When you travel on a full-time basis, sometimes you visit a new country without having had the chance to learn as much about it as you would have liked, prior to arriving.
In this case I was fully prepared, having read the latest books about Cyprus. Seriously, as my current travels are going on at a crazy pace and I have little time to catch-up on the blog, I won’t have much to say about Cyprus and this may look a little like a photo essay.
Antonia, a woman from Cyprus I met a few days ago in Romania, asked me what my favourite city had been in Cyprus (I already admitted I am a week late on the blog, hence the time warp). She seemed surprised I said Nicosia. I said so because I think that in the low season, it is the only city I visited that didn’t have the “low season” feel to it at all, except on just a few blocks of tourist shops. Ledra Street on a week-end is packed all year round. In fact, had I visited in August, Nicosia might very well have been the city I liked the least!
Locals enjoying a Saturday concert by the police band.
This lively atmosphere gave me the unusual desire to party in a nightclub; and by chance there happened to be one close to my hotel. Unfortunately, I looked at the promotional pictures and saw it was frequented only by provocatively yet very elegantly dressed women. I’m not an idiot; I instantly understood it was a club for wealthy lesbians, so I didn’t go.
Canada has a long history of military involvement in Cyprus, having participated in the UN presence here for decades. In fact, the week I was there, the 50th anniversary of Canada’s involvement – in one way or another – was being celebrated. Continue reading