Ian and I take our hired scooter to Mavrokolymbos dam. It's in the middle of a drought, which seems to often be the case in Cyprus. Anna and Phil have advised us not to waste water, not overdo having showers even though we may feel constantly sweaty and dusty. The local villas risk getting their water supply cut off if there isn't enough water to go around.

The hotels, on the other hand, with local government fearing a withdrawal of the hotel industry and thereby a loss of essential incomes from tourism, have unlimited supplies. We get a glimpse of the life of the other half when we sneak through the shrubbery into the swimming pool area of the nearest luxury hotel complex. First we rinse off in their seemingly non-stop running showers, and then we dive into the big, beutifully tiled, crystal clear pool. Anna says that during the hotter part of the year local people sometimes have to go for months without water. It seems a very back-to-front state of affairs.

The water in the dam is very low, though not drained. We spot a couple of people with fishing rods at one of the banks. There's enough space for Ian and I to walk around the locked gates, and inside we stroll along the top of the dam, overwhelmed by the view of the valley below. In the overflow bit there is an impressive echo, both of our voices and of bouncing pebbles thrown down the steep slope.