Cyprus-Forum.com

[webbo]

Martin

What you say has elements of truth but is mainly a bitter exaggeration. I don't know which fly bit you this morning! I have known Cyprus since 1952 and I'm the first to agree that things started to change in 1954/55 and not for the better.

My advice to prospective newcomers is to keep away from the tourist and expat settlement areas, where you will be exploited like nobody's business. This red zone includes virtually the whole of the coastline but especially Coral Bay to Amathus and Derynia to Oroklini, inclusive. Larnaka is slightly better, but still in the orange zone. Try an inland village where there are no or very few expats for a better life. This will avoid the worst of Martin's pessimistic complaints.

Not such good advise if you need to work and have kids to get to school etc. Makes for a very long day for someone and an awful lot of driving. I have had friends do the village thing but soon regreted it and moved closer to civilisation.

[devil]

I didn't say the back of beyond, did I? 10 km inland is often sufficient. Even places like Kalo Chorio are less than that from Larnaka and just 10 min to the Fire Station lights. Hardly the end of the world, is it? Especially when you think that a 50 km commute is common in the UK.

I've been in a village 20 min from the fire station (and to Strovolos) since 1998 and have never regretted it. Peace, tranquillity in a laid-back village rather than the noise, dirt, pollution, stress, petty crime and worry of a town.

[cymart]

I can see why it's best to avoid the 'tourist strips' here,just as in many other places and there are definite advantages to living in rural areas,but only if it is practical,as someone just pointed out.
But coming back to my other bone of contention,the only way the Greek-Cypriots will ever learn is if their pockets are hit and this is why they need some 'shock therapy' to bring them back to their senses!The coming recession in the U.K. will hit them hard over here as most of their income from tourism and property sales comes from the Brits!
I also believe they will only negotiate a solution with the north when they are forced to by economic or other factors so this might be a good way to finally get the ball rolling!
Meanwhile,I will not buy in Limassol,Paphos(especially!)or anywhere else in the south while our house in Varosha is standing empty and in ruins because it suits the crooks in power here to keep things as they are and only wish everyone else would do the same!

[Get Real!]

But coming back to my other bone of contention,the only way the Greek-Cypriots will ever learn is if their pockets are hit and this is why they need some 'shock therapy' to bring them back to their senses!The coming recession in the U.K. will hit them hard over here as most of their income from tourism and property sales comes from the Brits!

And what exactly is it that GC's need to learn tough guy?

I also believe they will only negotiate a solution with the north when they are forced to by economic or other factors so this might be a good way to finally get the ball rolling!

Are you implying that Cyprus caves in to illegal Turkish blackmail so that you can have back your shitty little shed in Varosi?

[cymart]

One of the principle 'diseases' which acts as a poison in this unfortunate country is that of arrogance and people such as Nicos Rolandis,former foreign minister have written very good articles about this and other problems in some excellent articles which have appeared in both the Greek and English language press here.I also recommend our 'professor' to read some of Yiangos Mikellides articles in Greek which appear in the Sunday edition of the Politis newspaper and have also beeen published in book form.The last posting is very typical of how many Greek-Cypriots react to any form of criticism about their country or their actions and unfortunately the President also suffers from this syndrome so hopefully he will be 'retiring' in February 2008!I would also be very interested to read the 'professors' advice on what refugees here should actually do-probably they are hoping we will gradually all die-out as we have been since 1974 in ever increasing numbers!

[cymart]

When I look around me in Cyprus today,I see too many ugly houses, too many shops selling imported luxury goods which nobody really needs and too many luxury cars which ruin the environment and often driven by people with high incomes and low morals who spend their money visiting sleazy cabarets where they 'buy' eastern european women who have been trafficked by viscious pimps!If this not true,why are there so many of these evil places in a small resort town like Paphos which is advertised as a 'traditional resort town with a pictuesque harbour and famous historical sites,ideal for family holidays etc???'If the authorities wanted to they could close these places down,but of course they won't because there is dirty money involved,plus the 'benefits' for those involved.Anyone who thinks I'm exaggerating should vist Savvas Michalides,a Limassol priest who has opened a refuge for these unfortunate girls and he will tell you all about the reality behind the 'Isle of Aphrodite!!'
I wonder if the 'professor' is an expert on this subject too,or is he going to help me when I arrange for a few bowsers of kerosine to burn these places down!

[devil]

Perhaps Cymart forgets what the sleazy cabarets were like before the troubles? They were even worse than they are today and the pimps were even worse, getting rich on innocent Anatolian girls who had been bought from their peasant parents. The brothels of Tanzimat Street, for example, a hotbed of VD. Of course, Cypriot girls (both ethnicities) kept their virginity to their wedding night, so the pimps and cabaret owners (often Greek) along Regina Street had to illegally import girls from Turkey. It was pure slavery. Of course, they didn't have Mercedes then, but Jaguars and Rovers.

So, little has changed, except that the clientèle of these unfortunate girls are no longer mostly Cypriot.

[cymart]

Unfortunately not only are SOME of the customers not Cypriot-but who are they,certainly not tourists?-but the people who are involved in this sleazy business are often linked with the Russian mafia and other dangerous international crime groups who are ruthless and totally without hesitation in dealing with anyone who gets in their way!I have written before that there is already FAR TOO MUCH involvement between Cyprus and the Russians and this is something the Cypriots will come to deeply regret,but by then it will be far too late.Having lived and worked in Russia for a considerable length of time quite recently and also making many visits to the country during the last 15 years or so,not just to the usual tourist places of Moscow and St.Petes,I consider myself better qualified than many naive and money grabbing Cypriots here to talk about what Russia today is in reality and would be very happy to have a discussion on the subject with anyone who is interested.In case anyone thinks I'm predjudiced against the Russian people because of my British origin etc. I would add that some of my closest friends come from there,and they,like me are VERY WORRIED about the direction their country is going in.Anyone who has doubts should read Anna Politkovskayas books about what is happening over there.This distinguished journalist and human rights campaigner even told me herself when I met her in Moscow early in 2006 that she was sure her life would be cut short before its time and I am still shuddering about her murder which happened a year ago last week!
Anyone who argues that Roman Abramovich and people like him have bought not only Chelsea football club but also half of Chelsea itself and Knightsbridge etc. so why shouldn't they be allowed to buy Cyprus as well is avoiding the real issue which is who are these people in reality and how did they make their money?Answers to such questions are rarely forthcoming and I can tell you that they don't give a damn about the millions of their own countrymen who are educated and decent people but now struggle to make ends meet on meagre pensions etc!