I coasted into Tasucu (where the Turkish ferries run to Cyprus) late at night and really liked the place even though I was there for less than 24 hours. In the morning I bought a fast ferry ticket, which led to a Twilight Zone journey to Cyprus. The last time I took a fast ferry was from Jordan back to Egypt, and the waters were not too bad. I only remember one passenger getting sick then. The ride to Cyprus was a totally different story. The seas were really choppy and our fearless captain kept the engines at full steam ahead. All the passengers were locked in below with the resulting buildup of stale air and heat. After our ship had been bouncing around for a bit they started passing out puke bags to all the passengers, which were put to good use judging by all the retching noises around me. The amount of suffering that was taking place in that cabin all in the name of saving a couple of hours was remarkable. I saw one guy lying in the aisle sweating profusely with the ralph bag in hand, and the woman next to me had her face in the bag for the last half hour of the trip. It took every ounce of concentration to keep my breakfast down - I might have been better off just giving in. But I was too burly for that. Did I hear some guffaws? Well anyway, I was really glad to reach the harbor at Girne (pictured above), and I will definitely be taking the slow ferry back. I found out when I was cycling into town that they drive on the wrong side of the road here (a result of the U.K.'s involvement in the island's history). It was the first time on the trip (actually in my life) that I cycled in the left lane. (3/3/05) *

I am really glad that I decided to pay Cyprus a visit, and particularly right now. For the first time since the 1974 UN brokered ceasefire, when the Green Line and UN buffer zone was gouged in barbwire and watch towers across Cyprus, dividing the country between the Turkish occupied north and the Greek south, you can now visit both sides of the Line. In spite of this new opening of the borders the political situation is still pretty heavy. I have to confess I am not entirely clear or educated on the issues, but from what I have been able to gather, the Turkish side's position seems to be that they have no real interest in ending the division of the country and removing Turkish troops. Although the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" has never been an internationally recognized country, the north is pretty adamant that it wants the "Republic" to continue in perpetuity (as you can see here). This was the border post in the divided capital city Lefkosia/Lefkosa. On the southern side of the Green Line the Greek Cypriots have their own billboards as well. There are signs showing Greek Cypriots who have been killed by Turkish soldiers, and banners spelling out the demand that the Turkish military occupation end. To the Greeks there is only one Cyprus, and the Turkish army is an occupying force. In the middle of the Green Line is the UN buffer zone, where you walk for several hundred meters of land where buildings, houses and storefronts of the capital city that were caught in between the two sides are now in three decades of decay. But it was nice to see the movement of people back and forth across the island which has been divided for so long. (3/4/05)

For an island of its size, there is a sizable military presence in Cyprus - mainly in the Turkish north, but there is also a pretty visable UN presence with UN cars cruising about in the south and near the Green Line. There is also a sizable British contingent, as well as an actual piece of the United Kingdom (more on that later). This is a picture of the actual Green Line and the UN buffer zone. You can see the northern side's two flags above the barbwire (RTNC and Turkey) - while on the south it is always the Cypriot flag and that of Greece. The capital city, because it has been divided for so long, is a wierd experience. The cultural, political and economic difference across a couple hundred meters of land is really pronounced, so it is a bit like wandering between two countries. Only the Turkish side bothers to stop you and check and stamp your passport, and on the south side you just wander through (if you do not look Turkish). (3/4/05) *

It was exciting to go over to the south side of the Green Line where there is a Greek flavor to everything, including the street signs that are in the Greek alphabet, and where I got to use a new currency, the expensive Cyprus Pound. This is an exterior mosaic from an orthodox church pretty close to the Green Line. (3/4/05) *

As I was photographing a herd of Cypriot long hair goats that were munching on fields of grass that were, in this run-on, backdropped by the coastal range, this young shephard approached. This was his well-to-do herd that he had let out to pasture for some munch time. I was on the Turkish side on the way from Lefkosia/Lefkosa, to Famugusta, on the eastern coast of the island. There I met a really nice Belgian/Basque couple who had started their trip roughly the same time as me and happened to be in Famagusta the same time. (3/5/05)

Famagusta had quite a bit to show from the Venetian period of the island's history, including crumbling cathedrals and castles. Some sort of myth has developed that it was the setting of Othello, but modern scholars have disputed the claim. (3/5/05)

From Famagusta I crossed the Green Line again to enter the Greek side. But first I had to travel through the U.K. When the U.K. granted Cyprus its independence, it did so on the condition that it could retain an oddly-shaped piece of territory on the south-west portion of the island. Riding through it I saw lots of British soldiers, British women with strollers and children, pubs with signs for all the U.K. football matches, grocery stores with English cheddar, and fields of satellite dishes, towers and antennea behind barbwire and chainlink fences. Being nearly equidistant to European, Middle Eastern, and African shores, I suppose it is a strategically nice bit of land to retain.

I stayed for several days in Larnaka, on the southern coast of the Greek side of the island, trying to recover from my first illness on the trip. It helped that I had an apartment with a kitchen there so I could roll out of bed, cook food, and fall back into bed without having to venture outside other than for an occasional grocery run (with stores full of European commodities). Consequently I did not see to much of the city, other than a bike repair shop where I had my rear wheel alinged and a broken spoke replaced (before the repair it had been so out of true that I had to disconnect the rear brakes for it to roll). This building on one of the main roads reminded me a lot of New Orleans. (3/7/05) *

My condition did not improve too much in Larnaka but it was time to head back to the cheaper Turkish side, so I rode about 60 km in that mentally-foggy sick state back to the capital. Along the way I passed this enormous Greek Orthodox church, just before it started to rain. Not much to report except for more bed time. (3/9/05)

After spending much more time in Cyprus than I had anticipated I made it back to Girne for the ferry ride back to Turkey. The first day all the ferries had been cancelled due to rough seas, but on the second day I caught a slow ferry with an Australian couple. I also met a Syrian guy waiting for the boat (someone who would be called an "officious intermeddler" in the law school books - mainly involving some unrequested assistance in helping me and the Australian couple queue jump, which I believe angered many of the other passengers). It did gave me the opportunity to ask him about the situation in his home country and the advisability of cycling there. His take was that it would be fine, but he advised against advertising my U.S. citizenship - "New Zealand" is supposedly an o.k. response for inquiries regarding my nationality. Right now I am in Turkey, almost fully recovered from whatever bug I picked up in Cyprus. Tomorrow I am planning to be back on the coastal road headed towards Syria (I anticipate getting into Aleppo in four days). (3/11/05)

UPDATE - 3/18/05 - Made it to Syria! So good to be back in the Middle East. I do not know when I will be able to post the Turkey (2nd Time) and Syria updates - hopefully no later than Beruit.

UPDATE - 3/23/05 - Still in Syria and still unable to update. But I should be in Beruit in three days and I hope to get caught up there. *