Trip Report
In March 2004, when the U.S. was fighting in Iraq and Americans were not the most beloved people in the world (especially in Europe and the Middle East), a couple of courageous Obsidians - Lana Lindstrom and Richard Hughes - answered the call of adventure, warm weather and the chance to explore two different cultures on one small island in the eastern Mediterranean Ocean.
Their destination? Cyprus. An island about the size of New Jersey with a population of about 800,000. An island divided between Greek and Turkish occupied territories. And the focal point of Lana and Richard’s presentation at the March potluck.
Its strategic location has always brought occupiers to Cyprus... Romans, Turks, Greeks. The most recent split between north and south was precipitated by an attempt in 1974 to assassinate Archbishop Makarios, Cyprus ruler. Consequently, the Turks staged a coup and occupied the north part of the island. The Greek portion is independent and a member of the European Community, while the rest is considered occupied by Turkey.
Lana and Richard flew into Larnica, on the Greek side, and made excursions along the coast to architectural ruins, small villages and mountains, as well as day trips to the Turkish area. Their slides reflected marvelous images showing architectural influences from Europe and the Middle East. An interesting example of cultural mixes was the beautiful Selimiye Mosque on the Turkish side that had formerly been a cathedral. The high white arched ceilings were breathtaking.
Potluckers were delighted to see Richard lying in a catacomb in the Tomb of the Kings, a series of underground tombs built for wealthy people in the 1500s. He looked quite comfortable!
There were photos of classic bazaars where vendors sold everything from live poultry to beautiful cloth.
The best part of the trip was the people, who were very welcoming. Even after finding out they were Americans, people were still friendly, curious and even sympathetic. While watching a Greek Independence Day parade, a non-English-speaking man next to them persisted in trying to communicate by repeating Greek words until he was finally understood to be saying, “sorry” and “twins, twins,” referring to the Twin Towers.
Renting a car to explore the coastal areas and surrounding hills, they found the sea clear and blue, but totally fished out. Men still stand together on the docks dressed in their best suits and fish together... but it is a social event.
In small towns, just about every building has solar tanks for heating water. A slide showed a town’s roofs and solar tanks - all white except for an enormous red tower with the ubiquitous Coca Cola logo. Their coastal excursion also included visits to ruins from the 13th century, BC; attending Easter services at a Greek Orthodox church; and a visit to a monastery gilded with gold. They kayaked in the Mediterranean, hiked the rocky hills and walked in the snow on Mount Olympus.
Following Cyprus, Lana and Richard visited Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. They were awestruck by their journey into a pyramid, after which they were pursued by a man on horseback who didn’t think he’d been paid enough for his photograph. Slides took us to the Sphinx and Suez Canal.
In Lebanon, they visited Byblos, reportedly the oldest inhabited town in the world, and Beirut, where they were welcomed by the locals. And in Homs, Syria, they were struck by the warmth of the people, who made sure they didn’t leave town without tea and pastry.
Apart from the beautiful slides and the tales of adventure, this was a trip talk that imparted knowledge and an understanding of some of the cultural and political history of these complex and ancient parts of the world.
“People are the same all over the world,” noted Lana afterwards. “The more we see other cultures, the more we realize this. That is the great value of traveling.”
“Having the interactions with people gave me the true feeling of the country... I could see the real spirit of the country and the people, not just what our governments (ours and theirs) tell us,” added Richard.
A valuable trip. Thank you, Lana and Richard. - Ann Hollande.
