It's been over a year (So I found out to my cost!) since I visited my lifelong friends who live up in the hills around sixteen miles from Pahfos. I got to the border crossing early last Saturday morning. When I got to the Greek side of the border I went to the window where you have to get insurance. The kind lady asked me for my 'MOT' certificate. Well, the 'MOT' only lasts twelve months and mine had run out! She then told me that I would have to come back on Monday morning as 'MOT'S' are only done Monday to Fridays! I returned to the North's border crossing with my tail between my legs and steam coming out of my ears!
There I was again, very early Monday morning, keen as mustard to get to my friends in good time. Got the 'MOT' (Oh, the 'MOT'S' are a farce) paid my thirty Euro's for a months insurance (The robbing git's) and headed over to the Greek customs. Because I have a large Transit van they insist on looking in every nook and cranny, fair enough. I had two crates of Effes (Turkis Larger) which my friends husband is rather keen on and devours like it were cups of tea and the customs man didn't flick an eye-lid at them but when he saw the stack of firewood I keep in the van, his finger wagged profusely and told me I could not cross and to take it back home and try again!
Off I headed back to the Turkish border, again! On my way back I wondered if the nice Turkish customs man would let me unload the logs there and pick them up on my way back? 'Of course you can,' he said in a bright cheery voice. Fifteen minuets later, around half a ton of firewood was neatly stacked behind the nice customs mans shed. Mind you by the time I finished I must have lost a few pounds in that heat (Around eighty-five degrees) and of course, was sweating like a pig! Back I went again and this time, after making me open up the back of the van again, he waved me through and off I trundled.
An hour and a half later I was splashing around in my friends swimming pool, the annoyances of getting across the border but just a distant memory. That evening was spent in conversation, sipping the local wine on the patio overlooking the Troodos mountain range and the peak of Mount Olympus.
Here are a few pictures I took over the three days.
My friends cat. They have three others. The majority of Ex-Pats have at least one rescue animal. One of my friends back in the North has seven cats and three dogs; his wife works at the local animal rescue centre.
This is Toffee and when I first arrived she wouldn't come near me and in no time she was jumping up on my lap, trying to lick my face.
Apart from the obvious, can you tell it's a girl? What a little tart :-)
And this is Lado, who I nick-named flip-flop. He would not come near me at all during my stay. In another life he must have been abused by a man. He has Listmania, which is caused by a sand fly infection and walks around very awkwardly. Due to the Listmania he is on medication and will be for the rest of his life.
This large caterpillar crawled across the tiled patio.
This is Erdo III registered in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Allegedly the captian and second mate had forged papers and should not have been in charge of such a large vessel in the first place. It struck the rocks about six miles south of Pahfos on the night of 7th December 2010 during a heavy storm.
It is said the captain stayed on the vessel for some time and eventually had to be dragged off the ship.
This beautiful Chameleon was crossing the road and my friend had to swerve to miss it!
'What are you looking at you ugly git?'
We placed it in this tree and off it went, happy as Larry.
Notice the colour change, which was almost instant and a minuet later it was gone.
Wednesday afternoon; ok I own up and most of the evening, was spent playing Jenga.
It took me at least six goes at getting this shot, after which I joined in. And guess what? I was the only one who never lost a game. Mind you, that may have been because I was the only one drinking soft drinks, as I was doing the driving.
After four days in the South, it was a good feeling, as I approached Nicosia, to see the mountain range that sits along the occupied North, stretching off into the distance towards the Pan-handle, disappearing into the heat haze. Every time, a smile comes to my face, as the massive Turkish flag, laid out painted red and white on boulders reminds the people of the South, the might of the backing TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) has and it is lit up at night :-) Although of it's size, it is much more subtle than the distasteful propaganda which is plastered on the Greek side of the border at the Ledra crossing in Nicosia.
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