The Cyprus Blog

The Cyprus Blog - a new look

2008-10-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

After having experimented with Wordpress at Akshara's Blog, i have decided to move triptocyprus.com also to WordPress and hence, a new look. The new look will slowly start appearing over the next few days and I am taking all the precautions to ensure that there is minimal downtime for the blog.
Do leave your comments on the new look once you see it on triptocyprus.com!

The world famous Medrano Circus in Limassol, Cyprus

2008-10-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

I have never heard of this circus before, but all the posters claim it to be "world-famous". So, if it is indeed world-famous, then the Medrano Circus should not be missed.

Duration: 9 – 20 October, 2008

Times:
Monday to Saturday 18:00 and 20:30 (2 showings)
Sunday 11:00, 16:00, and 1900 (3 Showings)

Event Location : Next to Tsirio football Stadium

Price / Range: Tickets can be purchased at the circus entrance directly.

Category VIP Adults €25 Kids €15
Category A’ Adults €20 Kids €12
Category B’ Adults €17 kids €10

Enjoy!

Visiting Skarfos Bridge

2008-10-08T08:41:00.001-07:00

Skarfos bridge is the next on my list after kelefos, Elia and Roudhia. This bridge doesnt seem to be so famous/popular and i found very few references online. Even the photograph didn't look interesting. But, this was the case with Roudia bridge and it turned out to one of the best places i have visited in Cyprus.
I am planning to visit this bridge sometime in the next two weeks. Keep watching for details and photographs!

Euro Competition - 10 years with the Euro - poster competition for kids

2008-10-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the euro, the European Commission launches a Eurocompetition, an online poster competition among Europe’s youth! The Eurocompetition invites pupils from the euro area and Slovakia to express their views and thoughts on the “10 years of the euro” in a creative way in the form of a poster.

So, if you have a creative mind and if you have a heart for the euro, get to your drawing boards and subscribe to this unique European poster competition!

Growing up with the euro: how does it feel to be part of the euro generation?
This age group is the first generation living with the euro for most of their lives. Many don’t remember the time when we still lived with a variety of national currencies, and don’t realise the impact the euro has had on our daily lives and for the EU as a whole. So pupils are encouraged to discuss in class the changes which the single currency has brought about, and express their ideas in the form of a poster.

Learning what the euro is and what it has achieved
The Eurocompetition website (www.eurocompetition.net) provides materials for teachers to connect their history, geography or even language lessons with the euro, EMU and the economic background involved. Teachers will also be offered guidelines and activities to help teach the euro to this age level.

The project is expected to stimulate debate about the euro within the classroom, and with parents and peers. The debates will raise issues around the changes it has triggered in our daily life, and also encourage thinking about the benefits of a single currency.

How does it work?
Schools and teachers from the Member States of the euro area and Slovakia can register for the competition on the website and receive further information about the celebration of the euro's 10-year anniversary. Participating students must be aged between 10 and 14. There is no charge for participating in the competition.

The competition itself will be launched on 15 September 2008. Until 31 December teachers can upload their pupils' pictures onto the website gallery, where it will be possible to view all the submitted entries from across Europe.

A jury will select 16 national winners, who will each be awarded with a digital camera and the chance to have their poster printed and displayed by the European Commission at an exhibition. From these 16 an overall winner will be selected. A special prize – yet to be unveiled – will be awarded.

About the project
This project is an initiative of the European Commission, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Economic and Monetary Union. The Eurocompetition is organised by the Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance), and coordinated by European Schoolnet (www.eun.org) on their behalf.

For further information please contact:

Ms Nora Nadjarian e-mail: noranadj@logosnet.cy.net
Website: www.eurocompetition.net

Day of the sea - Limassol Promenade Area

2008-09-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Organised by the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, "Day of the sea" is being celebrated in the Limassol Promenade area, near the old port this Sunday - 28th September 2008. The quote of the event being "One Sea, One World".
This is being organized on the occasion of "World Maritime Day". The day-long program includes

Children's activities like Bouncing Castles, Target games, Stilt Walkers
kayak Boats, Jet Ski Racing, Sea/Air rescue operation, Sail Boat racing.

The net proceeds of the Event, will be given to the “Make A Wish” Association, which grants wishes to children suffering from cancer. In fact, Amdocs had organized a fun-fair for make-a-wish foundation few months back.
The "Day of the sea" event sounds interesting and i hope to go. if i do, expect some action photographs!

The first rain of the winter in Cyprus

2008-09-21T01:48:00.000-07:00

It was beautiful. The sight, pleasing. The petrichor*, soothing. I got up very early (7 AM) today morning, as i had to go to the vegetable market and when i stepped out of the house, it was pouring!
Cyprus is transformed during the rainy season and just a bit of rainfall is enough to bring out the greens of the trees. I hope that this rain was not just a freak storm and it continues. This would help alleviate the water problem as well as make the winter sights something to look forward to.
Hoping for a nice winter ...

*Petrichor - The pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell. [From petro- (rock), from Greek petros (stone) + ichor (the fluid that is supposed to flow in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology)

Introducing Akshara Rajaram

2008-09-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

If i had been missing from the blogging scene for a while, it was for a reason. The reason is the birth of my daughter Akshara on 23rd August. After her birth, she has been keeping us busy day and night. But, in the middle of all this, i did find time to start a website in her name.

By modern standards, i would have failed in my duty as a father if i hadn't done so. So, here goes, Akshara's very own personal blog called Child's Play. Do drop in there from time to time for updates and photos of Akshara!

So, very soon, Akshara will be joining us on our exploration of the island of Cyprus!

Late Night Pharmacies in Cyprus

2008-08-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

Where can i find a pharmacy open late at night in Limassol? Since this is a very common request from friends and it doesn't appear so easily when you search for it, I have put the links to the pages which tell you which pharmacies are open late night in the cities of Nicosia, Limassol, Paphos, Larnaca and Famagusta.
Click on the links below to go the page with the information.

Solution to the water problem in Cyprus

2008-08-13T05:41:00.000-07:00

Really Innovative solution to the water problem in Cyprus! As you can see, innovation always has its risks, but the results are sure to quench your thirst!

2nd Euro Mediterranean Folkloric Festival in Limassol

2008-08-04T02:28:00.000-07:00

This is the second edition of the Euro Mediterranean festival in Cyprus, after the one in 2007. The photo above is from the last year's show. I saw the posters for this while driving around yesterday and was surprised to know that it was starting today (Aug 4th, 2008). There was very little publicity for this event and there was not even a single place online where i could get the details. Somehow, i managed to get the phone number of the Cyprus municipality and they were courteous enough to fax me the complete schedule. If you are in Limassol for any of the 4 days below, do go to this show. It is a cultural extravaganza with different kinds of dances/instruments and for the photographer in you, it is a great opportunity to improve your skills at taking photos at a stage concert.
This year, there seem to be groups which were not present last year. Some of the highlights of this year's show are:

Cyprus: Dionysos cultural and dancing group from Limassol, Konta Stin Paradosi Group, Alexandra traditional dancing workshop and the limassol cultural association. I hope that the Cypriots do something different from the usual sitting down, touching one leg and the hopping back thing!
Greece: Cultural Group Arcadi
Hungary: Folk dance group Csepel
Italy: Folklore group Marsala Antica
Czech Republic: Folklore group Lipina Vracov
Latvia: Dance Ensemble Bitite
Egypt: Floklore Group Malawi

The festival is from the 4th of August to 8th of August. The schedule is as follows;

4th Aug: Downtown area, District Administration Office: 19:30, parade of the groups; 20:30, performance of the groups
5th Aug: Performance at the courtyard of Panayia Chrisaifiliotisa church (where is this?) at Agia Fyla
6th Aug: Performance at the "Kostas Partasides Park" at Agios Nicolas
7th Aug: Performance at the courtyard ofAgia Varvara churc at Zakaki
8th Aug: 19:30; Parade of the groups from the Limasosl Municipal Gardens to the Old Port, 20:30;Performance at the old port and then the closing ceremony.

If you get a chance, do visit the performance on one of the days, it is really good!

Trek to an isolated beach near Pissouri Village in Cyprus

2008-07-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

If you can call any trek dramatic, then it has to be this one. The views and the thrills offered by this trek are amazing and this has to be one of the best coastal treks in Cyprus. I found this trek from a book called "Walks in Cyprus", but this is a very old book and the directions don't hold good any longer as he refers to "a building under construction" in many places as references and they are obviously no longer in that state.
Highlights of this trek
- Excellent photo opportunities with the cliffs and the sea
- An isolated beach at the end of the trek, reachable only by boat or through this walk
- Pissouri Village is just a short drive away from Paphos/Limassol

Things to note if you are going on this trek
- You need good shoes with a strong grip as almost the entire route consists of just barren loose rocks and is very slippery. Some sections of this trek are extremely close to the edge of the cliff, so you wouldn't want to risk "slipping" over the edge!
- Take lot of water. Even the downhill section gets tiring. It takes approximately an hour and a half (with lot of photo breaks) to go downhill and an equal amount of time uphill. Uphill is much easier.
- The best time to do this walk is in early winter or in spring. You are totally exposed to the elements on this walk and it can get very hot/cold if you are walking in the peak seasons.

How to get to the starting point of the trek: The treks starts from the top of the hill on which Pissouri village is located. Pissouri village is a short drive from Limassol/Paphos. Once you drive up to the centre of Pissouri, keep on going straight (there is only one narrow road) until you come to a fork in the centre of the road. Take the left and keep going. You should always be on the "main" road and not venture into the small exits which lead to apartment complexes. After a while you should see a tall tower somewhere at the end of the road. This is supposed to be a military complex. Park anywhere near the apartments before the tower complex and walk around the tower to go behind it. You should hit a trail clearly visible at the edge of the cliff. Start walking towards the right (west) towards the beach. That's it, you are on your way.

I have been on this trek three times. The first time, we didn't know the correct starting point, tried to find a way ourselves ( we knew we had to reach the beach, it should be easy to find a way!), got lost and ended up on a cliff which had no way out! The second time, we took a better approach, followed a stream's course (They all have to flow into the sea, right) and ended up at the top of the 20 foot waterfall which we obviously couldn't climb down. But, we managed to climb up the sides and find the correct path and we reached the beach. The third time ( very experienced now!), we went on the correct path. I am writing about all the three attempts below. So, if you are just interested in the correct way, scroll down to the third story. But, you might miss some good photographs if you do so :-)

First (unsuccessful) attempt:

We didn't quite understand the map drawn in the book for this particular trek. There was a mention of a goat enclosure. We found one, assumed that this was the one mentioned and started walking in the direction of the beach. After 10 minutes, we realised that there was no way that this could have been the correct way, but we decided to press on anyway. We also saw a herd of mountain goats on the way and felt happy that we were not the only living beings around. We finally reached a cliff beyond which, we concluded, there was no safe path towards the sea.(the place where Gopal is standing in the first pic above) So, we started climbing the cliffs and rocks on this cliff for lot of photo ops. Looking back, this attempt was lot of fun as it was totally investigative in nature and at some places, it was a real struggle to keep going.

Second attempt (Took lot of time, but finally made it):

This time Puneeth gave the suggestion of following the path of what would have been a stream in the rainy season(The path in the first photo above). It was an interesting suggestion and we enjoyed the initial part of the walk. Since we were following the stream, we had to walk through narrow gorges, over rocks and some pretty slippery terrain. The most fun was to climb down the places where there would have been a waterfall in the rainy season. We did climb down quite a few of them, some even around 6-7 feet tall. Puneeth and i decided to follow the exact path of the stream which meant scrambling through thorny bushes into steep gorges while others preferred the safer longer route.

The path became more and more meandering (we were enjoying it). Then as i was walking around a blind corner, i came to a waterfall. Good that i had been walking slowly, otherwise, i cannot imagine the situation i could have been in. The fall was more than 10-12 feet high and there was no way we could climb down the wall. We had no option but to look for other routes. But, we were stuck in a gorge with steep walls on either side. We didn't want to retrace our route, so we took the decision to climb the walls. It was tough, but we managed it and continued on "top of the stream" towards the sea. Luckily, we saw two other trekkers in the distance, the kind who come out with a backpack and walking sticks (the so-called pros) and they seemed to know where they were going. So, we went in their direction and found something resembling a track. We realised that this was the elusive path we had been looking for and finally managed to reach the beach. Btw, this was the first and only trek in which Parthipan was short of breath and needed rest!

Third Attempt (Now, we are pros on this trek!):
So, to continue from the initial paragraphs, once you park near the tower complex, go around it (from the left) and keep going towards the edge of the cliff. There you will see a clear goat-path going towards the right. This is the track you should take. All along the track you will see markers put by trekkers (even we have contributed to quite a few of them) consisting of few rocks on top of each other. So, if you see them, you know for sure that you are on the right track. There are even markers on the beach to tell you that you have reached the correct beach !!

The path can get slippery at places and it was interesting to see the approaches taken by my friends in overcoming those obstacles!

i was the first to reach the beach and has some good opportunities to take photos of the rest of the gang climb down.

Don't forget to take lot of breaks during the trek for taking photographs. If the weather turns out to be fine, you can get some real nice pictures. Enjoy the trek and drop in a comment about your experience!

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Amdocs fun fair at the maritime center limassol for make a wish foundation

2008-07-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

If you are in Limmasol on Saturday, the 5th of July 2008, do drop in at the fun-fair organised at the Maritime center by amdocs. All the income generated from this event would go to the "Make a Wish" foundation for children with cancer. The fun-fair is from 5 pm until 10 in the night on Saturday.
Highlights of the event:

Many attractions for kids including Bouncing Castles, face Painting and magic show
Bingo game with attractive prizes
The Cyprus Car Rally champion is going to be here for photographs and rumour is that he might even take people for a ride in his car
Games to play like football, baketball and darts with prizes
Drinks, coffee, Cyprus Doughnuts and Indian Food stalls

Most importantly, all proceeds go to charity. So, if you are in Limassol , do drop in.

James Blunt concert in Cyprus

2008-06-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

Date: 21st June 2008
Venue: Spyros Kyprianou(PALAIS DE SPORT), Limassol
Prices: Arena Euro 42(£24.58) Seats Euro 50(£30) and a very limited number VIP Euro 85(£50)
INFO: 77 77 29 39
Tickets: Go to moonlightshow.com or interticket.com.cy

Ayia Napa sea caves near Cape Greko

2008-05-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

Though Cyprus is famous for its beaches, there are not many areas in Cyprus where you would find the sea meeting the land at a beach. Most of the Cyprus coastline is rugged and in some places, there are massive cliffs (like the ones near Episkopi and beyond) and in others, there are small cliffs which are easily accessible for adventure seekers. There are two very popular "sea caves" in Cyprus, one at Ayia Napa and the other at Peyia.
The Ayia Napa sea caves is the more visited one because of its proximity to the party-town of Ayia Napa. These are located almost on the south-eastern end of Cyprus next to Cape Greko/Caveo Greko. They are easily accessible from Ayia Napa, Protaras or Paralimni. This is how you go to the sea caves:

I assume that you know to reach Ayia Napa. Just look for Ayia Napa on the maps and drive over. Simple.
Once in Ayia Napa, go towards the McD next to the Luna Park. You should be able to see the Mc D sign/Sling Shot towers in this Luna Park from quite a distance away. A reference to this McD would be a dead-end road by its side which is often used for parking and a mini-golf course right next to it (across this road).
Proceed East on this road i.e. moving in the direction of McD from the luna Park.
You will come to a T-Junction. You have to take a left here if you want to go the main clubbing area of Ayia Napa. But, we shall leave that for later and turn right at the T-Junction.
This road will go towards the sea and end at a beach. Take a left at the roundabout and within 10/20 metres, the road will again turn left. take this left turn (taking the mini lane to the right would take you to the sea). This is like taking a very big U-Turn.
Keep going on this road until the road curves right and comes to a round-about.
On this round-about, go straight (third/last exit towards Cavo Greko).
After some distance, you will come to a t-junction again. Follow the direction of Cavo Greko which in this case is towards the right , towards the sea.
Keep going on this road, you should see a small sign saying "sea caves" pointing to the right. This is proper road which branches off to the right, but stays parallel to the main road for a distance. On this road, after some time, a small earthern road turns to the right. The road (not really a road) looks real bad, but is ok to drive on. Drive on straight towards the sea and you should see the sea caves on the right.

These caves are the result of millions of years of the sea pounding on the cliffs and making inroads into the walls of the cliff. You can climb down to sea level at the east end of the cliff and walk close to the walls and explore many of the caves which have formed. Some are them go in quite deep and you have to be sure-footed to explore them.

For those who are afraid of clambering over the rocks to climb down, there is an easier way, just jump off the cliffs into the water. This is a very popular activity here and is supposed to be pretty safe. The water is quite deep and crystal clear. So, as long as you have your orientations right, you can jump quite comfortably into the clear water avoiding the rocks.

This place is a great one for photography enthusiasts. You have numerous crevices with which you can explore your creative photography skills. Also, the sunset at this place is amazing. If you have the patience and the "foothold" to climb down and get into the caves, you can get some really nice pictures at sunset.

For the adventurous, once you climb down, you don't have to climb up the same way again. You can walk along with cliffs and climb up at the other end, though it is bit of a struggle at some places.

A few minute drive away from the sea caves is official south-easternmost point of Cyprus. You cannot go to that exact spot, as there are some military antenna installations there. But, you can go to the top of the hill right next to it for amazing views of the Ayia Napa coast. There is even a short nature walk from the top of the hill which takes you to further cliffs by the sea.

If you have time left after visiting the Ayia Napa sea caves, you can drive over to Konnoi bay, only a short distance away and maybe even walk to the cyclops cave. Other places of interest nearby: Protaras Aquarium (Ocean Aquarium), the Dancing Waters musical fountain in the Protaras tourist area.

Enjoy!

Cyclops Cave in Konnos Bay near Ayia Napa

2008-05-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Cyclops cave is a small cave which can be reached after a comfortable 1.5 km walk from Konnos bay. The cave has 3 to 4 "rooms" and you can find many stalactite formations in this cave. The walk to this cave is a steady walk without much ascent and even kids can be taken along for this walk.

There are numerous spots on this walk overlooking the sea which are ideal for a small picnic. You can also climb down to the sea at many sections of the walk. Also, the route to the cave follows the cliff walls closely and you will be able to see the effect of the wind on the cliff walls. There are interesting rock formations on the cliff walls which provide for a good photo opportunity.

Konnos bay is sometimes referred to as Konnoi bay on the maps. It is located to the east of Ayia Napa between Cape Greko (Cavo Greco) and Protaras. Konni Bay is a beautiful wind-swept bay which is almost like a secluded beach. You have to go down the slope from the main road through some hairpin bends to reach the beach. The setting of this beach is amazing.

Directions to Konnoi Bay/Cyclops cave:

I assume that you know to reach Ayia Napa. Just look for Ayia Napa on the maps and drive over. Simple.
Once in Ayia Napa, go towards the McD next to the Luna Park. You should be able to see the Mc D sign/Sling Shot towers in this Luna Park from quite a distance away. A reference to this McD would be a dead-end road by its side which is often used for parking and a mini-golf course right next to it (across this road).
Proceed East on this road i.e. moving in the direction of McD from the luna Park.
You will come to a T-Junction. You have to take a left here if you want to go the main clubbing area of Ayia Napa. But, we shall leave that for later and turn right at the T-Junction.
This road will go towards the sea and end at a beach. Take a left at the roundabout and within 10/20 metres, the road will again turn left. take this left turn (taking the mini lane to the right would take you to the sea). This is like taking a very big U-Turn.
Keep going on this road until the road curves right and comes to a round-about.
On this round-about, go straight (third/last exit towards Cavo Greko).
After some distance, you will come to a t-junction again. Follow the direction of Cavo Greko which in this case is towards the right , towards the sea.
Keep going on this road, you should cross the Ayia Napa sea-caves sign (pointing to the right). Keep going and you should cross another exit towards cavo greko which is the one leading to the lookout point on top of the "obviously" visible hill on your right.
The exit to Konnos Bay (on the right) is approximately 2kms from the exit to the Cave greko hill. Another landmark for Konnos Bay is the Grecian Park Hotel.
Don't drive all the way down to the beach if you plan to go to the cave. Around half-way down, you will come to parking lot with a clear sign saying "Cyclops Cave 1.5 km" or something like that. (it has been more than 2 yrs, so i forgot what is said on the sign).

Hope that this information was useful and you found it to be a nice walk. If you have time left after visiting the cyclops caves, you can drive over to the Ayia Napa sea caves, only a short distance away. Other places of interest nearby: Protaras Aquarium (Ocean Aquarium), the Dancing Waters musical fountain in the Protaras tourist area.
Enjoy!

Cyprus car rally 2008

2008-05-09T04:57:00.000-07:00

The annual Cyprus car rally is just around the corner - happening next weekend (17th and 18th May 2008) . This rally is not part of WRC (world rally championships), but part of the Middle East Rally Championship 2008. Cyprus was removed from the WRC calendar in 2007. It was supposed to be back on WRC from 2008, but according to the organisers, this year's rally is also not part of WRC. I am not a reagular rally follower and do not know any of the big names in rallying. So, for me, as long as there are fast cars, lot of dust and action, it is worth a visit for excellent photo opportunities.
We had been to one of the stages in 2006 and spent a lot of time taking photos of the action. We went pretty early to the place (you have to if you need to find a nice spot). We walked along the road for a small distance until ee got a nice spot next to a sharp curve.

There were many people who had considered the same spot as a good location and it was pretty crowded. But, most of them were high up on the slope behind the bushes. We were surprised as to why these people come to such a good spot, but then climb up the slope to move away from the place of action. We understood why as soon as the first car sped by. The wind was blowing towards us and the few million tons of dirt and rock released by the spinning wheels of the car came straight in our direction. It was too late. We were consumed by the dust and ended up well camouflaged on the dirt road!

But, the spot was too good to let go of. So, we adopted a new procedure. We would click photos right until the moment the cars passed us, then put the camera inside out t-shirts, turn to the opposite direction, bend down and pray to god that nothing big falls on us!
I then moved a little ahead, to the side of the road to get some closer shots. Some people were so close to the cars that a small mistake by the drivers could have proven fatal.

Well, i too decided to join those people as i concluded that the experience was worth the risk. But i doubt that i will do that again, as there were many close calls.

After i was satisfied with the amount of dirt i had consumed, i crossed over and found that, because of the wind direction, not even a speck of dust was falling on that side of the road. Here was an opportunity to try some artistic shots!

I used the burst mode on my nikon D70 to capture a sequence of a car passing by.

In 2006, for the first time, a special stage was introduced in the Cyprus rally. This was called the Downtown special and was to be held in the narrows streets of Limassol downtown area. While the usual visitor tickets for any stage cost around 2 pounds, tickets for this stage cost around 18 CYP and were sold out within a few days of being announced. Special stages were put along the roads where seating options were provided. There were separate tickets for the seating and the non-seating options.
I didn't have any tickets, but i went to the downtown area nevertheless in the hope that i would get to see some action. To my surprise, there was no one to check any tickets. The whole area was open to anyone and one could go to any curve/street to watch the race. This was because, the race was actually changed to an exhibition race as many drivers complained of the high risk involved in racing through the very narrow streets. So, at the last minute, the organisers announced (only to the participants) that this was just an exhibition stage and the points didn;t count towards the overall cyprus rally.

Though it was an exhibition race, the drivers were turning on the heat by taking the curves as fast as they could and in some places, it was really too close for comfort. If you see the sequence below, the car skids a lot to the left, almost touching the barricades.

But, one Citroen driver tried too much and ended up banging his car on the side of the road. He turned out the star attraction of the evening, as soon as he started crying!

If you are looking for details on this year's rally, go check out the official cyprus rally website here.

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The power of manamoo in Cyprus

2008-05-06T02:12:00.000-07:00

Manamoo actually means "my mother" in Greek, but the meaning of this word/phrase depends on the actual situation you use it in. It can mean "my dear", "my friend" and practically anything else you would playfully address another person.
No, I am not planning to start Greek classes on my blog. For that, you can check details on online Greek classes here. Why I am discussing about this particular word is because of the "power" of this word in Cyprus. The word manamoo when used appropriately can open doors for you, help you jump the queue and much much more. I had been to the tax office few days back to submit my returns for 2007. I had to wait quite a bit because there was a Britisher in front of me who was "unsuccessfully" discussing with the tax officer to clarify the reasons for the excessive tax he is supposedly paying. Between his rants, the tax officer used to say something to greek to her neighbour and both would giggle. While all this was happening, I suddenly remembered a similar incident which happened to me at the same place 2 years ago. I had written about it on my personal blog that time. Reading that still brings a smile and makes me wonder about the complications of living in this small island. So, I am pasting below the contents of that post. Btw, this "concept" still holds good and will probably do so forever.
-----------------
Today morning, I went to the Income Tax office to meet our assigned Tax Officer to file the returns. I went at 9 AM. If i had gone in at 9AM, my conversation should have been like:

Me: Hi, I came two days back. You asked me to come today to collect my documents.

She: What is your name?

Me: Rajaram Sethuraman.

She:Here it is.

Me: Thank you. Bye

She: Bye.

Probably, it would have taken 43 seconds and I would have been in office on time.

But at 9AM, there was another person inside the office and hence, I had to wait outside.

After a few minutes, a Britisher came and joined me in the queue. This was, or rather supposed to be, a straight-forward FIFO (First in-First out) Queue.

It was 9.15 AM now and I was already getting impatient.

Out of nowhere came an elderly Cypriot Gentleman and peeped inside the office. Then we heard a shrieking voice "Manamoooo" (Pronouned like Cho Chweeeeet). And this Cypriot guy went inside the office. The Britisher and I exchanged strange looks.

I consoled myself by saying that he was let in because he was old.

15 minutes passed by.

Then came a sparsely dressed Cypriot Girl, who also peeped into the office. Then we heard the same voice again "Manamoooooo". She also went it. She had a big folder in her hands (looked like an agent).

The britisher was visibly upset. He asked me "Shall i also peep inside and shout Manamooo". I told him that the lady inside would probably discover him to be a fake, with his accent. The girl inside took out a piece of cake and both started eating it and discussing all the worldly affairs. Another 15 mins passed by. Then, she took out a huge bundle of tax forms from her folder. The Britisher almost fainted.

Finally, at 10 Am, it was my turn to go inside.

The Britisher, with a very concerned face, asked me "Are you also going to do this manamooo thing? "
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Easter Vacations in Cyprus: What are your plans?

2008-04-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

We have a long weekend coming up, in fact a very long one of 5 days. Many take the 2 days off in the next week to make it a pretty decent break of 10 days. I am going to Dubai for a short vacation, but about you. If you are in Cyprus, are your plans done? If not, let me help you with some suggestions. You can check out the links in each of the plans below for more details.

You could go to North Cyprus for a 2-3 day visit. Visit the Saint Hilarion castle and enjoy the Kyrenia harbour. Who knows, you could also win a fortune at the North Cyprus casinos.
It is a great time now in Cyprus to rent a 4WD jeep. It is still not unbearably hot, as there is always a cool breeze around. You could rent a jeep and explore the ruggedness of Akamas by visitung the Avakas gorge or going up to the Baths of Aphrodite.
If you want to have a break with your family not involving lot of walking around, visit the medieval bridges of Cyprus, the kelefos bridge (which is good for a lunch break) and the Elia Bridge and also visiting Trimiklini double bridge on the way. If you have a jeep, then you can also add Roudia Bridge to the itinerary.
Another good option with the family would be to go camping in polis or at the governors beach. It would be a nice outdoor break, but without much of the hassle of any other activity.
If you want to spend your time with nature, there is no better way than to go for the short Kalidonia waterfalls trek from platres. Of course, if you want to rough it out, you can choose the longer trek down from the top. You can also visit the beautiful Millomeri waterfalls on the way.

So, there you are, many options to make your easter vacations interesting. I am off to Dubai and i hope that those in Cyprus would make the most of this time and explore this beautiful island.
Happy Easter!

Technorati Tags: happy easter Easter Cyprus Easter Vacation holiday Cyprus Jeep trip Akamas

Cyprus to import water from Greece

2008-04-23T00:30:00.000-07:00

According to a news report in the Cyprus Mail, Cyprus is planning to import water from Greece to alleviate the problems due to the current water shortage. The plan is to import 8 million cubic metres of water over the summer based on the agreement signed with Ocean tankers company. The concept of "importing" water seems cool. I am hearing about such a thing for the first time. Is it a common practice for drought-ridden countries?

Technorati Tags: water shortage cyprus rain cyprus

Roudia Bridge - the most beautiful medieval bridge in Cyprus

2008-04-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Roudia Bridge is the third of the medieval or the venetian bridges in Cyprus. I refer to Roudhia bridge as the "third" Medieval bridge because any website mentioning about the bridges in Cyprus refer to mostly the Kelefos bridge and in some cases, the Elia bridge too. There is rarely a mention of Roudia bridge. In fact, i found only one blog of a Britisher (The blog is closed now) who had mentioned about his "difficulties" in finding this bridge. The reason might be that the location of this bridge is very remote, deep within the Paphos/troodos range and the roads to this place are unmarked and very narrow and almost impossible to go with a regular car. We struggled to find the place and it took a lot of questions to absolutely-no-english-speaking cypriots to find it. But, I shall make it easier for you!
So, here is the way to go to Roudia Bridge: (It has been more than 4 months since we went for a Jeep trip (Christmas time). I shall try to recollect as much as possible. If you do follow the directions below and have something which can enhance the details, drop in a mail/comment.

First, go to Kelefos bridge. If you don't know to go to Kelefos bridge, checkout my other post on kelefos bridge. Once you get down the slope, the road seems to go across the river. Those visiting Kelefos bridge, park here. But, to go to Roudia bridge, you have to make this river crossing. Check out the photo below from our Jeep trip many ago. Of course, at that time, i didn't know about the Roudia Bridge and just did this crossing for fun.

Once you cross the river, the road climbs up. Keep heading towards Pera Vasa picnic site. At the pera vasa picnic site, you should see a treek trunk on display. This was supposed to be the biggest/oldest tree in the region.

After you cross the Pera Vasa Picnic site, you will come to a T-junction, where you have to turn right. I think the one on the right goes towards Mylikouri and the other towards Arminou. Not sure about this, but I am sure that you have take a right here.
If you keep going, you will come to a big fork in the road. In the middle of the fork, you will see a brown-board with an arrow to the left saying "Venetian Bridge". This board points to a trail going down the hill. I don't know whether this train goes to Roudia bridge, but the bridge is far away from here. You have to take the road going right (and downwards) towards Pano Panagia. We took the other one and went for a long distance and returned back. The road was too narrow to even attempt a 3-point turn and we had to travel a long distance just to find a spot to turn the jeep.
The moment you enter this road (after about a 10 metres), you will see two branches, one going straight and the other turning right. You have to turn right on this one. The one going straight stops at a check-post, probably a private road. This road goes downwards all the way to the bottom of the valley. Don't get disheartened by the state of the road, you are almost there!
I assume that you will be on the lookout for a photo-op all throughout the way. If you don't, better start looking out now. Otherwise, you will miss the bridge like we did. At one point, you will take a right and then go over a small road-bridge which goes over a river. The river should appear on your left with trees on either side. The photo below gives you an example as how the scene should look like.

The moment you pass this bridge, the road turns left and passes through a big open area which also has signs such as "Lighting fires is prohibited in this area". At the end of the open area, the road turns right and upwards. Don't go there. Look left and there you have the bridge!

Unfortunately, we didn't find the bridge so easily. The moment we entered this open area, we saw a jeep speed of ahead of us climbing onto the road upwards. We also decided that it would be best to ask someone about the location. So, all our eyes were on the jeep ahead of us that we missed looking towards the left where we would have found the bridge. We chased the jeep for another 20 mins and came to a fork. At this fork, we saw a board (The only one!) which said "Gefri Roudia" and pointed in the direction we had come from! A little ahead, we saw another jeep and went to enquire. That guy spoke no English at all and didn't understand the word "bridge". So, i called up my Cypriot colleague and found that "Gefri" meant a bridge. By this time, another gentleman with his jeep had also joined us. Luckily, he spoke English. He told us that we had to go back and we would find the bridge at the bottom of the valley. So, we turned back and kept driving. This time, when we drove down the final stretch to the bottom of the valley, the bridge was there right ahead of us! Well, i was supposed to watch the road, but what were the others doing? We were so tired by then, that we had some snacks before proceeding for photo sessions!

The Road-bridge over which you drive across

Getting all the kit ready for the photo session!

Vidhya and Anit tried to cross the river, but it turned out to be too cold for Vidhya!

We are ready to pose wherever you want!

And then, there it is finally, the roudia bridge...

You can go on top of the bridge, but the other side is blocked. It abruptly finishes on a cliff. The colours of the trees and the leaves and the evening lighting proved irresistible to attempt lot of photos. This place should look heavenly in Spring. So, if you are reading this before Easter, go there during the Easter holidays!

After the round of the usual shots, we moved into the experimental photographs. When you Anith, "the brave", Kumar around, you are guaranteed to get your share your share of weirdness!

Anith tries to do a Tarzan, but all that he achieved was to wet his ****s in the extremely cold water! Btw, the **** stands for "pant".

More photos...

Another way to approach this bridge would be Ayios Ionannis, Arminou and then through the abandoned village of Vretsia, but i have heard it is almost impossible to find Vretsia, as all the signs pointing to this village have been removed. Hope that you enjoy visiting Roudia place (hope that you find it!). If you think that any other detail would explain the directions further, do let me know.

Technorati Tags: cyprus bridge medieval bridges cyprus venetian bridges cyprus roudia bridge kelefos bridge elia bridge

Millomeri Waterfalls in Platres near Troodos, Cyprus

2008-04-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

Though Kaledonia waterfalls is claimed to be the highest waterfall in Cyprus, the milomeri waterfall is a few metres higher. A probable reason for this could be that access to Millomeri was made easier only a couple of years back and not many people know about this place. There is no doubt that the trek to the Kaledonia fall is much more beautiful and green than the regular approach to Millomeri, but this one is better for the ones who don't want to trek, but want to just step out of the car and visit places.
A possible explanation of the name comes from greek words for Wet (Millos) and Meri (Place) meaning wet place, but i checked with many Cypriot colleagues of mine and none of them seem to recognise the word millos to have the meaning "wet". Anyway, the road to Millimeri falls was opened up in the past few years and it has caught up as a tourist destination.
There are two ways to reach this waterfall

Drive right up to it in a vehicle
Trek/Walk a kilometre long train from the Platres Church.

The driving option: The exit to Millomeri falls appears 2 kms before the first exit to Platres on the way from Limassol to Troodos. The exit appears right in the middle of a sharp right turn (from Limassol to Troodos), so it is easy to miss it. So, watch out for the distances on the signboards, the exit should come approximately 2 kms before Platres when the road turns right on the main road. After a short distance into this exit, the road apparently deteriorates, but don't worry, it is good enough for any car to go on. But the final stretch of a few hundred metres depends on the landslide conditions and i have seen situations where the road is just a few metres across at places because of fallen rocks. You keep on going until you come to a wide open area which seems to have a dead-end across a small bridge. This bridge finishes at a kiosk (which i have never seen open!). Park anywhere here and then right after the kiosk, you will see a long flight of stairs to the right. This will lead you to the base of the falls.

The trek to the falls: This is a small trek of around a kilometre one-way, but it does involve lots of ups and downs, so it is better if you plan to take a break (with drinks/snacks) at the falls. Go to Platres, drive towards the platres church. Actually, just keep driving along the road when you enter Platres, don't take any of the smaller side lanes and you should reach the church. The waterfall lies in the valley down below. The start of the trek is a small path going down just after a house around a 100 metres before the Platres church. The path is quite slippery at the start, so be careful if you have got kids tagging along.
The path is very green particularly in winter/spring it is an enjoyable short trek. Don't be surprised if the patch climbs a lot after the initial downward slope. You drop down to the valley then climb all the way up to the other side of the mountain and again all the way down to the waterfall. At one particular spot, a little bit of adventurous climbing could actually land you on top of the millomeri fall.

If you have reached the waterfall by car and feel that you haven't done anything adventurous enough, try to climb the slope opposite the waterfall and reach the lone tree on top of the slope. Climbing up is pretty easy, but coming down is tricky as the slope is made up mostly of loose rocks and for some reason, the rocks also want to come down the slope along with you.

So, the next time you are off to troodos, take this small diversion and enjoy the "highest" waterfall in Cyprus. If you are going in winter, it gets really cold at the fall, because is is deep in a valley with little sunshine. So, be prepared with lot of warm clothes. Also, the amount of water increases a lot in winter because of the melting snow and it can be quite an adventure just to get to the base of the fall.
Look at the difference below. The first one was taken in winter and the second one in summer. But, one thing is sure, any time of the year, a visit to Millomeri waterfall is a good trip to make.

Technorati Tags: cyprus waterfall milomeri waterfall millomeri waterfall Kaledonia waterfall nature cyprus

Double Bridge in Trimiklini Village, Cyprus

2008-04-08T07:51:00.000-07:00

Cyprus is famous for its medieval bridges, but the ones that hog the limelight are the Kelefos bridge and the Elia Bridge. There are many more bridges in Cyprus but they rarely fall into the itinerary of a tourist.
One such bridge is the one found in Trimiklini Village on the way to Troodos. This is unique considering the fact that this is the only double bridge in Cyprus. Ages ago, there used to be traffic along both the layers of the bridge, but now only the top section is accessible through a road which runs on it.
Many years back, we went in search of this bridge. We knew that it was in Trimiklini, but didn't know the exact location. Since i didn't have a photo of the bridge, i couldn't get much help from the locals either. So, we started off by venturing into every paved exit branching off from the main road near Trimiklini. We also found a old stone bridge running over a stream and even concluded that this was the one!

Finally after many wrong turns, we found the right one and drove right to the bridge. It looks quite good with the greenery around. On tracing the stream across the valley floor, we found that the old stone bridge also lies on the same stream.

So, how do you get to the Double bridge in Trimiklini?

If you are going from Limassol, take the road to Troodos from the highway.
You will enter the village of Trimiklini after around 20 kms (not sure of the distance, but you cannot miss this village, as it is right on the main road)
In this village, you will also find a shop advertising a "Waterfall". Don't go to this. This "waterfall" is just the trickling water from the kitchen probably. He even used to charge 1 pound for this sometime back.
Just after the village, you will come across a small road bridge. If you stick (you or the car) close to the shoulder on the left of the bridge, you should get the view below.

If you reach the junction where the road on the left goes to Omodhos/Mandria and the road on the right goes to Saittas, you have crossed the exit to Trimiklini. Actually, the exit to the bridge is a very small lane to the left of the road just before the road bridge mentioned before. It won't cost you much to reach the road bridge, look out and say "Ah, there is the bridge" and reverse a bit to take the first left you come across. This is much safer than me trying to tell you instructions to find the exact lane to take!
After you finish seeing the bridge, you might ask "So, where is this stream coming from?". To answer this, all you have to do is come out onto the main road, cross the road bridge and then park to the right (there is an open parking space next to/in front of a restaurant). By the side of the restaurant, you will see a narrow path heading towards what looks like a dam. Yes, it is a dam, one built across the same stream.

This was how the stream looked like 4 years back, just before the best rainy season Cyprus had for a long long time. It was a very deep valley with just a trickle of water flowing at the bottom. We had even thought of carrying out a trekking expedition to the bottom of the river at that time.

This is how it looks now. Yes, it is the same stream. So full that it even overflows across the dam. Now, our thoughts were like "This would make a nice place to try kayaking"!

Don't forget to visit this place when you got to Trimiklini. Perapedi dam is also close-by, but that would be part of another post!

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cyprus bridge trimlikini village trimiklini village cyprus

Severe water shortage in Cyprus

2008-04-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

UPDATE (1st June 2008): The Water Board of Limassol has announced that, as of Saturday 31^st May 2008, there will be further restrictions to the water supply during the weekend with a reduction of the duration of supply from 36hrs to 24hrs. Also, some areas have moved from Area A to Area B and Vice versa. See below for the timings/area details.
UPDATE(13th Aug 2008). Looks like the water problem in Cyprus has been solved thanks to the innovative solution of an individual. Check it out here.
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For the first time in the 6.5 years i have been in Cyprus, nothing happened when i turned on the water tap. There was silence, absolute silence! Okay, it happened once before, but it was because i had forgotten to pay the water bill.

But, this time, I was in the clear. Cyprus is facing its worst ever water shortage in the past few decades. It is so bad that the usually indulgent Cypriots have been forced to accept a rationed water supply with the water coming in only 12 hours every 48 hours.

There are many side effects to this move by the Cypriot Government

I am not allowed to practice the 4th doctrine that i learnt from my wife in spite of the fact that I was forced to put it into practice once upon a time. I am surprised as to how the concept of cleanliness can change with a change in the available resources!
Many Cypriot teenagers went on a party rally as soon as this scheme was announced. It seems that they no longer have to worry about their moms complaining when they shower with beer instead of water.
More and more Cypriots are becoming sea-borne i.e. they go for a dip in the sea for their daily bath as they have used the bathtubs in their houses for storing water.
According to an article by Patroclos in the Sunday Mail (Feb 10th, 2008) , people from Paphos are supposed to be small-minded, complex-ridden, self-serving and semi-civilised. It seems that an average Paphite has the inferiority complex that makes him want to prove that he is smarter than the other Cypriots. I don't know about all these attributes attributed to Paphites, but the people of Paphos are having a ball of time now, laughing their asses off at other Cypriots , because the water cuts are yet to apply to Paphos!
In Cyprus, as in many European countries, you may be asked for ID-proof if you are entering a bar after 6 pm. Nowadays, anyone purchasing cans of water have to prove that they are over 18 years old. This is to prevent underage Cypriots from wasting water.
The Cypriot police have invented a new apparatus which is used in surprise checks on the roads. This apparatus attaches to the belly of the person and the person is then asked to jump up and down 3 times. This apparatus measures the amount of the water consumed by the person based on the frequency with which the contents inside the belly oscillate. The new laws state that the allowable limit is 427.5 ML of water per hour. The government passed the ruling that it should be 250 ML per hour late last year, but after the Euro conversion everything, including this, got multiplied by a factor of 1.71.

I hope that the water crisis ends soon so that i can wash my car!

On a more serious note, there is really a problem and the government is trying its best to solve it soon. The details below give the days on which a particular area will receive water.

Area Á: (the first three digits of the “Location Number” appearing at the top right-hand side of your water bill)	Water will be supplied during the following days and times: 7pm Tuesday till 7am Wednesday 7pm Thursday till 7am Friday 7pm Saturday till 7am Sunday
Water will be supplied to the following locations: 120, 121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 128, 217, 218, 219, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 317, 318, 319, 928, 930, 931, 932.	These areas are located west of the Garyllis river and include the following locations: Tsiflikoudia, Agios Spyridonas, Zakaki, Agios Antonios, part of the Tjami Tjetit and the refugee settlements Makarios III, Agios Ioannis, Agios Spyridonas, areas of Kato Polemidia, Agios Athanasios (north of the highway) and the communities of Fasoula, Mathikoloni and Cherkes Chiftlik, Agia Napa and part of Katholiki area (south of Navarinou street), Agia Triada area, Neapoli area, Agios Georgios Frangoudi and Sfina area, Apostolou Petrou and Pavlou area, Agios Georgios Havouzas and Tsirio area


Area B: (the first three digits of the “Location Number” appearing at the top right-hand side of your water bill)	Water will be supplied during the following days and times: 7pm Monday till 7am Tuesday 7pm Wednesday till 7am Thursday 7pm Friday till 7am Saturday
Water will be supplied to the following locations: 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 320, 321, 322, 919, 921, 922, 923, 924, 925, 926, 927.	These areas are located east of the Garyllis river and include the following locations: part of the Tjami Tjetit, Agios Georgios, Agia Zoni, Agios Nektarios, Kapsalos, Kontovathkia, Chalkoutsa, Mesa Geitonia, Agios Nikolaos, Ekali, Agia Fyla, Panagia Evaggelistria, Kallithea, Laiki Lefkothea, Panthea, Linopetra, Agios Athanasios (south of the highway), Omonia area, Agios Ioannis and Arnaout area, Monovolikos (south of Pafos street up to the Lemesos industrial area), Apostolos Andreas area

The many faces of the Cyprus Carnival 2008

2008-03-28T02:31:00.000-07:00

The annual carnival parade happened two weeks ago in Limassol, Cyprus. The Cyprus carnival is not so "famous" as the brazil one, nevertheless it is a good sight to watch and is a popular tourist attraction in Spring. I didn't watch the entire parade this year, it got a bit boring and monotonous after the first 2.5 hrs with every fifth group consisting of Cypriot guys dressed up as women with overtly plunging decolletes and obscenely big bottoms! I don't know why Cypriot guys are so obsessed with cross-dressing particularly when it comes to the carnival season. But, the carnival fortnight as a whole is a festive time here and is a good time to be in Cyprus. Below are some of the photos from this year's main carnival parade on Makarios Avenue in Limassol.

Technorati Tags: cyprus carnival limassol carnival brazil carnival limassol downtown

Make a difference: Join the Earth hour movement

2008-03-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

Earth Hour 2007 was a great success in Sydney. Now, in 2008, a global event is planned.

About Earth Hour: From Earth Hour Website

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On March 31 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming – coal-fired electricity – by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the attention of the world.

In 2008, 24 global cities will participate in Earth Hour at 8pm on March 29. Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.

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Even in Cyprus, this movement has been initiated by the Green Party, who are calling all Cypriots to take part in the Global Blackout on Saturday night between 8 and 9 pm. Are you in ? I hope that there is no major football match going on at that time. If so, no Cypriot would participate!