Demonstration in North Nicosia

As a close neighbor to many of the uprisings and regime changes, it was shocking to me how little the issues in the region were being discussed. It felt for a while as if I was a world away from the demonstrations, protests, and fighting that have overcome North Africa and the Middle East rather than an hour flight from Cairo.

However, over the past week or two, the walls of Nicosia have begun to tell a different story. Near the coffee shops and main commercial street (Ledra Street) in the Old City, supportive slogans have begun to crop up on plastered walls.

I'm a big fan of the V for Vendetta/Pharaoh stencil in this one.

Then yesterday the reality of demonstration struck Nicosia. For the second time in the last month, Turkish Cypriots gathered around Kyrenia Gate at the north of the circular city walls in numbers unprecedented for the shrinking community. The protest was conducted in response to a number of growing Turkish Cypriot fears including austerity measures planned by Turkey, the massive Turkish military presence on the island, the large population of Turkish settlers in Cyprus, and their wish for self-determination and/or a resolution to the Cyprus Problem. 

Many political parties were represented at the rally in large numbers 

I was mistaken for media personnel and had the opportunity to capture the demonstration from atop an apartment building in the Old City.

Notice how the city walls and gate were used as a seating platform in and around Kyrenia Gate.

Anti-Turkish immigrant, and self-determination signs.

Almost 30,000 people are said to have joined the demonstration which included many speakers and a live band. I was thoroughly impressed with the volume that the protest was able to reach and the passion that the Turkish Cypriots brought to the rally. I hope Ankara could hear Nicosia today.

Flickr Feed/Glossary

To those of you who simply can't get enough of my view of the Cypriot landscape and/or want to see more of my travel photography, please stop by my Flickr page. Although this site will remain my blog and I will continue to post photos on here, the Flickr allows me to upload an unlimited quantity of photos and share them with a larger audience.

Also please note that I've added some new features to my blog. First, is a  slideshow that scrolls through my Flickr along the right side of the page. If you click on the pictures a new tab will open to my Flickr photostream. Then, I've also added a glossary of terms that I use often. Please don't hesitate to let me know of other terms you would like for me to define.

Road Trip - "Cape Kormakitis: A Diverse Landscape"

This Sunday’s road trip ended up proving the wealth of natural beauty that Cyprus has to offer. Our goal was to make it to the northwestern tip of the island, called Cape Kormakitis. We headed north of the Buffer Zone from Nicosia in the direction of the massive Turkish/”Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” land flags toward Kyrenia. On our way we found acre after acre of rolling hills, the valleys of which were being farmed.

After driving down the coastal road along the north edge of the island, we made a stop in the lush city of Lapta in the foothills of the Pentadaktylos Mountains, where we again had an opportunity to photograph goats.

The sea was a wonderful shade of blue on this clear day, so we stopped in “Horseshoe Bay” for lunch and some backgammon.

For the final few kilometers to the cape we drove along a dirt road that was lined with fields of yellow flowers.

Not far past these fields we found two abandoned buildings that had an eerie presence overlooking the sea. Both buildings were abandoned and empty so we spent some time filming a pilot episode for a future reality tv show that combines features of Man vs. Wild and Locked Up Abroad.

At the northwest tip of the island there is a small islet that would have been easily reachable if the water was warmer and the weather had not turned windy and rainy. However, this is another area on the island where the beach is not a very pleasant area to sit and enjoy. The sea-worn rocks that make up the shore are extremely jagged as you can see below.