We left Nova Scotia early Saturday morning with the ultimate goal of getting to Cyprus. And today, it came to pass.
We were up at 3:15AM this morning to get a 4:30AM taxi from Avanos to Kayseri, the largest city in Cappadocia. Our flight to Istanbul aboard Pegaus Airlines departed on time at 6:30AM and arrived early at Istanbul's Sobiha Gocken Airport. 
Pam boarding our Pegasus flight out of Kayseri
The snow-covered peaks and thick forests of Turkey were quite evident from the air along the way. 
Turkey's snowy peaks
Istanbul from the air
By 9:00AM, we were on our connecting flight to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which landed on time at 10:30AM.
The mountainous ridge of Cyprus' north coast.
At this point, a very brief history lesson is in order. The bloody conflict that ripped apart Cyprus 40 years ago was due to the Turks and Cyrpriot Greeks battling it out for the island. The capital, Nicosia, was at the centre of the conflict. In 1974, the UN divided the island - and the capital itself - into two parts: the Cypriot-controlled south, known as the Republic of Cyprus, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which no one except Turkey recognizes to this day. To the world, the Turks continue to "occupy" northern Cyprus. Even Ercan Airport, which we flew into, is unrecognized as existing by the outside world!
Okay, back to the Burton day... We cleared Customs and took a cab to one of the two pedestrian border points in Nicosia: Ledras Street. We pulled our suitcases over the "Green Line" with its no-man's land, and checked in with both officials of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus. The latter would only refer to the former as "the occupiers"!
Once on the other side, I went into a post office and asked for a clerk to call us a cab. We were at our Hilton Park Hotel by noon. Having not slept a wink last night, we went down to the pool area and just vegged out there in the 20C warmth until 2:00PM, including a light lunch of milkshakes. 
R&R at the Hilton Park Nicosia
We then took a cab back to Ledras Street, which is the main pedestrian street in town. We scouted out some of the Greek Army checkpoints and some rare glimpses into the Green Line's no-man's land, where eerie, abandoned buildings continue to crumble, 40 years after the UN created the division. 
An building abandoned in the no man's land 40 years ago. Zoom in to the bullet holes inside.
A Greek Army checkpoint on the Green Line
A UN checkpoint on the Green Line
The highlight of the afternoon was a 2km self-directed walking tour of the old part of the city. Here are some highlights.
Archbishop's Palace
Pam did retail therapy at THE department store of Cyprus: Dedanhams. Then we had dinner at Loxandra's, a well-known Cypriot pub. 
The kebabs and tzatziki were amazing. Tomorrow we will take on the challenge of driving on the left-hand side and will head to Limassol on the south coast.
Stay tuned for more about this remarkable island.
Thank you for the wonderful images...you are a brave and courageous soul my friend, don't wander into no-man's land now ya hear! I hope Pam is feeling better these days, doesn't seem like much time for rest. Thank you for sharing your blog and history lesson, would love to experience it first hand one day but I would never get Shelly there. :-) Enjoy your time and stay safe! Earl
ReplyDeleteThanks Earl! We'd love to show you some of the places we've visited. Your interest is always appreciated.
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