Cyprus-Forum.com

[roseandchan]

from north to south and south to north, how were your experiences? which crossing did you use? did you drive or cross on foot?did it take a long time to cross? were customs officers polite? did you experience any racism?do you feel safe on the other side?should more crossings be opened?would like to hear what other members feel.

[haplessboyrussell]

I use Ledra Palace and the new Lidra Street / Lokmaci Gate quite often, and, as a Brit, I've always found the officers on both sides perfectly polite. I always go across on foot because the couple of times when I've tried to use the Nicosia road crossing it takes a long time.

Wish I had something more interesting to add, but I've always found it very easy and trouble-free!

[juliesewell]

Have used Ledra Palace numerous times since 1992 and taken a taxi on the other side.
Since living in Cyprus, we've used the point by the racetrack a few times and also through Ay Nik and coming back via the racecourse.
We took a trip across via Ledra Street a few weeks after they opened the crossing point there too.

Never had any problems with any of them, but the quickest most certainly we've found to be at Ay Nik.

[bill cobbett]

On the way back into the Free Areas of the RoC, some two years ago a "very nice" fascist, b'stard, "police-man" member of the illegal northern turkish colony threatened to arrest me cos I had ignored the visa hut and tried to slowly drive through without stopping at the Pergamos crossing (I think it's called). Four or five "policemen" blocked my road, so I thought it would be wise to stop and live to fight another day.

[DT.]

On the way back into the Free Areas of the RoC, some two years ago a "very nice" fascist, b'stard, "police-man" member of the illegal northern turkish colony threatened to arrest me cos I had ignored the visa hut and tried to slowly drive through without stopping at the Pergamos crossing (I think it's called). Four or five "policemen" blocked my road, so I thought it would be wise to stop and live to fight another day.

you should have stepped on the gas.

[bill cobbett]

On the way back into the Free Areas of the RoC, some two years ago a "very nice" fascist, b'stard, "police-man" member of the illegal northern turkish colony threatened to arrest me cos I had ignored the visa hut and tried to slowly drive through without stopping at the Pergamos crossing (I think it's called). Four or five "policemen" blocked my road, so I thought it would be wise to stop and live to fight another day.

you should have stepped on the gas.

(Hi DT - a belated welcome on your return.)

It was an interesting few minutes. It did genuinely start off as a mistake on on my part. There were no notices saying - stop here and make over your piece of toilet tissue to the "visa" hut. I had mstakenly driven past this hut and could see the (open) gate to the Eastern SBA no more then twenty yards away and the "police" standing in a group on the side of the road chatting away. So I thought - sod it and drove slowly towards the entrance to the Free Areas and the rest is posted above. Yep - next time gas it.

[Feisty]

As I've stated, I'd never dream of crossing into an illegally occupied territory but once whilst returning from a restaurant down a certain road near to Pyla that a friend of mine says leads into the occupied territory we were stopped and subjected to a very invasive search by police officers, and not very politely either.

[bill cobbett]

Oh and I am reminded of a failed attempt to cross in to the Occupied Areas a few weeks ago. This would have been my first attempt at the Ledra crossing.

Many will share my feelings about crossing, whether to cross or not in the first place, whether or not to spend any money there, whether or not to endure the police/military state there etc. etc. We all search our consciences for the answers to these questions. I had been searching my conscience all afternoon and had decided to go.

Anyway. Drove to Nic. Dumped the hire-car, Cy fashion, on the pavement just outside the walls (there was a yellow no-parking line on the road, but not on the pavement) and started off up Ledra, thinking yep I'm going, for better or worse I am going, perhaps to try a local northern beer or even a "tr" coffee.

I started off at a pretty good pace but found myself going slower and slower. Needed a bit of Dutch courage. Stopped for a beer or two and set off again and the voices of doubt in my head started again. Got to within a few yards of the "border", all the while the foul flags of invasion and occupaton had been getting larger and larger and do you know if it weren't for the flags, I would have crossed, but I didn't. I turned back for home. Why am I such a prisoner to my conscience?

[Magnus]

Oh and I am reminded of a failed attempt to cross in to the Occupied Areas a few weeks ago. This would have been my first attempt at the Ledra crossing.

Many will share my feelings about crossing, whether to cross or not in the first place, whether or not to spend any money there, whether or not to endure the police/military state there etc. etc. We all search our consciences for the answers to these questions. I had been searching my conscience all afternoon and had decided to go.

Anyway. Drove to Nic. Dumped the hire-car, Cy fashion, on the pavement just outside the walls (there was a yellow no-parking line on the road, but not on the pavement) and started off up Ledra, thinking yep I'm going, for better or worse I am going, perhaps to try a local northern beer or even a "tr" coffee.

I started off at a pretty good pace but found myself going slower and slower. Needed a bit of Dutch courage. Stopped for a beer or two and set off again and the voices of doubt in my head started again. Got to within a few yards of the "border", all the while the foul flags of invasion and occupaton had been getting larger and larger and do you know if it weren't for the flags, I would have crossed, but I didn't. I turned back for home. Why am I such a prisoner to my conscience?

Maybe you just didn't want that counterfeit Rolex enough?

[Feisty]

Oh and I am reminded of a failed attempt to cross in to the Occupied Areas a few weeks ago. This would have been my first attempt at the Ledra crossing.

Many will share my feelings about crossing, whether to cross or not in the first place, whether or not to spend any money there, whether or not to endure the police/military state there etc. etc. We all search our consciences for the answers to these questions. I had been searching my conscience all afternoon and had decided to go.

Anyway. Drove to Nic. Dumped the hire-car, Cy fashion, on the pavement just outside the walls (there was a yellow no-parking line on the road, but not on the pavement) and started off up Ledra, thinking yep I'm going, for better or worse I am going, perhaps to try a local northern beer or even a "tr" coffee.

I started off at a pretty good pace but found myself going slower and slower. Needed a bit of Dutch courage. Stopped for a beer or two and set off again and the voices of doubt in my head started again. Got to within a few yards of the "border", all the while the foul flags of invasion and occupaton had been getting larger and larger and do you know if it weren't for the flags, I would have crossed, but I didn't. I turned back for home. Why am I such a prisoner to my conscience?

To many people their principles are their most prized possessions.