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MONEY
The first thing I did after clearing Cyprus' passport control is what I always do when I arrive in a new country -- hit the ATM machine. Although Cyprus joined the European Union in May 2004, it hasn't switched to the Euro yet (it's expected to do this on January 1, 2008). At the date of publish, $100 USD equals 42 Cyprus Pounds (CYŁ) and 100 Cyprus Pounds equals $233 USD. Use xe.com to determine current currency rates.

HIGH SEASON: The high season to travel to Cyprus, when the hotels are most expensive but the weather the best, is April to October. Either way, Cyprus boasts 340 days of sunshine a year; the average temperatures are 62 F (17 C) in winter and 89 F (32 C) in summer.

CYPRUS GUIDE
I was in Cyprus because the Cyprus Tourism Board invited me to tour their country. I was with five other journalists and for the week, they hired us a driver (here's a scan of the bus company's business card) and a local guide. Both were excellent, though our guide, Christina Mita, was stubbornly closed-minded about the Turks. Besides that, she was very knowledgeable and fun. Her rates per group are CYŁ63 ($146 USD) for 8 hours or CYŁ40 for 4 hours. If you're interested, here's a scan of her business card. Some of the most interesting things I learned from her were: The island used to be full of copper mines, which is why it's called Cyprus. It's Latin for "copper". Today, the country's main exports are citrus, potatoes and wine, primarily to Europe and the UK. Christina also enlightened me to the fact that during WWII, the U.N. contemplated three countries to relocate fleeing Jews: Israel, Zimbabwe and Cyprus.

PALM BEACH HOTEL
I was picked up at the Larnaca Airport and taken to the Palm Beach Hotel. The hotel was located just 15 minutes away and still in Larnaca. This trip, I'm covering a lot of territory and checking into four different hotels that will meet everyone's budget. To be honest, The Palm Beach Hotel and the city of Larnaca weren't the best first impression of the country for me. The 228-room Palm Beach Hotel was built in 1981 and is rated four stars ... but I would only give my room three stars. It was very basic, with thin walls and uncomfortable pillows. It had a bedspread ... I don't even want to think about how dirty it was. These days, most hotels don't use bedspreads. They use duvet covers so that they can clean the sheets for each guest. After pulling the bedspread off the bed, I took out the ol' sanitary wipes and went to work. I wiped down the remote control, phone, light switches, door handles … everything and anything that could be full of germs and bacteria. Did you know that the dirtiest thing in a hotel room is the remote control? The second are the glasses in the sink. I'm not a Howard Hughes germ freak or anything, but I try to spend a few minutes wiping down every surface in every hotel room I check in to. The bathroom wasn't spotless and had abrasive towels that weren't even suitable for a car wash. When it was finally time to get some shuteye, the thick, lumpy pillows didn't allow me to fall asleep right away. Instead, I just lay there, listening in embarrassment to my honeymoon neighbors getting busy … all night long. But after the first night, the hotel grew on me. For starters, they offered a large, delicious breakfast buffet, a sweet outdoor pool (it officially opens each year on April 1), a year-round indoor pool, and wireless Internet (CYŁ6 a day). The hotel is also kid-friendly. The Palm Beach Hotel is on the beach but since it wasn't beach weather, no one was there and it didn't look too appealing. The sand looked dark and dirty. Room rates begin at CYŁ35 ($81) for a single in the off-season and CYŁ41 in the high season. If I were to stay here again, I would stay in their newly renovated bungalows (rates begin at CYŁ185 a night). The Palm Beach Hotel & Bungalows, Larnaca; Tel.: (+357) 24 846600.

LARNACA
Larnaca is the third largest town in Greek Cyprus and is located on the southeast coast. This port city has a population over 70,000 people. The whole island has a population of 850,000 on the Greek side and an estimated 350,000 Turks in the north. Larnaca is centered around a seaside promenade that has a hard, sand beach and rows of palm trees. In the Cypriot dialect, this place is known as Finikoudes. A few blocks away is the ninth-century Agios Lazaros Byzantine Church (The Church of Lazarus). This incredible Greek Orthodox Church was built over the tomb of St. Lazarus who is the patron saint of Larnaca. However, his body is supposedly buried in Marseilles, France. While visiting, I learned that the Orthodox Greeks use three fingers to make the sign of the cross and make the gesture the opposite way that Catholics do. On the tour, worshippers kept coming through, lighting candles and kissing the St. Lazarus icon. They kept kissing the same spot and I was going to ask if they wanted to wipe it down with my sanitary wipes ...

Just outside the church is a fruit stand selling traditional Cypriot treats including figs, dates, apricots, raisons, wild pistachios, and a snack made of peanuts, honey and sesame. The most popular item is called Soutzioukos. It's made of grape juice, flour and almonds but I wasn't a fan.

AGIA NAPA
About 21 miles from Larnaca in Ayia Napa (the English spell it with a "g' so it's Agia Napa) is the Thalassa Municipal Museum of the Sea. The museum, which opened in 2006 is quite modern – I was surprised and impressed. The three-floor museum is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Cyprus' marine heritage. It has plenty of open space, with colorful, educational exhibits for all ages. The highlight is the life-sized replica of the ancient ship "Kyrenia II". It dates back to 9200 B.C. Entrance fee: CYŁ1.50 for adults and .50 for kids under 12. Thalassa Municipal Museum of the Sea, 14, Kriou Nerou, Agia Napa; Tel.: +357 2381-6366. Oh yeah! While in Agia Napa you should stop by the Agia Napa Monastery. It's built like a medieval castle and dates back to the 15th century. It's not a monastery anymore but rather a cultural center.

DINING IN THE AREA
On my flight over here, I sat beside a Cypriot man who now lives in England. He told me that the best thing about Cyprus is the food and boasted about how inexpensive and freshly made everything is. I didn't think I was going to agree since I'm a finicky eater but let me tell you -- he was right on the money. The food is exceptional in Cyprus. The first restaurant I ate at proved this. It was five minutes from the Palm Beach Hotel and called Voreas Tavern (tel.: 246-47-177. Here's a scan of their business card). My party arrived at 8:15pm on a Sunday night and the place was empty. The hostess said we were early. She was right; around 9:30pm, the place quickly filled up with locals. Cyprus is known for its meze plates. These are small plates, like tapas, so customers can sample everything. For CYŁ8.90 per person ($20 USD) you get 27 plates. TWENTY-SEVEN! Is that crazy or what? I can't even name them all but they included pickled carrots with spices, olives, salad, tahini, tabulie, red peppers in garlic, potato salad, feta cheese in olive oil, eggs with spinach, artichoke, chicken/pork kebobs, beef liver, divine bread and grilled Halloumi (a local cheese and a specialty of the island). The following day I ate at Cava restaurant, (21 1st April Avenue; Paralimni; tel.: 23 730 545. Here's a scan of their business card) which had a similar barrage of small plates. This time it was a fish meze, which included 16 dishes of all kinds of seafood and fruit and dessert. Cost: CYŁ12 ($28 USD) without wine and CYŁ15 ($34 USD) with wine.

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