The Rise and Fall of the Asprokremmos Reservoir
Published 19th of December, 2016
Looking Back at Foinikas
I will post a separate article about Foinikas, as it is in a beautiful area and well worth a visit if you like exploring. A brief summary of it's history is as follows though. Foinikas used to be a Turkish Village. After they were displaced, it was populated with Greeks fleeing from North Cyprus. However, they didn't stay long, and a while later the valley was dammed.
A Hidden Bridge Re-Emerges
It's not all doom and gloom though. The receeding waters have allowed old routes to re-emerge. It is now a lot easier to get to Foinikas than it used to be.
So, is there any hope for the reservoir? Absolutely yes. Compared to 2012, things look grim, however, if you turn back the clock still further, to 2009, you will see that things were even worse then.
Foinikas from a distance in 2009
In 2009, Foinikas looked like it was situated in a fairly lush valley, surrounded by meadows.
Foinikas in 2009
Tracks criss-crossed the basin, and it looked like lush pasture. It certainly didn't look like an estuary at low tide.
Little Houses on the Prairie
If the reservoir can go from this to full in three years, then there is hope for it now. We just have to hope that the rains continue.
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Let me take you on a journey around the region of Paphos, Cyprus. Starting at Paphos itself, we travel to Akoursos, then Kathikas, Kritou Terra and Simou. We continue past Lasa and Kannaviou, before taking in the delights of Panagia. Getting a bit more adventurous, we visit the abandoned villages of Statos and Agios Fotios, before passing through Choulou, Letymbou and Polemi, and rejoining the main Paphos - Polis road.
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You can do this journey in a day, or you can break it up into chunks. You can also do it in reverse, to get some completely different views. It is entirely up to you.
