Winter in Neverland

Hello, welcome, come aboard and most importantly Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope 2023 and the festive season has been kind to you. I know I am month or two late, what can I say I’m a slack tart.

Our 2023 sailing season has been over for quite a while, and we’ve been well and truly bedded down for the colder months. Winter is a different kind life, tucked away in our marina berth in Cyprus. We’ve been here a while and I had intended to begin putting together more blogs about our adventures long before now. Alas, I succumbed to the doona’s call, and it’s taken me a little while to regain my groove. There was also a trip to see friends in the UK so it’s not all due to my being slack and idle. I guess a reset period was to be expected as we covered a lot of ground last year. The good news is my creativity light began flashing recently and I’m happy to be back at my “writing desk”. Thanks to those who have asked for more and apologies for it taking so long. Before I begin with what we did for the second part of the 2023 sailing season, let me tell you about our Winter home.

The island of Cyprus lies forty miles of the Turkish Coast and 480 miles from mainland Greece. The trip to Cyprus was about as unadventurous as you can get and still be on a sailboat. We left late in the day from the tiny Greek Island of Megisiti (Kostellorizo), which is just 2.1 nautical miles off the coastal town of Kos in Türkiye. It took us about 36 hours to travel the 230 nautical miles to Cyprus. Of that we sailed for about half an hour and had the sails up for about an hour hoping for wind which never came. They don’t call it the Med (Motor Every Day) for nothing! It was without doubt the most uneventful passage we have experienced. The highlights were floating through an eerie moonlit, oil slick smooth ocean, glorious sunsets, sun and moon rises, and the moment of excitement when we passed a mammoth bait ball. I have no photos of the fish as it was a scramble to turn the boat around and cast the lines out. Surely this was the moment when Ian would catch a fish. We passed through the bait ball three times and Ian stands by his claim that his inability to hook a fish is because there are no fish in the Med.

We arrived here in Cyprus in November, and we have subsequently developed mixed feeling about our decision to call this home for Winter 23/24. The marina is in Northern Cyprus and on a cloudless day you can see Türkiye across the water. The facilities are the best we’ve experienced and while some of the marina rules and the culture are at times incomprehensible, it’s certainly entertaining. Wearing flippers in the pool is forbotten even if you are the only one in the pool. And please don’t ask for a glass of tap water in the restaurant, safety dictates that this is also forbotten. The marina bar’s 5-8 happy ”hour” (two-for-one) every day is a bonus we are trying not to abuse.

None of this should really be a concern since we intended to focus on boat projects over the cooler months. Our main project being the installation of an inverter which will give us AC power for hot water on demand while at anchor (hallelujah!), a microwave and might extend to me being able to occasionally blow dry my hair; it’s the simple pleasures that matter. We’re also installing a diesel heater for future winters. However, the isolation of the marina and the limited shops here are proving to be an under-estimated challenge. Ian can’t even buy stainless bolts, so our recent trip to Scotland for a friend’s wedding became a boat job shopping trip as well. Hopefully more on this trip will follow in a future post.

The upside of this marina is the lively live-aboard community. Many of our old friends are here and unsurprisingly we’ve found it easy to meet new people since Ian has been refining his doughnut making technique. Between, the exercise group, craft, movie nights, doughnut mornings and drinks at the bar we are keeping busy. We are also exploring this “Neverland” when we can, thanks to friends with a car and a willingness to include us in their adventures.

Our adventures here have certainly offered us a unique perspective on how political and international relationship issues impact on day-to-day life here in Cyprus. Due to it’s rich Copper deposits, throughout history the Assyrians, the Egyptians, the Persians, the Romans, the Byzantine, Lusignan, Genoese, Venetian, Ottomans and finally the British, have all had a shot at ruling this tiny island. The population is Greek Cypriot in the South and Turkish Cypriot in the North. The Turkish Cypriots are the minority. Both consider themselves “Cypriots” but if you ask a Greek Cypriot if a Turkish Cypriot is a “Cypriot”, the answer will be a resounding “no”. However, the same does not necessarily apply in the reverse.

How did this duality of patriotism occur? As I mentioned the island has always been a prize for one Empire or another. The most recent dispute began prior to World War I. At about that time, Cyprus was part of Türkiye however the Sultan asked the British to take care of the day-to-day management of the island. During this time there was a large Turkish presence, though most of the population consisted of Greek Cypriots with a flourishing British Expat community. When Türkiye and Britain found themselves on opposing sides of the war, the Brits retained control of the island. When Greece changed their allegiances to that of the allies, many more Greek immigrants came to Cyprus seeking a haven from the war. Throughout this period the Greek Cypriots began calling for Enosis, which refers to a formal union between Cyprus and Greece.

As I’ve written before, the Greeks and Turks aren’t exactly the best of neighbours. Over the years there have been varying levels of unrest along their border. In recent years, no place has seen more rioting, bombings and assassinations than Cyprus. In essence, Türkiye said if you can’t play together nicely you’re going to have a time out. The Turkish Army invaded and annexed the north of Cyprus. Greeks living in the north were ‘removed’ and it was untenable for Turks to remain living in the south. A truce of sorts was reached in 1964 at which time the “Green Line” (demilitarized zone) was established. This is controlled by a UN Peacekeeping Force which is charged with separating the Republic of Cyprus in the South (Greek – I’ll call this Cyprus for the sake of this blog) and the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (which I will call TRNC). The Green Line is 180 kilometres long and passes through the Cyprus/TRNC capital of Nicosia. The Green Line’s width varies from less than 20 metres to more than seven kilometres.

The Brits and the United Nations have tried many times to mediate a solution between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, however these efforts have been unsuccessful. Reunification is gaining popularity again as both Cypriot governments are keen to join the European Union and reunification is a precondition to this occurring.

From a historical perspective I can understand both sides of the story. For the locals, they fear the erosion of their beliefs and way of life. The sides have opposing foundations in language, religion, education, health, and governance. So, reunification will not be an easy path. In the meantime, people continue to live their lives as best they can, and we do too.

We recently had the opportunity to visit the Famagusta/Gazimağusa (Greek/Turkish names) ghost suburb of Varosha. This suburb has been uninhabited since the second phase of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus took place in 1974. Turkish tanks overran the surrounding plain and Turkish planes bombed the town. Most of the Greek and British population escaped however the invasion resulted in dozens of deaths. After taking the town, Turkish forces fenced off Varosha and it has remained vacant until recently when TRNC reopened areas to the public.

Along with our friends from SV Deejay and SV Matabele we hired electric scooters to tour the area. It was a surreal experience, though it lacked the melancholic atmosphere of the ghost town of Kayaköy which I’ve written about before. Perhaps it was the electric scooters, or the modernity of the derelict buildings, the presence of a UN office and Turkish posts, the proximity to busy streets and thriving businesses and the stop for a beer at the café by the beach that eased the air? Nonetheless it was a joyless place, especially when you consider that folk who once lived there have returned to find their homes looted and now crumbling into dust. I admit my heart hurt when I realised the pock marks in one or two of the buildings were signs of the battle and represented the loss of life that must have occurred not that long ago.

On a lighter note, some of your ears may have pricked up when I mentioned hiring electric scooters. Yes, Ian rode a scooter. He tested its speed and manoeuvrability without losing teeth or too much of his dignity.

Given the embargo most countries and the UN have placed on TRNC, this side of the Green Line is something of a Neverland. It is however a haven for folk from countries that are not currently part of the “in-crowd”. Vodka is easy to find if you catch my drift. Having said that there is also an active British Expat community taking advantage of the weather and favourable exchange rate. The influx of international residents and a more liberal approach to religious doctrine means that we are enjoying a plenitude of one of my favourite things in the world – bacon!

Modern TRNC is a place of contrast. Flashy new apartments and houses are going up alongside partly finished and crumbling buildings; there is a very new and impressive restaurant at the entrance to Varosha. This is not that disimilar to Türkiye and many of the Greek islands we have visited. Aside from Gazimağusa and the Capital of Nicosia there is only one other significant town on this side of the Green Line. HOwever, there are many private universities, and flashy international medical facilities – dentists and IVF clinics are popular. Despite the global unwillingness to acknowledge this side of the border, tourism is a large part of the economy with dozens of hotels and resorts dotted along the coast and in the towns. Many include casinos and, going by the high-end cars we see driving around, there is money to support them.

Yet … and yet … it’s nothing unusual to see a goat herder tending his flock on a roundabout or a farmer on his ancient tractor trundling through the village. Mounds of rubble and rubbish abound everywhere as do the ubiquitous stray but well cared for cats and dogs. The people are patriotic. Northern Cypriot and Turkish flags are flown everywhere. Atatürk statues and portraits are plentiful. The road signs and maps sport both Turkish and Greek names. In fact, people are comfortable with using these names interchangeably without any disgruntlement. Religion is lowkey. Mosques are favoured this side of the Green Line; however, we’ve seen well-kept churches and at least one monastery/church with a healthy patronage.

There are some oddities here which are due to the international embargo placed on this side of the Green Line. iPhone maps won’t provide directions yet, for some reason, Google Maps works just fine. Local bureaucracy and cost make it exceedingly difficult to receive anything shipped from overseas with import duties as much as 150%. To get around this, there’s an active “safe hands” protocol for getting goods and mail in and out of the country.

Travel between North/South Cyprus is complicated. Going South doesn’t present any problems, TRNC are happy to “stamp you in and out” of the country. At the airport recently, customs asked if wanted a stamp in our passport. We answered “no, thank you” as it can cause issues when travelling through other countries, particularly Greece. No Surprise there! Conversely, as the Greek Cypriots do not recognize North Cyprus, they won’t stamp you out of Cyprus, if you are passing into TRNC territory. This results in the records showing you never left and consequently have overstayed on your visa. And don’t even think about sailing from TRNC to Cyprus! Stories abound of the Greek Cypriot Coast Guard turning boats away or confiscating boats that persist. This is not a problem if you never intend to return to Cyprus, but we’d rather not burn any bridges. So, we will check out and head straight back to Turkey and leave Cyprus (the Greek side) for another time.

Despite the politics of living in ‘contested, or occupied, territory’ the locals have been very friendly. They face the same issues we do regarding travelling and obtaining goods etc. Most people speak English and are happy to help us work on our Turkish. Just like the Turkish mainland, crime is almost non-existent. We will have to adapt our ways when we return to a western community and to return to locking up our belongings. In the meantime, we are attempting to make the most of our time here while trying hard to look past the inconvenience of living in Neverland. Unfortunately, this hasn’t extended to Ian embracing a Peter Pan wardrobe of green tights and a jaunty hat. Something I’m sure we would all like to see!

Until next time fair winds, and a dearth of sea monster for the days ahead.