The Cypriot Life

Wednesday was our second and final day at the resort. Barbara was kind enough to get us breakfast. I failed to mention that she is a professional chef and cooks for the ambassador to Israel. She was on a live cooking show earlier in her career as well. She made us homemade frappes (similar to iced coffees) with breakfast, which have become a slight obsession for me since I have been here. I might need to be weaned off of them gradually before returning to the States. 

Frappe metrio (with medium sugar)

We started the day working on our project. I took a short break to go for a swim in the Mediterranean Sea. Replacing the straight, black, tiled line at the bottom of an indoor swimming pool with schools of fish, plant life, seashells, and unique volcanic-looking rock formations is quite a change. The high levels of salt made me feel buoyant and fast. I swam along the coast and then out towards the horizon. The horizon is such that you cannot tell where the sea ends and the sky begins. A blurry blending of two breathtaking elements. Everything is more vibrant in Cyprus. The fruit is sweeter, the ocean and sky are bluer, the greenery is greener, and the sun is brighter.

After swimming, my group discussed our project again and then set off on day two of our adventure. Our goal was to photograph and videotape activities and attractions in the area to potentially create a promotional video or slideshow for our client. We first photographed a local water sports school five minutes down the road. We then found ourselves back at Louis’s for the second day in a row. I woke up craving one of his delicious sandwiches. When we arrived at the food truck, I was greeted by the same exact scene as the day before: Louis and his friend sitting at a table in front of the truck smoking and playing backgammon. I pictured the two of them doing this every day for the past twenty years. Slowly aging, but staying the same.

At first glance, Louis appears to be of Mexican descent. He is typically donned in jeans, a button up shirt and a sombrero-like hat. His skin is tan, and his teeth look especially white when he smiles. Louis has a warm, familiar smile that makes you think he reminds you of someone you once knew. His friend is extremely tan and his skin is rough and dry, like he has worked most of his life. I pictured him having a hard life and smiled at the thought of him and Louis now having the opportunity to spend their days relaxing and playing backgammon. They know what is important and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Good friends and good food. They’ve got it all right, too, which is probably why Andreas has been a fixture at the food truck for the past ten years.

We sat down and I ordered the mixed sandwich and mandarin juice. Our sandwiches came with a plate of small pickles and jalapeno peppers. We watched Barbara and Louis play each other in backgammon. Jenn, Eric and I made a strong attempt to learn the game through observation but were not successful. After backgammon, Louis’s friend, who does not speak more than a few words of English, asked Eric to play checkers with him. Checkers in Cyprus involves moving the chips horizontally and vertically as opposed to diagonally. There are a few other different rules we didn’t really understand. It was fascinating to watch Eric play Louis’s friend, both talking to each other in different languages, neither comprehending, but still successfully playing the same game together. We asked Louis if we could get a picture with him before leaving. We wanted to remember the moments we spent with the friendly man who made the best sandwiches in Cyprus.

Next, we headed to a horseback-riding ranch where we were greeted by Anastasia, a small red headed woman with beautiful green eyes, pale skin, and a freckled face. She let us meet all of her horses, and the deep love she had for them was quickly apparent. Her favorite horse, Grinko, seemed to like me. He kept nuzzling me with his head each time I stopped stroking his soft brown neck and nose. I snapped a few photographs of Anastasia and Grinko, trying to capture the essence of her love for her horse. She asked me if she could provide me with her email address so I could send her the photographs I took. I was flattered she asked and said I would absolutely do so. She told me horses give more than they take. She feeds them and cares for them, but the reward she gets in return is far greater than anything she could ever do for the animal.

We then headed in to Protaras to walk around. We arrived just as the sun was setting, and I photographed the sunset over the water. By 7:00 pm, Protaras was already humming with life. Barbara said only about one-third of the people were out and the peak hours were much later into the night. I realized it was a Wednesday night. People here enjoy life each evening. There is no such thing as delaying plans because it is a “work night.” Everyone very much lives in the moment.

We walked into a couple of the small shops that lined the streets and talked to different owners. One shop caught my attention. It featured hundreds of beautiful paintings, many detailing landscapes in Cyprus in vibrant pinks, oranges, and blues. I was drawn to all of the paintings and had difficulty choosing. I walked over to a table that displayed smaller canvases, and saw a painting of a hot air balloon sitting on top of one of the stacks. It was the only one of its kind there, even though most of the other paintings had duplicates. I purchased that painting as well as an illustration of a bold Cyprus sunset. We saw a painting of the white and blue church we visited the day before. We have only been here for five days but are already recognizing scenes from the island, and can (on a very basic level) scrape by with our Greek during short interactions. I no longer say yes but neh; not no but ohee; not thank you but efhareesto; not please or you’re welcome but parakalo; not okay but entaxi; not where is the bathroom but pou eine ee tooaletta; not water but nero; not coffee but café (medium sweet for me, which is metrio). It is amazing how quickly one can adapt when they are fully immersed in a culture. Barbara complimented me on my accent, although sometimes I feel like my tongue is getting tired of me forcing it to roll all the time.

I asked the woman in the painting shop if she painted all of the pieces. She said her husband is the artist. I told her to please tell him we think his work is beautiful. She and her mother were incredibly friendly and Jenn and I spoke with them for a few minutes. I am amazed at how friendly everyone is here. When traveling to different countries, you never know how natives will react to visitors. Cypriots welcome you with both arms wide open. They are warm, personable, interested, interesting, and genuinely want to converse with you. It fills me with a burning desire to talk to everyone about everything. Mostly everyone speaks English, in addition to Greek and multiple other languages.

Back at the resort, Barbara cooked us a fantastic meal of salmon, salad, rice and vegetables in a teriyaki sauce blend. It was one of the most delicious meals we’ve ever had.

It was fulfilling to interact with native Cypriots today, and to observe them in their normal, everyday routines. I thought about how this is what Louis and Anastasia and Barbara would be doing even when I am back in the United States, thousands of miles away. As we drove through neighborhoods today, I watched young Cypriot children playing and laughing in the streets as we passed. For a second, my horizon expanded exponentially. I pictured children all over the world doing the same thing as the Cypriot children. From England to Nigeria to China. All of us so connected, yet so distant.

What I most appreciate about the Cypriots is how their hospitality makes me feel like I am a part of this island and have been for a long time. I am not viewed as a foreigner, but rather, a person from a different country with different perspectives who they can learn from. Before this trip, I had barely even heard of Cyprus and was not sure what to expect. Now, I am grateful my life path led me here.

I concluded the night sitting out on the patio overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The moonlight was shining down on the dark water creating a light path that appeared to extend indefinitely out into the darkness. The sea was so calm it appeared as flat as millpond. It gave me the illusion that I could get up and walk straight across the moonlit path. I alternated between looking out at the sea and up at the stars. The silence was profound. I tried to etch the lack of sound and the sights into my memory to carry with me. Several times, I got up and started to walk back inside, only to turn around again to take one last glance at the peacefulness the night offered.