All By Myself… and I think I’ve found my name!

8 June 2026 /

"Wooden sculpture of a flamingo named Aliki carved from Layia village olive wood"

I finally made it to the Larnaka Salt Lakes, standing right where the flock gathers year after year. The sky is blue, the salt is shimmering, and the view is spectacular.

There’s just one problem… I’m out here completely on my own! 😢

At just 2 feet tall, I really am just a baby compared to the fully grown 5-footers. As the summer heat rolled in and the lakes dried to brilliant white salt, my parents took flight with the rest of the flock. Why did they leave me behind? Well, because I am carved from solid Cyprus olive wood, born from the wise old olive trees of Layia village. I was meant to stay rooted right here to protect and promote our beautiful island for you and our tourists to see. I am not pink, and I am not black—I am the Golden Flamingo of Cyprus. 🪵✨

The media is already trying to guess my identity from my time on the workbench, but the one person I’m destined to meet in Larnaka doesn’t have a clue I’m even coming yet.

Since I am a proud Cyprus girl, I’ve decided to call myself Aliki—a nod to the beautiful salt flats (Αλυκή) I’m standing on today which I can now call my home.