The traditional buildings of Lofou village in Cyprus

 

In my previous post on my visit to the Lofou village in Cyprus, I mentioned that all the houses in the village are made of essentially limestone. This limestone was gathered from the surroundings by shepherds years ago for building up their houses as this was the only easily available rock material, apart from mud and clay. Giving the impression of an amphitheater, and situated in between and hidden by surrounding carbonate hills, no wonder this village is listed by UNESCO as an architecturally important village.

A street lined by neighbouring houses with limestone walls

The next day, while roaming around the streets, I saw a local church (Church of Chrysolofitissa) and a meeting place that is likely for tourists. The church has a few interesting murals and an influence from Gothic art. There were many abandoned houses and some spots that looked like archeological sites. It is to be recalled that people have lived here since the Bronze Age. This village is not much explored by tourists, and I guess that in a few years, this place will be known for its crude beauty. More than the beauty, I loved it that the village has maintained its traditional homes with wooden balconies.

Along the main street and a few meters away from the church stood one or two coffee shops and a souvenir shop. The shop owners were just beginning to open their shops and were looking in my direction quizzically. Of course, I look out of place to them! I sat down on a chair in one of the coffee shops, ordered coffee, and looked around. One of the two coffee drinkers started to talk in a friendly manner (it is impressive how good people here are in English!), and at some point was trying to be very helpful in suggesting to me ways to reach the city later that day. Limassol is the closest one, and reaching there would be by bus, which runs from the village only three times a day, or by taxi. All the people there were very warm towards me, and in the beginning, I was quite reluctant to respond. This is common among solo travellers to be cautious. Everything turned out to be good in the end, and they both bought a coffee and some cookies for me from the shop saying that I am their first acquaintance from India.

The next interesting sight was the local school, which is an example of neoclassical architecture, located away from the main part of the village. On my way back stood the home of the schoolmaster, with a name board, which looked quite interesting to me; I love these small details! I could not visit the Olive mill museum, but I have heard that they show the history of the village and show a collection of folkloric items. 

The schoolmaster's house near to the local school of Lofou

One important detail that is related to everything in Lofou is the abundance of cats, stray or pet ones. This is a common feature in the whole of Cyprus as well. In Lofou, I felt that even the stray cats were looked after really well jointly by groups of surrounding families. Small kittens on my way around the village piqued my interest and they entertained me until the end of the street. It seems that they are aware of their territories! 

My next visit was to a local wine shop, which is known to be the only shop having a large selection of Cypriot wines- Agrovino wine bar. This bar is located in the other side of the village, slightly away from all the main attractions. I loved the interior of the wine bar!💓

Sunset view of Lofou village and the surrounding carbonate hills

A small thunderstorm was on the horizon, so I opted for a taxi later even though it was not cheap. As the taxi had to come from Limassol to pick me up, the ride did not turn out to be the cheapest but surely more adventurous! The rain was pouring in heavily and I could barely see outside as the taxi winded its way down the carbonate platforms on the way to Limassol. From there, I got on an air-conditioned coach bus that drove to Paphos, one of the main cities in Cyprus. I came to know then that these buses run many times during the day covering the major cities- Paphos, Limassol, Larnaca, and Nicosia. 

My few days in Cyprus were initially planned to be spent in Paphos and Larnaca, but a few suggestions over internet took me here, as I wanted to experience the feeling of staying in a traditional village. After spending two weeks travelling over Cyprus as part of a geological field trip and holidays after that, this village was my best choice of them all, as I remember every nook and corner along its winding streets and its striking panorama!

How living in a foreign land matters- an experience

Living in a new country on your own is something to experience once in your lifetime. With everyone you know thinking that you are having the best time of your life, you might be going through a feat on your own by coping with the culture of the place, its rules and regulations, and most importantly, finding new connections.

Living on my own has helped me jump out of my comfort zone and enjoy my freedom, which has made me find a lot about myself. When you start to appreciate yourself, you will even be able to celebrate your own birthday alone!

At some point in life, everyone goes through a phase of anxiety and trauma that hits them in varying degrees and angles. Me, coming from a foreign land, found my first few years very challenging to adapt to the central European culture. Though I appreciate the idea of more personal space compared to what I had in India, my home country, connecting with people required tremendous effort from my side, which wasn't easy and not one of my memorable moments. When going through tough times, I realized that there was no one noticing my struggles, as if almost invisible. Being generally shy to ask for help, I thought of helping myself out by doing small fun things alone.

At this point, on one fine day, I decided to embrace the immense personal space that I had to explore. I started by taking short visits and hikes across Switzerland, where I lived, which made me discover the immense beauty of the place in a new light. It was scary at first for a foreigner like me, who was not used to navigating everything in my life on my own, to put a foot forward. Anxiety soared many times, leading me to cancel plans by intentionally finding reasons. But eventually, I realized that I was enjoying my own company, by doing fun activities and learning from mistakes. This new confidence even made me more productive in my research. 

It all starts with pursuing what you love to do, and deciding what you want to do. Making decisions can be scary, even making a step forward for a coffee or a hike outside, but if you do it once, you find the utmost fulfillment. 

In the end, everyone has a story, with each writing style different from the other. I share mine with the hope that someone else finds theirs!

Embracing the art of authenticity: a personal journey

 

Living in a world that demands to be successful and popular, I have most of the time chosen to navigate life with a different compass. For that, it has always been important to view life with a different eye. While my profession demands adherence to facts and logic, most of the places that I have visited have been bits and pieces of my never-ending poem. 

Travel, for me, is not just about visiting destinations but about immersing myself in their essence. Take for instance, my travel to Prague. Instead of preparing for the journey by looking up video reels that say about 'ten things to do in Prague', I plundered over my interests. Each detail meticulously researched, and every corner explored with curiosity, the travel itinerary had everything I wanted including time for spontaneous plans, to eat a Trdelník (chimney cake) for instance. After I left the place, I was quite sure that I missed an important or highly recommended landmark, but the true essence of the place lingered in my mind, thus validating my approach in the end. 

From my own travel experiences, I have come to realize the importance of embracing individuality when crafting one's journey.  When one wants to travel somewhere and plans what to do, it is always good to think how another person in the same position might be thinking the same way when visiting your homeland. A European colleague of mine had asked me which places are interesting in Kerala, my homeland in India, if she is visiting. I gave this some thought. Clearly, a journey on a touristy houseboat along the backwaters of Kerala, though appealing to many others, might be too artificial for her. Experiencing the monsoon in the rainforests along the Western Ghats mountain range would definitely be interesting. In the end, it took me so much time to answer what would be interesting for her to do in Kerala, even though Kerala is one of the most beautiful places I know. This was also a reminder for me to remember when I travel that true exploration lies not in ticking off the 'must-see' sights, but in maintaining meaningful connections with the places that I visit.

Due to these reasons, I firmly believe in the power of the individual mind and its perspectives. Whether through travel, art or any creative endeavor, every interest is subjective, and every decision is connected. Though I am writing a blog for the world to see and be influenced, I think following my mind and maintaining my own style is the best way to convey ideas to the world. A unique voice and lens matter. In the end, it is all about not following the crowd, and having a signature of your own. There lies the influence.