Two weeks in Cyprus

Last time I updated the blog I was in Tasucu waiting for the ferry to take me to Cyprus. And this time I’m also waiting for the ferry but on the other side of the water. 

Two weeks ago I got on the ferry at midnight but had to wait another two hours until the ferry left the port. But I had interesting company with Earthian, a man on a peace mission. He had managed to get himself from England to Cyprus including a trip to Iraq without spending any money. He is strongly against borders and only showed his passport as a last resort. We had interesting conversations on the trip over to Cyprus and had a little lunch together before I had to get going because I wanted to get to Larnaca before sunset and the clock was already 11.30.

Visit Earthians blog to read more about his epic journey. http://earthianblog.wordpress.com

The day started with a long uphill with a strong headwind. And it felt very strange cycling on the left side of the road for the first time. But after the climb the lad flattened out and pushed on towards Lefkosia. The plan was just to pass through the capital but it was difficult because a minimal amount of signs showing the way. I had to ask around to find my way over to the south side. Eventually I found the checkpoint to cross over and it felt a little strange cycling through a big city and suddenly finding yourself at a checkpoint. But they let me back in to the EU and I continued on towards Larnaca. I just managed to make it in to the city as it was getting dark. Even though I had a flat tire just 20 km outside of the city. My couchsurfing host Nicola met up with me and showed me back to his place where I had my own guestroom with a big bed. I stayed there two nights and had a nice time with good company and some advice on what to do on our vacation in Cyprus. Nicola also had another guest the next night from USA. Chris was on a one week vacation in Istanbul and squeezed in a trip to Cyprus also.

On Friday I left Nicola and headed down to the sea and to the hotel my parents had booked for us. I checked in and couldn’t wait until they would join me. Eventually I heard some familiar voices outside of the door. It was amazing seeing them again after almost seven months apart.

We had a great vacation together with a lot of good food and just the fact that we were together. We wanted to see more of Cyprus after a weekend in Larnaca so we rented a car for four days. As a cyclist it felt like stepping over to the dark side, but it was a great way to see more of the island. And at this time of the year a rental car is really cheap. I had driven a car on the left side before in New Zealand, but that was eight years ago so it took a little time to get used to. Our first day on the road we went to the capital Nicosia or Lefkosa, depending on what side of the border you are on. It felt even stranger crossing the checkpoint this time when we were walking down the main shopping street and suddenly having to show our passport and enter the Turkish side. We walked around inside the castle walls and visited and old cathedral that was turned into a mosque. And of course we had to eat a kebab before crossing over again. I was happy to be out of the big city which was a little stressful when I’m not used to drive on the wrong side of the road and in a city where you sometimes have to guess where to go because of the lack of signs.

The next day we drove up in to the “Troodos” mountains and after pushing the KIA up the hill we came to the top of Mount Olympus where the ground was covered with snow. Not at all like back home but it was still nice to see some snow again. After Olympus we drove to Kykkos monastery not far away. It was a beautiful place but in my opinion to much gold and bling bling when the church claims to be helping people in need, they could do so much more.

The next two days we took trips along the cost and had a good time seeing Cyprus. But as all vacations do this one also came to an end and my dear mother and father had to catch a flight back to Sweden. But they are already planning for the newt visit which might be in China.

And I was also back in the “office” cycling towards Famagusta where I had an invitation from a couchsurfer. I hadn’t looked close enough on the mat and ended up at a road that was closed off by military. In front of me was the part of Famagusta called “The Ghost town”, an area full of houses and hotels abandoned and closed off in 1974. So I had to turn around and go around to another road where I could cross over. Again it felt very strange cycling past military areas, British military camps and seeing UN vehicles passing by. Just as I entered the Turkish side the sky opened up and it started to pour down. I found cover and waited for the rain to stop before continuing into Famagusta and the university to meet up with my host. My host Mohsen is a PH.D student from Iran. And since I’m going there soon it was great to get some good advice on where to go and what to see. The next day me, Mohsen and his girlfriend Vofe got on our bikes and cycled outside of the city to an ancient site. After that I went back into town to the beach to get a better look at the ghost town. There where military lookouts right at the beach but you could walk to the edge of the closed off area and look at what once was a beautiful place full of hotels right by the ocean. Right next to the sealed off area new big hotels and casinos where up and running like nothing had happened next door. I also went for a visit in the old town and another cathedral that was converted into a mosque. The old town was completely dead with just me and a few others walking around. And the reason was a massive sale on the city where I met up with my friends who were in the middle of some serious shopping.

Yesterday I left Famagusta and cycled into a terrible head wind. First I planned on cycling longer on the Karpass peninsula, but the wind was too much and a man who invited me in for tea told me there was road work up ahead. So instead I went to the north cost and set up my tent away from the wind. Today when I woke up it was raining so I slept a little longer since I didn’t have much longer to cycle today to Girne. I arrived here at the hostel earlier today and tomorrow night I’m leaving on the ferry back to Tyrkey.

I have had two great weeks here in Cyprus and from here awaits a lot of uphills towards Erzurum.

Leaving Turkey for a while

The night I arrived in Bozyazi and to my German-Turkish host I got a message that my new pannier had arrived in Finike. So the next day the guy at the hotel would put it on a bus heading to Bozyazi. Inge also hosted another traveler, a girl from Japan. It was nice to meet someone else travelling to get some advice for countries to come. The next day we went around the little town of Bozyazi and saw the beach which was pretty much all there was to see. But it was nice and a good place to relax and charge the batteries. Later that day I and Aya got to follow Inge’s daughter Danyel to her music lesson where she sang and played the saz for us. We also got to try it (for a photo), and it looked really hard. 

At one a clock at night the next day I and Inge went to the bus station to collect my package, and finally after waiting so long I got it in my hand. And with a pleasant surprise when I opened it and saw that they had sent me two new bags.

Yesterday I left Bozyazi and headed for Tasucu from where the ferry leaves for Cyprus. I thought I would make it there in one day, and I could if I had wanted to. But I found a nice place to set up my tent for the night and since the ferry leaves at midnight the next day there were no hurry to get there. It was nice to be back in the tent after sleeping indoors since leaving Finike. But it was also a bit cold during the night.

Today I only had a short 30 km to get to Tasucu. And after only one big climb I could roll down the other side and make my way into town. I have gotten my ticket for the ferry and now I have to wait until midnight for the ferry to leave for Girne. I was lucky it was a nice and warm day today so that I could wait outside in the sun. But from now on I’ll spend my time at a restaurant for the rest of the night.

Finally

It now feels like a long time ogo that I was cycling fast on a crappy road in Hungary and later discovered that one of my back pannier had broken. I managed to continue with it by fixing it to the bike with a wire lock. I contacted Vaude who makes the bags, but they didn’t want to send me a new bag and insisted that I contacted some company that sold their products. It wasn’t easy to find on my way until I came to Athens and found a company that was very helpful and contacted Vaude for me. But it still took a long time until I got the news that they were sending a new bag to the company in Athens. By that time I already had a ferry ticket going to Chios. So when I found the nice apartment in Finike the Greek company sent me the bag with post. There I waited and waited without any package showing up. So last week I couldn’t wait any longer since I had to be in Cyprus this coming week.

But two days ago the package arrived in Finike and yesterday the guy at the hotel put it on a bus that was passing Bozyazı. So finally it looked like everything was going to work out just great. But I couldn’t be sure until I had it in my hand. So at one a clock last night me and my very helpful host got up and met up with the bus to collect the package. And after a little dispute with the bus driver who wanted more money for bringing it to me, I finally got it.

And in the package there was a surprise when I saw that they had sent me two brand new bags. So now I don’t have to think about this anymore and just enjoy life on the road.

Back to school

On my first day back on the bike I set my sight on Antalya. It was about 110 km so I didn’t know if I would make it all the way there since I hadn’t done that much cycling in a while and that I would have to go over some big hills on the way. But after reaching the top of the hill and starting to go down again it felt good and when I didn’t find any nice place to camp along the way since the ground was very wet at most places I continued on and soon arrived in Antalya and found myself a cheap room for the night. 

The next day I had a couchsurf host in Manavgat and cycled on mostly flat roads to get there, only having a headwind to fight with. I met up with Mehmet at the school where he was a English teacher. And after dinner at the school cafeteria we went to his place at the school ground. He had the night shift at the student dormitory, so I rested ut at his place that night. The next day I met up with Mehmet at the school and participated in the class. I talked a bit about my travels and was questioned by eager students. And after doing the same thing with another teacher I got on my bike and went down to the sea and the town of Side. The ancient ruins and the huge theater was beautiful but it felt nice going back to the non-touristic Manavgat after half a day among big hotels and more tourists that I thought would be here at this time of year.

The other teacher that I helped at the school had a friend in Alanya that I could stay with. So this day I only had about 60 km to go. So I had a nice day on the bike with great weather. But the road between Manavgat and Alanya isn’t the most exciting. There are endless massive hotels along the way, and it’s hard to grasp how many tourists there are here during the high season. I arrived in Alanya early and had some time to look around before meeting my host. I was here on a vacation about ten years ago but I didn’t recognize anything but the castle on the Peninsula. This town have really grown since I was here. 

In the evening I met up with my host Ali, he didn’t speak English so we met up with a friend of his and had dinner. Yusuf knew a bit English but I still had a little trouble understanding. Ali, who I thought I was staying with went home and I followed Yusuf on his moped through Alanya to a apartment belonging to the school which they used for meetings and such. And after a while I realized that I was staying in this apartment for the night. Later another teacher named Ömer also came, and he knew some more English so that we could have some longer conversations. I was spoiled with lots of sweets, fruit and of course many cups of tea.

After a nice breakfast with Yusuf, Ömer and Mehmet I got back on the bike on another warm day. I had about 140 km to my next couchsurf host in Bozyazı so the plan was to find a place to sleep somewhere in the middle. A couple of km from Alanya the road stopped being flat and it was back up in the hills again. In the evening I came by a little run down place that had rooms and since I could hear the thunder coming closer it felt like a good idea to stop there for the night. And this morning I woke up listening to the rain pouring down. But there was nothing to do but put on rain clothes and get back on the road. And it was a tough day with lots hills a rain that wouldn’t stop. Eventually I made it to Bozyazı just as the rain stopped. And from here I only have about 110 km to Taşucu from where I’ll get on a ferry to Cyprus. 

And today I passed 9000 km!! Only 1000 more untill the big celebration=) 

Time to go

These last weeks didn’t turn out as a planned and I have been waiting for a package with a new pannier to replace my broken one. And that package still hasn’t turned up. But I can’t wait any longer since I’m meeting my parents in Cyprus soon. So I’ll just have to take the bus back here later to pick up the package (if it ever arrives).

Today I’m glad to be back on the bike again and I have a couple of days riding to Tasucu where I’m taking the ferry over to Cyprus.