From Ayios Ioannis To Vretsia
Remote Farm
On closer inspection of the countryside, we could see signs of old walls and boundaries in the fields. And we soon arrived at this farm. This still didn't seem enough to warrant the construction of the fountain though.
Large Shrine
There was a nice shrine here too.
Old Buildings
We also spotted some semi-ruined houses which were guarded by a rather cute hound. Later, I looked at the map, to see if there was any indication as to what might have been here. Nothing at all, other than the farm. Curiouser and curiouser...
Kitchener's Map
As modern maps had failed, I did a bit of digging and found the old map produced by Kitchener in the 19th Century. Sure enough, there was a third village, called Malounda, which was exactly on the site of our mysterious ruins.
Now that I had a name, I could quickly investigate what might have been here. Unfortunately, there is a village in the district of Nicosia called Malounta, and all the results referred to that. In the past we have used the PRIO database to get information on abandoned villages. So I included the word PRIO in my search. This produced a result. It was actually the entry for Ayios Ioannis, but it contained the following text, which I must have missed when I was researching in the summer:
Following the destruction of the neighboring village of Malounda in the 1953 earthquake, all of that village’s approximately 115 Turkish Cypriot inhabitants were resettled in Agios Ioannis. Later, the area that had been Malounda was also included within the boundaries of Agios Ioannis village.
So, there had indeed been a small village here, and it was no longer marked on maps because the land became part of Ayios Ioannis.
Farewell Malounda
Leaving Malounda, we continue down the road to Vretsia. The track is in pretty good nick, though it gets a bit tricky later on. I would always advise using a good 4x4 when exploring Cyprus valleys, if you are going off-piste. However, the bottom of the Xeros Valley is notoriously muddy at times, so make sure you pack a shovel or a zapper. If you need help people will have to come a long way to your rescue.
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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.
Ayios 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.
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.
The Camel Trail Venetian Bridges
Over the last few days we've been trying to visit the three most popular Venetian Bridges on the Camel Trail, to see how they have coped with all the rain. It took a while to get to Roudia, but now finally, we can show you what we found.
Xeros River Ruins
It looks like the sun is here to stay now, and Cyprus is quickly turning brown. The Asprokremmos is no longer overflowing, and soon, the rivers will no doubt start to run dry again. Before that happens we decided to go for a drive up Xeros Valley, and explore some ruins by the river. If you fancy a paddle, don't wait too long...
The Xeros River in Winter
The Asprokremmos Reservoir is beginning to fill up! At the last count, it was close to 40% full. But where is all the water coming from? The Xeros River is normally close to dry, but now it has become a raging torrent. So let's take a look...Related Pages
MapFrom Ayios Ioannis To Vretsia
As the Xeros Valley gives way to Paphos Forest, two old Turkish Cypriot Villages stand on either sides of its slopes. We took the long-neglected road from Ayios Ioannis to Vretsia, and discovered not only beautiful countryside, but another abandoned village, and several ancient mills along the way.
Video ClipThe Venetian Bridges of the Camel Trail
Join us as we look at three of the Venetian Bridges on the Kykkos Camel Trail, and see how they have coped with the recent deluge.
Good Pages To Visit
FB PagePaphos Life on Facebook
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FB PageOur Facebook Chat Group
Paphos Chat has been created for people who like our site and want to chat using Facebook. You can also easily upload photos of any size here. A lot of people are members of the Facebook chat group and the main forum. It's entirely up to you.
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.
