North Cyprus Fall 2013

Hi All:

Well, it looks like the 2013 season is put to bed and we are home in Canada. We didn’t get a lot of miles under our keel, but it was still a good time. Two Moons has remained on the hard since  October 2012.

We returned to Turkey in the spring and enjoyed some extended road trips. Then it was back to Canada for  July to September in order to attend the wedding of our second son, Taylor. In September we held a 90^th birthday for Mike’s dad. Our first Canadian summer in eight years was a nice respite from the Med's heat. Upon our return, indications were that it was good to have been away.

Mid September we returned to Alanya, Turkey, with some misgivings because we hadn't been able to compile a clear travel plan. It seemed that every time we focused upon a destination in the Eastern Med, they would start warring. Egypt had been our goal. No! Syria. No! Israel?

However, filling the days in Alanya was not a  problem, because the boat To-Do list  grows exponentially. But all work and no play makes Grace a grumpy girl (or something like that), so we had to take some diversionary time.

For two years we have tried to reach Cyprus, but Turkish travel logistics have always proven far too complicated to make the effort. But fortunately another boat here in Alanya offered us passage as crew to North Cyprus. Their captain and crew had personal physical limitations, which hindered their sailing and we were only too willing and able.

North Cyprus is but 90 miles from Alanya, Turkey, but you are required to visit another harbour about 125 nautical miles east of Alanya in order to formally check out of Turkey. You are traveling from mainland Turkey to the Republic of North Cyprus - TRNC (Turkish territories), but are compelled to undergo the formalities of checking out of Turkey and into North Cyprus. It is a financial and administrative source of aggravation on both ends, only to be repeated upon return.

While sitting in Tasucu (the check out  harbour) a pair of backpackers hailed the boat, indicating they had spied the Canada flag on my (Mike’s) ball cap. As we chatted, we learned the couple, also Canadian, live one block away from our home in Canada. It got down right scary as we learned his name is Mike. His wife was a teacher, who was born in the Netherlands. Fortunately, before the commonalities could heap any higher, they had to run to catch their ferry over to Northern Cyprus.

North Cyprus - After a long day’s motor we finally arrived in Girne, North Cyprus. First impressions were of a long inhospitable coast, backed by a majestic mountain ridge. The Greek population was evacuated in 1974 by the Turks, in response to a Greek coup. Today, the north and south remain separated by a wide green corridor, essentially splitting the island and the cultures. The corridor continues to be partolled by UN peacekeepers.

 

Atop the mountains separating N from S - looking at N Cyprus



Little doubt who has claimed this neighbourhood



Although Turkish teriritory, we encountered  a very liberalized, Anglicized  community, complete with right-hand-side motor ways; British electrical plugs; bacon, chops and sausages, fish and chips and very cost effective alcoholic beverages. We don’t recall hearing one call to prayer; lost track of the number of casinos in Girne and were astounded when cars would actually stop for us to cross at zebra crossings.
 

Our home base - Girne, N Cyprus



We rented a car for three days and covered the TRNC from east to west. With Mike doing all the driving, only one bush suffered from thee steering wheel being on the” wrong side”. Castles atop the mountain range were reached along very narrow single lane switch-back “roads” which supported no guard rails. In the west end of the republic is a reserve which is home to 1000 feral donkeys.  All told the scenery was lovely and worth all the effort.

A "wild" donkey



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North and south Cyprus are separated by a green zone, which even divides the capital, Nicosia in half. We had heard many divergent opinions regarding our ability, or inability to cross the border. We had heard you can go north to south, but not the reverse. The south won’t let you in if you have a Turkish stamp in your passport. A long story short, we walked across the border without incident. The guards were not even looking to see if the passports presented applied to the persons before them.

We opted not to tour southern Cyprus after leaning that it is very flat., with the coast ringed by a continuous wall of  resort condominiums. The south sounds excellent for the all-inclusive holiday get-away on lovely beaches, but not what we were searching for.

North Cyprus beach

 

We had motored through dead calm for the last four days to arrive at Cyprus, but all the while at dock in Cyprus we saw gale force winds. As they say – better to be in here wishing you were out there – than to be out there wishing you were in here. When our time came to head back to Alanya, the winds had eased to the point where we motored all the way back. We dragged a fishing line the entire time and got nothing. We expected to hear traffic on the VHF as a result of the larger international naval presence in response to the Syrian crisis. Not a word.

It was realy hard to put on shoes and long pants for the flight home. The fall Turkish weather had been fabulous. The days were sunny. There was moderate temperatures and humidity, which was perfect for the ongoing boat jobs. We are now in good shape for next years plans, if we can just find a destination where sensibilities preside.

That's it for season nine. If we fail to make contact over the winter months, we wish you a safe and healthy  winter holiday season. Keep the dry side up...........Mike and Grace

Girne Venetian castle



Old Nicosia



olive festival - Girne