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Published: September 19th 2019
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WEDNESDAY
A day of sunshine, shipwrecks, and swimming.
We were collected from the hotel and taken to Paphos harbour where we boarded the yacht Ocean Flyer for a day out on the Mediterranean Sea.
There were 3 decks and by the time we boarded a lot of the sun loungers had been taken but we managed to find a couple of comfy chairs, which we hoped might give some shade later in the day.
We set off around 10am, the staff were very friendly and explained the safety procedures, most of the passengers were English but there were a couple of other nationalities although I couldn't detect the language when their safety reports were announced so just as well we had it in English too !
As we pulled out of the harbour the ancient castle, which I had climbed earlier in the week, was soon behind us, we hugged the coastline with all its hotel, villas and apartments when suddenly a 12 seater speed boat came alongside & starting some rather spectacular maneouves.
As we continued used along the coast we passed a shipwreck
not far from the Tomb of the Kings. We heard how the MV Demetrios II, a cargo ship built in 1964 in Germany ran aground in heavy seas carrying timber cargo en route to Syria from Greece on 23 March 1998.
At the time of the accident there were 8 crew members aboard. The crew were rescued and airlifted by a British Military Helicopter.
It was later confirmed in the Lloyd’s List the competency certificates for the Greek Captain and the Pakistani first officer were forgeries.
And so the wreck still stands, apparently it will cost more than it’s worth to salvage it!
We soon reached our first swim stop not far from Coral Bay, one of the best beaches in Paphos but with row after row of parasols it looked a little too crowded for our liking.
The staff anchored us securely in a small bay. The turquoise water looked very inviting, it was easy to get into the sea from the runged steps off the back of the vessel. Some of the guests snorkelled, but I decided to just enjoy a swim. The water was crystal clear and a
lovely temperature.
Some of the guests took a ride in the speed boat, it looked fun but they all looked rather wet when they returned, no doubt from all the swerves & turns by the boatman showing off.
We were anchored here for almost 2 hours. After swimming we had a delicious buffet lunch which included salad, fresh vegetables, pasta, rice, chicken & sea bass. Plenty of complimentary drinks too.
There was a singer on board who sang a few reggae songs to start but as the voyage got longer his repertoire included Abba, Tom Jones & Bruno Mars to name a few. His voice did not match his appearance, he was like a guy with spindly legs doing dad dancing as he swayed and sung, so I looked out to sea and just listened to his voice rather than watch him. A good choice.
As we pulled out of the bay the singer took a break, we continued to enjoy subtle piped music as we chatted to other guests without the distraction of the dad dancer.
A couple of other vessels passed us by
but it was very quiet which meant our next stop, like the last, only our vessel anchored.
We have been on some snorkelling/swim trips in other countries where many ships of different sizes and sometimes with very rowdy passengers anchor up but today it was just the Ocean Flyer.
We continued along the coast to St.Georges Bay where we passed another shipwreck.
The Sierra Leone EDRO III which ran aground on 8 September 2011 in heavy seas, during a voyage to Rhodes from Limassol with a cargo of plasterboard.
At the time of the accident, the ship had nine crew members - seven Albanians and two Egyptians. The crew were rescued and airlifted to the safety of Paphos by a local British Military helicopter.
Our guide said that it was planned for the wreckage to be salvaged but did not know how soon.
Continuing we saw rock caves dotted along the shoreline, good places for smugglers to hide their ill gotten gains back in the day.
We anchored just off a tiny beach with rock caves close enough for us to swim too.
It was a
few hundred yards but it was an easy swim and once at the cave entrance the water was only a few feet deep so you could stand up. Waving to attract David's attention back on board he managed to take a photo just to prove I made it to the cave.
Back on board they served cake & fresh fruit and then the dad dancing singer was back! A few guests joined in with the dancing but by now the sun was really hot so we escaped to the lower deck where it was nice & cool in the lounge area and a lot quieter!
It wasn't long before Paphos Castle & The Harbour came into view and as we disembarked we thanked the crew for a lovely day.
Dropped back at our hotel by a cheerful driver. The people here in Cyprus are so polite and friendly.
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