November 8 through 14, 2022
"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes
Cyprus was both fascinating 😇 and frustrating 😈. I had never been there before (new country!) so I didn't really know what to expect, but I had heard that it is a "divided country." Well, it sure is... 😑 Turkey had lost the war over ownership of Cyprus in the 1960's and wasn't too happy about it, so in the 1970's Turkey moved in and occupied the north part. In 1974 or so they created an actual border between north and south Cyprus with (eventually) border crossing and passport control. It is a separation that is not recognized by any other country in the world, except Turkey. It was a very strange feeling to be in a country with an illegal occupation 😒. But hey, at least we could flush toilet paper down the toilet in this country 😏
The hotel we stayed in was in the north part, was very high-end, and seemed to cater to rich tourists who like gambling. The buffet was amazing and varied (I got to try lots of Turkish delicacies, most of which I didn't much like ... I actually went out and bought my own cereal 😏); the rooms were lovely, and the staff tried to be helpful (even if no one really was English-fluent 😐).
I tried to find out how to see other parts of the area but no one seemed to know what to tell me (including the front desk). My online tour options were limited (mostly offering expensive tours intended for large groups) and no one could tell me how to get around otherwise 😑. The front desk folks did say it was safe for me to walk around by myself but I didn't quite believe them. Taxis existed but I didn't feel safe taking one on my own, and the tournament folks didn't offer anything for spouses 😮. A few of the women talked about doing something as a group but that never materialized (I was frustrated by that).
One nice woman from Boston, however, did take some initiative and I wound up doing a tour with her on almost our last day. The tour guide took us to Nicosia (the capital, which called itself the "last divided capital in the world", their claim to fame? 😕) and Famagusta (a "ghost town" of ruins and old buildings from when people fled during the Turkish invasion, but surrounded by pretty coastline). The tour was pretty good and at least I got more of a sense of the history/culture and I finally got outside of the hotel! I also managed to find one more tour of the north part of Cyprus (Kyrenia) which was just me and a mediocre tour guide 😬. My favorite part was when she took me halfway up to a castle and pointed to the top and said "the fort is up there, take your time, I'll meet you in the car park" 😲. Luckily I made it up there without breaking my leg or falling (not a given). I did not tip her.
I also took advantage of the hotel's amenities and checked out the gym, pool, and spa. The pool (one of many they had) was awesome and actually my temperature and best of all, rarely had anyone else in it. I tried an Ayurvedic massage this time and found myself more oiled than I've ever experienced (mostly in a good way 😏). The gym was great and also barely used; I tried to use it as a launch-pad for my "I will start eating right and exercising" program. It's definitely time and I'm already feeling better.
Art gave a well-received presentation (I helped by being the slide-advancer, a job I took very seriously 😀), and he wound up doing reasonably well in the tournament. He won the BMAB (whatever that means) with a 5-0 record, although he didn't advance very far in the main event. He even got a trophy 🏆 which we found someone else from LA to transport home for us. The awards ceremony was quite a happening event; you would have thought Olympic medals were being handed out 🥇. I was only sorry that I missed seeing the underwater backgammon (it was during my tour) but Art did take some photos and I watched some on Facebook. Cool to watch, though I'd never consider doing it myself (I'd be too nervous about running out of oxygen 👀).
Art and I had some more communication (and hearing and inattention) issues on this leg of the journey but perhaps post-Cyprus (and post-backgammon-tournament) those will be reduced. It's been a bit challenging (for me). Art also got sick this past week (can't imagine why... 500 backgammon players in one room? masking anyone?) and that made things harder all around. Another challenge was learning that Ariel's boyfriend's dad unexpectedly passed away last week and feeling like I should be there (more) for her. It was a lot to handle.
Off to Israel next (for 2 1/2 months)!
Deena and Art
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