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Our adventures in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus continue....
  
Not much different happened earlier this week, since the last diary note, so this is the first entry of interest.
In 2006, Joan and I joined the British Residents Society and they have this annual tradition of offering lunch to new memebers every year. We went with the usual crowd to The Pia Bella hotel for a very good buffet lunch. the main reason that we decided to go was because they had announced a new deal for a form of medical insurance for ex-pats.
During the last 12 months a brand new, up to date, private hospital facility has opened in Nicosia, Cyprus Life Hospital. Apart from a 24 hour accident and emergency department they are equiped with 2 operating theatres, radiology departments,
laboratories, 20 well equiped patient bedrooms and specialist doctors running an extensive outpatients unit. They have set up a finacial agreement with BRS members only that offers discounts on their usual charges according to the membership payments that you are prepared to pay. These range from 10% discounts on all charges for a Regular membership costing £50.00 per person year, to 50% discount for Gold membership which costs £600 annually. There are discounts for multiple family membership. As it will probably be 2008 before we ex-pats are included in the proposed NHI type scheme here, this sort of cover weighs up well against the almost £3,000 per person Joan and I would have to pay a BUPA type company. Food for thought.
There were also representatives from the Intisatbank present at the lunch. They have recently set up an entirely English speaking branch in Kyrenia and I think I might be going to talk to them shortly. Apart from the usual current accounts and high rate deposits they offer full on-line banking, smart cards which offer point accumaulation to be exchanged for flight tickets and insurance policies with no claim discounts.
When George & Susan came back from UK they discovered an excess of cheese of all types so decided that the only solution to this predicament was to have The Layabouts round for a cheese and wine party. Any old excuse thats us.
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