Katie Keifer

Beautiful Disasters

We have officially started our last week in Greece today. To kick off the morning we got a much needed extra hour to sleep before class. Our class was on the Greek economic crisis, but it also put the crisis in a global perspective. Then, after class, a group of us decided to go to the war museum in town. We had seen signs for it on our earlier museum excursions, but we didn't know much about it or its location. So we went on the hunt, and we got turned around a couple of times due to bad signs. Once we found it, we wandered a few halls filled with displays of metals and weapons. Then a tour guide named Kostos came up to us and asked if we would like him to guide us through. He started off by explaining some of the metals and weapons, and he caught us off guard when he was explaining a particular handgun and he said, "This is the gun your police use to shoot black men". I was shocked, and I gave a nervous giggle because I was speechless. It is amazing how news travels, but I was somewhat sad and almost disturbed to know that people across the world see us through the lens of the media and the stories on the news. Kostos's comment also put into perspective the lecture from the morning and how we view the Greek economic crisis through a lens that sensationalizes the crisis more than what it should.

After that comment, the tour continued more normally. It really got interesting when we ventured to the second floor and walked through the exhibit on WWII. In all of the classes I have taken thus far over history, we have always talked about wars from the U.S. perspective. Hearing about the war from the Greek perspective was like hearing personal stories of an event from two different people. It is important to look at things from all perspectives to get the full picture because some people, or in this case countries, were affected in different ways and take something different from what happened. 

To end the day we went to an outdoor cinema. The only movie playing in English was “The Humbling”, and I will say it was… interesting. Most of us were confused, and the awkward giggles and the exchange of facial expressions was the best part of the experience. After the movie was over we took the bus back to the hotel. Even though we have now ridden it at least 6 or 7 times, we forgot to press the stop button and we all had to run out of the front door laughing and in a panic. To say the locals love us would be a stretch, but at least we entertain them. 

This trip so far has been two weeks of fun, beauty, and “ beautiful disasters”, but these are the memories that I will treasure for a lifetime. 

 

 Our group with Kostos the guide. I'm the one in the white in the front left

Our group in a carrier tank at the war museum (cameraman Josh not in the picture)

The Outdoor cinema

Movie poster of "The Humbling"

Mariela Carrasco

  ​Today was our last day in Cyprus. Although we did not have an entire day to spend there, it was full of adventure. We finally took a group picture with all of us in it, and it was beautiful! The scenery around us made it the ideal spot for our "wish you were here" picture. Also, by walking to our picture perfect spot, I was able to explore the city a little more. On our way back, I stopped by a few spots that I found interesting. One was a handmade arts and crafts exhibit. There were beautiful pieces, my favorite were the wood carved hair brushes. From there we visited many souvenir shops.  At the shops, I found a beautiful little turtle sculpture, which is so far my favorite souvenir purchase. 

​After a bit of shopping came my favorite part of the day. Virginia and Gabi decided to go parasailing and I went with them. Although I did not go up with them, I got a beautiful view of the city from the boat. I was honestly too scared to go on the parasail, but I am so proud that Virginia and Gabi had the courage to do it. At first they were nervous, but after the fact I could tell they had an amazing time. I hope one day I am able to partake in such adventurous events.  

​After being in Cyprus for the weekend, I am excited to go back to Thessaloniki. Cyprus was filled with beaches, beautiful, and fun, but I'm ready to go back to the homey atmosphere that Thessaloniki provides for us. In my opinion, Thessaloniki has more of a true Greek culture, probably since they do not get as many tourists. While in Thessaloniki, we always encounter people who are so friendly and excited to meet us; that was not always the case in Cyprus. Also, I feel as if I got more authentic Greek food while in Thessaloniki, and I really miss it. So far I have loved every dish I have tried. 

​I cannot believe how fast time is going. We pack our day with so much exploration that it is over in a blink of an eye. Now, we only have a week left. Although I am very homesick at this point of the trip, I am enjoying every second of our Horizons Greece Adventure. The people in our group are amazing and the programs are so fun and full of information. I hope that one day I Can come back and continue to explore Greece.

Me getting my feet wet

Horizons group picture

Virginia and Gabi parasailing 

Garrett Swisher

Blog May 23, 2015

​Dramatic is a good word to describe Cyprus. Today, we got to see a different side of the island. Our day started off slow as we all got up and had a leisurely breakfast followed up by a quick gelato run. We didn’t have any definite plans for our day so we went down to check out the beach. We spent a few hours swimming and relaxing by the crystal blue waters before heading back to grab a quick lunch from the supermarket to save some money. We ate and shared some laughs together over our food. In the afternoon, a few of us decided to go deeper into the city away from the touristy beachfront in hopes of finding some cool places to check out. We walked no more than half a mile and we found an old Roman theatre built into the hillside. Today it is left in ruins, a shadow of what is would have been like centuries ago. It was haunting to think how old it was and that today it is still standing quietly right across the street from someone’s house. 

We continued walking and found foundations of ancient buildings dating back to the time the theatre was built. Nearby was the quarry cut into the Earth to supply the stone for these Roman buildings. Walking through this man-made cave was very cool. Steps cut into the rock and little narrow tunnels led to other areas of the quarry before coming out in the large cavern were the large stone pieces were excavated for the Roman building projects. We left the underground quarry to come out across the street from the Pafos Mall, a huge modern shopping mall. It completely caught you off-guard as it brought you suddenly back to the 21st century. It just seems very strange having these breath-taking old places sewn into the daily life of people today. You would think these places would be somewhere much more remote, but the fact of the matter is that the history is all around you. There probably isn’t many places void of history here. It is rich with it. After travelling back to the modern age, we continued down the street to find Ag. Solomonis catacombs. We were able to walk into the catacombs for a short distance but a gate kept us from the deeper sections were bodies of the ancient people of Pafos were laid to rest. From here we made a short 10 minute walk back to the hotel.Later that evening, I caught up with Rosa’s crew at a Syrian restaurant and had dinner. We got to try some interesting dishes including eggplant and some amazing seasoned hummus on pita. After that we hit a little bar on the way back where a Michael Jackson impersonator was performing. We stayed for quite a while and all had a great time. 

This study abroad experience has been amazing coupled with our great group, we have been learning cool things and making memories that will last a lifetime.

Me on a rock

Entering the quarry

The main room in the quarry

Having fun after dinner

Faith Dalton

Today we headed to Cyprus for a weekend adventure.  Our day started out with an early morning, since we had to catch a bus to the airport.  We expected the bus to be less crowed since it was early.  However, the bus was packed and this time we all had our carry-on luggage.  After the bus ride we arrived at a small airport. The airport was very efficient with getting us through the line quickly and onto our small Ryan Air flight. 

We arrived ahead of schedule and hopped right into the taxis that lined the sidewalk of the airport.  I have never traveled before this trip, so when I hopped into the taxi and saw the driver on the left side I was confused.  Then when we started to drive away, we also drove on the opposite side of the road.  Many of my classmates have traveled and have been to countries where they drive like this, but I was so fascinated by this experience.  Finally, we arrive to our beautiful hotel.  We arrived ahead of schedule so we couldn’t check in right away, but this wasn’t a problem because we all were starving.  We grabbed our maps and headed out to find a unique and non-traditional place to eat.  A small group of us stopped at a seaside café.  The prices here weren’t what we were use to in Thessaloniki, but the food was worth the money.  While relaxing and taking our time to enjoy our meal, the small group I was with began to people watch.  We all concluded that Cyprus must be a place where retired people choose to move to and hoped that one day we too would be able to retire to somewhere beautiful.  Once we paid and did some souvenir shopping the group I was with headed back to the hotel to wait to check in.  The staff at the Pryamos hotel worked hard and was able to allow us to check into our rooms a little early.  This was wonderful since all we wanted to do was change into our bathing suits and hit the beach.

I was finally standing on the sand after a short walk from our hotel.  I just stood there for a while taking in the wonderful breeze, the fresh air, and the friendly locals.  After Katie and I found a great spot, I couldn’t help but dip my feet into the clear water. The spot we were at had sand and also some large rocks that were perfect for climbing.  Then, I positioned my chair perfectly and settled in for a couple of hours of relaxation.  

Once the sun had set, it became very cool so Katie and I changed out of our bathing suits and headed to the market with some others to get dinner.  We all grab random items and sat along the seaside and had a picnic together.  This was a wonderful way to end a perfect day. 

Love,

Faith

Waiting for the bus

The first look of the sea

Spontaneous picnic 

Me at the beach!