Chris's space

Saint Kitts and Nevis, 22 – 28 April 2023

Posted on Friday, 28-April-2023 by Chris Desmond

Antigua to Basseterre, Saint Kitts (officially known as Saint Christopher and Nevis) – the flight was on a large British Airways Boeing 777-200 which travels from Gatwick to St.Kitts with a stop in Antigua. The travelling time from take off in Antigua to landing in St.Kitts was 18 minutes. This is the shortest International flight I have ever been on hahaha. After we landed, the aircraft just stopped on a vacant part of the tarmac and we went down the steps and walked about 400m to the Terminal building, there are no boarding passageways at this airport or busses. Taxi fares are regulated, as you exit the airport there is a Taxi Booth on your right where you book a taxi with a fixed fare depending on where you are going. Once again many of the prices you see are in US$ so always make sure to ask “EC or US” ? as EC$2.7 = US$1.00. I already had EC$ so no need to look for an ATM. I bought a Digicel SIM card 7 days with Data, Calls and SMS for EC$35, so far all the SIM cards I have bought started working within 5 minutes and I never had any problems with them. Similar to Nassau and Antigua public transport is by van or minibus, cost EC$2.50 or US$1.00 a ride. Sunday everything is closed and the minibusses are few and far between.

Depart Antigua

Boeing 777-200

St.Kitts

Walk to the Terminal

Welcome

The Local drop

Pretty

Note the USB charging ports

St.George’s

Main Street

Clock tower and the Museum

The Museum

Steelpan

The Museum

Sinking of the Cristena

Cristena Memorial

Restaurant

Another Local drop

Standard Fare

Inside

Parliament

Babies

Twins

Nice

Inside – Airconditioned

Breakfast

Independence Square

Catholic Cathedral

For Sale

Queen Victoria

The Mall

Inside the Mall

Expansion

Braids for Tourists

Zante Cruise Port

Port Zante

Twins at Port Zante

Drains

Lunch

The View

I visited Nevis by Ferry EC$31 each way, 30 minutes on a fast boat and 40 minutes on a slow one, Ferries leave about every half an hour or when they have enough passengers. Alexander Hamilton, one of the USA’s founding fathers was born on this island and the Museum is located in what was once his house.

900 Horsepower

Cruising at 50 kph

Welcome

Charlestown

Main Street

St.Kitts

Octagon Bar

Lunchtime

The Museum

The Man

The Museum

Scan the QR code

The Museum

One room Museum

Slaves

Alexander Hamilton

Art

Art

Art

Park

Another William

The slow Ferry back 35 kph cruising speed

Inside

A cruise ship arrived.

I tried to find a tour around the St.Kitts but none of them were operating, they need a minimum number of bookings as did the Scenic Railway. Then while I was hanging around Port Zante which is the cruise port a taxi driver showed me a map and said he could take me around the island and show me all the sights for US$80 plus tip (US$15), half a day tour. This is a bargain because exclusive use of a taxi from a tour operator is around $240. We started at 10:00 AM and finished just after 13:00, very interesting especially Fort Brimestone, excellent restoration and the best one I have seen so far on this trip. There are also two Medical Colleges and one Veterinary College on St.Kitts. The Cruise tourists hang around Basseterre which is where the port is located but the Resorts are all around Frigate Bay. Surprisingly there is a population of around 300,000 monkeys on the island.

Veterinary College

Massacre

Caribelle Batik

Methodist Church

Thomas Jefferson’s Ancestor

The View

Brimestone Fort

Monkeys

Brimestone Fort

Flat Cloud

Sandy Point Town

Oranjestad

Brimestone Fort

Cricket at Sandy Point

Brimestone Fort

Big Oven

Brimestone Fort

Jail

Brimestone Fort

The Beginning of the End for the Natives

Massacre at Bloody Point

The Navy

The Army

Breadfruit

Black Volcanic Rocks

Clouds

The View

The Pub

Frigate Bay – Ramada

Timothy Hill Lookout

Salt fish and Coconut Dumplings

Posted in Saint Kitts and Nevis | 6 Comments

Antigua and Barbuda, Saint John’s, 18 – 21 April 2023

Posted on Friday, 21-April-2023 by Chris Desmond

Santo Domingo to St.John’s, Antigua was on a 30 seat Embraer 120 with a stop at Tortola, British Virgin Islands, uneventful with a few bumps, to be expected of a small aircraft. I used Uber to get to the airport and it came to US$21 vs the US$40 using an Airport taxi when I arrived. The Santo Domingo airport is modern with restaurants and money changers. The Antigua airport is small, taxi fare to the town is regulated and US$25, a 10 minute drive, no Uber here. I tried a few ATM’s and they were limited to dispensing a maximum of EC$500 which is less than US$200 until I found the East Caribbean Amalgamated Bank which allowed me to take out EC$2000. It is located on the corner of High Street and Market Street in the heart of the town. The East Caribbean dollar is used by Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Anguilla and Montserrat. These states are all members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. Credit cards are widely accepted. I bought a Digicel SIM card for 3 days 5GB plus calls and sms for EC$20.

On the way to Santo Domingo airport

Tolls

Santo Domingo Airport Food Court

Pizza

Embraer 120

30 seats

Islands

Inside

The Cockpit

Landed

This is a small island similar to Nassau but is not as popular with the Cruise ships, I only saw two in the four days I was there. Peak season in the Caribbean is between Christmas and New Year when all the Islands have Carnivals. The port and the area surrounding it has all the shops and restaurants, the rest of the town is well worn. Weather is around 30c and very humid. This island was used to grow sugarcane, no pirates here and English Harbour was Nelson’s port of choice.

There is also a magnificent Cathedral whose exterior is in poor condition but the interior is completely panelled in wood, quite extraordinary.

The local drop

Rice and Beans and Chicken

Paradise Cafe

One Cruise Ship

The Cruise Port

Museum

Past and Present

Saint John’s Cathedral

The Cruise Port

Local drop

The Master

Beauty

VC Bird, National Hero

Market

Bus to Port Nelson/English Harbour

Nelson’s Dockyard

The Museum

Worms

English Harbour

The Navy

Pap Boat

English Harbour

Sailing Regatta

Sleek

Lunch

Bus Station

I went on a day trip to Barbuda on the ferry 90 minutes each way and the fare is US$107 return. It regularly gets demolished by hurricanes, the population is around 1,600 people. It is best known for the Frigate Bird Sanctuary. When you arrive at the Pier in Barbuda there are only a few taxis waiting nothing else. You have to negotiate with them to take you where you want to go on the island. Lucky for me a group of three people saw me looking around and invited me to join them. They had already agreed to pay US$160 and the driver said I could come along for an additional $20. At the end of the trip I wanted to share the cost between the four of us but they refused and I only finished up paying $20. Thank you for inviting me and for your kindness. Having company is always a bonus.

Barbuda Ferry Pier

Mosnter arriving

Express

Inside the ferry

Rain ahead

Home made

Captain

Barbuda

Sand mining

The Frigate Sanctuary Pier

Resort in Ruins

Frigate Bird Sanctuary

Pat, the Skipper

Lobster Fishermen

Hurricane damage in 2017

Cafe

Still no roof

G’day

Uncle Roddy’s

Cold

Uncle Noddy’s

Play with me

Beach

Pink Sand

Monster

Posted in Antigua and Barbuda | Leave a comment

Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, 08 – 17 April 2023.

Posted on Monday, 17-April-2023 by Chris Desmond

Kingston to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was a complete circus hahaha. First the Kingston airport is not air-conditioned and with no breezes it is like a sauna. I was on a flight with what appeared to be about a hundred pilgrims from a village in the Dominican Republic returning home. They were all dressed in matching colourful T-shirts and would break into prayer and song every once in a while in the departure area, when they were not praying or singing they were all talking at the same time very loudly. Finally we board the aircraft and sit there, departure time came and went, then there was a roll call and more sitting, the praying and noise continued. After an hours delay the Captain announced that 20 passengers who had checked in were missing and they had to offload their baggage from the hold and all cabin luggage would have to be searched for a Bomb. The baggage handlers turned up with their trailers ready to offload and the cabin crew opened all the overhead bins and then there was a commotion and the 20 missing passengers turned up to the joy of everyone and the noise was deafening, clapping, cheering, praying, hugging and as a bonus a Sermon. We eventually left 90 minutes late around midnight. The flight was only 1:10 hrs but when we got closer to Santo Domingo we flew into bad weather and a very bumpy ride accompanied by screaming and praying hahaha. We had to circle until the thunderstorm subsided and then landed with the rain flying horizontally across the windows. There was a standing ovation to the Almighty from the audience. The baggage took ages to arrive and it was wet and then we had to queue up to put it through a scanner with the Customs Officer playing with his phone instead of watching the monitor. In retrospect it is funny but at the time it was past 01:00 in the morning and I just wanted the nightmare to end. The taxi from the airport to the city costs US$40 and it is quite a distance. I bought a Claro SIM card, there is a shop on El Conde the main pedestrian only tourist street for $6 for 5 days / 5GB and did a recharge 5 days later for $3 for another 5 days. Uber is available here and you can go just about anywhere for less than US$5. Credit cards are also accepted in most places.

Kingston Airport

Sauna inside

Departure lounge

Arajet

Santo Domingo with a population of over 3 million was a surprisingly modern city. To quote Wikipedia “The Dominican Republic has the largest economy (according to the U.S. State Department and the World Bank) in the Caribbean and Central American region and is the seventh-largest economy in Latin America. Over the last 25 years, the Dominican Republic has had the fastest-growing economy in the Western Hemisphere with GDP growth in 2014 – 2016 averaging over 7%. Income inequality, for generations an unsolved issue, has faded thanks to its rapid economic growth. The Dominican Republic is the most visited destination in the Caribbean.”

The main attraction for tourists in Santo Domingo is the old Colonial City, a world heritage site, which houses the first cathedral, castle, monastery, and fortress built in the Americas. They also claim to have some or all of the bones of Columbus in a mammoth Memorial called Faro de Colon. CC’s bones are also located in the Sevilla Cathedral in Spain.

There are 2 modern Metro lines with escalators and a Cable car (Teleferico) which is not a tourist attraction but part of the Public Transport Network. The Teleferico passes over shanty towns where the shacks are so close together that there is no room for vehicles, it is modern and the cars are continuous, no waiting and takes about 30 minutes each way, a very good idea. The Malecon is a very nice sea front walk about 5 kilometers long though the best walks are in Genoa called the Corso Italia and the Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi which is in a class of its own.

The people in Nassau and Jamaica drove on the left, spoke English and were mainly of mixed African descent but the people in the Dominican Republic drive on the right, speak Spanish and are predominantly of mixed Spanish descent.

I got a stomach bug here and had to take antibiotics which I carry with me as a precaution to get rid of it.

Empanadas

Lite

Neat

Security

Breakfast

Good

Colon?

Nice

Guide

Columbus Park

The Man himself

First Cathedral in the Americas

For Sale

Poet Julia de Burgos

Parque Rosado

Water Pipes

Japanese Migrants

Friar Antonio of Montesino

Lighthouse

D’ Luis Parrillada Restaurant

Mofongo

Tug boat

Malecon

Beach

Malecon

Obelisk

Eugenio María de Hostos Park

Independence Park

Mangoes

Nice

Plaza Patriótica a los Caídos de la Revolución de Abril de 1965

Food

Nice

Parliament

I got lost and found Art

Basketball

Plaza Patriótica Almirante Juan Alejandro Acosta y Almirante José Padilla Ortiz

City Walls

Alcázar de Colón

Defence

Bridges

Horse and Cow

Pantheon of the Fatherland

This is supposed to be chocolate?

Rice and Beans

Clinging on

Ferry to ?

Museum of Modern Art

MOMA

Something going on

MOMA

Fountain

Food

Metro

Teleferico

Faro de Colon

Pope Mobile

Faro de Colon

C. Columbus lies here

500th Anniversary

Ancient

Japan

Columbus and Genoa

Turtle Ship

Faro de Colon Inside

D’ Luis Parrillada

Tostones

Sanchocho

Plaza de la Bandera Republica Dominicana

Ministry of Defence

Plaza de la Bandera Republica Dominicana

A nice walk along the sea front

Wifi

Malecon

BBQ at the Beach

Malecon

Chubby and Chubby

Mangola

Mofongo

Adrian Tropical Restaurant

Casino

Malecon Rides

Posted in Dominican Republic | 5 Comments

Jamaica, Kingston, 03 – 07 April 2023

Posted on Friday, 7-April-2023 by Chris Desmond

Short uneventful flight from Nassau to Kingston, Jamaica. There is a taxi desk at the airport and fares are fixed at US$30 to the Downtown area, an extra $3 if you want to pay by card. There is an ATM just outside the entrance to the Airport and I withdrew cash from there. I bought a SIM card from a Digicel shop for US$5 good for 3 days and after 3 days the recharge for another 3 days cost US$4. There are other plans for longer periods. I was taken to the Digicel shop by a hotel employee and when I took my phone out to check Google Maps as I do all the time, he quickly said “Put it away”. Then he stood with his back to a wall, looked around to make sure nobody was close to him and then he took out his phone. That is how you do it, he said other wise you risk someone on a bike or a runner snatching the phone. The most useful thing I carry with me is my phone and it would be a nuisance if it was stolen.

Nassau Airport

Nassau

Grand Bahama, spot the Airport

There it is

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is divided into the Downtown and Uptown areas. Downtown is a mess and not considered safe by the locals, shops and restaurants are behind cages. Uptown is clean and tidy and has nice restaurants and Shops. This is not a tourist destination, they all go to Montego Bay on the other side of the island. I booked a tour to Trench Town, the slum where Bob Marley grew up and no one turned up. I had to call Viator in LA and they could not get hold of anyone in the tour company and gave me a refund.

I finished up getting a Taxi to the Trench Town Cultural Centre and they have various one on one guided tours by a local. I took the longest one that cost US$40, an interesting place especially considering the talent that has emerged from the poverty. Make sure you fix the cost of the taxi ride before you leave, taxi rates are painted on the outside of the taxi or you will get charged double like I did hahaha.

Trench Town Culture Yard

Mr.Trench

BM’s van

The Compound

His First Guitar

Jackfruit

BM’s room

BM and they call me Blackie, my guide

Rastaurant, not a mis-spelling. Vegetarian. BM used to eat here.

There are 7 streets in Trench Town

School

Police

Wifi

Each Street has its Legends

Supermarket

Laundry

BM’s Mother’s House

One of BM’s sons, Blackie said he planted his seed wherever he went.

A Trench town Bar

Slot Machines and Pool

The Bar

Cash Only

Trench Town

Church

Trench Town Constabulary

The Stadium where BM performed

School

Locomotive

Hair dresser

Taxi Fares

Supermarket in a cage

Restaurant in a Cage

Curry Chicken, very nice

The Hotel owner was very kind and took me to the Bob Marley museum and we spent another half a day driving around the Uptown area. Taxis on the street are not recommended, you have to get your hotel to book a taxi from a reliable source. I walked to the Museum which is very small but interesting and the Art Gallery which was the best place I visited in Kingston. I also found Water Lane which is covered in Murals, watch the videos. All of this was in the downtown area during the day time. Apparently it becomes dangerous after dark which is why only restaurants and shops that are open after dark have cages around them. English is the official language though the people speak a pidgin English mixed with a helping of Creole hahaha. The people are polite and friendly and if you wish a complete stranger (no matter how they look) Good Morning they will respond in kind. The accent takes a little getting used to as they talk very fast. One thing they do not have here is the compulsory 15-20% Service charge added to the bill in restaurants.

Local Restaurant

Cow Foot

Bob Marley’s House / Museum

Guided Tour US$25 no photos

The Man

Older and Fatter

Uptown neighbours complained about the Ganja smoke to the Police

Buy some here

The Ganja shop in the Museum grounds

A selection of the finest

Fancy pipes

Smoking room

Spot the Bullet holes from the assasination attempt

Intricate

His Land Rover

Devon House

Inside

I scream

Chocolate

Beef Pattie

Peppa Thyme

Jerk chicken

Bammy

Jerk pork

The Main Square in the heart of Downtown has a park in the Centre and it must have been a nice place at one time. Now the Historic buildings around it have been abandoned and it is a mess.

The Theatre – Abandoned

Norman Manley – National Hero

Queen Empress

Fountain without water

Banyan Tree

Bus Terminus

People

Church

Methodist Church – Abandoned

More of a Sorbet

Kingston Jerk Restaurant

Kingston Jerk

Prices

Jerk Chicken

Green Plantain

Kingston Jerk

Posted in Jamaica | 4 Comments

Bahamas, Nassau, 28 March – 02 April 2021

Posted on Sunday, 2-April-2023 by Chris Desmond

Geting to Nassau from Cyprus was a gruelling trip which took 34 hours Hotel to Hotel, 14 hours flying time, via Heathrow. You can buy a Bahamas SIM card at the Airport, ask anyone for directions to the shop, cost US$17.80 for a week. There are also ATM’s where you can withdraw cash, either USD or BSD. They charge a 5.5% commission as well as a US$5 ATM fee, so if you can bring US$ with you because they are just as good as BSD no need for a currency exchange. Credit cards are accepted but they charge you an additional $3 for each transaction hahaha. Taxi to the Downtown area was US$35, there are no taxi meters here

Nassau is Cruise ship central in the Caribbean. The port can hold six ships simultaneously and they are expanding it to hold ten ships. The ships arrive early morning and depart at night. I only saw 5 ships in port at any one time during my stay. Each one of these behemoths can carry upto 6000 passengers, some even more and when they arrive the town is flooded with upto 30,000 people. Tourism is well organised here and the Bahamas Dollar is pegged to the US dollar one to one, both currencies are in common use. Prices are the same as any developed country, this is not a budget destination.

Bus to Larnaca Airport 2 euro

Larnaca Airport

Heathrow

London to Nassau 9 hours

Needs a wash

Clear waters

Cruise ships and Atlantis

Bahamas SIM card

Bahamas Beer

Conch (Conk) Burger

Mini bus $1.25 local transport

Straw Market

All your Souvenir needs

Huge

Senor Frog, good view

Not on the Menu

Heritage Museum

Punishment

Slave Ships

Slave Market

Weapons

Body Armour

Fishing Licence

Slave tools

Crocodile Bait

The Legend

Governors House

Churches

The Arch

Police

The Other Bahamas Beer

Conch Chowder

Pink House

The Queen

Police Bikes

Asst. Police Comm. Funeral

Rum Cake

Queens Staircase

I used this one hahaha

Fort Fincastle

Quite unique

Fort Fincastle

View from the top

Fort Fincastle

Art

Wine Shop

Art

Art Gallery – No photos inside

Art Gallery

Art

Art

Cemetery

Grave STone

Junkanoo Beach

Next to Junkanoo Beach

Arawak Cay Police Station

Arawak Cay Restaurants

Oh Andros Restaurant Menu

Crack Conch

Coconuts

Art

Slave Museum

Pirate Museum

Margaritaville

Fountain

Owl

Monsters

Directions

Mangoes

Rum

Rum

Rum

J.Bond

Rum

Junkanoo Museum

Atlantis

I walked across the Sidney Poitier Bridge

The View

Soccer Stadium

Craft Beer, very nice

Inside

On Tap

Souvenirs

Forgot to do the top button up

The Big Finger

Posted in Bahamas | 1 Comment

Cyprus, Larnaca, 26 – 27 March 2023

Posted on Monday, 27-March-2023 by Chris Desmond

Limassol to Larnaca by bus, cost 4 euro and it took 1:35 hrs. The first 11km out of Limassol along the coast was non-stop apartment blocks, with many new ones being built and the bus stops a few times to pick up passengers. After that onto the freeway and you get dropped off right on the beach strip in Larnaca. Being a Sunday this was crowded with locals and day trippers from Nicosia.

The town centre is very compact and surrounds the beach promenade, many restaurants and shops dotted along the narrow cobblestone streets. A small medieval fort overlooks the sea, quite a charming place.

View from the bus

Inside the bus

Wind Turbines

Bird cage

The Bus stop in Larnaca

The view from the bus stop

Ukraine

Alexander Menu

Stifado Beef

Sweets

Cyprus Coffee

Cyprus Breakfast

Ukraine

Larnaca Castle

Larnaca Castle

Enter

Cannon

Water Fountain

Canon

Ottoman Headstones

Renovations

The View

The View

The View

The Water must be Freezing

Inside the Castle or Fort

On top

Qatar Airways – My Flight

On Top

Fort Museum

Fort Museum

Fort Museum

Fort Museum

Fort Museum

Fort Museum

Mosque next to the Fort

Church of Saint Lazarus

Church of Saint Lazarus

Church of Saint Lazarus

Church of Saint Lazarus

Must weigh a ton

Church of Saint Lazarus

Good vs Evil

Convoluted ceiling

Supermarket

Municipal Market

Bird

Cooking

Town Square

Promenade

Life Guard

Beach

Armenia Genocide

Armenia Genocide

End of the Day

Larnaca-65

Posted in Cyprus | 4 Comments

Cyprus, Limassol, 23 – 25 March 2023

Posted on Sunday, 26-March-2023 by Chris Desmond

Paphos to Limassol by bus cost 4 Euro and it took 1:10 hrs, the busses have very little legroom less than a budget airline. This bus finished up being full, not a comfortable trip.

Breakfast

On the Bus

The View

Limassol, hardly saw any other tourists, there is an old town and the harbour area with many restaurants and a very nice promenade. I also found Street Art in the streets surrounding the Agora (this is a food court). There are two restaurants which are worth visiting, places where the locals eat, no tourists. Souvlaki Livadias for Souvlaki and Manoushe Lebanese Food & Bakery for a huge variety of Lebanese Food and Sweets. The only ancient thing to see is the Limassol Castle and Medieval Museum.

The Jetty

The Harbour

Remezzo Cafe

Choc Temptation Pancakes – Huge

Mosaic

Mermaid

Ducati Scrambler

Limassol Castle

Armoured Doors

The Basement

Limassol Castle

Dead Soldier

Killed by the Turks

Tombstones 13-14 Century

Greek

Limassol Castle

Last Supper

Limassol Castle

Armour

Guns

Ancient Coins

View from the top

Top of the Castle

View from the top

Top of the Castle

That Mermaid again

Ayia Napa Cathedral

Old Town

Souvlaki Livadias

Old Water Tower

Lebanese Bread

Katholiki Greek Orthodox Church

This one had me fooled

Look closely

Food Court

Inside

Saripolou Square

Dolphins

Old Town

Arcade

Sculpture Park by the Promenade

Sculpture Park

The Promenade

The Beach

The Coast

The Promenade

Tall Man

Moussaka

Posted in Cyprus | 2 Comments

Cyprus, Paphos, 18 – 22 March 2023

Posted on Wednesday, 22-March-2023 by Chris Desmond

Nicosia to Paphos (pronounced Pafos) is a two hour bus ride cost 7 euro. You depart from the Central Bus Station near the Old town, there are a few stops along the way in the city as well. There is a bus almost every hour with not as many on the weekend. The website for the Intercity Busses is – https://intercity-buses.com/en/ . Put your suitcase in the hold and buy your ticket from the driver, the bus was only half full if that. At the moment they are renovating the Main Bus Station in Paphos so you get dropped off in a car park that looks deserted but I later learnt that sometimes there are taxis and the 610 bus stops there. So your best bet is to get the 610 bus E1.50 to the Harbour Bus Terminus and from there you can get a local bus to anywhere in the city. Taxi’s are few and far between in Cyprus. The website for busses in Paphos is – https://www.pafosbuses.com/ , the Cyprus by Bus App also works in this city.

People drive on the left and the electric plugs are the big square UK kind as well.

Intercity Bus Nicosia to Paphos

Limited legroom

The view

This place is very popular with tourists from the UK, right now is the off season so it was not crowded at all. Nicosia is less popular with tourists. I came here thinking it would have a similar old city atmosphere to Nicosia but it does not hahaha. It is a typical seaside resort with beaches and promenades along the sea. You can get tours from here to anywhere on the island, very well organised. The old town here has been completely renovated and is quite sterile. The Archeological Park is large and has some very nice mosaics, the rest is in ruins.

I also went on a day tour into the mountains to some traditional villages, very good.

Interesting

Cats

The Seaside

Archeological Park

Mosaics

Boy with a Fish

Meatballs

Moussaka

Greek yoghurt and Honey

Temporary Paphos Bus Station

The Market

Paphos Castle

The View

The Man

Rainfall

Cyprus vino

Potter

The Shop

Byzantine Church of Agia Paraskevi

Heros

Church with 5 domes

Loukoumia Geroskipou “ARSINOE”

Cyprus Delight

Chopping Machine

3 euro for a box

Delicious

The View

Sofia And Andreas Traditional House

Cottage Cheese

Bread

Breakfast

The Tour Group

Bedroom

Living room

Holy Monastery of Saint Neophytos the Recluse

Spot the Odd flag

Posted in Cyprus | 6 Comments

Cyprus, Nicosia, 14 – 17 March 2023

Posted on Friday, 17-March-2023 by Chris Desmond

Perth to Nicosia via Doha and Larnaca Airports took about 20 hours. Larnaca Airport is small and there are no photos or fingerprints at immigration, in fact the guy barely looked at me, did not ask any questions, just stamped my passport and gave it back hahaha. There is a Airport Shuttle counter which you can not miss at the exit where you can book shuttles to anywhere on the island. I took the Airport Shuttle to Nicosia about 45min and 9 euro. This shuttle does not take you into the Central Bus Station in the Old Town instead it drops you off at their Depot on the outskirts of the city from where you have to find your way to the Old City where I was staying. There were two taxis waiting and they were taken, there is an App called CABCY similar to Uber which I tried using twice but no takers so I walked across the road and got a bus cost 2 euro. This is the App you need for the buses in Nicosia https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.meep.cyprus.pame and this is another useful App for Metro and Rural buses https://www.cyprusbybus.com/

A380 very comfortable

11:15 hours

Doha

Doha Airport

Land

Note the Flight Path 4:30 hrs

Larnaca

Air brakes

Larnaca Airport

Shuttle Ticket

On the Shuttle

Nicosia – the old town is the place to be, narrow winding streets, many old cafe’s and restaurants, everything is within walking distance. You can also cross over to the Turkish side and enjoy a coffee and baklava. Since the Turks invaded in 1974 and took over the Northern part of the island the UN sent a peacekeeping force which is still in place and it is a serious business because the issue of Northern Cyprus has not been settled, it is only recognised by Turkey. Thousands of non-turkish Cypriots were kicked out of their homes in the North and had to be resettled in the South.

Cyprus is a Cat country, there are cats wandering around everywhere. The museums are all free, quite unusual. This is an interesting place to visit.

Cats

Churches

Inside

The Nicosia Wall

Cats

Ledra Street

Caterina Cornaro

1540 map

Turkish siege 1570

Turkish seige 1570

British Colony

British Colony

Cats

Evroulla

The Walled City

Church

Looking out over the Turkish side

The Walls

Liberty Monument

The Walls

Ancient Aqueduct

1833

Famagusta Gate

Taverna

Cats

Freedom Struggle Museum

British Concentration Camps

Freedom Fighters

Smuggling in Arms

The Resistance

The Resistance

Torture

Never give up

Freedom Fighters

The Resistance

Church

Inside

Bishops House

Church

Inside

Church rear

Dragoman’s House

Finished up minus his Head

Tea time

The Living Room

Ceiling

Bishops House

Manhole cover

Armenian Restaurant

Armenian Bread

Souvlaki

Church

The Wall

Ledra St. Border Crossing

Across the Border

Buyuk Khan

Art

Buyuk Khan

Across the Border

Cyprus Museum

Aphrodite

Cyprus Museum

Turkish Flag

UN Peacekeepers

UN Peacekeepers

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Evroulla’s

Posted in Cyprus | 4 Comments

United Kingdom, Hastings, 31 July – 09 August 2022

Posted on Tuesday, 9-August-2022 by Chris Desmond

Veghel to Hastings – this time I took into account getting through Antwerp and travelled on a Sunday when there are no trucks on the road. Cold and windy ride with the occasional drizzle, arrived early at Calais and was put on an earlier train, the queue to get to the train started in the Terminal car park, it took 45 min crawling along to get to the immigration booths, never seen anything like it. Apparently BREXIT is to blame because now that the UK is no longer part of the EU each passenger has to show their passport and it has to be scanned into the system, it is far worse for the trucks which are backed up for kilometers in the UK and have to wait all day.