Wednesday, October 6th...
An early morning start en route to the third element of our trip, as we drove along the south coast, via Limassol, to Nicosia. We had an appointment... So, we dropped off the hire car, and took a taxi towards our destination. That destination turned out to be up what looked like a minor side street.
Nicosia is the last divided capital city in Europe, and has been such for a very long time. The Ledra Palace Hotel crossing was the first to be opened in the Green Line, a concept which hints of barbed wire, armed soldiers and figures emerging from the mist, and it was with some trepidation that we waved our taxi driver behind and, with luggage rolling behind us, approached the Republic of Cyprus police post.
It has to be said that, having glanced at our passports, the officer who dealt with us didn't seem particularly unhappy that we were heading north. And so, we were off into no-man's land.
Or not, as the case may be. No armed soldiers, or at least, none that we could see, discreetly placed barbed wire, blazing sunshine. There is even an outpost of the Goethe Institute, just in case you need a good book or a literary reference as you pass by. Even so, we were heading back in time, to a struggling non-country, weren't we?
Again, we were to be surprised. Instead of a dusty, non-descript, isolated border post, we were greeted by a police post with cheery red and white striped awnings, an efficient immigration official, a little coffee shop complete with friendly cat, and a shiny cash machine which was only too happy to spit out Turkish lira on insertion of my Santander ATM card. And all of this in a suburban setting not unlike a prosperous Home Counties town on a sunny day.
Our contact on the other side, Hasan Varoğlu, Third Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was soon with us, and we were driven through the suburbs, then across the coastal range of mountains, to our accommodation at the Rocks Hotel and Casino, in Girne.
We had arrived safely in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus...
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