Capo Bay

We had originally planned to return to Nicosia on Friday. However, as the end of the week approached, we realized that we were not ready to leave the shores of the Mediterranean. We were still feeling rather drained from all of the traveling and another day of rest was needed.  On Thursday afternoon, we walked down the road from the Silver Sands to the Capo Bay Hotel and were able to secure a good rate for Friday night. 

I began to refer to Capo Bay as the "Night and Day Hotel" as the difference between it and the Silver Sands was like that of night and day. The staff were genuinely friendly, the lobby was huge and inviting and most importantly not full of smoke. When we walked into our room it also did not smell of smoke. Instead, there was a non-obnoxious hint of essential oils. The carpet seemed to be slightly damp from being steam-cleaned before our arrival. The  bed was fitted with luxurious linens and was almost as comfortable as the bed at home (the benchmark test of bed comfort). All of the toiletries were made by L'Occitane which, for those not in the know, is a brand of snobbish French skin care products that the Bourgeoisie generally reserve for special gifts or the ultimate chrome-fixtured yuppie bathroom.  Most amazingly though was the knock on the door just after our check-in. I opened it to see a smiling lady holding a small bottle of wine and a fruit plate. I initially thought that something had gone wrong and we had been sent someone's room service order by accident. After a five second, "Ummmm...?" I was graciously told it was free.

 

The pool area of Capo Bay reminded me of the grand pools of five star resorts in Mexico - except the Capo Bay pool full was full of Cypriots. There seemed to be less tourists and more Cypriots, by far, at Capo Bay than the Silver Sands. In fact, when we tried to extend our checkout on Saturday morning we were told the entire hotel was booked by Cypriots coming to Protaras for the weekend. We even tried to pay for another night and were told it was not possible.

Since we were unable to extend our check-out time, we had to vacate our lovely room at noon. We spent the rest of the day at the pool and the beach and were able to clean up in the gym/pool changerooms. I was really hoping for a late check-out since out flight was not until 1:55 a.m. and a nap would have been very nice indeed.

Capo Bay Pool

Interesting Sign in Front of Fig Tree Bay - apparently burgers and fries, pizza delivery men, and crazed children playing ball are not allowed 

We headed to Larnaca for 8:00 p.m. to meet up with the family for our last dinner in Cyprus. We did not go the fish meze restaurant  from earlier in the week. Instead we went to a different restaurant that overlooked the beach, near  the promenade. The Larnaca airport was fairly close by and it was a strange sensation watching the  planes take off into the sky over the moonlit water knowing that we too would soon be leaving Cyprus.

The Cousins Playing with Rosemary at the Restaurant

Here is a really cute video of all of the kids playing a 'hug Rosemary' game right before we left. The weird looking white mounds in the background are ovens (they weren't being used at the time).

I always have a particularly difficult time leaving people and places I have become fond of. I have memories of fits of extreme wailing in the Fort Lauderdale Airport at the end of trips to visit my Grandmother - quite the traumatic experience for everyone involved!  I have mellowed a bit in my approach now, but the feeling is still there. I was very sad to say farewell to the family and to Cyprus. As we drove away in the taxi I wanted so much to stop and turn back and stay in Cyprus and become a part of that world. But logic overrode impulse (and I don't think Tony would have gone along with it anyhow) and we made it to the airport.

By the time we had checked in for our flights and walked to the gate, we were exhausted. Before this trip I was a very nervous flyer. The ability to sleep in airports or airplanes - or anything with the word "air" in it - was unfathomable. I used to pace back and forth, certain of my untimely demise, waiting to board the aluminum can of doom.  But during this trip I  learned that exhaustion overrides paranoia. I fell asleep on an airport bench with one arm tightly wrapped around Rosemary's stroller (she was sleeping too) and awoke just as the flight was boarding. I decided to make a quick dash to the W.C. before we boarded and I was attacked by a giant bug that looked a bit like a mutant cockroach. This thing was fearless! I was dancing around in the stall trying to keep it off me and it kept going up on my foot and trying to crawl up my leg! The airport was a bit of a bug zoo. The Teenage Mutant Ninja cockroach wasn't the only giant bug I saw and there were loads of mosquitoes too.

I dozed a bit on the flight. We were served breakfast at some point. I vaguely remember eating some sort of rubbery crepe full of goo and a small cup of strawberry-flavoured Cypriot yoghurt. Rosemary also got the goo crepe but she did not wake up to eat it. 

I was happy to finally get a non-Nescafe coffee in the Munich Airport. It was not really a memorable stopover other than that.

The flight to London was totally uneventful. I was a bit disappointed that the mini sandwich had pastrami in it. I ate the mini Mars bar and had some very needed coffee though.