Abandoned resorts

Above:  Abandoned hotels run for kilometres along the waterfront where we swam.

Moving to Gazimagusa

We wanted to leave our Dipkarpaz accommodation late morning so that we’d get to Gazimagusa and not have to wait to enter our next accommodation.  However, a power outage at breakfast meant that we’d be without any fan or air-con here in Dipkarpaz.

We left around 0900 instead, to enjoy the aircon comfort of the car.  We took a rest stop under some trees to enjoy a drink from a waterfront café just outside Gazimagusa.

Somehow, we had stretched the 90 min drive to nearly 3 hours with that long stop and a couple of short ones.  With the midday sun, I was completely drenched from the 3 min walk from the hotel to our apartment.  I later learnt that the forecast was for 41 degC today!

The Malia Let Apartment was located above Café Malia.  It was a very spacious place with good quality furnishings.  But it probably hadn’t been used for a few days and it wasn’t just the air that was hot.  The walls, floors, bedding were all hot and didn’t cool down even at bedtime.

We ate lunch at an outdoor café where it was quite unbearable to Kim.  Despite the fans, the streets and walls seemed to radiate heat.  Good job we chose a salad each as we probably couldn’t have handled a hot meal.

There’s only one thing to do on a day like this, ie. stay indoors in the aircon and have a cold shower.  The cold tap produced hot water from the roof so I used the hot tap which cold water from an internal water heater tank that’s not been turned on.

Exploring Varosha or Maras

Around 1645, we went out by car in search of Varosha or Maras Beach.  This was Cyprus’s largest resort area in the 1970s before the war and was captured by the North.  It was a no-go area, guarded by the military, until October 2020 when it was open to the public on a limited basis.

Google Maps took us to places that were closed off.  The military redirected us to the official gated entrance to Varosha.  No ID or checks were required.  There was a large sign showing rules and warnings (very reasonable ones) and the closing time of 1930.  Bicycles and scooters were available for rent but we explored on foot.

There were many homes, businesses, high-rises that have been left abandoned.  It’s like time had stood still.  With little rainfall, the deterioration after 50 years wasn’t bad compared to a few months in Malaysia!  A crane set up for construction was still standing.  Colourful bougainvillea had taken over some homes.

The new sidewalks, zebra crossings and rope-barriers in the area an obvious sign that they “government” had prepared for the reopening of the area on a limited basis to tourism.

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As the streets weren’t straight or perpendicular, we ended up going away from the beach and had to backtrack.  A large snaked zig-zagged across the road!  After over 30 mins of very sweaty walking, we found the way to the beach where changing sheds and toilets had been put in.

Abandoned hotels lined the waterfront for several kilometres.  A fence ran from the road to the beach and buoys were in the water to demarcate the “free” area and the once “restricted” area.

A few people did move between these two areas while in the water, with no problems. Despite our entry to the area, Varosha is still a controversial place.

However, the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus in itself is controversial.  Homes of Greeks in the north of the island were abandoned and have been taken up by Turkish residents.  I don’t know what makes Varosha more controversial that it has to be left abandoned and unused.

Its reopening for sightseeing and the use of the beach has been seen by the European community as a further slap in the face to the Greek Cypriots who have lost their homes and businesses.  Currently, the only businesses that operate here are the food outlets at the swimming site.  No buildings have been taken for commercial use.  We don’t know what’s next.

Anyway, the water here was very clear, with a fine brownish sand at the bottom.  It’s certainly one of the best city beaches I’ve ever seen.  At about 1745, the sun was less fierce and we were able to enjoy a longer swim than previous attempts.

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Exploring Old Famagusta

In the height of summer, we still had plenty of daylight around 1900 to explore the Famgusta’s old walled city before dinner.  Most impressive was the St Nicholas Cathedral, dating from the 1300s, which later became the Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque.

Also of note were the Church of Sts Peter and Paul which later became the Bugday Mosque, and the remaining walls of the Venetian Royal Palace inside which is now a large carpark.

We took dinner at a nice restaurant overlooking the Othello Tower. The beef on a mash of roasted eggplant was exceptionally good but pricey compared to other dishes.