My internet came back! I know you've been dying to hear the latest update...the free network I've been using magically reappeared last night. It's a miracle!
Nicosia, Cyprus...the Turkish side (Turkish flag in lights on the hill)So, I am nerdishly fascinated by the politics of Cyprus. When I got to Greece, I cautiously asked a Greek friend who the island belonged to - I didn't even know if it was technically part of Greece or what. The answer I got ("It's Greek, but it's complicated") was a little less than satisfactory. So I asked people who would know better - the ones who live there!
I got the "it's complicated" answer from them, too, of course, because it is. It was a British colony, which explains the driving on the wrong side of the road (which is actually quite fun, once you get the hang of it and stop making right turns into oncoming traffic). In fact, I was surprised at how English it is. Really, though it's officially a Greek-speaking nation, the only thing Greek about it seemed to be a few signs in the language. Everyone speaks English, and to me the town we stayed in felt more like Turkey or Syria or even North Africa. You can definitely see the influence of the surrounding regions. Some of the larger cities are more distinctly Greek.
In an agreement between the UK, Greece, and Turkey, Cyprus became an independent nation in 1960. It has a rocky history, with invasions and and coups all over the place. In 1974, Turkey invaded the island in the name of protecting the Turkish Cypriots there, and gained control of the northern part of the island. 170,000 Greek Cypriots were displaced, fleeing to the south, and 50,000 Turkish Cypriots crossed to the Northern side. They declared "independence" in the '80s, but that is only recognized by Turkey.
Our friend Penny is from a small town on the Turkish-occupied side, but she hasn't been back since '74. It is sad for the Greek Cypriots to see their country divided. On the Turkish side, there is extreme poverty and unrest. The Greeks who have elected to stay and run family businesses have no right to their property or business when the owner dies; it becomes Turkish property rather than staying in the family. As a result many have never returned to their homes there.
Our friends said they live peacefully, obviously, but there is always the small fear that they will wake up one morning to an invasion or fighting. There are still bullet holes in the walls of the police department in Larnaca from 1974. The home Stacie and I stayed in has a large basement that has been commandeered for any type of emergency like this - it is the neighborhood's safe house. There are some refugees, though it is illegal to help them - another sign of the mistrust toward neighboring countries and possible takeovers - and the trafficking problem is enormous because of its location and entry into the EU.
So, yes, although everyone would like to lay claim to this small Mediterranean island nation, I would have to concede that the answer I got at the beginning was correct - it's complicated.
Next time, as a reward for putting up with my fascinating history and politics lesson, I will post some pictures. :)
It was great having a traveling companion ... Holly is from Seattle and interning with Nea Zoi for a year. I was glad she could come along. We had a bit of free time on Friday morning to wander around along the sea and in the old part of Limassol.
Back in Athens, it's rainy and freezing again! I thought we were surely coming into some nice spring-y weather; last week I was ready to break out the sandals. Not yet! Today we also have our African dust back in the air, so the dark storm clouds mean that it literally rains mud. All the cars parked along the streets look like they have been off-roading.
