kourion.

   I had to walk to the EMEL bus station near the old hospital. There you have to take bus number 16, be sure to ask the driver where he is going, because when he heard the word “Curion”, he said “next bas” (next bus number 16), and go to the final one, then go up the hill and turn left. The entrance costs 4.5 euros.

  The views from the mountain are just crazy.

  The ancient amphitheater is impressive; it has been restored and is still in use today; it hosts concerts with a capacity of 3,000.

A lot of floor mosaics have survived.

Columns made of marble

Remains of houses and baths, and even a basilica.

Very impressive. There are taps with water on the territory, but not all are working. Stock up on your own, and be sure to wear closed clothes and a hat. The sun is just merciless.

Then we took a trip to Larnaca.

The bus starts from the old port, but we did not find this stop. We caught it at an ordinary bus stop, on the far side from the sea. You can also catch a bus to Nicosia. The journey costs 4 euros one way. But if you take “there and back ”You can save 1 euro. The schedule is on the Cyprus bas website. Or you can take it from the driver, as we did. It takes about an hour and a half. We passed Amathus, mountains in the distance and a few picturesque views by the sea, but it ended as we left the city.

At the entrance to Larnaca we pass the ancient Kemares aqueduct, which was built in 1747 and was used until 1938.

In Larnaca, the bus arrives at the Fenikoudes embankment, and from there and back. Walking along it you can find the same incomprehensible sculptures.

Venetian lion

And go straight to the castle.

We didn’t go inside, although the entrance here is cheaper than -2.5 euros. We turned to the mosque.

And further to the church of St. Lazarus

Then we walked to the ruins of the ancient city of Kition. The entrance is free, and there is not much to see. There is a toilet and a mini-museum with photographs on the territory. Address Leoforos Archiepiskopou Kyprianou 48

We passed by the Larnaca Archaeological Museum, it was closed, and the appearance is impressive. It seems that the exhibition begins from its territory.

Kition

On the promenade of Fenikoudes, next to the bus station, we found a certain Love Bases, on the principle of hop-on-hop. It passes through the main attractions of Larnaca and beyond. The trip lasts 2.5 hours, costs 15 euros. It covers the Salt Lake, churches, mosques. Everything that is nearby. Unfortunately, it runs only 3 times a day and we missed it without understanding the schedule. Tell me, who went, is it worth it?

There is a “Museum of Owls” in Larnaca, we did not reach it, but if anyone is interested, here are the coordinates of Louki Akrita, 8

And the amusement park “Lucky star”, Ayiou Sergiou & Vanchou st., Aradippou, which we could not visit within one trip.

In general, we can consider that the trip to Cyprus was a success. Despite the housing troubles due to which we lost some of the time. Not everything that was planned came true, something remained for the next time. In “Archimedes” my daughter flatly refused to go, saying that she was not interested. As I did not attract her with laser and mirror labyrinths. The weather improved and the water warmed up. The sea was quite shallow, we had to go far. In the evenings, the tide was low and the sea became even shallower. Along the entire coastline, embankments of stones were made. , apparently protecting from the waves. In the morning, only the tops of the stones were visible, and in the evening they half protruded from the water.

From Limassol, you can go on excursions. One of the inexpensive excursion agencies “Ascot” conducts excursions in Russian. You can negotiate a discount. Schedules and prices can be viewed on their Russian-language website. HTTP://ASCOTCYPRUS.COM/RU/  We ourselves have not traveled, but we have heard of them. Address Leoforos Amathountos, 34 block A.

I never got a chance to try the local food. At first I was scared by the price tag, and then they never got together.

The rating of Cypriot dishes, or what to try in the country, can be found here http://www.cookandtravel.ru/kuhnya-kipra-shto-poprobovat/

While preparing for a trip, there are always interesting sites and articles. I have given links to some of them above. It is not for nothing that they say that preparation takes longer than the trip itself. But this is a special pleasure, planning long winter evenings, building routes, learning new things about the country, look for interesting places. When you go for the first time, you always want to learn more, so special thanks to the people who write and share information. I hope my experience will be useful too.

I want to express my special gratitude to 2GIS. There are not only maps, but also bus routes, their stops, shops and just everything. My irreplaceable travel assistant. (This is not an advertisement, but just my delight and gratitude, I have not yet found a better application ).

And, in conclusion, I will tell you how we left.

The shuttle stop to the airport at the church of St. George was now out of our reach. It was 6 km away and there was simply nothing to get there. If you go to it with transfers, the journey itself was very expensive. And then not to the final point. Therefore, I decided to leave through Larnaca. the route was not studied by me, we decided to leave early. Even during a trip to Larnaca, I photographed the bus schedule to the airport “just in case”. This case came.

The bus to Larnaca was also caught at the stop. The fare is 4 euros. To go for 1.5 hours. At the end, the embankment of Fenikoudes, we switched to bus number 425, which runs every half hour during the day. The trip costs 1.5 euros. It takes 15 minutes. from Limassol to the airport cost 5.5 euros per person (the shuttle cost 9 euros). By the way, we passed the Salt Lake. But this is not the end.

Already at the airport, I found an SMS about the flight delay. And we arrived very early (left early). There was no information on the board, only the counter numbers. After 3 hours, I went to the counters to see what was happening there and found a crowd of people, check-in for two flights of our airline. Moreover, the scoreboard at the counters did not have any information. Where to register who. I received the information from the girl-guide who accompanied her passengers. The flights were not ours. But to get some information, we too We stood in line for check-in. After standing an hour and a half, we were checked in for the flight and were told the final departure time. There was a delay of 4 hours and a guaranteed overnight stay at the airport. After passing the border and pre-flight security, we were given food vouchers in the amount of 13.5 euros per person …On them you could take whatever you want within this amount in the cafes of the airport. After the meal, my daughter fell asleep on the couch in a cafe, and for about an hour I corresponded with my family via local WI-FI.

Now, looking at the gloomy St. Petersburg sky, listening to the rain pounding, and on the thermometer + 12, I recall with nostalgia the Cypriot +41.

The brought tea saves. And, by the way, who needs the coordinates of the owner of a luxurious apartment on the beach in Limassol, I can give.