Cyprus, Limassol

14 December 2011

At Christmas in 2011 I travelled to Limassol in Cyprus. I went as part of a research trip looking at barriers faced by disabled travellers and was particularly looking at how (or whether!) tourist accommodation and popular tourist sites had been adapted for accessibility. The results were not good as you can see from my photos!

Dave’s Diary Leading up to my holiday:

I packed all the essential things like medication, insurance documents, and passport, and exchanged my money into euros. I contacted the tour operator to arrange the necessary assistance whilst I was travelling.

Day 1

I organised my journey to leave Plymouth at 5.10am and arrived at Exeter at 6.15. From the station I caught a taxi to the airport and checked in before heading to the support desk. I was assured that my assistance was all in place for the outward bound journey so I waited in the coffee shop until departure time.

At 8.30 I boarded the plane but after take-off we were diverted to London Gatwick due to engine failure. The support I received at London Gatwick was really good for my needs and every passenger received a £5 gift voucher for the inconvenience. After a 5 hour wait I was tired and fed up and once I re-boarded there was no communication of my needs to the new crew so I was left to my own devices.

When we arrived at Pathos there was no assistance to help me off the plane so I was a little annoyed and upset having gone to the trouble of booking and re-checking that assistance would be made available to me. After departure I boarded the coach which would transfer me to my hotel. I arrived at the hotel at midnight exhausted and hungry so went to bed after a rather stale sandwich.

Day 2

In the morning I met up with the Thomson reps to discuss the available options for excursions etc and this gave me the opportunity to meet up with other tourists. I spent the rest of the day relaxing to get over the events of the day before.

All the staff were really helpful and attentive and accommodated all my needs which helped me to adapt to my new environment. I met two people I already knew from Cheltenham which was quite bizarre. I booked a tour up into the Troodos Mountains. I also discussed with the tour operator other tours that might be suitable for my needs. I booked another trip to the Stavrovouni Monastery also up in the mountains.

I spent the rest of the day looking around the local villages and trying out the local teas. I met various tourists from different cultures which helped to broaden my awareness. The day was good and I retired to my hotel room feeling worn out but happy.

Day 3

Spent most of the day by the pool, still feeling a little jet-lagged by the drawn out journey. I took a wander around the local vicinity taking photos of what I consider to be less than adequate provisions for a person with disabilities. The hotel was not adapted to disabled tourists; access to the beach required many steps being taken so was unsuitable for wheel chair users or people with mobility issues. There were no stable footpaths to walk on so this was a risk for all. In places I had to walk over rubble and this made me feel unsafe.

Day 4

A four wheel drive picked us up at 7.30 am from the hotel to take us to the Troodos mountains. Friends I had met on the plane were also on the excursion making the trip much fun. The experience was exhilarating and we travelled all around Troodos visiting different villages where many of the native people didn’t speak English. The language barrier was challenging for me due to my own speech impediment but the experience was good.

I requested if I could be dropped off at a passing beach which the driver agreed to and some other passengers joined me whilst the driver continued on a very narrow road and . Whilst on the beach we saw some turtles which were fantastic. When we returned to the hotel I had a late tea and socialised for the rest of the evening.

Day 5

Today I was picked up by a mini bus at 7.30 for a trip to the Stavrovouni Monastery. We picked up other tourists from other hotels on the way and then transferred to a larger coach. This took us up the Stavrovouni hill where we disembarked and took a tour around the Monastery. After this we visited various surrounding villages with lunch in between. The roads were wider making me feel safer than the day before plus two of my friends were on the trip. It was a great day as I met many different people with different religions and backgrounds and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Learning about the history made it very interesting and I took lots of photos.

We got back to the hotel at 19:30 and after dinner I socialised for the rest of the evening.

Day 6

I began the day by packing all my clothes to make the departure easier. I met up with loads of friends throughout the day and the staff were very accommodating of my needs. The hotel was not suitable for wheel chair users and the entrance lead immediately out onto a busy main road with the only access around it via steps.

Day 7

At 13:00 we departed for the airport and Thomson’s were very accommodating getting me sorted as far as the airport. We arrived at Pathos airport at 14:00 and I’m sad to say that the passport control officer was far from accommodating. For no apparent reason he made me stand to one side whilst he dealt with all the other passengers. This upset me greatly but my friends waited for me and I was finally allowed through; we left Pathos at 16:00.

At 20:05 we arrived at Exeter and before disembarking I visited the cockpit and had the opportunity to talk to the captains. We discussed disabilities and although they were very disability aware they recognised that more needed to be done within the tourist industry (airports and resorts).

A friend picked me up from the airport and I arrived home at 23:30