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Published: September 30th 2017
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Agios Lazaros ...
... easily the prettiest sight that we came across in Larnaca. Geo: 34.9167, 33.6292
After our first night in Larnaca, we really didn't want to come back here for another night, let alone two - but it was a necessary evil, as the only real options for flying out of the country are either here or Paphos. Unfortunately, there was a far better selection of flights available from Larnaca, so this is where we stayed for the final two nights in Cyprus.
Originally, I had grand plans of driving out to Agia Napa, the area of Cyprus known for having the nicest beaches - powdery white sands and crystal-clear waters ... but that all changed after having to wake up early to drop Benita off at the airport to catch her flight to Italy, as she has a little over a week than me left in her trip. BTW, that's just plain wrong - how can
anybody get more time off than me? Something isn't right with the Universe!
By the time I got back to the hotel and crashed for a few more hours, the morning was pretty much over, and a quick look at a map revealed that Agia Napa was more like a 45-minute drive away, and not twenty minutes like Last Piece of Halloumi For the Trip ...
... nowhere near as good as last night's, but still good! I had originally thought. The beaches of Agia Napa are also known for their party atmosphere, and I really didn't want anything more than a quiet and lazy final day in Cyprus, having been beat up pretty good by yesterday's oppressive heat in Nicosia.
While Larnaca's weather today was cool in comparison to Nicosia (if you really consider 34 C to be really that much cooler than 37 C), it was still disgustingly hot, with the higher humidity on the coast. A short five-minute walk to pick up some groceries for breakfast left me soaking wet and exhausted, so the plan quickly became hanging around the pool until it was time to grab some lunch, and then hitting up nearby Makenzy Beach for one final dip in the warm waters of Cyprus.
Nobody considers Larnaca's beaches to be beautiful, and for good reason - though Makenzy is considered the best of the lot, it's still pretty sub-standard in comparison to the other offerings in Cyprus ... grey, hard-packed sand with murky-looking waters, these aren't the kinds of beaches the Cypriot tourist board wants to advertise in its brochures. Having said that, if you all you want is a quick sun tan
Swordfish ...
... couldn't compare to what we had eaten in Santorini or Damnoni, but still decent. It was a rather large portion for lunch time with one large slab and one smaller one, especially coupled with the halloumi. and subsequent dip in the sea afterward to cool off, I suppose it's not the worst place to be.
While the neighbourhood we stayed in is convenient to the airport, it's even more soulless than the rest of Larnaca, set in an area comprised completely of tourist apartment blocks. There are a few restaurants and bars within a five-minute stroll, but the better option is still taking a 25-30 minute walk to downtown Larnaca for dinner. The only problem is that what should be a beautiful seaside stroll is actually taken through a 2 km long construction zone, as it appears that a project to renovate the entire seafront promenade has stalled, perhaps due to the country's recent and ongoing economic woes.
The entire promenade is lined with open trenches, piles of dirt, and concrete jersey barriers - not exactly pleasant, and especially not when lighting is nearly non-existent, making a sprained ankle a real possibility while walking along the rough and uneven dirt portions of the road. It's my fault in the end, as I easily could've driven into town, but feeling lazy and pudgy from too many good eats the past couple of weeks, I needed some exercise tonight, even
Interesting Combo ...
... rose and pistachio, at Pahit-Ice, a local shop that makes its own gelato. Not bad, but it was better as a lifesaver on a scorcher like today. The rose was particularly refreshing, but the pistachio couldn't touch the awesome stuff we had in Santorini. if it was along an ugly stretch of road.
Being a Saturday night, Finikoudes, Larnaca's seafront promenade, was hopping with people out strolling, and also catching a performance of traditional Cypriot folk dancing, making for a half-decent final evening in Cyprus. So the final night in Cyprus ended up pretty much the same as the first night - back at Tuck Inn for one more killer kebab!
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