Blogs from Nicosia, Cyprus, Middle East

Whilst sitting at lunch today, one which I ran to the carpark to, high heels and all (apparently this was quite entertaining for my colleague who was watching all this from the kitchen) and then sped at 80 Ks to arrive comparatively on time. So, over lunch I was discussing my working schedule which involves four long days and a short day (Remnants of the old colonial past of the island) and then whilst explaining my schedule I realized it really is a fortunate work arrangement to get an afternoon to yourself. My problem? I rarely force myself out on time to actually enjoy it. BUT, keeping in mind that I can't burn out before my Corporate Runaway, I left a minute early. Handed over notes to my colleague and punctually went from responsible professional to ... read more

When we arrive at the airport, we realize there's no petrol station, so we drive to the small nearby village of Dromolaxia. We have to ask our way to the petrol station, where we tank up and get the car washed, although I'm not sure whether the latter is really necessary. Finally, we return the car, buy the bus tickets to Nicosia, or Lefkosia, as it is locally known, and wait around until the departure. The freshly landed are a who's who of whom I'd rather not be around: there's scores of dull, tacky-looking tourists, including bald blokes wearing English football jerseys and clutching Carlsberg cans, their upper arms tattooed with the standard club crests and their forearms with those squiggly Latin dicta or their kids' and ex-wives' names, popularized by David Beckham and scores of ... read more

September 11-12, 2010 Yesterday we went for a historical tour of the city of Nicosia. Our tour guide was this adorable Cypriot women who had a pink umbrella to block the sun and a matching pink dress. She talked to us about how very old Nicosia is. It is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, for about 5,000 years! She also told us about the architecture and why some of the doorways are shaped in arches and some are rounded. Particularly when it comes to churches. She said the orthodox church used the rounded doorways and the other Christians that came later used the peaked. It was fascinating to hear how during the ottoman rule the doorways were made low and squared and balconies were made enclosed; to protect the women on ... read more

Arrived to my new city yesterday! It was so hot coming out of the airport in Larnaca. Some of my new classmates were already there and we all had to wait a couple of hours to go to our new homes in Nicosia. My apartment, which I share with 3 other girls is so nice. It really reminds me of resort condo. There are 2 balconies and nice tile/stone floors. I feel so grateful! Today a bunch of us took an impromptu trip to the city center and got a view of the Venetian walls that surround the city's center. I feel pretty inept not knowing Greek. I am going to take Greek 101 as soon as classes start in a couple of weeks. Every time I learn a phrase- I seem to forget it an ... read more

We finish our sight seeing of Niscosia and Northern Cyprus the next morning and grab our bags to make the pedestrian crossing into Southern cyprus. After our passports are stamped and we realise how much more expensive Southern Cyprus is compared to the North (hey we are talking euros now), we head to the ATM to withdraw. We drop off our bags with a random tobacconist/street seller and proceed with the tour of Soutern cyprus. We check out the Freedom Monument, The Classical Motorcycle Musuem and the National Struggle Museum. As the day draws to a close and the afternoon begins to turn to night we grab our bags from the random street seller and jump on the bus to Larnaca.... read more

So today is my last day in Cyprus and tomorrow i set off for the biggest adventure I've ever done. Getting all the packing done is a stress! Am i bringing all I need? Am I bringing too much? What if I forgot something crucial? Other than that I'm happy and excited this trip is going to be amazing and I cant begin to describe how I feel =) ... read more

036 - Cyprus - Lefkosia 11/25/08 - 11/30/08 Cyprus Souvlaki Cyprus is the daughter island of divorced parents Greece and Turkey, and is currently caught in a bitter custody battle between the two. The island boasts some amazing beaches and scenic views, and its citizens have a bit of a 'horio' (village life) attitude that gives them a more relaxed demeanor than Athenians. Hannah and I stayed with my uncle Mike and his wife Ioanna who graciously hosted us with lodging, a car to drive around in, and all the souvlaki our bellies could digest in just under a week! Cyprus' national capital, Leskosia, is known as the last divided capital of the world, and, although the borders have loosened dramatically over the last ten years, the segregation of Greek and Turkish customs is readily available. ... read more