To be fair, we later realized we had accidentally been traveling in the fast lane, which is the right lane in Cyprus, unlike in the U.S. Even so, we were traveling at the speed limit, which was 100 kilometers per hour (about 62 miles per hour), but many of the drivers around us wanted to go much faster, some as fast as 120 to 140 kilometers per hour (about 75 to 87 miles per hour). (Yes, all of the speed limit signs are marked in kilometers per hour instead of miles per hour because Cyprus, like most countries in the world, uses the metric system instead of the imperial system used in the U.S.) As the traffic rushed by around us, I thought how ironic, or amusingly surprising, it was that Cyprus’s unofficial national motto is “Σιγά, σιγά” (“Slowly, slowly”). Off of the road, Cypriots tend to lead life at a laid back, relaxed Mediterranean pace, with meals and coffee breaks lasting for hours at a time. However, on the road, their pace is anything but slow. Instead it’s go, go, go!
No sooner had I thought this than I gasped as motorcyclist burst past us with an explosive roar. He was easily traveling 140 kilometers per hour or more, weaving in and out of traffic. Another motorcyclist roared past. Neither rider was wearing a helmet. I was shocked. Apparently Cypriot law doesn’t require motorcyclists to wear helmets.
Even if the law did require them, the rules of the road here are more suggestions than rules. Drivers sometimes run red lights, often speed, and usually park wherever they want to— on sidewalks, in road lanes, or wherever they can.
