A Journey to Paphos, Cyprus

Before we even left on this excursion, I knew I would like it.  Why?  It was going to be 5 hours which is, I've concluded, basically my time limit for guided tours and, secondly, it was going to a UNESCO World Heritage site and these are always of interest to me.  Further, an additional bonus was that we didn't have to leave until 9:30 am!

Our ship was docked in the port of Limassol, Cyprus.  This port is so big (it is basically a container ship port) that we were shuttled to the Port Terminal in order to get to our tour buses.  Passengers are not permitted to wander around the port itself.  We boarded our tour bus for the pleasant drive to Paphos. I was impressed with the buildings and the cleanliness of the sides of the roads.  So different than what we had seen in Egypt and Israel, although the latter was certainly an improvement over what I'd seen in Egypt!   As we approached Paphos (aka Pafos), you could see the water tanks on top of most buildings.  These are connected to the town water system but are on the rooftops and attached to solar panels for hot water heating.  I had also noticed them in Israel and, on another trip, in Crete.  

Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period.  Our first stop was at Tombs of the Kings.  These are large, ancient chamber tombs were in use from the Hellenistic period in the 4^th century BC as well as during the Roman period.  In Christian times, some tombs served as places of refuge for the first Christians while others were inhabited by hermits.  Over time, the area was neglected and many tombs were destroyed due to the conversion of the region to a stone quarry. 

Our next stop was the House of Dionysos adorned with colourful and impressive mosaics considered to be the finest in the Mediterranean.  This structure is located in Nea Pafos, an archaeological site near Paphos Harbour which served as the capital of Cyprus from the fourth century BC.

In spite of its historic and archeological importance, I have to say my favourite part of this tour was having the free time to wander along the seafront, look in shops, and have lunch with a beer in a restaurant sitting by the sea.  No large buffet or crowds in sight!  Pathos is a place I would like to return to.  It was lovely.

Cyprus was also a centre of the cult of Aphrodite and of pre-Hellenic fertility deities as Aphrodite's legendary birthplace is on this island.   On the ride drive back to the ship, we stopped at "Aphrodite's Rock" where, legend has it, the Goddess was born out of the foaming sea.  I'm not clear on exactly which of the rocks is supposed to be "hers"; regardless, I thought the scenery and coastline were stunning.