Kalavassos tenta and Choirokoitia village

 Now that we're both officially pensioners, and Richard is semi-retired, we decided we should have days out now and again. This is to ensure we stay away from our computers and get some fresh air, and also to see some parts of Cyprus that we hadn't previously explored. We compiled an initial list of places not too far from Larnaka that we would like to visit - or, in some cases, re-visit. 

Our first such outing was last Friday. Our intention was to visit a location we had seen fairly often from the highway, but had never actually been to. The 'tent' (or 'tenta') at Kalavassos. Maybe forty minutes' drive from our house. It was a nice day, if rather warmer than I like, and our car has pretty good air conditioning.

Our pronunciation of Greek is not great, but we usually manage to get the emphasis correct. So we knew we were heading for somewhere pronounced something like 'kalla-VASS-os'. Short 'a' sounds, emphasis on the third syllable.  We were mildly amused that Google Maps told us we were going to 'kuh-LAH-vuh-suss', with emphasis on the second syllable and something that sounded like 'lava' in the middle. 

This is what the 'tenta' looks like from the place where we parked:

The website told us that the entry is €2.50 per person; many sites offer half-price to senior citizens. However, the man in the little booth outside told us firmly that €2.50 was the price, so we paid up and went in. There was nobody else there, though a couple of other visitors did arrive before we left.

We were given tickets, and a leaflet:

It's not a huge site, and neither of us could be considered a history buff. But we decided to walk around slowly - it was, after all, in the shade. And we wanted to get our money's worth.

What we saw was the ruins of several small huts, which - according to the leaflet, and some of the information on the site - was excavated first in 1947, and then more throughly thirty or so years later. The date of the settlement is set as the 'Aceramic period', which I don't recall hearing of before, in the years 8200-5200 BC. Really very ancient!

However, my first random thought bore no relation to history: 'Aha! So THIS is is the origin of the secret to life, the world and the universe....'

We didn't find out why some (but not all) of the buildings have numbers, apparently at random. 

We were interested to learn that one of the walls had a painting, supposedly depicting two human figures with hands raised. This is what the official notification showed:

We found building 11, but couldn't see any evidence of the painting.

On the other hand, I saw what looked to me like a road sign image on the side of building 14...

We probably stayed for twenty minutes or so, appreciating the cool breeze, and also being glad that we were not around at this era in what looks like very cramped and uncomfortable houses. 

Our verdict: worth seeing once, and probably more interesting to people who are passionate about history. It took us 29 years to get around to visiting... and we're unlikely to go again. 

Next stop was Choirokoitia, which Google Maps didn't even attempt to say. I don't think we got it right, either. Suffice it to say that the first syllable is not said like the English word 'choir'. More like 'here', with a soft 'ch' sound at the start, as in the Scottish 'loch'.  

On the way we saw a children's playground with an old train, so we stopped and Richard got out to take some photos.

It was an old goods train, which obviously hasn't run for a long time, as Cyprus doesn't have any railways now. 

Not, of course, that it's anywhere near as old as the Kalavassos settlement...

It seems a bit dangerous to have it so close to a children's playground, as many children would be unable to resist climbing over the fence and exploring the train. But it's evidently been there for several decades; apparently the railway system in Cyprus came to an end in 1951.

After that brief digression, we drove another ten minutes or so to the Heritage site of Choirokoitia, which looked, at first glance, like a huge garden. 

There was a little information office, so we went in, and expected to have to pay another €5 for the privilege. I said we were retired, and the man behind the counter looked very suspicious. He asked to look at our passports, so we showed him our ID cards. He perused them carefully, then handed them back. We asked what we had to pay, and he told us it was free. 

We weren't going to argue. I suppose it's quite flattering that he thought we couldn't possibly be over 65...

It was noon by the time we were there, and while there was some shade, there wasn't much of a breeze and the temperature in the sun must have been about 32C. I don't do well in the heat. 

Still, we didn't have to go far to find an area that said it was reconstructed Neolithic houses. 

Richard went inside and looked at some of the information sheets. 

But I was feeling overheated, and sat down on a convenient stone in the shade.

Looking through the window hole of one of the huts showed a raised area - possibly a bed:

Somewhat rested, we found more shade and walked a bit further. Then there were some steps, which said they led to another Neolithic settlement - the actual one with ruins on which the reconstructed huts were based. 

Richard went ahead and I got slower and slower....

It was a good view, with Cyprus looking quite green for this time of year:

Unfortunately, it was clear that there were a lot more steps, not shaded at all:

Richard decided he didn't want to walk right up the hill in the sunshine, even though he deals a lot better with heat than I do. And we were both starting to get hungry.

Subsequent research suggests that the long, unshaded uphill walk might not be worth the effort, unless one is a serious fan of prehistory, or likes climbing stairs in the sun. Apparently there is another ruined settlement which is much like the Kalavassos one. 

So we left the site.

Verdict: the reconstructed huts were interesting, and it looked as if it would be quite pleasant to walk around the park/garden area. But as there were notices saying that nothing should be touched or climbed upon, and that children must be with an adult at all times, it's not somewhere I'd want to take lively children. It's probably not somewhere we're likely to want to visit again. Then again, if for some reason we were in the area on a cooler/shadier day, we might explore it a bit more, if we can, once again, get in free.

Next we drove to find a taverna which Richard had seen advertised online. It wasn't easy to find: it was hidden right behind another playground. 

But although there wasn't much on the menu, and no other customers there, the owners were very friendly (and spoke fairly good English).

It was quite attractive, too, and shady, with a pleasant breeze. 

We had no idea what portion sizes would be like but the prices were reasonable. We ordered a Greek salad to share (which turned out to be huge!), and the 'dish of the day' for Richard. It was supposedly stuffed vine leaves, though it turned out to be stuffed vegetables - he didn't find any vine leaves. I always prefer to eat vegetarian food when we're out, so I asked for halloumi - which came after the rest, and was just accompanied by some warm toasted pitta pieces.

It was a lot of food. When we'd eaten as much as we could manage, we were offered a take-away box so we filled that with the rest of the salad, half of the halloumi and most of the pitta. 

It was a good day out, despite the heat, and hopefully the precursor to more outings around the island... if we remember.