End of the Line?
Forty years ago I was living in the mountains of Cyprus, a place that sits deep in my heart and holds many memories. Amonst the many wonderful idiosyncracies was the "Bundu Bus". Built on a Bedford chassis, they carried anything and anybody anywhere on the Island, from the deep winter snows of Mount Olympus to the beautifiul beaches around Paphos, defying roads that were little more than tracks. At that time, the island was quiet having just come out of the war with Turkey. There was a magic to it as resourceful people rebuilt the island with what was available to them, and most of whatever it was arrived by Bundu Bus. It was a perfect vehicle for it's time. That was then, this is now. The island has recovered, it has good roads, and the Bundu Bus is no longer needed, though a few can still be seen.
The picture here is by Michael Owen, a well known local Cyprus artist , and hangs on my wall at home next to one, also by him, of a Bundu Bus in its heyday. It's quite poignant.
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