One of the great things about working at ZURU Tech Italy is their flexible approach to working from home. The idea at ZURU Tech is, as long as the work gets done, you can use your work from home allowance to work from wherever you like.
Half of the Milan-based design team, Sabrina, Ewa, Veronica and myself — plus one developer, Luca — took advantage of this generous definition of "home” to leave behind the pollution of the city and breath in some fresh sea air in Cyprus. Here’s an extract from the diary I kept.
Fun in the Sun-day
After spending Saturday relaxing on the beach and swimming in the pool of Adonis, we decided to spend our Sunday on an 8-hour buggy tour with a professional guide. This would prove to get a unique view of Cyprus that our hire car could not possibly achieve.
After arriving at the buggy centre and handing over our driving licences, we set off. The plan was to drive along the coast and up mountains before embarking on a boat trip to Blue Lagoon, one of the most picturesque swimming spots on the island.
The first buggy had a belt buckle broken, so we swapped it with another which was placed at the head of the line of adventurous tourists. This was lucky, as the lead vehicle would not be subject to the clouds of dust that were thrown up over anyone that was following… including Ewa, Luca and Veronica. evil laugh.
The long morning
The first stop was a small bay with a relatively modern shipwreck. According to the guide, it had lost power in one engine and had been driven onto the shallows by an offshore wind. Despite over a year of attempts to free it, the owners eventually gave up and left it to become a valuable photo spot. We had time to take plenty of these before heading to the next stop which was the clifftop church of Saint George.
When we arrived there, the tour guide advised everyone that the dust would only get much worse as the tour went off-road, so it would be a good idea to invest in a bandana to cover the mouth and nose. There was a small shop which had a selection of them for sale. I bought two — one for my mouth, and one to look cool.
Across the road from the newer titular church, there was a much older chapel, its tunnel-like interior filled with images of George slaying the dragon. It was a shame that there wasn’t more time here. There was an archaeological site that would have been interesting to look around. We couldn't be too disappointed though as next we visited one of Cyprus’ most stunning natural parks.
Driving off-road in order to get to Lara Bay Turtle Conservation Area was certainly more fun than dodging the traffic on Cyprus’ narrow roads. Lara Bay is a beautiful sandy beach, scattered with upside-down metal cages designed to protect the turtle nests from tourists. Due to it being off the beaten track, there were very few tourists there who weren’t also part of a tour group. It wasn’t the right season to see any turtles, but there was the broken odd eggshell which showed where the babies had hatched.
We got back from the beach early, and we were lucky we did. Noticing that our buggy had changed from red to orange, team lead Sabrina and I narrowly missed having our belongings accidentally stolen! We ran to catch the other tour group before they left and so managed to recover our belongings.
Scary mountain tracks
The next leg of the tour was focused on heading up into the mountains. The tour guide on his motocross bike led the way up the rock and gravel tracks which wound their way up and around the precipitous slopes. It wasn’t easy to keep up — the tracks had no signs or safety rails to stop careless drivers from plunging over the edge — but it was damn great fun!
The views from the mountain tops were spectacular. Even Ewa, Veronica and Luca, choked and blinded by grit couldn't help but appreciated the wide vistas. Cyprus really is a beautiful island.
The descent was as adrenaline-filled as the ascent had been. Sabrina showed that if she ever wanted a career change, rally may be a viable alternative. About halfway down, there was a secluded picnic area surrounded by fragrant trees. It thankfully had a washbasin where it was possible to wash the grit and grime away from our grinning faces.
There was also time for an unscheduled stop to see a field full of donkeys. In Cyprus, donkeys were used as a form of transport long after most of Europe had moved on to fossil fuel power. Now, however, they were mainly used for milk, donkey milk apparently being much healthier than cow’s. After giving them a few pieces of apple as a treat, it was time to head to a restaurant to get fed ourselves.
Lunch was in the small port town of Latchi. It was a simple meal but filling enough. We didn’t have a lot of time to relax. The boat portion of the tour would leave on time, with or without all the passengers on board!
The afternoon boat trip
After embarking, we set about exploring the large boat. Below deck was a glass bottom with a great view of the surprisingly scarce marine life. The main bulk of the other passengers stayed sheltered from the sun on the mid-deck where there was also a handy drinks bar. Appreciating the cool breeze, we settled on the sundeck near the stern. This was covered in a huge red awning to provide shade from the scorching sun.
From this spot, there was also the best view of the passing coastline and the possibility — for those of us with the skin for it — to get a little suntan. The coast was dotted with picturesque bays and dark caves in the limestone cliffs. There were isolated chapels amongst the trees and an ancient quarry. We took photos and relaxed until our destination drifted into sight.
Blue lagoon was full of both large and small vessels full of tourists. As we wove our way between them, a few of them hauled anchor and departed, freeing up mooring space. This also revealed the lagoon in its full glory. Crystal clear waters shone like aquamarine in the afternoon sun. The beach here was only accessible by boat, so the limited stretch of sand was not very crowded. The majority of people were happily swimming in the pleasantly warm water or snorkelling near the surrounding rocks.
The stop was only an hour long but it is certainly a place worth returning to in the future – as were most of the places that were visited in Cyprus.
We all fully relaxed on the voyage back to port, I myself was rocked to sleep by the gentle swell. Bliss!
End of the Day
Back on dry land, the main part tour had finished. All that remained was a high-speed drive along well-paved roads back to the buggy hire centre. That part of the journey really instilled an appreciation for the humble windscreen. Without one, insects can be quite painful when they hit the face at 70km/h!
Everyone got back to the holiday home tired but exhilarated. Despite the next few days being work-focused, there would still be time for more exploration, including a fascinating trip to the island’s capital city and exploration of ancient tombs.
If you’d like to join us on our next adventure, check out the current job openings at ZURU Tech. See you next time!