Ayios Ioannis Part 1
Welcoming
Cheerful ornaments by the front door are a fairly common sight in Cypriot villages.
Eternal Christmas
This house even had a festive snowman on the wall.
The Main Drag
The road soon opens up to what I shall call the main square. Note that it has been recently tarmaced, and that there is a tourist information sign at the bus stop. I think that building is the Municipal Office, though I could be wrong.
Cypriot Flag!
Opposite the municipal building you can see the church. It was nice to see the Cyprus Flag on display. We saw a number of them in the village, which was good.
Bus Stop
If you stand by a bus stop and take enough pictures, a bus will eventually turn up. I had to indicate to the driver that I was quite happy where I was and didn't want to go to Paphos. I was impressed that public transport made it to these remoter villages. This has to be the smallest bus I have seen.
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Related Blogs:
Abandoned Villages - Statos
Statos is unusual, as abandoned villages go. People deserted it not because of inter-communal fighting, but because of the threat of landslides. And then, no sooner had they emptied, some of the abandoned buildings were repopulated. Were villagers returning, or had outsiders moved in, prepared to take the risk of landslide?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.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.Good Pages To Visit
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