After a travel hiatus (foot surgery) of about six months we decided to take a relaxing low impact trip over to Cyprus for a week. Our strategy was simply to sit back, take it easy and enjoy a week of being pampered. We settled on a five star property called the Columbia Beach Resort Hotel on Pissouri Bay in southwestern Cyprus. The service at the hotel was impeccable and without a doubt was the highest level that we have ever experienced. Mission accomplished.
Our objective was not to tour the island but to simply take it easy and enjoy walks on the beach and through the town which was close by. Our only external trip was a day over to Larnaca and some sights along the way. We found Larnaca to be an approachable town that would make a nice spot for a relaxing few days possibly in the future.
Cyprus Cats!
Interestingly the highlight of the trip besides the hotel was the multitude of 'Street Cats'. Everywhere one looks cats will abound. They are literally all over. A taxi driver told us they consider the cats to be their 'Little Warriors' in the fight against an island that is teeming with snakes. According to Wikipedia: 'Cyprus cats, also known as Cypriot cats, Saint Helen cats, and Saint Nicholas cats, are a landrace of domestic cat found across the island of Cyprus'. The earliest known written record of cats on Cyprus refers to a story of Saint Helen of Constantinople sending two boatloads of cats to a monastery on the island from Egypt or Palestine in the 4th century AD to deal with an infestation of snakes. Cats on Cyprus have been able to breed for centuries with comparatively little outside influence; this has resulted in a distinct, locally adapted variety of cat which appears to have developed as a feral population in the inner highlands, though is found throughout the island in modern times.
Even the upscale hotel had approximately 55 friendly "hotel cats" which roamed the grounds of the hotel. The ethos at the hotel is to accept these little guys, feed them and even provide small cat houses in certain locations around the property. Since they are well fed and are accustomed to people they coexist very well even when we were having breakfast or dining outside. You'll see a picture of one of the ginger cats sleeping on top of the reception desk in the hotel and occasionally you'll see them lounging on the couch or chair within the hotel lobby. This was quite a unique and pleasant thing.
In the town of Pissouri we encountered a vending machine of sorts that you will see pictured. When you put a couple of euros in it will dispense dry cat food. There is always water available at the machine as well. As we walked through the town it can be seen that people at their homes and at restaurants leave bowls of cat food and water for the little warriors. There is great respect for the local cats.
Historically donkeys were used for transportation and for moving goods from place to place. Over time sadly, people abandoned their donkeys and a well-meaning local man created a refuge for them. Currently there are a few hundred in residence. It was interesting to see this place; in addition you will see an of an olive tree that is purported to be 1000 years old.