November 29th, 2019
Today I left the hostel in Jerusalem and made my way back to Tel Aviv by bus. I went back to Eytan’s house and repacked a bag to go to Cyprus for a few days. My original plan was to go to Jordan after Brendan left to see Petra, but since we were able to squeeze that in before he left I had an extra week to play with before my flight to Spain. I honestly didn’t really know a thing about Cyprus and it was never on my radar as a place to go. I kind of randomly discovered it because they had super cheap flights from Israel to Paphos, Cyprus. For $40 round trip I was able to book a ticket and realized it is actually a great destination with beautiful beaches. Cyprus is an island just an hour flight from Tel Aviv in the Mediterranean. It’s a really interesting place as it is half Turkish and half Grecian. It is divided by the “Green Line” which is a UN guarded border separating the two sides of the island. I was going to Paphos which is the Greek side. The climate in Cyprus is nice all year round making it a popular beach destination for many European travelers. It is also known for its wine and has great wine for super cheap. Cyprus also has over “50 blue flag beaches” which is a certificate from the Environmental Education Foundation showing the beach meets stringent standards for water quality, cleanliness, safety, and public environmental education.
I got my bag packed and Eytan was nice enough to drive me to the airport for my early evening flight. I lucked out and found this great place online to stay. For $30 a night I ended up with a cute little studio apartment in Paphos just a short walk from the beach. For 1.50 euros I got a bus from the airport to downtown Paphos and the owners of the hotel were nice enough to be waiting for me at the bus stop when I arrived. Even though I was only a short walk from the hotel they picked me up and did a quick driving tour around the neighborhood showing me the points of interest and where things were so I could be oriented for tomorrow. They were very sweet and I loved the little apartment. It was fully stocked with everything you could need, fast internet and a great big balcony. It seemed crazy after all the sub-par places we have stayed on the trip, I ended up with this great apartment all to myself for four nights.
Although I will be returning to Israel one more time (just to fly to Spain the next day) my touring of the country has come to an end. I feel so incredibly lucky and thankful we ended up exploring this part of the world. Our friends here made it such an amazing experience and we learned so much. Even if you are not religious, I feel Israel is a very special place. You can feel it especially in places like Jerusalem when you are walking around. The history goes back so far and it is very significant to many groups of faith. The energy you feel here is just really something. I talked to several people who have come here and described it as a place that feels like home. It definitely captures people in a way that is hard to explain and I definitely think it is a spot to see for yourself if you ever get the opportunity. Also floating in the Dead Sea was one of the most unique experiences we have ever had. Being “unsinkable” is so crazy and cool. The lowest place on earth is really therapeutic and feels very calm and peaceful. Definitely another “highlight” on our year of traveling.