Blogs from Cyprus, Middle East - page 14

Clearly I've had a busy summer so far (it's often difficult to find time to sit down and write a blog entry when database entries need to be written, remote sesning data needs to be processed or hilltop sunsets need to be enjoyed with a cold beer in hand), and nearly every day I remember the myriad of promises I made to continue the Travel Blog this summer, and how I’ve simply failed to do so, and then I promise myself that today I will finally sit down and crank out a few entries to get back on track…next thing I know I’m waking up again, kicking myself for not writing and promising myself again—needless to say, I have no credibility with myself anymore. All that said I've discovered a rare hour (!) of uninterrupted peace ... read more

Wednesday 6th July 2011 Awake at our usual time and down for breakfast and back to the room and our last packing for a while. Down to reception about 11 o'clock and pay our bill for the four nights. It was €70 per night including a good breakfast which, for a half decent hotel in the centre of a capital city, we thought was a very good price. Then made our way to the Metro station and purchased our one way airport ticket. The fare is €8 for a single and for some reason €14 for a couple. One change on the Metro which we are getting to know well and then a train all the way out to the airport. The only thing is the Metro doesn't link directly into the airport, you come out ... read more

NOORD-CYPRUS 30 mei 2011 t/m 6 juni 2011. Maandag 30 mei 2011. Op een onmogelijke tijd staan we op. Het 00.28 uur. Om 01.00 uur zitten we in de auto en drie kwartier later zijn we op Schiphol. P3 is vol en we worden naar P4 gestuurd terwijl we wel gereserveerd hadden. Lekker dat heen en weer gedoe zo vroeg in de ochtend. Inchecken is zo gepiept en om 02.30 uur zitten we aan een Starbuck. Zo, onze vakantie is begonnen. De beesten worden weer door Brigitte en Marieke verzorgd, dus dat zit goed. 4.00 uur is de planning om op te stijgen en dit lukt. Na een tussen landing in Antalya stijgen we 40 minuten met een volle tank en een andere piloot weer op. Sharp 12.00 uur landen we op Cyprus op de luchthaven ... read more

After spending the night in Kyrenia, we take the local bus to Lefkoşa. Furtunately, this time we have about half a day to explore the historic Old City, its northern part, that is. We get off the bus just outside Kyrenia Gate, the most frequently used access point to the Old City. Inside, it doesn't take us long to stop at one of the many cafés/pastry shops. Realising we won't be getting this in a while, we gorge ourselves on yummy Turkish sweets, custards and puddings, and wash it all down with tea and fresh ayran. Further down the road, we pass yet another Atatürk statue and a couple of small, appealing mosques, before entering the famous Büyük Han. A rare surviving example of a medieval caravanserai (which is probably the coolest word ever), the Büyük ... read more

The 'border guards' on the Greek Cypriot side only ask what our nationality is and wave us through when we tell them. We leave the Republic of Cyprus and thus the European Union. The UN Buffer Zone is lined by some surprisingly well-maintained buildings, including a German-Cypriot Culture Club, and there are tri-lingual signs saying 'No Photography'. The Turkish Cypriot 'border guards' give us a form to fill in and check our passports. We get a stamp serving as our 90-day 'visa' for the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC), a de facto independent state recognized only by Turkey. We enter Lefkoşa, or North Nicosia. After a bit of confusion and disorientation, we manage to navigate to Kyrenia Gate, one of the entrances to the Old City (well, the Northern part of it), where I exchange ... read more