CYPRUS REVISITED 1

 16th - 19th Jun 2024

Cyprus. Left arrow Larnaca. Right arrow Fig Tree Bay.

I was based in Cyprus for a year in 1976, at the Eastern Sovereign Base Area (ESBA) Dhekelia. It is on the coast about 12 miles east of Larnaca. It was a fun and uproarious posting and, thanks to the Turkish invasion of the north-eastern part of the island in 1974, pleasantly free of tourists. We had the beaches and other facilities more or less to ourselves. Other military units and friends were based in Episkopi, the Western Sovereign Base Area (WSBA) at the south-western end of the island along with the RAF at Akrotiri. 

So, after 48 years, I decided to go back to have a look and maybe re-live happy memories!

After a traumatic and expensive journey from home by rail some of the way (the ongoing trains to Gatwick airport were cancelled due to 'lack of staff'), then bus (£40 from Reading to Gatwick airport with a lengthy and tedious wait at Heathrow!) to a vastly overpriced night stay at an airport hotel at Gatwick to catch a mid-day EasyJet flight to Larnaca the next day. The public transport system in UK is in an appalling state; thoroughly unreliable. I was in a bad mood already! 

The plane was packed full of mostly rather 'yobby' looking tourists. Left: an example of such waiting for the flight. It didn't look promising! By the way, I am somewhat bemused by the current fashion whereby nearly all males (below the age of about 50) sport this unattractive unshaven facial 'stubble'. It looks scruffy and dirty and suggests "I can't be bothered" idleness. I call them 'Stubblies'. It is not a pleasant sight (in my opinion). Even many TV reporters, who should know better, are guilty of this 'fashion statement'. As indeed are the armed forces now! What is the world coming to?! 😬😬

Interestingly, and again annoyingly, EasyJet had booked my small cabin bag into the hold. To get it into the cabin would cost me an extra £48! What a rip-off, so I had to book it into the hold as 'freight'. Right: Once on the aircraft it was apparent that few of the convenient overhead lockers were in use (OK, this photo was taken before the main scrum had boarded but even when they had there were still few overhead lockers in use...I put my laptop bag up there). There is no logic to this!

To cap it all, once the aircraft had been fully boarded by the sweaty horde of 'stubblies' and their fat tattooed 'molls' we sat stationary on dispersal for an hour and forty minutes! There was only one cabin announcement by the 'captain' to tell us that engineers were fixing a problem! This was, of course, for our safety and convenience. Pathetic.

OK, that is enough about the typical hassle, discomfort and inconvenience of modern day travel. The 4 hour flight itself was uneventful and we landed at Larnaca airport, late, at about 9.00pm. I had been booked into a hotel via the Trailfinders agency which, in retrospect, was a mistake. I should have followed my normal routine and done it all (more cheaply) myself. The hotel was a perfectly decent one with a 'Spa and swimming pool' etc. (not my scene). It was near the coast about 12 miles south of Larnaca and in the middle of nowhere. Most inconvenient and I had been booked in for a week with no option to change. The necessary taxi from the airport cost Euro 20 (I had forgotten Cyprus is now Euro currency. In my previous stay it was Cypriot Pounds!)

Right: The view of the pool from my balcony. I really don't 'do' swimming pools but occasionally lounge around the edge ogling the talent.....of which there was very little.

The next morning at breakfast (included and quite decent too) I was sitting at a table looking across at this 'gentleman' (left). Not only was he a 'Stubbly' but also sported a ring through his nose! Am I alone in finding this hideously unattractive? It must also be rather uncomfortable. Is he tethered to the wall by his nose at night like a prize bull? What possesses these people? It put me off my food so I moved.

PS. My eagle-eyed OMPITA adviser spotted that he also has three metal studs on the inside of his lower lip. Extraordinary!

I intended to do a bit of travelling around the eastern end of the island so needed transport. I thought of hiring a scooter or small motorbike. On Tuesday afternoon, after a bit of energetic lazing by the pool, I got the bus into Larnaca and found, near the Marina main bus station, a likely looking car/bike hire shop. There are many around town. They proved, fortunately, to be both helpful and honest. I can recommend them: 'Anemayia Hire' on Makarios Avenue. It is a family run firm with Nikolas, his wife and charming daughter, Joanna, involved. My intention of hiring a scooter was quashed as it was pointed out to me that anyone over 'a certain age' (70) cannot be insured in Cyprus for riding (a hired) one. So, at not much greater expense (total Euro 100 for 3 days), I had to hire a car.

 

Right: My car. A fairly elderly Suzuki Swift with 110,202 kms on the clock. It was an 'automatic' of which I had no experience. I was given a quick 'crash' course on how it worked by Nikolas. It also had multiple small dents and scratches and I hadn't asked Nikolas to identify them before I left. I had been compelled to lodge a Euro 400 deposit which would be returned to me when I handed the car back. After I drove off I realised that they could blame me for some of the scratches and dents and I would lose the deposit. I was a bit stressed by this. As it happened I needn't have worried. I got it all back straight away when I returned the car. Memo to self: 'In future when hiring a car get the hirer to identify any present damage...and take a photo of it'!

The following morning I decided to travel east along the coast to my old base at Dhekelia, about 12 miles from Larnaca. On arrival at the main entrance I was told by a Cypriot MOD policeman (ModPlod) that I was not allowed to enter the main base, but a lady on duty (at another gate) said she would try to arrange an 'escort' for the following day to show me around the place. I didn't hold out much hope. 

I continued around the perimeter to what was our airstrip from which we operated helicopters. The airstrip (runway) and the hangar building are still there but the place is now wired off, locked up, closed down and deserted. Left: The nearest I could get and the photo taken through the mesh fence. I believe the place is now kept as a 'stand-by' location by the RAF based in Akrotiri.

I then went down to the sea shore where, back in 1976, the 'Officers' Club' was located (right). It was a thriving and amusing place for much social drinking and swimming. It had gone! Demolished! Probably on 'Elf 'n Safety' grounds.

Left: In its place, or nearby, was a shack which houses, apparently, the grandiosely titled 'Joint Services Adventure Training Wing Land Activity (Kayak) Branch'. I did not realise that kayaks were 'land' vehicles. It was locked up and certainly did not show any sign of 'activity'.

Likewise further down was the Dhekelia Services Sailing Club which had a few dinghies in the water and a lean-to shed with an inflatable boat in it. It too was all locked up and bereft of any human activity. Right: I noticed that the Dhekelia Services are now somewhat unenthusiastic about people enjoying a smoke...even outside. More 'elf 'n safety!

I continued east along the coast to the town of Aya Napa. Back in 1976 this was a charming little village with some chalets, down a dirt track, on the seafront. There is now a 4/6 lane motorway along the coast and exit to the town, which is now large and entirely unrecognisable. It is a vast tourist resort! There are wall-to-wall hotels, bars, restaurants, MacDonalds, supermarkets and souvenir shops etc. The modes of transport favoured by the tourists are scooters, 4X4s and ostentatious Beach Buggies. It all seems very 'naff' and caters for the sort of people on my flight over! The main tourist season is yet to start but I did see plenty of the often pot-bellied tattooed 'stubblies' and their womenfolk who were proudly showing off unattractive near-naked torsos which ranged in hue from pallid white through crimson to nut brown. As I was driving I didn't have much opportunity to take photos...you may be relieved to not see.

Left: There were several shops renting out these Beach-Buggies and 4X4s.

I did get out for a quick walk around the town, but didn't stay long.

Then on to where the road turns north up to the once small village of Protaras. There used to be a dirt road from here to a delightful beach called Fig Tree Bay (FTB). It was to here we often used to come after work (which usually finished at 12.30pm because it got too hot later). It was a 500yd long sandy beach with warm crystal clear turquoise blue sea, and a small rocky island off-shore. Idyllic! There were two 'tavernas'. One at each end of the beach. We favoured the northerly one called 'Fig Tree Bar'. The other one at the southern end, not to be outdone, called itself 'The original Fig Tree Bar'. There was indeed a fig tree at both. There were normally only about a maximum of dozen people present on the beach; some from Dhekelia and maybe a few soldiers from the UN base in Nicosia. We could lounge around all day and sometimes even spent the night sleeping on the sand after (over)much imbibing on brandy sours. Based at 'our' bar was an amusing and ebullient Cypriot called Stavros who, together with his 15 year-old nephew, Nico, ran a speed-boat for waterskiing. It had a lively 80hp outboard motor. Over the course of many visits we became rather good at waterskiing (on mono-skis, trick-skis etc. involving elaborate beach starts and acrobatics) helped by the fact that the water was pleasantly warm when you fell in. We certainly didn't fuss with wearing life-jackets or helmets which is what the 'elf 'n safety regime demands nowadays. I suspect we put more time and effort into this activity than we ever did in our 'real' jobs. We became great friends with the bar owner (forgotten his name) and Stavros and Nico. This friendship even survived the occasion when, to get free waterskiing, we generously supplied Stavros with some 'opportunistically' acquired aviation fuel (Avgas) for his outboard motor. The outboard did not like this potent fuel and it eventually blew up!

Anyway, that was the old days. As with Aya Napa, Fig Tree Bay and the surrounding area is now unrecognisable! High-rise apartment blocks, large hotels, supermarkets, proper roads and numerous bars proliferate. I could not recognise anything, not even the original two bars which, I presume, have been knocked down and more 'flash' replacements built in their place.

Right: This photo was taken from where, I think, the southerly 'The Original Fig Tree Bar' was, looking north to where our 'Fig Tree Bar' was at the other end. It does not do justice showing all the high-rise development behind the beach.

Left: However, much to my surprise I saw this advert in more or less the same place at the northern end where Stavros operated in 1976. 

Right: It all looked rather upmarket. There seemed to be no end of 'watersports' catered for but as far as I could see, no waterskiing. I suspect that with the number of swimmers and other boats, especially noisy jet-skiis operating inshore, waterskiing would cause a bit of a hazard.

So I wandered down to the office (left) to find out what was going on these days. And believe it or nor.....there were Stavros and Nico!! I was amazed. Stavros is now 80 years old and still going strong! (he looks very fit despite the years). We had quite an emotional reunion. I tactfully did not remind him of the exploding outboard motor incident!

Right: The beach was covered in sun-loungers with shades and inhabited by many tourists.....and the peak tourist season had not yet started. There were wall-to-wall bars, restaurants and hotels behind the beach and all rather expensive.

Left and below. The standard of the present day 'holiday makers' did not impress. I think people ate less 48 years ago, and probably did more exercise (and men shaved in the morning!).

"Thar she blows!". I hope they were successful in refloating her.

Left: An interesting signpost on the beach. 'Ireland 3736', it reads. Kilometers presumably? I thought it was further.

I fiddled around on the beach and bought an overpriced beer and ice-cream. FTB has not been improved by all the building and new 'facilities'. It was so much more pleasant 48 years ago. Such is 'progress'. I doubt I will be returning!

I thought I would drop in at Cape Greko on the way back to Larnaca. This is overlooked by a high peninsular just south of Fig Tree Bay and forms the south-east tip of the island. I had not been there before. Right: It is a 'Marine Protected Area'.......click on to enlarge and read.

Left: It is a popular spot for anchoring cruise boats and snorkellers. The water is crystal clear and I expect there are lots of fish and other marine creatures to stare at.

Right: Several tourists had arrived at the Cape on these beach-buggies. They are obviously very popular.

Left: I drove/climbed up to the top of the promontory overlooking the Cape. There was a near vertical drop behind me. I had accompanied a young couple who took this photo.

Right: A couple of pretty girls arrived in this buggy. The girl on the right had a splendid long wig which I tried and failed to photo. 

Back to Larnaca for a spot of refreshment at the pleasant beach-front promenade before returning to the hotel. 

It had been an interesting day out, but I certainly preferred things as they had been in 1976. Of course the Greek Cypriots, being entrepreneurial people, had made the most of it (and probably a lot of money) with regard to expanding the tourist industry. I'm told things are much worse down at the other, western, end of the island where places like Limassol have been well and truly invaded by wealthy Russians!

More to follow in the next 'edition'.