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“Most people can identify a time
when their lives changed significantly.
These are moments when we are forced to make important and
live-changing choices.”
Newsletter 88 | February 2009
P.O. Box 13600, NOORDSTAD, 9302 E-mail:
info@etniquetravel.co.za
Tel: (051) 406 2500
Fax: (051) 436 3793
AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER:
083 461 2561
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INTERESTING PEOPLE ONE MEETS ON TRAVEL JOURNEYS |
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Over the past ten years of travel to magical destinations, we have
been fortunate enough to have met the most wonderful people around
the world; in future editions we will introduce you to some of them,
each with an interesting story to tell:
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When we visited Russia, a young Russian university student called
Pasha, acted as our tour guide in Moscow; we first handed learnt a
lot about Russian culture, and their struggle in recent times.
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On an old year’s evening in Paris, we met some interesting typical
Parisiennes;
we joined in a private celebration party hosted by the
restaurant-owner, Jean-Pierre, for his personal friends; an
experience of real French hospitality!
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During our visit to Chile, we met a young student, Danielle, at
Puyuhuapi, who taught us some Spanish in exchange for lessons in
Afrikaans.
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On a trip to Japan, we were met by Tateshi, (who became a
voluntary guide after retirement), in Hiroshima, who was a 1945
A-bomb survivor, and told us of his own horrific personal
experiences during the months that follow.
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We recently met Michael in Cairo; a dedicated learner in the
travel industry, whose knowledge about foreign countries astounded
us. Being a Christian himself, he could broaden our knowledge on
religious differences among Egyptian people.
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Julia, the resort owner’s daughter in Coral Bay, told us of the
last days of our own heart pioneer, Dr Chris Barnard, at their
hotel in Paphos Cyprus.
- Johann Beukes
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CYPRUS:
STILL THE DIVIDED ISLAND |
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For centuries
Cyprus has been on the crossroad intersection of Europe and the
Middle East – both as cultural junction and in the midst of
battles to conquer an important square on the chess board. Even
today, though the struggle between the Greeks in the south and
the Turks in the north seems to be resolved, the prominent
presence of the so-called dividing green line, underlines the
contrary: In July 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus and from that time
almost 40% of the territory in the northern part of the island
has been illegally held by the Turkish troops who still continue
to violate the principles of International Law.
Even the
capital city, Nicosia / Lefkosia is divided from
east to west along Ledra Street, with a raised platform as an
entry point overlooking no man’s land. A choice of five border
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Today, prominent
historical sites like the Stayrovouni Monastery in the
south and St Hilarion Castle in the north are partly
military strongholds. When we visited the mountain bastions, we were
followed by strange persons and vehicles, similar to the cold war
movies of the sixties.
Cyprus, with many
songs written about its natural beauty, as well as the turbulent
passage through history, is a truly wonderful place full of
contradictions and contrasts: Cool mountains covered in wintertime
with a white blanket of snow and guarded by the huge age old pine
trees alternate with golden beaches and rugged coastlines; peaceful
little white-washed villages in the Troodos Mountains,
where it seems as if time has stood still, contrast greatly with the
cosmopolitan regions of the south like Paphos, Limassol/Lemesos
and Larnaka, where high-class hotels offer traditional
Cypriot hospitality.
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It is also the
island where is seems as if time has stopped some centuries ago:
where you will still see the donkey cart as part of
everyday-life, where cats also take a siesta nap at noon, where
it seems as if old Cypriots never die.
Only a few
countries are able to trace their history back to 7000 BC. Today
Cyprus is a unique open-air historical and ethnographic museum.
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It displays an
array of prehistoric settlements, ancient Greek temples, Byzantine
churches, crusader castles, Gothic churches, Venetian
fortifications, Turkish mosques, and British road works to form a
cultural pot-pourri to the traveller.
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Our first few
days were spent on the western corner of Cyprus: The Coral
Beach Hotel-Resort occupies a superb location, overlooking
the golden sandy beaches and sparkling waters of Coral Bay,
situated just north of Paphos and adjacent to the Akamas
Peninsula, an outstanding natural area where sea turtles
incubate once a year on the sandy stretch of Lara beach,
protected by UNESCO.
Another interesting fact is that Dr Christiaan Barnard
during regular visits to Cyprus also used to stay at the same
hotel-resort and eventually died at the resort during September
2001; a special conference facility is named after him. |
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Some historical
sites are found in and around Paphos: the well-known
Paphos antiquities are proclaimed as a World Cultural Heritage Site:
near the old harbour, the Saranda Kolones (40 Columns)
were built by the Romans and the Tombs of the Kings
were built in the 3rd century BC; the Nea Paphos
Mosaics, dating back from the 3rd century AD,
form part of the villa floors
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The B6 coastal road between Paphos and Limassol, is dominated by
limestone crags rising from the blue Mediterranean Sea.
Petra tou Romiou, legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, is
three solitary free-standing rocks in the sea. Nearby you will
find trees, to which infertile women tie handkerchiefs to appeal
for help from Aphrodite, goddess of love.
Near Limassol is ancient Kourion, a centre of
cultural, political and religious life: this whole site
comprises of the amphi-theatre, the house and baths of Eustolios
with its amazing mosaics. |
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Nearby, the few
remains of the sanctuary of Apollo Hylates
resemble the Parthenon in Athens, as well as the stadium and
many more ruins dating back to the Roman rule of Cyprus.
In the centre
of the island lies the
Troodos
Mountains
with the highest peak at almost 2000m,
Mount Olympus
rises above the other adjacent mountains in the mighty massif.
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The lower
slopes are perfectly suited to growing grapes used to produce
the island’s famous Commandaria and Xynisteri wines.
Cyprus was one of the first countries in the world to produce
wine, some 5500 years ago. A visit to the Cyprus Wine Museum is
a journey back through the history of the island’s wine
industry. Well-known private wine producers are found around
Omodos on the southern region of Troodos.
A trip to this
region is not complete without seeing the Byzantine painted
churches. The austere architecture of these Orthodox
sanctuaries, hidden in remote valleys and glens, hides a wealth
of amazingly rich murals depicting Biblical scenes. |
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Kykkos
monastery
is the largest, most imposing and the wealthiest of all
monasteries in Cyprus.
On route to the
border post at Morphu, we had lunch at the
Vengera restaurant at Galata, a small mountain
village on the northern slopes of Troodos. And what else did
owner Glafkos suggest than kleftiko (lamb ribs
roasted in a traditional clay oven in typical Cypriot style)
served with roasted stuffed peppers, kupepla / dolmades
(vine leaves stuffed with a mixture of minced lamb, rice and
herbs) and fresh olives. |
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South Africans need
a Cyprian visa. Cyprus is an EU member (not a Schengen member
country) and the Euro replaced the Cyprian Pound recently. You can
travel freely between the Greek Republic of Cyprus (south) and the
Turkish North. At the border and green line zone, a multiple entry
northern visa and vehicle registration is issued. Both the vehicle
and luggage are thoroughly screened. The two regions are a world
apart, despite the relatively small size of the island. The Greek
Cypriots are usually friendly and good hosts, trying to give you
more than expected. In contrast, the Turks appear to be quite abrupt
and even rude.
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Kyrenia / Girne
is an idyllic ancient fishing harbour-town, situated on the
northern coastline. We stayed at the known Dome Hotel,
with its unique location, projecting over the break-water’s
edge. The harbour-front is lined by numerous seafood
restaurants, with outdoor seating next to the colourful boats
anchored to the quay and guarded by the medieval stone castle on
the one side and the white-plastered
Arkhángelos
Church,
presently utilized as an icon museum.
High above the
coastal town rises the town of
Bellapais:
home to the medieval Abbey, as well as the Tree of Idleness,
popular restaurant for three generations. Under this 200 year
old Robenia tree in the courtyard, the author Lawrence Durrell
wrote his novel Bitter Lemons. |
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Not far to the
west of Bellapais sits the
Castle of St
Hilarion,
with a view to die for! This fortification is the main castle on
Cyprus and the numerous parts, which were built over centuries,
comprise of the most impressive architecture.
Indications are
that this castle was present when Richard the Lionheart
captured the island in the year 1191. The castle is made up of
three sections, built on different levels. The last level is
only for the brave hearted, but the rewarding and magnificent
scenic views from this watch point make it all worth the while. |
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One stands
amazed by the centuries of cultural history that unfolds in
front of you, when visiting the excavations at Salamis,
Vouni and Soloi: early civilizations dating back almost
6 centuries: Places where a Paul and Peter once walked in
ancient times.
Similar to
Berlin, before the demolition of the barrier wall, Nikosia
(Lefkosia) as capital, is still today totally divided by the
green line running through the historic walled city centre, with
areas north and south each forming an integral part of the two
different countries on one island. Public transportation is
limited and the best way to explore the city is on foot:
Lidras and Onasagoru streets have now been pedestrianised to
cope with the large number of people. |
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We had lunch at
a typical tapas called Eupoúyas, where the locals meet
over the lunch siesta: a narrow alley was converted into the
table area, with some thirty business people enjoying the day’s
specialty consisting of pork seftalies and plaki; no fuss
and no ala-carte choice!
On the way to
Lefkara (renowned for its detailed lace and silver
work by locals) we turned off onto a narrow and winding road to
the Monastery of Stayrovouni.
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Colourful
frescoes by the famous painter, Father Kallinikos, are
found in the little byzantine chapel at the entrance gates.
Unfortunately we were not allowed inside the monastery, but a
personal visit to the renowned Father Kallinikos compensated for
the disappointment; almost 80 years old he is still very active
with painting icons of all sizes in his humble corrugated studio
shed next to the road.
If asked what
our main impressions of Cyprus are, we will remember the mosaic
of a country build on contrasts:
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The spontaneous and
friendly people of the south, the yellow landscapes of vanilla
flowers among olive trees, the small, colourful mountain villages of
the Troodos with almost awkward vineyards against the mountainous
terrain, the deep-blue waters of the Mediterranean and the island
where time stood still some centuries ago …
- Johann &
Monique
SURE
ETNIQUE TRAVEL
has taken the initiative to compile personalised tours, including
either a one-night or two-night all inclusive package. This unique
experience will be linked to a tailor-made travel arrangement to
suit each individual’s preference. We have already secured 50 one-
and two-night packages for specific dates in June, August and
September. At this stage we still have 28 packages available.
In 2010 over 2000
participants bring this story of Jesus of Nazareth to the ears and
eyes of the international audience in a five-hour presentation. In
2010 the performance will, for the first time, begin at 14h30, with
a dinner break, continuing until 22h30 in the evening.
The village will
perform this play for the 41st time, maintaining the
continuity of this unique event. It will be staged for a total of
102 days, starting on 15 May, and with the last performance on 3
October 2010.
Prices
range from Euro 235 to Euro 415 per person for ONE-NIGHT packages
and Euro 485 to Euro 925 per person for TWO-NIGHT packages, all
inclusive for the full duration of your Oberammergau portion of the
tour. Seating configuration will be determined by the package cost.
All accommodation is within the town of Oberammergau and varies from
private landlords to a luxury 4-star countryside hotel. A deposit of
25% is payable on confirmation of your reservation, with the
outstanding balance by August this year (2009).
With this option
you have the opportunity to arrange your own itinerary. The
professional consultants of SURE ETNIQUE
TRAVEL will assist you with all your other land
arrangements, air travel, visas and detailed maps and first hand
experience of Bavaria or any other region of travel that you would
like to include in your itinerary.
Should you,
however, rather prefer to form part of an organized group, various
other alternatives are available.
For
more information contact:
Johann or Tessa @ (+2751) 4062500
johann@etniquetravel.co.za;
tessa@etniquetravel.co.za
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