Ayios Ioannis Part 2
If you cast your mind back to a recent blog we did on the abandoned village of Zacharia, I speculated that a building there was the school house, because it had a frame on the wall just like the frame around this blackboard.
One Final Blackboard
I guess a lot of kids and young adults would like nothing more than to vandalise their old school. And it wouldn't have to be their own school either. Given the opportunity to rage against the society that has created your fractured landscape, you can't really blame them for taking advantage of it.
Beyond the School
Beyond the school, the Xeros Valley beckons. The water feature stands in front of what might have been the old school playground. Imagine a village full of life, and a school yard full of playing kids...
Nature Trail
Past the school, the village ends. There is a nature trail that runs from the main square in Ayios Ioannis down to Roudia Bridge. The bottom part of it is a bit washed out at the moment, however, the trail down the hill is still a breathtaking walk. The yellow sign you can see here shows you the way. There was a similar sign back at the bus stop we showed you in the first blog. It shows you what you can expect to see along the way.
Distant Vretsia
Our final shot is taken a bit further down the nature trail. You can see the fire break on the other side of the Xeros Valley. Beyond that, if you look carefully, you can just about make out the abandoned village of Vretsia.
Now, if you are exploring this area in a car, you should take care. Some of the roads are still out as a result of the winter rain. So don't drive down any hill unless you are sure you can drive back up again if you have to. There is no shame in parking the car and continuing downhill on foot.
Ayios Ioannis is a very interesting village to explore, but It is by no means unique. A whole host of authentic Cypriot villages are out there waiting for you to discover for yourself. So what are you waiting for?
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Related Blogs:
Ayios Ioannis - Part 1
We haven't explored the further reaches of the Diarizos Valley much, especially not the hilltops that head towards the Xeros Valley and Paphos Forest. We've been rectifying that recently, and in this blog we want to take you on a visit to Ayios Ioannis. We thought it would be a smallish village, but we were in for a surprise. This blog is large, so we have split it in two parts. The second part will be published in a day or two.
Abandoned Villages - Vretsia
Cyprus has more than it's fair share of abandoned villages. The troubles caused the displacement of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.The environment itself has caused other villages to be abandoned for reasons of safety. Whatever the reason, the abandonment caused emotional pain and suffering to the affected people. So is it right to right a series of blog articles on them? I thought about this for a while, but decided that yes it was. Cyprus is a land built on antiquities, and these villages are just the latest example. I had no problem blogging about a Necropolis after all. However, some of these villages, and especially Ventris, do still get visits from the displaced families. So if you do decide to visit these places on the strength of these articles, please bear that in mind, and treat them with respect. The urban exploring motto "take only pictures, leave only footprints..." nicely sums it up.
Abandoned Villages: Zacharia
Nestled on the side of the Stavros tis Psokas valley, it is easy to miss Zacharia. To get to it you have to drive through the nearby ghost village of Melandra, and you might be tempted to end your adventure there. But if you persevere, you will find another abandoned village waiting to tell its tale...Related Pages
MapAyios Ioannis - Part 2
In the concluding part of our visit to Ayios Ioannis we continue through the village before visiting an old abandoned school, and finish up gazing down upon the Xeros Valley and Paphos Forest.
Good Pages To Visit
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ListBlog Locations
Planning a day out? Then use our map of blog locations as a handy guide. Some of the places we visit our closer to each other than you might think, so take a look and start planning your next adventure...
eBookCyprus Road Trip 01: the Kathikas - Panagia Loop
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.
The route is suitable for all types of vehicle, and requires no off-roading. The guide contains about 130 photographs including shots of all the road signs you need to pay attention to, as well as some of the highlights you may experience along the way.
There are also several maps which will help you keep your bearings.
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.
