Day 14

My last full day in the Aphroditi Island. I've been to a pedicure, it was in a flat. Indeed, with economy crisis, many cypriots need to have 2 or 3 jobs to survive.
It has remind me the situation in Tokyo (as the flat are so expensive over there).

After seeing the arrival of an Israelian ferry, I've been to swimming pool, and the fact is that I'm leaving in good time, as everybody is coming this week end for vacations. And I am moving back.
Indeed, the swimming pool was full of people, some couples of course, but also one familly apparently from Israel (They were speaking US English, but I wonder if they know this island there).

During these 2 weeks in my hotel , I've seen 2 German girls, one Italian couple, one Greek couple, and lots of Russian-Polish tourists.

I'll give you some references when back in my home town

Day 13

Today was only beach, I get quite tanny, but I've seen some tourists really burned.

A reminder, if you go to Cyprus, you know the botle of water is mandatory, also don't forget solar cream, it's really obvious.

In fact, the sun is very strong, but as Cyprus is an island, the wind is also quite strong. The consequence is that you don't feel it when you are burning.

At the end of the day, I've been to finnikoudes (the beach). There are some attractions, and some of the games are a bit funny.

Also, I've just checked the "hostess" bar from the port to the beach (my hotel is not far from the port): I counted 10, it means 1 every 100m . How to recognize them? Well, it's usually empty, and you have 4-5 sexy girls waiting without drinking anything. You can suppose she are the hostesses (captain ovious).

Day 12

today was the religious day of my hollydays,I think I've been to 2 hollies places, one for all christians, and one for Turkish Moslem.

But it was a long day.

I decided to first just go to Lazaros church, where Lazarus of Bethany is burried. This church is really charming, the iconostasis is wonderfull, and I've been to the graves, it makes strange to be in a pilgrimage. Indeed, Cyprus is the first land to have received the Christ message.
Then, after seeing an "angel church" near Larnaka, I've seen an holyl place fo the muslims: the graveyard of Umm Haram in halla sultan tekke, near the big saltk lake in the south of the town.

In fact, as all churches were transformed in the turkish occupied area, all mosquee stayed intact, and in the entrance of this mosquee, there was a reminder how to behave in a mosquee, there was some moslem pilgrims, and in the golden book, many message was from Pakistanese.

Then I saw some others churches, then by foot, after being lost in Larnaka, I've seen the "ancient kition", which is the archeological site of Larnaka.

Then, of course, like everyday, a tan session :-)

Day 11

Today was the hottest day in Cyprus since my arrival, and by chance, I made an excursion to the troodos mountains, which are the highest mountains of the island.
Great, as for me It was cooler.
After a transit via Nicosia where I've seen again the Ledra street, I noticed some workers crossing the border at 9 in the morning, and always from one sense, I let you to guess.

Then, to the road for Troodos, It was a surprised to see something from the bus, and I  did not want take picture, the North Cyprus flag is visible from almost everywhere in Nicosia Province.

Well, back to happyness, with the mountains road, crossing village with churches and mosquees really closed, then the first village.
My excursion was full of British , and they told me it looked like an alpine village in France,I felt it like a compliment, because the nature was wonderfull, the village also with these litle churches.

I finished this excursion by a litle ouzo that make me forget the time to take the bus.

But the heat reminded me that one thing is mandatory in Cyprus, that you must have everywhere everytime: a bottle of water.

Then, the evenning, I went to see the sunset behind the Lazaros church and been to the mini night market in finnikoudes, with some foreign games , that I don't understand.

Day 10

Today relax....
Well, I've stayed in the finnikoudes beach from 12 to 18 after woke up at 10.30.
Then, just saying hello to my swimming pool's cat :-)
My feet are sunburned

Day 9

Aya Napa, the last town I missed from Cyprus (ok i'll not go to Morphou). This town is insane, wonderfull beaches and wonderfull Slavians bitches.
This is THE tourist place. There are everything but Cypriots.
I've seen 3 or 4 beaches, most famous is the one near Cape Greco and Nissi Beach.

For the first time since I'm arrived I swam on the mediterranean sea. And this action made my skin not so good.
After, I've been to the "place to go" in Larnaka: Mackenzie beach, and I did not like it , too much loudy, with a music I don't really like.
At least, I crossed Larnaka from north to South (6km) and was able to see the "work on progress" on the south part of the city.
So, I finished by a walk in Finnikoudes eating soutzoukos

Day 8

Nothing special today, just solved the issue for the pictures, then went to swimming pool to equalize my tanning then sleep, then dinner :-)

Well, just kidding. In Cyprus, there are lots of feral cats, and lots of people give them eat and drink. So, one cat has owned for territory my hotel's swimming pool. So it's common that when you go to rest around it, you can see an asking cat, mostly for caresses and attention. This cat is absolutely no shy, and sh really comes near to you. I did not see any balls, and I felt a round belly, so I think it's a pregnant female ferral cat.

Nights are sometimes active when she has to defend her territory against other cat, that was the case yesterday. So she disappeared this morning, but reappeared at the usual time, 2PM.

Day 7

First , big news, I'm solving the issue with the pictures, its now all uploading, but it's quite long.
So the 7th day, I've been to the North of Cyprus, exactly to Famagusta and Kyrenia.

To get to Famagusta, we crossed the United Kingdom base. And that's funny to see beach towels on soldiers windows, and to be honnest, the scottish are the most proud and their towels are mainly all the time the Scottish flag.

After crossing the border, and I must tell you that the Turkish policemen use kind of bungalow in the color of Turkey, we entered Famagusta.
Famagusta has the ghost town, so I was able to see how was Cyprus before 1974 as the house stayed how they were at that time.

After we have seen the old city, it means the city inside the venitian walls. The cathedral has been transformed into a mosquee, the lala mustafa pacha mosquee. But the people over there are nice, they speak Turkish, English and Greek. And overl all, they don't need a calculate to make a division by 2, as 2 turkish liras are 1 €. The port is almost desert ads they can trade only with Tukey.

Staying there 1 hours, after we took again the bus to cross the island to Kyrenia. So, there are the mesouria , which consists of lots of prairies between the 2 mountains chains of the islands. There are some settlements village that are visible, with village name such as Inönu, which is obvious they are settlements.
Crossing the pentadaktylos (nice mountains), we stopped in villapais, the only Christian building which was not destroyed.
It's a little abbey build by Venetian, first it was catholic then orthodox. You can see in the entrance that the mosaic has been destroyed by Turkish authorities.

Then we went to Kyrenia, and I realized what means colonization. There was only Turkish from Turkey, not speaking English, using calculate to divide by 2, and giving you Turkish liras, and for eating, there was only Turkish thing, in the same price as in a Western Europe Kebab restaurant. The Turkish army was everywhere, some Turkish looking at you in a weird way. There I met a Belgian couple, and she told me she regret to go to North Cyprus, I told them she could go to Paphos next year :-).
Even the doctors seems to be not really good, as the mom hurted her eyes with the hotel swimming pool and the doctor told her to use water. I asked her to go to Lefkosia, to cross Ledra checkpoint and go to a European doctor.

After that, the bus took me back to Aya Napa , and it's obvious , it's the Cypriot Ibiza, full of Russian boys and girls, lots of activities, I may go there one afternoon.

Day 6

Today, I've been to the last capital of Europe separated by a wall: Nicosia.
In fact, I've just been inside the walls and from bothside.

Hard to speak about it without speaking about politichs, but I'll try not to make it.
It's just strange and sad to give passport to change district in one town which is as beautyfull in the Turkish occupied zone (the souks, the mosquees) and the free area with all this shopes, these litle streets, and the houses let as they were in 1974.

Suprised when I heared the muftis from the free zone sitten the the HQ of Cypriot Orthodox church.

Spoken with different people, I've seen Turkish-cypriots girls in free zone to buy clothes, and Greeks in occupied area to eat for cheaper.

It has marked me, really, I felt strange when I crossed the border, as it's also a cultural border between christian world and islam world, between Europe and middle east.

Day 5

the fifth day began by image on tv, euronews, that spoke about ERT breakdown. I quickly understood it was political, confirmed by some Cypriots. But I had afraid of a military putsch.

This events was a reason to speak with Cypriots, and I understood something: They are Greeks, but they have their own country, different with Greece.
It means different countries, different interrests. They are "hellenic" and not "helladic" , not to confuse.

But today was a farniente day, imagine: wake up at 8AM (6AM GMT) , on the bed and breakfast and shower until 10, swimming pool until 1PM, lunch until 2PM, rest until 4, back to swimming pool until 7PM, then after shower etc... I get off to eat until 11PM. I met some AEK Larnaca fans watching basketball game, but they are not so "nice" and "noble" as the MAXHTEC. They are just some young rich Cypriots that sucks others Greece teams (mainly AEK Athens), I left them quite quickly.

Day 4

Today I crossed the free zone from the East to the West as I've been to Paphos by intercity buses.
It was long very long trip, but a nice one.
So, the bus makes a "stopover" in Limassol. This stopover delays the bus of 1h.


Nothing to say about Limassol that could be nicknamed the Litle Sotchi as it's full of Russians shops.

What about Paphos ?
This town is divided in two section, the kato Paphos and Paphos in itself.
Kato Paphos is along the beautyfull beaches and there are beautyfull hotel with wonderfull swimming pool.
Really go there for honeymoon, you'll not be deceived.
I took a 1h boat trip that made my skin burned. We saw natural sponges and of course one warship that have been desttroyed in 1974. I did not listen the rest of what the guide said.

Paphos in itself is good but all shops were closed, I only was able to eat in a "Psistaria" a Pita Souvlaki with a Cypriot pita drinking ouzo, it relaxed me.

On the road, I've seen the birth place of Afrodite, the goddess of love in Greek mythology.

I deserved to drink a frappe in Finikkoudes , the street along the beach of Larnaca

Day 3

Today was my third day in Larnaka. First, I planned to have a farniente day, but it was not really one farniente day.
But let me explain, I planned first to go to supermarket to buy something to eat. This was done in Carrefour Larnaca  . I've bought what you buy if you make camping, mainly noodles and sauces, and of course bread and shampoo.

While I was preparing to stay in the swimming pool, I had the idea to go to Pyla, in the UNCYFIP buffer zone. First adventure: I missed the bus to Pyla from 25 meters, so I decided to walk, very bad idea on the Cypriot sun. After 5km, I felt quite bad, so I stopped in a place to drink frappe, then the barmaid found a friend of her who was from there and he drove me there. Surprisingly, he was Turkish Cypriot.
He let me in the center of the village which is unique: you have in your left 1 turkish cafe, on front: one greek cafe, on your right: a litle house for the UNCYFIP.
Walking aroung the village I noticed there are barriers everywhere. On the top of the mountain, the NCTR and Turkish flags. You have one orthodox church and one islamic mosquee.
The streets have no name, as I'm told, if the Greek would prefer "Makarios" for the main road, the Turks would prefer "Mustafa Kemal street".
Both schools, the Turkish and the Greeks are 100 meters away from each others.

This village was for me like all the mountain village, very peacefull. It's one cultural border between Europe and middle east, between christianity and islamic areas (but for the lebanon), and It's peacefull.

To come back to Larnaca, same issue, The 5.30PM bus did not arrive, so I decided to go to the big road and find a bus, and same guy, found me back and drove me back to Larnaka.

Going back my flat, I noticed that I get quite tanny, I must take care next days not to get really burned.

But really, it's good vacations until now

In this picture taken from Pyla, you can see the mosquee tower and in the right, over the roofs , the roof of the orthodox church

Day 2

Second day, a sunday, a good day to check the religious spirit of Cyprus, more exactly Larnaca. And I noticed there is lots of christian churches and even one mosquee in Larnaca.
I've seen, one roman catholic church, one orthodox church (seen from my room) , some different protestants churches, including one presbyterian and one anglican, armenian church and one mosquee.

I was surprised to see that mosquee is active, there was pople inside, probably one mufti. In fact, there are more than one but I've seen only one: the Byuk mosquee.

Visiting the museum of Larnaka history, it's clearly visible that Larnaka is really an historic town, from some early Byzantin tombstones, there was also Roman latin church for long time ago.

Maybe that explains how Cypriots are really open minded and nice people.

Here, news only speak about the events in Turkey, obviously. But they don't take any ideas, any camps, they just tell "the ottomans invaded us, and the Kemalists made us suffer much more".

I'll try to go to the unrecognized North Cyprus (Kyrenia and Famgouste next thursday) if the situation is good. You must know this de facto "republic" is recognized only by the Turkey, as its creation followed the Turkish army invasion in 1974.

Another point, I've seen many Russian, Bulgarian, Romanian around Larnaka. Apparently, Cyprus is a good place for the vories :
http://www.presseurop.eu/fr/content/article/1474151-l-ile-aux-russes
Exactly, there are some pubs with east Europe prostitutes, that act same way as in Bangkok.

Night appears quite early compare to west Europe, as it's night at 8PM. It's better as night gives some fresh air. Days are really very hot, probably 40°C in june on the sun.

Picture of the day:

Day 1

A long long day, I woke up at 3 in the morning, to take the night bus at 4.
First consequence: I forgot my camera battery charger. But don't worry, i have my mobile phone who can take really good picture.

I arrived at 3PM in Cyprus. The airport is located near makenzy beach. From the first moment, I noticed that ALL Cypriots speak English. The thing I knew is that they use the same electric plug as in UK and they drive same way as in UK.

My hotel is sunflower hotel, the rooms are not so wonderfull, but, well, shower works.

The climate is wonderfull, now at 11PM i'm outside with a t-shirt , and it's around 25°C.

I made my afternoon rest near the hotel swimming pool where I met my Italian neighbours. It confirms what I've seen in Japan or Thailand: The "romanic" people go always in same place, and anglo-saxon and germanic in others places. That's funny : Going out from the swimming pool, I wristed my ankles, screaming a bad word in French and the Italian understood directly :-) But It's ok, I'm fine

Then I've eaten in a English/Cypriot restaurant , 1 moussaka and 1 Halloumi salad.

Halloumi is the national cheese of Cyprus. Don't ask Feta here, just ask Halloumi.

Then I met some MAXHTEC ultras, they are very nice with a noble spirit: they want get back to their town, which is not Larnaca but Famagousta, now occupied by Turkish army (cf one previous post)

Here are some pictures of the day:

Schedule , good way to prepare hollydays

I always have been wondering if scheduling his vacations is a good idea.

well I think not in time/day, but I think preparing hollydays means having minimum knowledges on where we go.

Cyprus public transportation network is very good.
In a nutshell, you have 4 towns in the network of  Cyprus buses:

• Nicosia, the capital
• Limassol
• Larnaca 
• Paphos

Each one has a regional network. For example, with this kind of network, you can go from Larnaca to Pyla, which is a small village in the buffer zone.

then you have direct links
From Larnaca and Paphos to : Nicosia and Limassol

From nicosia and Limassol to: all other cities.

there are also links to the ghost town's border

A litle link to a vimeo video of Pyla:
http://vimeo.com/19598899

why to go to Cyprus ?

I'vealways wanted to go to Cyprus, for a long time, for many reasons.

This quite litle Island is very interesting for more than one point:

1. Historical island: In Cyprus, there was "life" before the Greeks , that is prooven by the "Choirokoitia", but it's also the Aphrodit's islands, and it was a byzantin island.   
2. Sunny  Island: Many French thinks that Cyprus is really close (geographically) from Grecce than it is. That's not true , cyprus is geographically in middle East, but its history makes it an european island in midlle-east. It means, it's very sunny, and lots of beaches
3. Multi cultural island: Though there was a ethnic cleaning by Denktash with the help of turkish army, the republic of Cyprus seems to be multi ethnics, with Maronits catholics, greek orthodox, there is even a synagog in Larnaca, and they did not destroy any Mosquee. There is even on multi cultural village that stands in the buffer zone: Pyla
4. Wonderfull landscapes: of course troodos, but also salt lakes (and their birds and sunset), I want see them