7/21 - Kyrenia or Bust

A group of seven of us (Nadia, Frankie, Jordan, Courtney, Mike, Sarah, and I) left the dorm this morning at 8am to head to the central roundabout and catch our minibus/van to Kyrenia. We had a bit of confusion, split up, boarded a bus that wasn’t ours, split up again, found each other, found the right bus, and finally hit the road. Nothing like a smooth start…
The ride over the Five Finger Mountains was smooth and peaceful and after a good night sleep it was nice to take in the scenery while everyone slept. We arrived around 10am and began to look for accommodations for the night. My trusty guidebook led us to a couple of different options and we were pleasantly surprised to find the Harbor Scene Hotel – about half a block from the boardwalk and literally around the corner from the harbor at a good price with more amenities than we set out to find (free A/C, satellite TV, big comfy beds). With our two points of stress (arriving safely and finding a room for the night) out of the way, we were free to enjoy our “holiday” weekend.

We started with one of the best lunches we’ve had – a well trusted favorite, the doner kebab (chicken or beef/lamb shaven off with a long flexible knife as it slow roasts) served with cucumber, tomato, rice, and pita. Next on our list was to book an adventure for Saturday. After ignoring the hard sell from a couple of young guys, we found Blue Dolphin Boat Tours (a company I had read about for their scuba excursions). Turns out that the sales rep was a friend of Umut’s who offered us a “student discount” - really no lower than anyone else on the strip, but slightly more trustworthy. For forty lira (about $30) we were able to book a 6 hour trip leaving from the castle, including two stops for swimming and snorkeling, as well as a fresh fish meze lunch. One more thing checked off our list!

The lights of Kyrenia Harbor from the roofdeck of the Carob Cafe.

Finally it was time to explore the shops of Kyrenia with frequent breaks for water and of course ice cream. The afternoon ended with a couple of hours on the patio of a dockside café followed by an early evening nap.
As it was our chance to splurge, we decided on dinner in the harbor. Although we had been warned of the high prices and mediocre fare it was hard to resist the atmosphere of the castle at night with all of the docked boats lit up across the water. We chose the Carob Café for its rooftop deck and did not regret the decision. While it wasn’t the most authentic cuisine we have tasted, we all left content.A walk through the night time bazaar on the boardwalk brought us some very interesting new friends including two who instantly fell in love with Jordan and Courtney. The beaded jewelry, bootleg DVDs and caricature stands were entertaining, but not nearly as much as the two men professing their love at first sight.

Nadia and I (with "friend's" cigarette) at the bazaar.

Courtney and "friend".