Limassol, Cyprus

From the clouds, Cyprus looked like a large island of dirt. As brown as the outskirts of Bakersfield in August. The water, however, did look pretty spectacular in certain places - that turquoise, clear, and refreshing color.

Having landed in Lanarca, I needed to take a 45 minute shuttle to get to Limassol. Here is me waiting for the shuttle (note my amped-ness despite the jetlag). Soon after taking this picture, a Cypriot man walked up, also to wait for the shuttle to Limassol (or Lemesos, as the locals call it). He was very friendly, and we started chatting away, as he spoke good English. I found out he actually worked for the government, and although I couldn't ascertain exactly what he did (the Cypriots, when talking in English, actually seem to speak very quietly - or maybe I actually do have the slight hearing loss I've always thought I had but my audiologist father refuses to verify), I did some Internet research afterwards and think it has something to do with this: the European Commission Galileo Project. I wish I had been able to look it up and talk to him again about it, or had been able to understand him better in the first place. Basically - and now that I look back upon our conversation I remember him trying to explain this to me - it's the implementation of a new and improved "GPS" system for Europe. Forgive my crude use of the technical jargon here, but to my understanding this new satellite positioning system uses multiple spheres instead of triangular planes in order to more accurately depict location. The Cypriot official said the technology would allow accuracy within 1-2 meters, which is pretty darn impressive.

He talked a great deal more about the island and particularly the sights I should see while I'm here. I really appreciated all the time he spent chatting with me, as it gave me a better feel for the place. He also was familiar with the institute I would be taking the certification course at (Plato Institute) and said that it was a solid school. In addition, he knew the hotel I was staying at. And the longer I'm here, the more I realize most people know the hotel I'm staying at, even though it's a bit of a dinky place in a really old, nontouristy part of town. The longer I'm in Cyprus, the more I realize how small of a town this is.

I checked in at the hotel, which definitely lived "down," so to speak, to its 3-star rating. My room boasted ceilings I could jump and touch; two single beds (not twin, single); a shower the width of one of my narrow feet, which made for an awkward feet-in-single-file stance while showering; and last but not least, the biggest cockroach I have ever seen. It also had a little balcony, though, and I got a couple pics in pretty good lighting:

And then I slept for about 14 hours, with a reading break from 2-4:30 a.m.