Nicosia

Before we left the airport on Friday night, I tried Cyprus coffee. It tasted different from any coffee I have ever had. I didn't initially love it, but by the end of the cup I was getting more accustomed to it. It looked more like the thick, gooey chocolate Augustus Gloop plummets into in the Willy Wonka movie than actual coffee. 

By the time we arrived in our apartment Friday night (which is more like a dorm building), it was 2:00 am. I am staying with three other girls from my MBA program. The five guys are in a different apartment close by. We went to bed at 3:00 am and set our alarms for 7:30 am (Cyprus time). For our bodies that’s equivalent to going to bed at 8:00 pm and waking up at 12:30 am. When my alarm went off, I felt like my eyeballs had suddenly been replaced with sandpaper. We went across the street to a Carrefour to get some apartment essentials. We were clearly a) not awake b) not functional c) not from Cyprus. I felt like I might as well be wearing a shirt that had “American Tourist” in bold, block letters. Luckily, people here found us amusing.  

On Saturday, we toured the old city of Nicosia, which is the capital of Cyprus and the last divided capital in the world. Our tour guide was a small, knowledgeable Cypriot woman who briskly walked with an umbrella. I thought I walked fast, but I felt like a three-toed sloth compared to this woman. Each time she finished her dialogue about a location, she started power walking to the next location.

Group selfie before the tour

Tour of Nicosia

Vines covering the street for shade

Northern Cyprus (the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) is Turkish occupied and has been since 1974, when the country became divided after the Turks invaded, forcing the native Cypriots to flee south for their lives. I am staying in the southern part (the Republic of Cyprus), which is officially recognized by the European Union. The north and south are separated by the “Green Line,” a peaceful buffer zone manned by young Cypriot military men between the ages of 17 and 20. Our tour guide said it is called the Green Line because it symbolizes hope that the north and south will someday reunite. The flag of Cyprus also embodies this hope. It depicts a copper-colored shape of the country, which looks a stingray to me. The name Cyprus actually comes from the Greek word for copper, and the country was named after its rich copper reserves. Below the country, there are two green olive branches that cross and represent the same hope that the country will be unified someday.

The flag of the Republic of Cyprus

After our tour, we ate lunch at a local kebab restaurant, which are popular here. We noticed there were both Greek and Cyprus serving sizes for pitas. The waiter told us the Greek portions are small and the Cyprus portions are larger. We quickly learned that “larger” was the understatement of the century. I thought of my Richmond swimmers, who would love Cyprus-sized portions of food, but even in my eating-prime, I am not sure I could have finished a Cyprus sized pita.

Cyprus-sized pita. Don't try this at home

I went back to the apartment to nap for two hours after lunch and then we got ready for pre-planned MBA dinner. We arrived at a beautiful restaurant at 6:00 pm and were the only people there, as people in Cyprus do not eat dinner until about 9:00 pm. We were served – not kidding – twenty different plates of food to pick from. We had salad, meatballs, ravioli, kebabs, chicken, pitas, sausage, haloumi cheese (delicious life changing cheese), olives, tahini, squash and eggs, french fries, carrots, mushrooms, taziki, wine and custard for dessert. We were absolutely stuffed and they continued to bring endless plates out. It reminded me of the Harry Potter movies where the plates automatically replenish themselves. As we continued to eat, we wondered how the Cypriots were so thin if their food was this good. We determined it’s because they walk a lot. And maybe they don’t gorge themselves to the point of feeling uncomfortable like we did.

Endless food

A woman named Vasia, a Cypriot born, now New Yorker who is on the verge of becoming a famous filmmaker, joined us at dinner. She is making a documentary about the division between northern and southern Cyprus and says the movie will be released in 2016. Her mother joined us as well. They were such genuinely nice people. I also observed that everyone in Cyprus is absolutely beautiful with their tanned skin and dark hair.

Before we left the restaurant, I turned around and saw two little girls around the age of two sitting and reading a book together. When I looked closer, I noticed it was Winnie the Pooh. I observed them for about five minutes and smiled. I thought of Natalie’s (and now my) favorite quote:

“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is: even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you.”