5 November and it’s the last day of the IRC Cyprus Rally 2011.  There are six special stages in the Cyprus countryside – once again under a big blue sky on a bright sunny day. 

My first objective for the last day?  Special Stage 8, Anadiou.

The Cyprus Rally 2010 was held on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 November.  As a spectacle to see in Cyprus, this is not to be missed.

To set the scene, think narrow, twisting dirt tracks through big mountains.  Think rough surfaces, think dust.  Think powerful cars being driven flat out.

As a photographer, watching this is about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on.

My quest to find deserted villages in Cyprus has taken another leap forward.  Again, just like happened with Pitargou, it was a casual conversation when somebody mentioned Zacharia.

It took a bit of research, and I found where Zacharia was.  And in doing so, I discovered it's one of a group of four deserted villages in the Paphos Forest, the others being Sarama, Istinjo and Melandra.

"Where do you live?" I asked.  "Letymbou.  Well just outside Letymbou actually, on the road to the deserted Turkish village at Pitargou." 

I'm fascinated by the deserted Turkish villages in the Republic of Cyprus, so I had to go and have a look.

It's not uncommon to come across virtually deserted villages throughout Paphos Region.

They're a very real and continuing shadow of the 1974 war when Turkey invaded northern Cyprus.

Androlikou is one of the deserted villages of Paphos District.

Situated in the hills near Polis, its a spooky place with a slightly unsettling feeling about it.

I've driven up and down the road to Agios Neofytos in Paphos District, Cyprus a number of times. 

And every time I've seen the deserted village of Souskiou on the other side of the river valley.  It was one of those places mentally filed away to check out some day.

Vretsia is one of the many totally deserted villages you happen upon in Cyprus.