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Our
adventures in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus continue....
   
Another busy few days of kitchen and furniture business and also our usual pleasant pastime of eating out.
On Tuesday we went by previous arrangement with George & Susan to Hensons. Their adverts said that they have a new chef and more extensive menu so we guessed it was time to try it out.
On Wednesday we met Richard & Paul at L.D.'s. It had been ages since we saw them socially, as now they live on the other side of Kyrenia and are also very busy with their own customers. L.D.'s is a good place for us to meet as it is a sort of half way thing for all four and as always the food quality is brilliant.
This evening, Brian & Pat came round as they needed me to scan in some documents and send to their shipping company, as they had some insurance claims to process, a sort of on going thing from when their container arrived. By the time we had sorted things out it was getting around 8 p.m. so Brian said why don't we just go out to eat. Joan protested, as we had been out the previous two nights, but the protest didn't have much vigour behind it, so we all four ended up at The Ravine Bar as they do an excellent cod & chip supper. Another great evening, but we really must stay in to eat tomorrow.
Joan and I had to go in to Nicosia to see some of our suppliers this morning, so we nipped quickly over the border to do a little shopping afterwards. This was really at the request of Sunny Lane School, as they needed a couple of gazebos to go over the kiddies sandpits, which strangely enough you don't seem to be able to get on this side.
Guess what, we went out to eat again this evening. George & Susan had decided that they wanted to go back to the Safron Restaurant here in Lapta, so it didn't take much persuading for us to join them. This one has really caught on, they were packed out and mostly with a lot of the Lapta gang. Shouldn't really promote this quite so hard, you lot are going to make it difficult for us to get a table.
Finally manged to get the last heavy cut back of the lantana hedge completed and now of course some of the earlier sections are starting to put on fresh growth, so now the resolution is not to let it get out of hand again.
It was really hot work, so this brave soul decided that the only solution was to have the first dip in the pool this year. Silly old fool, I was very hot and the pool is still only 22 degrees, cries of anguish and shouts of bloody hell, followed by a very hot shower. It really has been very strange this year as we have not had the early start to the warm weather that we are used to. Previous years we have been in the pool by the third week of April at the latest, but we seem to have had a lot of heavy clouds hanging around this spring and in fact it absolutely hosed it down yesterday evening and trough most of the night. The locals do say that summer actually starts on 15th May each year, so on their say so we only have a week and a day to go.
Joan and I had a large pork joint in the freezer, so we got this out yesterday, as it is getting sort of time to stop the Sunday roasts and asked Michael & Barbara to join us for an early evening dinner. A very pleasant evening was rounded off by watching a couple of DVD's we had bought in Bulgaria. Rod Stewart, Albert Hall live performances, where he promoted his American Songbook CD's. See there is life in these old swingers yet as we all four really enjoy this music. It's a bit of a bugger though, when he talks about songs written in the late 50's and early 60's and we know all the words.
Well he is back. Gary Robb is back in business, supported by the government and promising to get the homes in Amaranta Valley completed. So here's hoping that the problems, for those of you who have spent hard earned cash, now go away over the next year. It was also interesting to note that he made a number of complaints to the court about individuals involved in the project and was ordered not to leave Cyprus until these allegations have been investigated.
Initial reports from last weeks census show that the population of the TRNC has grown to over 264,000 and this despite the fact that some people were missed out of the count all together. A more detailed analysis will come out over time.
Electricity prices have gone up again, to pay for the four new power stations that should eventually relieve the pressure on the existing system and maybe put paid to most of the power cuts we currently get. The rise is not very much but we have to remember that this is the most expensive utility we pay for now.
An interesting article has appeared in a newspaper published in the South. This paper claimed that the south's administration had failed to properly manage 401,000 donums of land left behind by Turkish Cypriots in the south and a further 15,000 hectares expropriated by the Greek Cypriot government. The Politis newspaper suggests that the compensation bill could amount to, in excess of £1 billion Cyprus pounds. What is this about all of a sudden, somebody actually recognising that there is a counter compensation situation between the north and the south!
Usual round of things to do so far this week and of course tonight we once again will head off in the direction of L.D's for something to eat.
The weather is starting to really warm up now, so much so that I started to put up the green roof coverings on the pergola to keep out the real heat. On the one over the kitchen terrace we noticed this bright yellow spider which is something we have not seen here before.
The pool is now getting warm enough for the brave. so we have actually been in a couple of times now. Maybe the locals are right and 15th May is the official day to cast off the winter woolies. With this in mind, I went in to our old friend "Exotic Kumas", a shop where they have masses of materials and a team of tailors in the back room, to order some Bermuda style shorts for every day summer working wear. Three pairs, in a cotton denim type material, made to measure and ready tomorrow, for £53.00 total. You have to eventually let the rest of the world see those glorious legs!
Back to some gardening today. Joan and I took her little jeep up the mountain above Karsiyaka to get some stones from a quarry up there. She is trying to extend some of the soils areas around some of the established shrubs, so wanted to start doing a bit of dry stone walling. No end to her talents really; and she knows after all these years that DIY is the only way, getting Frank in to do anything serious in the garden is not an easy task.
Speaking of gardens, Stewart and Barabara, our immediate next door neighbours, have lots of cacti in their garden. Stewart asked me to look at this one cactus which has put up a central stem of over 12 feet in height in the last two weeks. It looks as if it might also burst in to flower in the near future. It really is quite something to see, so hopefully watch this space, if I remember to take another photo.
Just to be different, we went with Michael & Barbara, George & Susan to the Safron restaurant this evening. We really must ask them if they do a season ticket special. It is getting to the stage now where you have to book tables there days in advance, especially over the weekend period. George only goes for the sticky toffee pudding!
A bit more garden work was required from the boss and then a very relaxing afternoon.
We had been invited round to Stewart & Barbara's for sunday lunch, together with Michael, Barbara, George & Susan. It was such a lovely warm afternoon that we were able to sit out on the terrace and enjoy a most scrumptious meal and just a little wine and beer. George thought his ship had come in, as Barbara had made him a sticky toffee pudding, with custard for afters. We had to be very sure to get to the table first to get our own share. Great meal Barbara and we only stayed round for 7 hours talking and drinking before leaving Stewart with all the washing up.
It was quite noticeable in our little road that lights out was early this evening.
Before taking a look at this weekends newspapers you have to see this picture of George's grandson which George sent on. George is trying to convince us all that he is the spitting image, good looking, witty, quiet, a real ladies man. Who is he trying to kid, this guy really is good looking!
I showed you the big cactus in Stewarts garden and this morning when we woke we noticed that one we had planted in an old wheelbarrow was in full bloom. Now that's what I call a flowering cactus. These flowers only last for the one day but are really beautiful.
According to Cyprus Today Gary Robb is to face more court action against him from his previous business partner in Aga Developments. There appears to be general confusion and a whole variety of different statements made by all involved, so guess this is set to rumble on for some time. Having said that, there is a further statement in the paper that says work will restart on Amaranta Valley in 3/4 weeks when new materials and tools have been obtained. But there is clearly some very bad feeling around as a car was set on fire, in a suspected arson attack, outside the offices of Cafer Gurcafer the man leading the recovery on behalf of the government.
The value of the YTL (New Turkish Lira) is on the slide and as I write this the rate is 2.72 against the pound.
The first of 148 speed cameras has been installed and having passed the site where this is yesterday it seems to have had the required effect. At the same time there is a report of two more road deaths last week, one is certainly as a result of speed as the car was hurled 50 metres down the road by the impact.
Another reason for not using the Larnaca route to and from TRNC, unless you really have to, was highlighted by an e-mail received this week with an attachment of a letter written to the British High Commission:-
13 May 2006
On Monday 8th May after a blissfull two week holiday in the TRNC we were on our return journey to Larnaca airport by taxi. At the Greek border we were asked to allow them to search our luggage, not a problem as we had nothing to hide. There were four adults travelling and between us we had eight hundred cigarettes as we are well aware that the limit for non EU to EU are 200 cigarettes per person. It became obvious very quickly that the only interest they had was in cigarettes and on finding our duty free items they informed us we were only allowed forty cigarettes per person and that they were being forced to follow these limits by the british government. They said that between the four of us they would allow us to keep 200 and they confiscated the rest. However stupidly we let them issue just one receipt for the 600 they took. We did not argue with them as they told us they had the right to fine us but I have checked the duty free limits since returning home and still believe we were allowed two hundred cigarettes each. I believe that this action undertaken by the guards at the border amounts to stealing and although I do not think we can retrieve our items, although this would be nice, I would like to know if 40 is the correct limit? If so why is it different to all other countries?
If this is not the case is it another ploy to stop people visiting the TRNC?
Also I would be interested to know if the limit is 200 as I believe what action you will be taking to ensure this action does not continue?
I look forward to your response
Many Thanks
Jane Mitchell
I hope Jane eventually lets me know if she ever received a response.
How could I forget to mention the footie last Saturday. What a brilliant game, Liverpool v West Ham, with Liverpool coming out winners after a penalty shoot out. The bright note for me apart from the joy of seeing the team I have supported all my life, coming out on top, is George is paying for dinner. He is a West Ham supporter and we had a little bet. Tough George, L.D.'s next Thursday then?
Yesterday Joan and I had a very long day. First to Kyrenia, then Nicosia and then over to Bogaz near Famagusta to oversee some furniture installations. We were glad to get back home and sit on the terrace with a cold beer.
Those of you who are looking to kit out your villas are still keeping us both very busy, with both kitchen white goods and Joan's furnishing. Yesterday Joan was with two new customers and today we both met Sue & Andrew Cowley at The Ship to show them round. In the afternoon Joan was able to go and do a check on a completed property that is looking really nice. The lounge dining area has been colour co-ordinated in warm reds and they quite deliberately choose a granite on wrought iron dining table so that they could leave it outside the patio doors in the enclosed courtyard. The master bedroom is looking really nice with the chapel style windows draped in cream swags over satin lined voiles and again combined with wrought iron furniture.
As a sort of Thursday tradition, Joan and I did our trip down to LD's for dinner this evening. I know you think we are being constantly decadent with all this eating out but as real value for money this one takes some beating and we feel we have earnt it by this time of the week.
The freezer was looking a little bare, so we got up early and were over the border and doing our shoppng by 9 a.m. I know it seems bad to go and give them the business in the south, but it has to be recognised that some stuff, such as meat and other imported products are so very much cheaper than here in the north.
This evening we had our local friends, Atay and his wife Akila, over from Nicosia and we had booked to take them to The Safron restaurant. It turns out that they knew the owner from 1974 when he used to run the Harbour Bar/Restaurant down on the old harbour. We often find that amongst the local people there are some very old friendships from back in those days when the early struggle began. I suppose that the local Turkish Cypriot community was relatively small and particularily those in business knew one another well. I am pleased to say that they really enjoyed the evening out as much as we did and where full of praise for the food.
Do you remember me muttering and complaining about having to massively cut back our lantarna hedging, because I had let it grow too vigorously and that it looked really woody and sparse after I had done that. Well surprise, surprise, this is the big growing season out here, so I spent five hours this morning trimming lots of new growth again. Around 2 p.m. I gave up as it was getting just too hot for comfort and I had done all across the back of the garden and some large stretch of the side hedge. That left only one thing to do, get out the big sun umbrella, a comfy lounger, have a swim and then settle down for an afternnon snooze. Something the cat seemed to think was a brilliant idea as she joined me for the rest of the afternoon.
For those of you coming over on holiday this year you will note that your spending power has increased by about 11%. The current exchange rate against the Turkish Lira has risen rapidly over the last two weeks. This is good for those with a sterling income but very bad for business etc over here as most imported goods are paid for in sterling, euros and dollars with Turkish Lira being taken over the counter from customers.
There is another report about road deaths here in TRNC having gone up by 44% over the same period last year. Obviously speed is the big killer and the authorities are pinning their hopes on the new cameras which are currently going up all over the place, the increase in fines and licence points awarded for offences and maybe the thought that these things will release more police to monitor other offences. The chairman of the Association for the Prevention of Traffic Accidents said that more education was needed before granting a licence to new drivers. This point was brought home to us this week when Joan was talking with a young lady who works in one of her suppliers. She passed her test last Thursday and was very proud to say that she was only in the car with the examiner for about 5 minutes and she is not aware of any highway code book! Oh boy!
There was a whole page dedicated to telecommunications in this weeks Cyprus Today. The first article was about builders damaging phone cables which suggested that the telephone company was spending too much time repairing this damage. Does anybody remember the saga of our phone lines at the top of our road, being destroyed by builders lorries and the huge great fight we had to get them repaired.
The second article suggested that ADSL, high speed internet lines, will be introduced by the end of this year in many areas, including Lapta. This will apparently allow those of us lucky enough to have a telephone line to use it for the normal telephone as well as high speed internet at the same time.
This comes at just the moment when I finally succumbed to the slow speed internet connection that I get using our only phone line; and signed a contract with Extend Ltd, a company that has now had around two years experience in wireless and satelite communication here in TRNC. It is going to be about 6 weeks before they connect us up, as they are waiting for a new shipment of equipment to arrive, but rest assured I will let you know how succesful.
Found a report in the Observer newspaper that says that 61% of the younger Greek Cypriot generation and 40% overall are happy to live separately from the Turkish Cypriots. The report goes on to say that, the Greek Cypriots seem to be uninterested in the events of Northern Cyprus and almost half of them have not crossed the border since it opened. On the other hand 9 out of every 10 Greek Cypriots believe that it is unlikely that the Cyprus problem will be resolved soon. Now why does none of this come as a surprise.
I today received an e-mail from a friend in UK who suggests that the barbie season is about to begin. He has come up with a new style take away BBQ which you can get free from almost every supermarket, except for those that charge a £1.00 administration fee. Suppose you can always chuck it in the river when you have finished with it.
OK folks that is it for the next week. Joan and I are off to Jordan tomorrow at 5 a.m. so don't expect anything to be updated until we get back.
SEE YOU AFTER 1ST JUNE.
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