Our Sack'n Luck Cyprus page

Here we'll gradually compile the things that, subjectively speaking, really get on our nerves as well as those that make us incredibly lucky in Cyprus. We don't claim this list is exhaustive and are truly grateful for your tips. The page will, of course, be expanded as needed.

We deliberately chose to start with the annoying things before celebrating the truly awesome luck things. 🥳

Sack

• The hunting season is definitely open, including hunting finches and migratory birds from August 25th to the end of October, and native game species in November and December, while song thrush hunting is permitted until February.

  
  

  Hunting is usually allowed on Sundays and Wednesdays, but there are some areas where it's permitted daily, typically along the coast.

  
  

  Hunting is a pastime, and people shoot at anything that isn't nailed down—and even shoot at trees, even in the immediate vicinity of residential areas.

  
  

  There are approximately 40,000 registered hunters in a country with only 1.1 million inhabitants. That pretty much says it all.

  
  

• There's no waste separation. Is that good? Is that bad? For us, it's certainly completely unusual to throw everything into one bin: glass, paper, plastic, kitchen scraps, everything. And there's no deposit system either.

  
  

  This might even reduce our ecological footprint. It's astonishing: we only need one garbage bag instead of three... The same goes for the bins... How many production workers are saved here? How many fewer garbage trucks are spewing exhaust fumes into the sky? And what about the recycling workers? Every single one of them leaves their ecological footprint...

  
  

  Not to mention the bottle collectors who are no longer needed...

  
  

  The bins aren't neatly and precisely placed in enclosures like in Germany, but simply on the side of the road, often clustered together with their lids open because they're overflowing or difficult to open...

  
  

  Update 2/25: If you look closely, you can already see glass recycling containers in some corners, which we've been using regularly since we found out where they are. The blue containers are also apparently meant for collecting plastic bottles. We didn't realize this at first because the contents look almost identical to those in the other containers. So the intention is there...

  
  

  Even if you follow the daily news, you can sense the pressure the EU is exerting on Cyprus regarding waste separation.

  
  

• If you have trash in your car: Just roll down the window, take the trash out, etc.

  
  

  INCREDIBLE!

• Unfortunately, the same picture emerges during our hikes through the remote landscapes. The more isolated the area, the more trash and hazardous waste is simply dumped there. After me, the deluge... Cars and boats, including trailers, are not disposed of properly, but simply left somewhere.

• We're only talking about Paphos here:

  The bus timetable that doesn't exist, the route map that doesn't appear even when we ask for it. Instead, we were handed the slip of paper below, which we, as newcomers, couldn't understand at all. It's a real shame, because there seem to be an incredible number of buses running here. But it was useless to us because we don't know where the stops are. Even Google Maps, unlike for many other cities around the world, doesn't show a single bus.

• We were already tempted to watch the buses and sketch out the possible routes and their paths on a piece of paper...

• Until Kerstin worked out the almost perfect idea: The Rome2Rio app, which I've had on my phone for a long time, seems to actually work here! Almost always...

• The fares are relatively cheap for our standards: €2 per adult for a single trip. They even offer paper smart tickets for multiple journeys; however, the price remains the same. For us, without a car, the personalized monthly pass for €50 per person is currently the best option.

• Neither the Pafosbus website nor app is of any use. It's best to just hand the €2 to the driver and be done with it.

• The desire to have sidewalks everywhere in Paphos is clearly evident. Unfortunately, the curbs are much too high for older people. Furthermore, they are often impassable due to numerous garbage containers, parked cars, or overgrown vegetation – a real shame.

• Even the well-intentioned planting areas created by missing paving stones are a great idea in themselves. However, when the plants are missing, as is so often the case, these shallow holes simply become tripping hazards. This just happened to Kerstin, who had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance with a broken arm and a bruised ankle. And no, neither alcohol nor a smartphone was involved...

  
  

LUCK

• The top point ties in with the last point of the last section: When Kerstin lay on the sidewalk after her fall and couldn't get up, there was such a wave of helpfulness among the residents and passersby that we had never experienced before: EVERYONE stopped and offered their help, ambulances were called, blankets and pillows were brought, water was handed out, and so on and so forth. THANK YOU, YOU DEAR AND WARM-HEARTED PEOPLE!

  
  

• For us Germans, one of the most outstanding positive attributes is the 320 days of sunshine per year; as I said, this is entirely subjective. That these sunny days also bring many disadvantages is beyond question. We are free to enjoy them...

• Cyprus boasts a unique landscape. From January to March, you can even go skiing in the Troodos Mountains.

• the crystal-clear sea right on your doorstep

• Much less bureaucracy than in Germany

• Cyprus is a full member of the EU - this makes many things easier.

• The tax advantages are not insignificant.

• The Republic of Cyprus ranks first among the 27 member states of the European Union in terms of the use of European funds. This means that all available money is applied for and implemented in funded projects. This translates into tangible results for the benefit of the population and tourists alike. We hardly recognized Cyprus compared to three years ago.