GYS Ready, Set, Go! UCLan Cyprus

After two days of getting to know the city,  we made our way to the University of Central Lancashire Campus in Pyla, Cyprus. I must say we were all struck by the wow factor at the breathtaking design of the building and the state of the art facilities on offer.

We couldn't resist the appeal for selfies before getting into the training room for the first day of training.

And as expected, the day had an epic ending with pool volleyball and pizza party at the UCLan student accommodation.

Cyprus, A Good Mix of Old and New

"A good mix of old and new"
This was how Anita described the beautiful city of Lanarca. It was a terrific day round the city which started with a brunch and blackberry slush.

We visited the Castle of Lanarca dated to around 1382 - 1398 during the reign of King James 1 but was upgraded by Ottoman Turks. Epic!

We stopped by the historical mosque right next to the castle which according to one of the guides is 400 years old.  

My thought today is the significance of tourism to this city's economy and the impact wars and crisis have on people and cities all over the world.
The day ended on a high with a pool volleyball back at the hotel.

Lanre Olabode

The Cyprus Experience with GYS Day 1

In Cyprus, three languages are spoken. English, Greek and Turk. The people are friendly and warm, and not just because of the weather. Its a beautiful Island.



We took a trip into the Larnaka city center today to get a feel of the town and the beach. It was literally hot and its no wonder the University of Central Lancashire UCLan always encourage students from the UK to study at the University's Cyprus campus for a year.



One of the locals boasted that they have nine months of summer. OMG!















Lanre Olabode

The GYS Team arrives Cyprus

And then we arrived Cyprus, welcomed by the gentle warm evening breeze.

Excitement soon turned to frustration when our prearranged bus scheduled to take us to the hotel refused to budge.

Thanks to the GYS team spirit and the will to always stay positive, we kept it together and managed a bit of a laugh while the driver arranged a replacement for our onward journey to the Airport.

UCLan GYS Jets off to Cyprus

From 18 degrees to 34 degrees, we left for Cyprus via Liverpool JL Airport on a 5 hour trip. 




It was some sort of a vacation feel with sunshine and beaches, but Yas was always there to remind us to read through our facilitator's manual in preparation for the training ahead.
I'll keep you updated with pictures and videos from our epic experience.

Lanre Olabode

UCLAN GYS AT LIVERPOOL AIRPORT