Sunday: We found the streets eerily empty for 9 am. The 100 plus year old Turkish coffee shop was closed.
A dapper little man approached me, spoke politely in Turkish. I said we are looking for coffee. He motioned to follow him and I did. He was at least 89 and I figured I could defend myself plus he seemed to have good intentions. Jeff trailed warily behind. The restaurants were opening but no customers yet. It turned out he thought I was looking for a toilet. Once that was straightened out he got us into a restaurant and we got our coffee. Then our guide showed us his missing finger (?) Jeff said thank you in Turkish, the old man pressed his heart and jauntily headed away the way we had come.
Now we roamed the narrow streets of the old town, more like alleys but people lived there, it was like a maize. We weren't exactly lost but didn't want to retrace our steps either.
Eventually we found a busier street and passed the Museum of National Struggle
Then there were a string of sidewalk cafes so we stopped for a coffee. Over Jeff's soldier I saw a familiar looking statue two blocks away - hey that's our street. Lost no more.
We picked up a Turkish churro from the street vendor, stopped by our room for awhile to cool off then headed back out to the main tourist area. We shared an olive and halloumi cheese sandwich and I had a beer. Halloumi was invented in Cyprus by the way. The money exchange was closed so we will pop in there tomorrow. 
For supper we had chicken shawarma and for the first time here the waiter comped us tea. 
We were impressed by the waiter, more like an Istanbul vibe, really good English, he wanted to know about our trip, took Jeffs number, recommended a karaoke bar (Tommy's) and told Jeff to say he sent him there, they would take good care, ask him anything he would hook him up. Not that Jeff will likely actually go to the Karaoke bar but it was a friendly gesture. He told us he lives and works in Cyprus, but it's seasonal so he is back home for a week helping out.
North Cyprus has been occupied by Turkey since 1974. Fifty years. Over centuries it has been ruled by Phoenicians, Romans, Venetians, the British, and others.
So on Monday morning we tried to change some Canadian money - no they didn't do that. Our landlady in Famagusta wants cash and asked for payment in Euros. We had Turkish coffee at the old coffee house and got to the bus by 1045 and people are already onboard but we got seats together. Yikes it was confusing - these are vans no AC but an open window works, pretty cramped, 160 tl each cash only. The road is good, straight and flat and the trip is only an hour.
We weren't too sure where we would be let off in relation to our accommodation. Google maps help. First thing first we sit on a patio and have lunch. Really good.
It was maybe 20 blocks, but it's not so hot, about 24 C and no hills:
Eventually the landlady comes along and we go in.
The building is not impressive, 26 stairs. Wow a huge modern two bedroom apartment with a bath and a half and sea views. We love it. TV, good AC nice furniture, a very nice clean apartment for 75 C a night. Not by a proper beach but there is a rocky place where people do swim close by. Lots of waves today. Nobody is swimming but it looks like some are fishing. There is a washing machine so I do two loads - no dryer which is typical but a drying rack set up in a separate room which could be used as a bedroom but isn't. At least 1000 sq ft, we love it here.
There are two balconies - the rail is quite low, not that I am going to fall off but it could happen as it's lower than rails back home. I won't get in a shoving match out there!
Jeff picks food up from the market and cooks a good supper. There is a news channel in English, yay, and it gives a different perspective.
Around midnight I stepped outside, there are lights around but I can see some stars and the moon is bright.
Tues morning we make coffee but eventually head out to explore the hood and stop for a Turkish coffee and Ayran.
We also pick up more groceries, I got a big jug of Ayran as now I am addicted to it likely because it is quite salty. Also got a bottle of Efes beer to enjoy on the patio. We are styling! It's quite windy again today by the water. You can hear the waves from the apartment, otherwise very quiet. If this apartment was in Calgary it would be really expensive. We like the marble floor in the kitchen and the gas stove.
I don't even feel like venturing out, I can sit on the balcony or lounge on the couch. 
I have never been in an occupied country, this does seem like Turkey - I think prices are better here than Nicosia, the people seem nice, we need to drag ourselves out for some sightseeing.
If there is one issue here, maybe two - we aren't close to anything. And we don't see any people to talk to so we aren't getting any information about transit as there doesn't seem to be any. Our landlady was stunned that we didn't have a car. So we are a bit out of the way. The one other thing is the crashing waves at night wake me up - it is windy, not Lethbridge windy but the sea is rough. Because I was awake so early I saw the sun rise
Jeff has been to the tiny market nearby twice now so hopefully today he will try to get some info from the guy who works there. Who speaks a little English. Our landlady knew nothing about buses. Across the street from us is some kind of military establishment although I have yet to see anyone wearing a uniform. Lots of big apartment blocks around the other side and back. There is some kind of cafe at the military compound and it shows up online. I wanted to check it out but the place is gated
So Wed Jeff talked to the guy at the market who was nice, doesn't speak much English but got the idea, no transit, taxi, he wrote down two numbers. Typically little vans run around the streets so we can hardly believe they don't have them here.
In hope of finding somebody friendly we went out for coffee - and had an underwhelming experience. Typically waiters here are really friendly, quick to respond. You sit down and they come to you. This place is sort of different but specializes in coffee
Don't go there if you are ever in Famagusta! Worst Turkish coffee we have had here, and double the price of anywhere else. Trying to be like a Turkish version of Starbucks it is counter service only. Four dollars for a tiny cup and half the cup is grounds. The grounds floated around the top too, poorly made. In a good cup the ground settle to the bottom and if you turn the cup upside down it would take quite awhile for them to pour out.
We stopped by a pharmacy and asked the pharmacist if there was an ATM nearby - there isn't - and no transit, only taxis and he wrote down the number of a friend, unsure if that's a legit taxi driver, but hey the guy was a pharmacist. So now we have three different numbers, we will take a taxi to the main bus station on Friday and likely find an ATM nearby!! We got off the bus at a random stop that was closer but catching a bus there would be sketchy plus the bus could be quite full by then. Better to be in the first batch of people. Because of this occupation we take this van bus back to Nicosia and have to walk through the special area where we show our passports. Then we walk to the station at Solomon Square and take a modern Greek bus to Paphos and pay in Euros. From what we have observed not too many tourists do it this way. For anyone with a car this apartment would be perfect. It's on Booking.com and called Marine. It's about 23 C today, windier by the water but the sun is shining. We are very comfortable here, best bed so far!
About 130 we walked over to the water about a half block away. It is not a proper beach but there is sand and big rocks. If it wasn't so windy Jeff would go in. There are half a dozen other people hanging around, nobody is in the water. Jeff waded into a kind of natural pool where the rocks prevent the waves. The bottom was Sandy. 
I have been watching four guys plant a tree. (From the apartment). One appeared to be the supervisor. One at a time the others took a turn with a pick axe, then two took turns shovelling out the dirt, then the other guy would loosen it up some more with the pick axe and so forth. They dug a pretty substantial hole, one guy brought over a long hose, another guy went to turn on the water, now the supervisor watered the hole. They plopped in a little tree, quite deep. Shovelled in some dirt higher near the tree trunk and left a circular trench all around which they watered. Now on to digging another hole and planting another sapling, same drill. They put a ring of rocks all around the outside edge. The trench is likely a good idea, I didn't see if they lined it with rocks. Which answers the age old question how many men does it take to plant a very small tree. Like a stick.
Reminded me of the city of Calgary fixing a pothole. Gee homesick already?
We are changing up supper to rice. We've been having pasta. We bought some good bread and jam today so that will be my snack right now, and later tonight pistachio halvah. Very decadent. Jeff has to run to the market to get vegetables - eggplant, onion and peppers. Kind of a vegetarian dish. I still have my beer and Ayran (yoghurt drink) but I am not enjoying this particular brand - has a funny aftertaste and I got a big jug! Normally I love it and think it's kind of healthy. 
Home cooked meal
The halvah was amazing - best I have ever had - full of pistachios. Delicious. Still have some for tomorrow and thinking of buying more but it is so calorie dense!
Thursday 24 Oct
The sea is so much calmer today and it is hotter.
Glad I saved my bottle of Efes - it will hit the spot this afternoon when it will be 27 C. How I coped in plus 30 is beyond me as I easily get sick in the heat in Calgary of all places. Maybe altitude has something to do with it.
Well the nearest bank machine was about 12 blocks, pretty flat terrain. There are sidewalks on the side streets but cars park on them so you walk on the road.
It's 25 C by 1030 so after we used the machine (we need cash for the taxi and the bus) we stopped for a coffee at a place called I believe Paccini. The cup was bigger, the price was lower, the atmosphere better, and the water was definitely not from the tap - and it was good. So I am no expert but here is the difference between a poorly made coffee (too much sludge at the top) and a good cup where the coffee isn't full of grounds:
We went to the water and I sat on the rocky ledge to dangle my feet in the water, it is cooler and windier here although 26 C. Jeff went into the water , fairly shallow little pool area and floated around - a lot of broken glass near the edge and lots of rocks so not safe to go where the waves are. It was refreshing though and peaceful. The rocks are really porous and uneven with lots of bumps, my shoe caught a bump and I slipped sitting down, landed on my elbow but no damage done other than a scrape but that's how easy you could potentially break a bone. Sitting down isn't usually my biggest problem, getting up is harder. A lot of maneuvering to get the right position, padding my knees and not wanting to touch the rocks too much with my hands because there is stagnant water in the dimples and maybe bugs but yay, made it unscathed.
Now I am having a beer in air conditioned comfort and there's a bag of chips somewhere with my name on it - worked up an appetite in that exercise to stand and walk on uneven ground. The trials and tribulations of a woman nearing the winter of her life!
Cab fare here is eight dollars a km. That's Canadian. Not cheap. It will cost us more to get to the bus than our van ride of one hour to Nicosia tomorrow. It has been a long exercise in finding this out, most people drive. So 24 dollars to go three km. They drive British style all through Cyprus and use three prong Euro style plugs. In Greece and Turkey (Tirkiye) they drive like we do so the British had an impact - we haven't heard anyone speaking English as a native language since we got here, I told my landlady we would be gone by 10 am and she said 10 am in the morning? So you need to be aware that this is kind of an out of the way place and not many tourists on our side of town. However there is an old town here we haven't been to they likely speak more English as that would be the tourist hub. It has been a pleasant interlude staying here for four nights, just so comfortable, we feel at home. Two big ships came in today, cargo,they have not been able to come the past few days as the water was so rough. Right now there isn't a cloud in the sky, blue, blue, blue.
There are more dogs running loose here than cats. Right now from the balcony I see two dogs, zero cats, oh there's another dog loping by. Cyprus is less green than Crete and has more flat terrain. Lots of trees and flowering shrubs and flowering trees, similar I guess but Crete is the brightest star.
Friday Oct 25
A calm bright day.
No Whitecaps on the water.
This has been a restful and super comfortable apartment and we will miss it!
We are 198 km from Beirut here. Like the distance between Calgary and Lethbridge.
We leave at 9 am Jeff dragging my suitcase me trailing behind. We walk about 1.5 km and stop for coffee which is served with a cup of water and two little cookies which were delicious.
Coffeeholic. 60 Tl. 
From here Jeff called a taxi. They have a new bus station in Famagusta and it has a ticket counter. Most bus stops are at the side of the road. I buy our tickets to Nicosia (160 TL each) - the cab fare was 200 TL. We got good seats on the little bus and eventually it was full.
All the little folding seats in the aisle were full too.
By 11 am we are back in Nicosia.
We have lunch on the Turkish side, pide, meat and cheese in a crust.
Now we show our passports to the Turkish security, walk 30 metres, show passports to the Cyprus security.
At 1 pm we leave occupied Cyprus. We have been here for 8 days. It's like moving from Turkey to Greece.
This featured blog entry was written by CherylGypsyRose from the blog Europe on a Budget 2024.
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