Cyprus

Nice first day, starting in Nicosia/Lefkosia, one of the few remaining divided cities in the world, and interesting on both sides. It’s also very easy to cross now for many people, including tourists and most Cypriots, which I believe became the case in 2003. Before that it was said to be a bit more tense.

At the far edge of the walled portion of Northern Nicosia (it was the Venetians who walled this city long ago) I struck a deal with a taxi driver. We went through some spectacular mountain scenery to the northern coast of Cyprus, which is not far away. Great driver, and I may use him again for further explorations of the North in the next few days. Also may have found the perfect place for New Year’s after striking up a conversation with a cafe owner in the North. More on that later.

Yesterday was a bit of an unexpected pain. I purposely chose the route through Beirut with the 8-hour layover, because I was looking forward to a good lunch. But for the first time in my life I was denied admittance to a country: the Lebanese didn’t want me going into Beirut on transit (even though U.S. citizens don’t even need visas for Lebanon now). They said I needed an actual sleeping address on my entry card, and of course I had no hotel reservation to give. So I had to sit in the Beirut airport for, oh, 6 or 7 hours. At least there was a nice mountain view from the airport cafe. The thought crossed my mind: was the refusal of transit admittance a bit of cautionary fallout from the hit in Dubai last January? Anyway, some Lebanese restaurant and a couple of Beirut taxi drivers lost my money yesterday, which they all would have had otherwise. Beirut’s airport is nice in appearance, but a total bore. All duty-free shops except for one so-so cafe (which does have that glamorous view of the mountains, admittedly). They have very nice people working in the Beirut Airport, though.