How do we recycle here?

This has always got me wondering..... How do we recycle in Cyprus?
Recently I watched a program about a Russian Nuclear submarine that was taken apart piece by piece and then recycled (not the re-actor of course). But I thought to myself, if they can do that then why am I not recycling my rubbish?

I do have a confession, in the four years I have been living here I have not once recycled. This is not due to the fact that I am lazy, its just that I dont know where to take the rubbish to! In England we are all used to green bins, red bins, blue bins, pink sacks, black sacks the list is endless. So we are already use to separating rubbish to its rightful "bin"
Getting back to my point though, where do we go for recycling here? do we have it here? The picture at the top is a weeks worth of "Junk mail" that I received, and to be honest I don’t look at any of it, I chuck it straight in the bin. I dread to think, if we put all our junk mail together the pile would be as high as mount Olympus itself! I’m sure I am not the only one.
All around Cyprus we see the Green Biffa bins where we have to dump our rubbish, would it not be a good idea for another blue and red bin next to them so that we can recycle?
Is anyone out there that can offer a solution to our recycling problem?!

IMMIGRATION and OFFICIALDOM!

Article by Fiona of Larnaca

I thought this might give a bit of hope to anyone battling with Cypriot officials. When we moved here 14 months ago, we were told we didn't need to apply for residency as Cyprus is now in Europe. Good advice unless you need to do anything! Our eldest son was told he couldn't take his driving test as he didn't have residency. So we decided to apply. After our 4th visit to the prison-like building on the Larnaca seafront we gave up and told him to take his test abroad. A while later our solicitor told us we couldn't transfer the deeds to our land into our names as we didn't have residency (something to do with the plot and does not apply to everyone) so we had to try again. 4 more depressing visits later, we got residency!! It took six months, not that bad really looking back, but at the time, so frustrating. We also got the much coveted pink card for medical care as a result of the residency papers, even though we keep being told that as Europeans we are entitled to free medical care. Tell the Cypriots! And this week a miracle occurred - we got our land transferred into our names and guess what? We didn't need residency any more as the laws have just changed! Still it came in handy, we needed a document to show our address and the only thing we had with us was the residency paper.Us Brits are used to things being sorted out in a much quicker, efficient way and it takes a real effort to get anything done here. It can be so annoying but if you can be patient, things usually happen in the end. We are now trying to get CYTA to put in a phone line! We've been there 3 times and a CYTA man did come out to the house. Still nothing. Wish us luck!!

Drinks at Fat Tuesday's

Last night we decided to go to Fat Tuesdays in Larnaca, its a lovely relaxing place to go for a drink. OK you may pay a little more for the drinks, but the setting is lovely and the drinks are delicious, and the service is very good so the extra is definitely worth it. When you walk in your attention is immediately grabbed by the modern decor the music and the stunning views. Also if you fancy a quick dip in the hot tub, it is there waiting for you.

It is so hard in there to choose what drink to have! The drinks menu is packed full of delicious cocktails, both alcoholic and non alcoholic, beers, wines, champagnes, milk shakes everything.

All the cocktails are made fresh and have lovely fresh herbs or fresh fruit in them. All of the staff are very welcoming and the service is very good.

Once the night falls, candles are lit everywhere and the sent of vanilla is in the air. You sit back with your feet in the sand and listen to a variety of music, but my favourite is the Cuban style, it immediately makes you feel like your are on holiday. I would definitely recommend you pay a visit and sample the whole experience.

If you have been to Fat Tuesdays please post a comment and let others know your thoughts.

A different kind of view of an Island in the Med

Every day when I wake up and sit on my balcony and have a cup of tea I look out over Larnaca shore line all the way to Ayia Napa, I can see the town, the old Turkish quarter, St Lazarus Church and palm trees and I think how lucky I am to be living in a warm Mediteran country steeped in culture and history. But unfortunatly when I look down that veiw all to soon disapeers. I can see a static caravan that has been stragically dumped, old containers being used for storage and a pool that you wouldnt let your tropical fish swim in!

Now Mckenzi is a great location, 5 minutes form the airport, 10 minute walk from the town, beaches all along the coastal road, and lots of mini markets should you need to pop out for milk. It is a densly populated area becuase of all its advantages, but there are a few little "niggles' that put me off.

After being out with family on Thursday 21st May I can home to find a giant crane deliving a 30ft static caravan on what soon is to be our new road, incedentially which we have been waiting almost a year for! Apparanty we are waiting for the muncipaliy to come and check the levels, but thats another story. Any way there was a team of 3 people shouting "Ella, Ella" to make sure the caravan was put down safely. A FOR SALE sign was left with the contact number. I took it upon myself to phone the muncipality who I have connections with and asked them to check if the"Caravan company" have permission to sell the Caravan from it new location. When I called and asked to speak to "my contact" I was told they were on the phone and told to call back and then they hung up, the receptionist was civil but he didnt sound like he wanted to be there answering the phone on a Friday morning! I evently spoke to the right person, gave them the details and said they would look in to it. Today, Tuesday the Caravan is still there, however the FOR SALE has has disappeared and Im hoping the caravan to will dissapear, sooner rather than later!!!

My other view as you can see from the pictures is a communial pool. Today I was so annoyed at the state of it, and the mosquitos that were coming from it, I called the developer and demanded that the cover be removed this aftnoon or else........1 hour later the pool company arrived and took the cover off to reveal the green pool. Now its being cleaned and within a couple of days we shall be looking at a nice clean BLUE pool!!!!!

A Sunday in Mazotos, Larnaca

A Sunday in Mazatos, Larnaca
So today being Sunday we went with friends to the beach for the day. We decided to do the "Greek" thing, where we take everything but the kitchen sink. Between 4 of us we had everything covered, BBQ, Food, Beer, Table and Chairs, Bat & Ball, Snorkels, and a Solar powered radio!. We set off all excited for a day of relaxation. We didn't want to go to the public beach in Larnaca because we wanted to set up the BBQ. So we drove out about 20 minutes to a deserted beach we know, which is classed as Mazotos beach.
We drove down a dirt tract, through a few fields surrounded by the bales of hay getting ready for harvesting, it was lovely. We got to the beach and great no one was there.We parked, got out of the car and there was a pile of rubbish in the middle of the car park. It just looked like someone had emptied out a black bag on the floor smashed all the beer bottles and just left it there, nice!. As we walked down to the beach and found the spot where we wanted to set up camp, we were surrounded by rubbish. There was a old cool box left in the middle of the beach, plastic bags, beer bottles and cans, crisp packets everything you could imagine.
So we had a little moan about why people cant clear up there own rubbish, and set everything up. We of course had a taken a black bag with us and as we were making rubbish we were putting in the bag, and a friend went around our area to clear all the big rubbish and put it in the bag. We've had a fantastic day, great food, great friends and great weather, and no sun burn!
Generally the beaches in Cyprus are OK, but there not great by any means. The main beaches don't have to much rubbish on them, but you will always find ice lolly sticks, chewing gum and cigarette ends on the floor where you are sitting.
If you were coming on holiday to Cyprus and you wanted to have a nice beach close by then I would recommend Nissi beach in Ayia Napa. It really is lovely there, the sand is really fine and its all clean, and the water is crystal clear.
The question is. "Why do people leave there rubbish on the beach?" There is no need for it, and remember you are not just making a mess for you but also for all the other people that are there after you, and by leaving rubbish you are having a damaging effect on the enviroment.
Lets remember the UK slogan.... "Keep your country tidy"
If you have come across rubbish on beaches in Cyprus please leave a comment, and let us know what had been left and what area you were in

Welcome to Cyprus!

"Welcome to Paradise", this is what you hear when you first arrive in Cyprus for your 2 week summer vacation. Greeted by the locals as if you are one of the family. Straight away you can feel the famous Cypriot hospitality and instantly you know you are going to have a fantastic holiday. What more can you ask for, great weather, lovely food and nice people.
You arrive at your holtel, and you are taken to your room, where there is a complementary fruit basket and a bottle of Cypriot wine there waiting for you.
You unpack, have a shower, and cant wait to get your swimming gear and flip flops on and head off to the pool and check out the hotel facilities.
You take you first sip of the ice cold Keo beer and think "yup I'm really in paradise"..........or are you???????