Cyprus to Slovakia - Part 3 Arrival

Armed with our cameras loaded with photographs, two small stones from the top of the mountain and a memory full of breathtaking views,

we returned from Mount Olympus with our little Blue Dot bravely leading the way as darkness descended on the Island.

We spent the next day diving off the coast near Aya Napa,

driven there, this time with a hotel guest at the steering wheel of the truck and trailer now that Kris's licence had expired!

Our fins were put on at the bottom of the cliff,

as Kris explained the logistics of our point of entry!!

Blow holes had been formed from the relentless pounding of the sea, blow holes JUST big enough for a person in scuba gear to get through!!

Carefully we dropped down into the water through the holes as water surged around us

In the underground caves below we got our bearings before exiting into the open sea to begin our dive..

The dive was wonderful, the water clear the fish divine and responsive but my exit was a wee bit more clumsy that my entry 

(In actual truth I was bodily hauled out of the hole by Kris and Peter but we won't mention that bit!!)

It was yet another day, this time spent windsurfing and kayaking around the hotel, before we ventured out with the car once more.

During the past two days maps had been studied while we lounged on the beaches, the tourist brochures had been perused, distances verses time available had been analysed and a plan had been made.

As the sun peeped over the horizon the next morning and Kris crawled down the stairs to his waiting lift to work, Peter, a very sleepy Cian and I loaded our drinks and biscuits into our fuel filled car and set off.

Cian was asleep within minutes and missed the glorious sun rise as we drove away from the coast towards the North. He also missed the tiny villages we passed through, each one alive with people scurrying here and there before the sun became too hot.

He did wake up at the border as, with passport and car hire papers in hand, I negotiated our crossing from the southern Greek side into the northern Turkish side of Cyprus. In the distance a huge Turkish flag had been carved out of the mountainside, its white stones gleaming in the heat. Our passports were stamped, additional road insurance was paid for, another selection of road maps was passed over the counter and we were off!

Our little Blue Dot led us to the north coast but failed to find the marina we were looking for, it did find us the ferry port so it was forgiven!

Our little Blue Dot then led us along the tranquil northern coast line revealing the tiniest of coves lapped gently by the blue Mediterranean seas. Further along the coast long stretches of sand could be seen over grass covered dunes. We stopped to stretch our legs and bath our toes in the cooling water before warming them again on the warm sands.

Down the beach, where the sand gave way to the rocky point, incredible rock formations hid underground caves. As the sea surged below, water spouts would erupt through blow holes with glugs and whallops, shooting water a foot into the air before it fell back down to form tiny pools that resembled crater formations.

Walking around the point we discovered even more fascinating rocks totally different from the first!!

Bleached white and so smooth to the touch, long flat fingers of rock stretched out along the shore.

Narrow inlets of water stood evaporating in the sun leaving behind crystallised salt in thin lines.

At the point itself the ground rose up ending with huge boulders that were balanced upon each other.

Clear water lay in large pools, shallow and warm in the mid day sun.

Sandstone waves stood motionless in the breeze.

We clambered over the rough scree of the point … I climbed to the top of the boulders, very pleased with myself as I manoeuvred around and over the overhang. The view was breathtaking but I had climbed without my camera!!

We returned over the white flats to the spouting water holes,

where I sat for a good half an hour desperately trying yet failing to photograph the actual water popping out!

Our little Blue Dot then led us to the furthest point in Cyprus, down roads and tracks we would never have found without help. The sun was beginning to set as we pulled to the side of the road.

Below us lay a beach to rival any of those I have lived on in India. A scattering of beach huts and two small restaurants nestled in the dunes. If we had not been due to pick Kris up from work that evening we would have spent the night so peaceful was the scene.

We stayed until the sun disappeared over the horizon,

we gazed out over the smooth Mediterranean sea.

This was a place to come back to, this was a place to stay. A mental note was stored away in my brain as we climbed back into the car and let the little Blue Dot lead us home.

Where we found tiny snake the next morning by the pool!!!!

Which actually looks impressive in the photo until I put some scale into it lol!!!

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Kris returned to the UK three days after us and booked his theory test for the following Wednesday. He passed.

He then found a car test date for the Wednesday after. And passed!

On the Thursday he and Peter went to the auction and bought a car and on the Monday he began working for Karl as a delivery guy!!

Maybe this visit wasn't going to be so bad after all!!

Over Christmas Romana arrived from Slovakia!

Kris and Romana had met that summer in the Aldiana in Cyprus where they both worked. A work romance had begun and although Romana had left to return to University by the time we had arrived there for our break, the thought of not seeing each other until the following summer was too much for them to bear.

Her studies gave her a three week window over the festive season and as he was mobile and working Kris invited her to stay.

The Snow board holiday was still floating about in the ether but no plans had actually been made and with the arrival of Christmas our Taxi's were so busy it didn't even enter our conversations. Kris was out every day delivering his parcels, Romana studied in the mornings and helped Kris in the afternoons. Before we knew it, it was time for her to leave.

“You must come and visit me” she remarked a few days before her departure. “We have snow up in the mountains and my family has a chalet there.” Kristofer's eyes lit up, as did Cians. Snow … Skiing … Snowboards!!

The internet was trawled for flights, e-mails were sent to family and returned with bookings confirmed.

We were on our way to Slovakia at the end of the week!!!!!

The flight to Bratislava was short, a mere two hours, unfortunately it was a mere two hours at 6am!!We had already been awake for seven hours by the time Romana met us at the cold windswept airport and directed us to the just as cold concertina joined bus. This took us to the train station where for the 'huge' price of 40 Euros, we bought five tickets for the three hour journey that would take us half way across the country and into the snow covered hills.

The trains in Slovakia are so civilised!! To prevent excessive heat loss each carriage is divided into compartments off a corridor, just like the trains I remember in my youth.

We took over an entire compartment stuffing bags onto over head shelves and hanging our coats on the pegs by the doors!

Warmth filled the room from the overhead heaters and within moments Cian had discovered that each seat reclined to form a virtual bed!

I don't think he remembers the rest of the trip as, with his hoodie pulled over his eyes, he slept away the entire journey.

Despite Romana's assurances that we would soon reach the mountains, my first impression of Slovakia is its incredible flatness!! Mile after mile the train trundled comfortably through the countryside, past allotments complete with miniature allotment sized houses, smoke curling from their miniature chimneys as the family rested from their work.

We travelled through towns with decorative graffiti on the walls of large grey buildings,( in fact they graffitified most things that were not moving!!) we passed over level crossings while cars and trucks waited patiently for the barriers to rise. I was beginning to doubt the very existence of these snow covered mountains as hour after hour passed.

At last we began to climb, hills rose up either side of the tracks, trees replaced the towns and villages full of houses. The occasional house that we now saw tended to be wooden with a steeply sloping roof, elaborate attic windows and balconies.

From the train we caught a bus (having stopped briefly at the supermarket for supplies) that wound its way higher and higher into the mountains. By now even I was dozing as the coach rocked its way around the bends.

It was dark by the time we arrived in Donovaly, no snow lay on the floor but we were too tired to worry. A 500m climb up the hillside still awaited us, a climb that would be rewarded with beds, heating and hot hot showers!!

We were a tired but happy crowd when we reached the chalet.

Tomorrow we would see the snow, tomorrow we would hit the slopes, tomorrow we would hurtle down mountain sides oblivious to the dangers we faced. But for now ….. we put down our bags, washed our faces and crawled into bed. It was 8pm and tomorrow seemed a long way away!!!