Day 18 | Cyprus Photos

After my 10 days in Israel, I decided to extend my trip and visit the nearby island of Cyprus. I didn’t know much about Cyprus before my visit, but I learned so much. The country is not part of Greece, believe it or not. It is it’s own country in the European Union… kind of. Well, half of it is in the European Union, and half of it is occupied by Turkey. Yes, you read that right, Turkey is occupying European Union land, and has been since the 70’s. Nicosia, the capital, is the last divided capital in Europe. You have to cross a border and show your passport and everything. It is pretty wild. I was partial to the North. I liked it better because it was less touristy and felt like it was lost in time. The south was beautiful, but it felt a little westernized and that was not what I expected for this Mediterranean island. The landscape also threw me off. I was expecting white sand beaches, and lush green forests, but it more closely resembled Israel with scrub brush and desert leading right up to the beaches. I definitely recommend visiting if you have a chance, just make sure you make it up north!