I tested out two very important things tonight!

Couch napping and night time running....

I took the most wonderful and relaxing nap on my couch tonight. Huge fuffy pillows covering my entire body cooled by the ac. After my nap I went for a run... don't worry mom I survived :)

It seems pretty safe around here, it doesn't matter if I'm walking, running, standing, doing whatever the Greek men will stare so I'm trying not to worry about that and I just stay in areas that have lights. However, I did see the tiniest, cutest, most adorable kitty-cat ever. I ran past two Greek men sitting at a table outside and then stumbled upon this kitten, it was mostly white and brown and I think she was sniffing for food. I wanted to scoop her up and take her home as she made me stop in my tracks. Poor kitty cat... she was only the first one I saw though :/



North Nicosia and the Turkish occupied Cyprus. If you click the picture and make it bigger you will see a huge building in the mid/upper right with Turkish flags. It was probably one of the many churches they took over. Also on the hill side you will see the flag and some writing declaring that part of Cyprus their land. The land at the bottom of the picture is before you get to the buffer zone and green line.


South Cyprus/Nicosia


One of the many streets lined with clothing and older buildings








Warning sign as we were coming up to a buffer zone


The buffer zone, Turkish flag in the back


Today I visited the city of Nicosia as we are staying west of downtown. It’s really interesting to hear the history of this city. Cyprus was settled by Mycenaean and Achaean Greeks during the 1st and 2nd millennium BC. It then became a province of the Roman Empire and then the Byzantine Empire. 1571-1878 it was under the Ottoman rule and in 1878 Cyprus leased by the Ottoman Empire to Britain. 1914 Cyprus was annexed by Britain following Turkey's alignment with Germany in WW1. 1923 under the Treaty of Lausanne Turkey relinquishes all rights to Cyprus and in 1925 Cyprus declared a British crown colony. 1954 Greece brings the issue of self-determination for Cyprus to the UN and in 1959 Cyprus was granted independence. 1964 UNFICYP arrives. Turkey bombs and threatens to invade Cyprus, which US president Johnson's intervention halts the threatened invasion. 1974 Turkey finally invades Cyprus in a two-phase operation and occupies 36.2% of the Republic killing many and leaving even more homeless. 1983 Turkish Cypriot leadership declares the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in the area of the occupied Republic. 2003 the Turkish occupation regime announces partial lifting of restrictions it imposed since 1974 on the movement of people across the ceasefire line. 2004 the Republic of Cyprus joins the EU and in 2008 they join the eurozone changing their currency to the euro. Pretty interesting and current history, yet at the same time the old city has so much rich history.

This is one of the three entry way to the walled city, 150 feet long. The Turks would have to make it through here, being attacked from both sides and above to make it in. Instead, they finally just went over the walls. This walk way is now used for art gallerlies and information.


Look what was on display in the museum! BAM! MY CAMERA!


Anyways now that you got your history lesson, we drove into the city by bus and they took us around the Venetian Walls surrounding the old city. The walls are in a very particular design around the city, resembling a crown or something… hard to explain. But below the 40ft walls there used to be a moat that is now used for public parks, soccer fields, etc. There are only 3 entrances into the city and the dividing line is in the middle of the city. It amazing, you’ll be walking around and then all of a sudden come up on the buffer zone with a ton of barbed wire and signs, so you look up and sure enough you see the Turkish flag not far off. Quite interesting to say the least! We did not go to the Turkish side, but I’ll let you know if we do.
After our extensive tour our group broke up and about 15 of us sat down at a restaurant in the old Nicosia to try meze, a meal where they serve you course after course and everyone shares the small plates of food. I’ve never had anything like this but it was such an experience and let me just say, the Mediterranean people know how to eat! I had salad with the freshest everything and yummy oils, so much pita bread, grilled cheese (GRILLED CHEESE, SALTY YUMMY CHEESE = amazing) every kind of animal in every form (probably 6 different meat dishes)… I can’t even remember all the food but all I know is I didn’t need to eat for a long while and it took about, oh and hour/hour and a half for all of this. It set me back about 16 euro, so 20 bucks. Won’t be doing it very often but I needed to experience it!

See all the plates and left over food!


Meet one of my roomies!


at the market, I bought some fruit and it was good :)


Welcome to Cyprus... also in the grocery store you learn to stay away from the meat/fish section if at all possible, it smells horrible... maybe even worse than this!


Just the start to my journey... about half the group. Global Learning Semesters, Fall 2010 :)