We will leave tomorrow with Liz for a stay in the apartment of a friend in Larnaca, where the airport from which we will leave Cyprus on Tuesday afternoon is located. There will be no time tomorrow morning to tell you about today, and I can only give you a hint of what will happen after we leave Nicosia. So now, I will tell you about today, and speculate a little about our last few hours and days in Cyprus.
I spent much of the morning trying to reorganize my luggage that I had worked on last evening. Anita also was packing and I was offering suggestions that seemed to help me last night. We both feel as if we are ready now to zipper the cases closed and not open them again until we reach Ellicott City. In fact, we may need to travel with the windows open from Dulles to home because we won't have too many changes of clothes to keep ourselves sweet smelling. We are using a lot of our clothes as protection for other items in the suitcases.
We expect to spend much of our time in Larnaca at the beach so all we will need is swim wear. However Liz has a few sites to see near Larnaca including a salt lake which they flood with water from the Mediterranean and harvest the salt after the water evaporates. (We learned that the water actually bubbles up from the salt water table during the winter when the water level is higher. The lake can fill over the course of just a few days.) Liz's nephew Pericles has a dance studio in Larnaca and we may be able to visit and watch a class - he teaches traditional Greek dancing as well as other forms of dance. Jim and I visited his studio in Nicosia during our visit in 1993. (We did not find time to visit with Pericles.)
Note - Cyprus has a water problem - too many people on a small island and not enough rain. Every house hold has water tanks that they keep filled on the roof of their home. Often water is brought to the island by tanker ship from Greece. Tanks on tops of buildings - homes, apartments or businesses - is common.
There is also an old mosque - the 2nd most important mosque in the Muslim religion because Mohammad himself is believed to have preached at this mosque. I remember the sign at the door reminding visitors to remove their shoes before entering. On our way to Larnaca, we took time to visit at Hala Sutan Tekke, one of the most important Muslim mosques outside of the Middle East. Much of the site has been under restoration since 2001-05, but it still looks like it did in 1993 when Jim and I visited. Tekke sits on the bank of the salt lake, which will appear in the background of some of my photos. The mosque was built to honor Mohammad's aunt who died in Cyprus.
After visiting Tekke, we went to Larnaca and checked into our apartment in a hotel right across the main street of Larnaca - the one lined with mature palm trees. We can easily walk to the beach each day and spend as much time as we wish relaxing in the warm blue waters of the Mediterranean, or just relaxing.Finally, on one of the main streets of Larnaca that is near the sea, the length of the street is lined with tall mature palm trees (Finikoudes Street). We will probably drive along this street to see them. If we have time we may drive to Ayia Napa which is a beach favored by European visitors and is almost entirely a nude beach. And Liz has a cousin in Larnaca, so we may be meeting another member of her family.
We walked FINIKOUDES Street between the hotels and the beaches often. During one 2 block section, I felt as if I was back in the United States.
Of course, there were reminders that this wasn't a beach street in Ocean City or St. Petersburg.
There is also a very old church, dating from just after Jesus's death that is the Saint Lazaros Church. Liz showed us this church in 1993 and the most interesting part to me was in the catacombs where there is a small spring of holy water. Individuals will dip injured parts 
of their bodies in the water expecting help from the saint with cures. Liz, at the time, dipped her fingers in and just touched her forehead. Near this shrine we found wax images of legs, and arms 
and other body parts - like candles - mostly left by relatives of individuals to ill to come themselves, according to Liz.
After dark , we came back to visit this old church which dates from 800AD.During the afternoon, we also visited the old fort that sits right on the edge of the Mediterranean.
Before we left Nicosia for our stay in Larnaca, Panos helped me pack the jars of Cypriot sweets. Since they are in thick honeyed liquid they needed to be packed in my checked bag. We purchased clear plastic storage containers to try to capture any leakage during the flights home. I sacrificed a couple of my blouses to pad the jars inside the storage container and hope the blouses will soak up any liquid. Since the containers are clear, I also wanted the labels to show when the bag is x-rayed to try to eliminate the need to open, search and remove the items. Although, Panos and I believe we have sealed everything so that the jars will arrive safely, the screening procedures for today's air travel may mean that the jars will not be in my luggage when I arrive in Dulles. Keep your fingers crossed. (One last Cypriot sweet as we get ready to leave.)
Before I forget, one last birthday reminder - Happy Birthday to Jeni Barnes on the 17th.
And I hope my cousin Donna who lives in Houston is not put in danger by Ike.
This trip has been amazing for both Anita and I. We have so many stories to share and can't wait to add photos to our blogs. Jim will be helping us remember how to do it because those we put in just before we left were the only ones we tried. That seems such a long time ago.
It's been fun trying to stay in touch with friends this way, and I sincerely hope you have enjoyed being with us through words and stories. Bear with me for the next few weeks as memories are triggered during ordinary conversations. There is so much that happened that simply did not get written down.
Botswana was bittersweet and I left family there knowing that they are strong and will survive the loss of Brian. I learned that my sister-in-law has talents that had not been revealed before this visit. I would have liked to have had more conversations with Refilwe, but teens are not always ready to talk. Bone and Sedi are grown men now with responsibilities that kept them away more than I had hoped as well. Everyone told me that they want to visit Jim and me in America and I hope they will come.
Cairo was a dirty, old and fascinating city. I wish I had been able to enjoy the second day with Anita. I know the doctor was correct in telling me that I needed to rest after the fall I took on our first day. At least I got to see the pyramids and the sphinx - the most important reasons to be there. Egyptians are friendly and helpful and the hotel Jim booked us into was magnificent. I would like to return to see more of this very ancient country.
Cyprus was as filled with family and new friends as we enjoyed in Botswana. Panos and Xenia, George's sister and her husband, were kind and caring hosts. Panos willingly gave over his computer to Anita and me each time we were in the house either before we left for the day or in the evening when we returned from our day's adventure. My sister is strong and content with her life, and I don't need to worry about her too much. This country has changed in many ways, and is still changing as the governments try to heal the bitter wounds of the continuing Cypriot/Turkish conflict. I will leave here wondering if I will make it back or if Liz's fear of flying will lessen enough so she can come to visit me.
Having Anita as my traveling companion has been the spiritual adventure described by one of my coworkers. Anita and I are much alike and had begun our plans worried that we would not be able to spend 24/7 together for 5.5 weeks. We found that there is much to say about friendship that is not apparent until you do just that. We are closer now that we have shared so much.
Here's how she will probably remember me - sleeping whenever and wherever there is a chance.
With that I will say goodbye until sometime after the 17th. We are due to land at Dulles around 3:30 pm. Anita will be in Maryland until Friday, we think, and we both promise to work on getting photos attached to the appropriate descriptions as quickly as possible.
As always, thanks for reading, and special thanks to those of you who took the time to comment.
