I’m certain you’ve had one of those nights - bone tired from lack of sleep, but still sleep only comes in short duration - two hours and then you check the clock - is it time to get up? Then restlessness while you wait for sleep to overcome your mind and body. That’s our description of last night in Athens! When the morning is to be gin at 04:45 in order to make your flight, your body seems unable to let go and let the wake-up-call do its work!
Morning did arrive eventually, and we were off on the final leg of this journey to our new assignment in Cyprus. The flight was only 75 minutes long and so there was hardly time to do much reading other than to read the morning paper and reflect on the critical nature of the Cyprus situation - it is a divided island since a Turkish invasion in 1974. Koffi Annan, outgoing secretary general of the UN stated while visiting Turkey yesterday that he hoped the incoming SG would have more success with this issue than he had been able to accomplish. So, Cyprus is an international embarrassment in some ways.
We were met at the airport by the bus driver for the school and Joe’s wife Donna and brought to our new apartment about which I will let Marian fill you in. But before she does that, a few observations.
Cyprus is nearing the end of the dry season and so it appears at its worst - much in need of rain. Near Larnaca there is a salt lake - an inland lake which is completely dry at this time but will soon be replenished with the rain runoff and then will become a shallow salt lake where migrating birds such as flamingoes will rest en route from Africa. How did birds know that this island was a resting place on their journey across the Mediterranean Sea? We will have to get some binoculars and visit the lake in migration season.
As one travels from Larnaca on the coast towards Nicosia which is at a higher elevation 54 kilometres from the coast, on observes hills which are virtually treeless exposing their underlying off-white rock. When questioning as to why there are so few trees, one is told that the centuries of marauders who have transgressed this land have taken its trees for ships and timbers for homes leaving behind the barrenness which we see today. The question which enters a Canadian’s mind is: why don’t they re-forest? The simple answer is that they would have to be irrigated in order to survive and that is extremely difficult on a diverse and large scale in a country which depends on desalinization plants for potable water, one immediately understands the priorities and consequently the absence of much forest.
We have just returned from our first shopping expedition - no, Marian was NOT suffering withdrawal! Our apartment needs a few staples so we visited a nearby bakery and purchased some bread, milk, jam, and coffee then ventured to the small grocery store across the street. Zehrs it is not! Space is at a premium so aisles have never and could never tolerate a shopping cart, especially the large ones which Zehrs uses. Here we purchased serviettes, some apples, onions, beans, oil, sugar, laundry detergent, honey, clothespins, eggs, yogurt, butter, cheese (you know I love this) - Haloumi is native here, so guess what will be on my breakfast list? Now guess the price for this basket of goodies and you could b e a winner of a trip to … Sorry, I couldn’t resist! Twenty Cypriot pounds which is the equivalent of about $50 CDN. So, considering, it was a little on the expensive side. We are not complaining but thankful for the opportunity to be here!
Phone is to be connected in the next few days as well as internet so you will receive this late and when we can get connected.
Now we are going out to the old city so Marian can see some of what I saw a few weeks ago. It is five thirty and the heat is passing so we can go in more enjoyable temperatures.
David
posted by David & Marian Sloss @ 5:03 AM
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