Nicosia

Nicosia (Lefkoşa), the divided capital of the divided island, is about an hour by bus from Larnaca. There was a large crowd waiting at the Finikoudes stop, but fortunately there were enough seats. The bus driver was kind to a woman who had arrived a minute too late for the Limassol bus, which had just departed. He called the other driver on his mobile and asked him to wait at the last common stop within Larnaca city, then told the woman to get on. Then again, this ad-hockery meant that the passengers on the other bus were delayed by a few minutes. This incident seemed to exemplify the difference between north and south Europe: rules versus flexibility, efficiency versus humanity. Is it not possible to have both?

The bus had to turn away passengers at intermediate stops. I was surprised how many of them were Asian. They looked like Filipinas. I was even more surprised when I saw hordes of then at the bus station and nearby streets. I guessed they were working as housemaids for the numerous holiday and retirement apartments. (This was confirmed by some Burmese fishermen I bumped into at the marina that night.) There were shops selling Asian goods or specialising in money transfer and shipping.

Ledra Street is the main shopping thoroughfare and is shaded by sails. All the usual shops and eateries one would expect are present.

There was however a surprise for me up ahead. I was suddenly confronted with a border checkpoint. It's as if you were doing your normal shopping on a mall and bang you discover the next row of shops is in a different country. It's almost forgotten, but years after the fall of the Berlin Wall there is sadly still a divided capital in Europe. I didn't cross because I didn't have my passport and anyway had no interest in the other half of Nicosia.

It seemed as if every Cypriot family was out having Sunday brunch at the numerous restaurants in the old city. The newer areas of Nicosia, all deserted because it was not a work day, were by contrast, full of modern buildings and felt very business-like to the holiday atmosphere of Larnaca.

By chance I stumbled upon the Shacolas Tower, The lower floors house a department store. The 11th floor has an observatory containing informational displays and overlooking Nicosia. I paid 2€ to enter and it was worth it to see the city from up high. Unlike many other European capitals, Nicosia has no recognisable skyline, just a collection of buildings. From here I could see Northern Nicosia. Note the Northern Cyprus flag emblazoned on a hillside in the distance.

In the coffee shop I had a Cypriot coffee (grounds boiled to death), a savoury pastry containing olive paste and a couple of red figs I had bought in a supermarket. I had intended to lunch in Nicosia but I didn't feel hungry in the warm weather, so decided to skip lunch and take an earlier bus, all the better to avoid the housemaids returning from their Sunday outing.

I siestaed away the rest of the afternoon as part of my Flip method for dealing with the large timezone jump coming back from Europe. 

I had more Euro than when I started. I can use them for the next trip and they are probably a good investment anyway given the trajectory of the Aussie dollar. But I could have a slap-up meal to burn some of them. Eventually I selected a seafood restaurant and ordered a platter of fish, mussels, calamari, and splayed prawns. It came with too much rice which I had to leave. Maybe I shouldn't have ordered the grilled halloumi starter. But I finished everything save for the aforementioned rice and the bread.

I discovered a jetty at Finikoudes Marina and walked the length of it. From the end I could look back on the promenade. It was quiet away from the hubbub of the diners. In the light breeze I reflected on the trip. Cyprus didn't grab my heart like Malta, or even the Netherlands, did, saying come back! I think it felt a bit like Southeast Asia: the atmosphere is partly manufactured for tourism, for sure you can have fun but a sense of history and continuity is lacking or rather obscured by the daily activities of the locals.

I had a coffee before returning to pack and update the blog.