Back home in Larnaca!

 06-04-21, Friday

We're taking the bus back to Larnaca, our home away from home, this morning.  Ammar is up even before I finish my yoga and there's time for breakfast before asking the nice desk clerk to call us a cab.  We'd packed last night, so it's just a matter of grab and go.

View from our balcony!  Not swell, but it's a balcony!

And it contains this really cool old bus!

And it you look really hard you can see the lighthouse.  That's how close we are to the major ruims.

Such pretty orchids at the front desk.

And there's the charity shop with Ammar's suitcase!

It's the same cab lady as yesterday morning, the one who was so intent on having us spend a hundred Euros getting back to Larnaca.  Luckily we know the bus stop is pretty close so there is only time for Ammar to tell her that we walked to Old Town and then back to the hotel when she asked why we didn't call her to pick us up!  Pushy dame!

There are only about a dozen people waiting for the 9:30 bus, so there's plenty of choice when it comes to seating.  If we'd missed this one, we would have had to wait until eight o'clock tonight!  Sure glad we didn't!

The trip is the best kind, uneventful! I gathered from the website that we would take a bus to Limassol, wait about fifty minutes, then take another bus to Larnaca.  Ammar kept saying he thought there was a bus that went the whole way;  but I couldn't find it. I have no idea where he got that idea;  but when we take a five minute rest stop, he asks the driver and, sure enough, we just stay right where we are and find ourselves back in our old neighborhood! Amazing!

Such  pretty churches

I believe this is a toilet;  but no one was that desperate!

Lots of rental bikes;  this was our rest stop.

Such interesting architecture around Limassol!
And lots of new construction, although there are also lots of empty store fronts.

We could see the egg from our hotel room.

There's a thirteenth floor!

I'm just fascinated by the architecture!

Sure glad we didn't go nuts trying to see these ruins.  We did just fine from the bus!

Look at all the vegetation!!

We know just how to get to our hotel and it isn't really much of a walk at all, even with the additional stuff we've picked up along the way.  Our favorite desk lady, Andrea, welcomes us back and we tease about the million-dollar suitcase.  I ask if she wants the voucher back, since I don't really understand how that is supposed to work.  Turns out it's good for another five-day stay the next time we come to Cyprus! That's not likely to happen!

We go up to our room and I begin settling in while Ammar goes downstairs for an espresso.  When he comes back he tells me that he suggested that Andrea talk to her manager about taking back the voucher and, instead, upgrading our room.  Shortly she calls and says that the manager approved the idea and we move down one floor to a suite with two balconies and a jacuzzi!! Pretty sweet say to end our vacay! 

Jacuzzi!

When I went downstairs to get the new key card, Andrea asks if I need the old one so we can get ur things.  I tell her that I left Ammar in the room so he will open the door.  And he's in trouble if he doesn't!  She says we'll gang up on him - I can keep pounding on the door and she'll keep ringing the phone!  Girl Power!  She really is adorable!

Since Ammar has his big new suitcase and he can only take one bag, he offers me his small Samsonite that he got in Istanbul last year.  I only have one free bag, too, but I figure out that I can put his inside mine and still have plenty of room!  In fact, the top outside compartment is empty! Pretty slick!

There are printed and laminated directions for using the jacuzzi and they are pretty darn good! The water gets really hot, like a real hot tub, and there is a dial to control the strength of the jets.  And you can sure get a lot of bubbles from the hotel's bath soap!  I feel like a kid, except there's not a mom to clean up!  Turns out that by the time that would be necessary, they're pretty much all gone anyway!

We've got all the afternoon and evening ahead of us!  Ammar says he taking a nap while I sit out here in the parlor typing;  but I can hear him on the phone, still working.  Oh well!  His call!

... Dinner time!  We walk down to the beach and find an Ocean's Basket.  Apparently it is a chain and we really enjoyed our dinner there in Paphos.  We take a table but Ammar thinks we'd be happier outside and the waitress lets us move.  After some consultation we decide on an ordered of crumbed prawn, a whole grilled sea bass with Mediterranean vegetables, and six of the prince prawns, with water and a small glass of Leo, the local brew.  Everything is delicious and it's just the right amount.  There is even a mouthful for the resident restaurant cat, who is very gentle when retrieving his morsel from my hand.  Ammar contributed a bit of shrimp to the cause.

Didn't we do a good job!?

Beach volleyball.  One guy is actually playing beach volley/soccer!

On our way home we pass a massage center and book appointments for tomorrow at eleven!  And at our front desk we ask about COVID testing.  There is a place about ten minutes' walk from here that gives same day results for sixty Euros. There is one for forty, but it needs a cab ride, so will probably be about the same.  Or I can take a bus all the way to the airport to get it done there.  That really doesn't sound appealing.  I'll think about it tomorrow!