Cyprus

The first thing we did when the boat docked in Cyprus was to find a coffee shop with Wi-Fi.  The next thing we did was start to panic as we all realized that nobody had bothered to plan any adventures for our short weekend getaway.  The third thing  we did was decide to just wing it, start walking, and see what happened. And the fourth thing we did was to finally detach our carcasses from the sofa in the climate controlled coffee shop and schlep off into the heat of the great unknown.

The ship had pulled into port in Larnaca, third largest city in Cyprus, located along the island's southern coast.  Larnaca is best known for its gorgeous palm tree seafront, which would explain why that's the feature I remember most vividly.  In researching for this blog post, I learned that the city is thought to have received its name because of the large number of larnakes (sarcophaguses) that were discovered there.  I'm sad to report that I didn't see any.  Reason enough to return, I suppose.

As we walked along the palm-riddled Finikoudes Promenade, we stumbled upon a few pieces of art.

Left:  Zeno of Kition (ancient Larnaka).  Zeno is credited as the founder of Stoicism,  a Hellenistic school of Philosophy.  He was the first to divide philosophy into logic, physics, and ethics.  He taught that the purpose of human existence is the virtuous life, which is the life in accordance with nature.

Right:  This monument marks the spot where Armenian refugees fleeing persecution during the genocide of 1915 first landed in Cyprus.  Known as the Armenian Holocaust, the tragic event occurred when the Ottoman government set out to systematically exterminate its minority Armenian subjects within their historic homelands, what would today be known as the Republic of Turkey.  The sculpture represents the gratitude of the Armenian nation towards the people of Cyprus for their assistance and generosity to those refugees and stands in memory of the countless victims of the Armenian genocide.

Venetian Lion.  Venice has a long history with Cyrpus, which will be touched upon below.

Larnaka Castle was allegedly founded by the Byzantines in the 12th century, though the oldest written evidence of its existence dates only to the 14th century.  Chronographer Florius Boustronius dates the castle to the era of King James I (1382-1398AD) of House Lusignan, who is said to have built the castle to protect the town harbor.

During the period of Venetian rule (See?  I told you it was below.), the fort was strengthened as a result of the upgrading of the port, which at the time played a pivotal role in the trade of salt and other goods to and from the Syro-Palestine coast and the Western World.  The fort was abandoned at the end of the Venetian period when it was decided that the base of island defense would be moved elsewhere.  Ottoman troops landed near the fort and decided to use the port as the base for their own fleet.

Sources from the 18th century say that the castle, having long since fallen into a state of disrepair, was rebuilt by the Turks in 1625AD and retrofitted with cannons and other forms of defense.  More recently, the British used the castle as a place for the execution of convicts and as a prison.  These practices ended in 1948.  Today, the castle hosts a Medieval Museum and a garden theater.

Now, we were very bad tourists in that we didn't take many photos of ourselves during this weekend outing...but we all somehow managed to take a photo here.  So, enjoy.

Our next stop was...a bus stop!  With only 24 hours or so to see the island, we decided our time would best be spent seeing the city of Nicosia on our first afternoon, and then spend the following morning/early afternoon further exploring Larnaca prior to the ship's departure for Haifa.

Nicosia, the islands largest city, is the capital and seat of government of the Republic of Cyprus.  The northern part of the city functions as the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.  This disputed region, recognized only by Turkey, is considered Cypriot territory under Turkish occupation by the international community, and has been considered such since 1974.

On July 15, 1974 the Cypriot National Guard ousted President Makarios III and replaced him with Nikos Sampson, who was in favor of a union with Greece.  In response to this coup, Turkey invaded the island on July 20, claiming that the action was compliant with the 1960 treaty of Guarantee, which prevented Cyprus from participating in any political or economic union with another state.   Turkey soon took control of the north and divided Cyprus along what came to be known as the Green Line.  Sampson resigned and Makarios returned.  It goes without saying that, living in Jerusalem, all of this sounds somewhat familiar.

RESOLUTION (1995), by Cypriot sculptor Theodoulos Grigoriou, reiterates the faith of the city of Nicosia and its inhabitants to human rights as the only precondition to peace and freedom.  It was the very first thing we noticed after hopping off of the bus and making our way into the heart of Greek Nicosia.

On the round cement base, part of the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is written in embossed Greek letters. Steel lances driven into the center of the text represent its symbolic destruction.  The sculpture is a protest to the violation of human rights.  From where I was standing, looking straight ahead was the expanse of Greek Nicosia.  Directly behind me was the entrance to Turkish Nicosia.

Scanning the plaza before us an noting a beautiful, bustling, but otherwise normal city city center, we turned and opted to first explore the Turkish side of things.

We first found ourselves at the Büyük Han (Big Inn), located in the market center.  The Han, which was built in 1572 to provide accommodation for travelers from Anatolia and other parts of Cyprus, consists of 68 rooms which open to vaulted galleries surrounding an inner courtyard and 10 additional shops that open to the outside of the Han.  An Ottoman mosque stand on marble piers in a fountain at the center of the courtyard.  We took a moment to peruse the shops, which consisted of local textiles and craft works, before continuing our explorations.

We next stumbled upon the gorgeous-on-the-outside-but-not-sure-about-the-inside-because-it-was-closed Bedestan (Saint Nicholas Church), which combines 6th century Byzantine and 14th centuryGothic architectural characteristics.  The church was used as a covered market (bedestan) during the Ottoman rule but was restored by the United Nations Development Program, Partnership for Future (UNDP PFF) and funded by the European Union and Cyprus Evkaf Foundation over a five year period that ended in 2009.  

Adjacent to the Besestan was the Selimiye mosque.  Originally a Roman Catholic cathedral, the

mosque is the oldest and perhaps finest examples of Gothic art in Cyprus.  Construction egan in 1209 during the reign of Lusignan king Henry I and lasted 150 years.  When the Ottomans told the city in 1570, they destroyed much of the existing decor as they converted the structure into a mosque.  The Selimiye is the most beautiful, most attended mosque in Nicosia.  As an active house of worship that was currently between prayers, the doors were open and we were able to step inside for a quick look around.

It was getting late by this point so we headed back over to the city's Greek side for Pete's official birthday dinner at an unofficial Chili's...

...before heading back to Larnaca, where a night that began with margaritas at Chili's Chilies ended in a hazy hot mess sometime after this photo was taken at a club whose sole customer base seemed to be us and a group of old ladies that really liked to shake their groove thangs.

Due to excessive birthday-ing the night before, the morning of ship's departure was spent nursing a coffee at the only Starbucks in Larnaca and then slowly trudging up and down the beach...which ain't such a bad way to spend a morning.

Setting Sail for Cyprus on the Good Ship "Dirty Princess"

Click here for boring ship specs.

Our friends Jacob and Pete invited us along for a weekend cruise (April 24-26) to Cyprus in honor of Pete's birthday that weekend.  Always looking for an excuse to get out of town, and no strangers to cruise life, we jumped at the chance.  Plus, it was a Groupon deal!

Annnd, we got what we paid for.

First of all, my absolute, deepest, most sincere apologies to the staff and crew of the Norwegian Jade.  I take it alllllll back.  We may sail the seas with you again after all.  I mean, you may have had your issues, but…damn.

Our troubles began almost immediately, with heavy traffic and poor (ok, no) signage indicating where the dock was or where one should park leading us to seriously wonder if we would even make the boarding deadline.  When we finally pulled into port and asked where we could park, we were directed up a ramp, past a security gate, and into a small parking lot that said "No Parking."  We headed back down the ramp, back through the security gate, and out onto the street again.

Finding what looked like an official, but not exactly secure, parking lot, we headed the wrong way down a one way road (because it was, somehow, the only road) and miraculously found a parking spot without having an accident.  Luggage in tow, we scurried on foot back up the ramp, back passed the security gate, and into the terminal where we found Jacob and Pete, who had experienced similar frustrations yet somehow managed to gain access to the free staff parking lot (Um. Whaaa???).  Each couple would spend the entire trip casually wondering if our cars would be found where we had left them.  (Spoiler alert:  Cars were fine.)

The check-in process abided by standard cruise line practices, with one major exception:  they confiscated our passports!  Apparently, there is concern that the clientele will use the boat as an opportunity to exit Israel and then run away.  Or something.  We hemmed and hawed over this for a while, but ultimately, as we all carry two passports anyway, let them win the battle and continued the boarding process.    

Against all odds, we managed to board the ship, locate our rooms, and do a bit of exploring before the ship set sail.

They earn bonus points for already having the beds put together.  We've always had to request this after arrival on other cruise lines.

But they lose those points for having an actual key that we had to lug around instead of a key card.

They also lose points for the tiny bathroom that practically required me to put one foot in the toilet in order to take a shower.  

In the ship's lobby (which, to give you an idea of just how small this boat is, here's a picture of said lobby), we found several large museum-style labels printed on the finest cardboard.  They told of the ship's storied past.

The ship was commissioned by U.S.  Overseas National Airways as one of two luxury cruise ships.  Hugh Hefner was a partner in the design process, and he used Playboy's Entertainment and Recreation Club cruise ship as a style reference.  So, yeah, you know it's classy.  While under construction, the ship was acquired by Cunard Line  (You've heard of the Queen Elizabeth?).  The new owners decided to maintain the informal design begun by Hefner, and the ship was christened the Cunard Princess by Monaco's Princess Grace.  Although its maiden voyage saw it setting sail from New York to the Caribbean, the ship's primary cruising routes took it through coastal Europe and Central America.

Later acquired by Star Lauro and rechristened the Rhapsody, the ship added Africa to its itinerary.

Mano Maritime took over management of the ship in 2009, at which point she received her current name, The Golden Iris.  The ship now offers cruises throughout the Mediterranean that depart from Israel's Port of Haifa.

By the end of the weekend, the ship received another name: the Dirty Princess.  The ship was awarded this illustrious name for a number of reasons, chief among them:

• The vomit-clogged sink in the public restroom;
• The people in the dining room that would eat directly from the buffet with their fingers;
• The other people in the dining room that would drop food on the floor, pick it up, and put it back on the buffet;
• The nonstop soundtrack of rap and other music riddled with profanity.  I'm no prude, but this was a boat full of little children and Orthodox Jews.  Just seemed out of place.

As the ship set sail, we found ourselves enjoying drinks on the Lido deck as the ship's entertainment team danced awkwardly for our enjoyment.  This occurred shortly after, regulations put in place by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea to the contrary, we somehow managed to not get sent to a muster drill.  We asked several crewmembers where we should go, and they told us they didn't know, but wouldn't let us attend their muster.  We sat in the bar, alongside several other passengers, as numerous crew members walked by, noticing we weren't at muster but also not caring.  

The awkward dancing would continue each night as the entertainment crew put on what passed for an evening show.  Bless their hearts, they danced their hearts out, but with the low ceiling only a couple of feet above their heads, there wasn't much wiggle room for dynamic choreography.  I did have a major crush on the male vocalist (he's wearing that Miami Vice looking outfit in the pic below), so in my mind he could do no wrong.  My travel partners assure me he couldn't really sing, though.  Haters. 

Speaking of awkward singing, TJ tried his hand at Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" during afternoon karaoke.  Being the conservative, family cruise that this was, heads exploded all over the place.

If you're familiar with Carnival, Disney, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, or any other large chain, you'll be appalled to learn that meals were only served at strictly scheduled times during this cruise.  If you're late, you're out of luck.  It was all buffet-style, and our fellow diners attacked the buffet as if it contained the last bit of food on Earth.

Aside from the aforementioned singing and dancing, there was no entertainment on board.  Days that would normally be spent playing miniature golf, participating in trivia contests, or learning how to fold towels into various animal shapes could only be filled with alcohol and a poolside lounge chair.  That bit turned out to be not so bad.      

The most frustrating part about the voyage was that nothing about ship activities, port arrivals/departures, or dining options was easily obtained in English.  On every other cruise ship I've been on, they determine your language needs and deliver the appropriate material to your cabin.  Here, everyone received Hebrew reading material.  One had to go to the lobby and ask for materials in English.  And you had to specifically ask for them in English because just asking for the items IN English was never clue enough for the staff. 

That's not to say we didn't have a heck of a lot of fun, because we did.  We absolutely did.  The ship experience itself was so bizarrely terrible that it was campy.  And we do love camp.   Pete and Jacob had never been on a cruise ship before.  I'm not sure what they thought of the whole experience, but they did keep asking "Is it like this on every cruise ship?"...so I assume we were all on the same page.  Oh, and Cyprus itself was a lot of fun.  I'll talk about that next time.  No need in sullying the joy of Cyprus in this long and probably boring boat critique.   

When time finally came to disembark, instructions were given, only in Hebrew, as to how one could reclaim one's passport.  Due to this, we found ourselves being ushered off of the boat and into Passport Control...without our passports.  We turned to go back to the boat and were told by crew members that we could not return to the boat.  I said "Oh, I'm going back to the boat," and because everything was mismanaged all to hell anyway, that was apparently sufficient authority to get back on.  We found our passports at the front desk.  While disembarking for the second time, we ran into a member of the crew who had taken a liking to us after helping herself to Pete's M&M's the day before.  We suggested that it would be helpful to provide the appropriate information to guests that speak other languages so as to make their journey more pleasurable. 

I'm sure she'll get right on it.

The Honeymooners, Days Ten and Eleven: Istanbul was Constantinople…and Tatooine?

I'm a toy lover at heart, though it's not something I talk about here very often as this is more of a travel blog.  How fortunate when a rare occasion presents itself that allows me to talk about both in tandem.  

In the early days of April 2013, scandal hit the LEGO community when the company announced the retirement of a product called LEGO Star Wars 9516 Jabba's Palace.  The product had been under scrutiny since January, when Austria's Turkish community claimed that the building block toy set was based on Istanbul's Hagia Sophia mosque, and that the accompanying mini figures depicted Asians and Orientals as people with "deceitful criminal personalities."  LEGO released a statement clarifying that all character depictions in the set were intended to resemble characters from the film franchise, and apologized for any misinterpretation of the product.  The product was then announced as going into retirement at the beginning of April…not because of the controversy, but because all LEGO products are available for a set period of time.  Fair enough.  Their older product is hard to track down, and generally pricey when you find it.

When the controversy became national news (oddly at the time of the retirement announcement as opposed to when the claims of racism first appeared…I guess perceived corporate defeat makes for sexier headlines than perceived corporate bigotry), TJ, who rarely encourages but simply tolerates my passion for toys, said "Oh, maybe you should buy that."  I left dust clouds in my wake as I rushed out the door.  I tried two Targets, one Toys R Us, and even a Barnes & Noble before heading home with my head hung low in defeat.  It was only then that I tried to look on-line and found one available on Amazon.com at retail price.  Sold! 

I always meant to blog about the set, as I found the controversy surrounding it to be delicious.  But then I didn't.  And then January rolled around, and I suddenly found myself at the scene of the alleged crime.

As you can see, the toy kind of looks like the CGI movie palace…and neither look anything at all like the Hagia Sophia...

Anyway.

When the Norwegian Jade pulled into port on January 13th, 2014, one year had passed since the whole sordid affair had begun.  (And yes, I realize almost half a year has passed since the Norwegian Jade pulled into that port.  I'm going to try to wrap this long-winded and much-delayed story up by Wednesday).  

Our ship docked somewhere on the west bank of the Bosphorus, a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia.  See that bridge, off in the distance?  I took this grainy photo from the lido deck of the Jade.  To the left (west) is Europe.  To the right (east) is Asia.  It's not too often that you see such a sight.

Although Ankara holds the title of the nation's capital, Istanbul acts as the cultural, economical, and historical heart of the country.  With a population of over 14 million, Istanbul is the most populated city in not only Turkey, but all of Europe.  (Approximately 1/3 of the city's population is on the Asia side, and I'm not at all certain how that plays into population in regards to Europe, but hey, let them have their bragging rights.)

Istanbul wasn't always known by that name, however.  When Constantine the Great became the emperor of the Roman Empire in the year 324, he formulated plans for a new Christian city that would become ultimately become capital of the Byzantine Empire/Eastern Roman Empire.  That city was named Nea Roma, more commonly referred to as Constantinople.  It was built over the ruins of the Greek city Byzantium.  When  the city was conquered in 1453, it became capital of the Ottoman Empire  and ultimately earned its current name.  

Our first stop was Topkapı Palace, where the Ottoman sultans spent 400 or so years of their 624-year reign.  It acted as the house of government as well as the imperial residence.  The palace was converted into a museum in 1924 and eventually grouped with other "Historic Areas of Istanbul" to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.  Photos were not permitted inside the exhibit areas, but I've included some of my favorite shots from the grounds.  The museum features an impressive collection of weaponry from the Ottoman era,  a priceless collection of Chinese, European, and Japanese porcelains,  and an extensive selection of copper ware.  The Islamic Sacred Relics are also on display, including:

• Moses's staff
• Abraham's cooking pot
• Hair from Muhammad's beard
• Muhammad's swords and bow

Now, as is always the case for locations of historical/Biblical significance, one must make up one's own mind as to whether or not these artifacts are truly what they are portrayed as being.  What I do know for certain is that, the continuous recital of the Quran provides a serene and eloquent backdrop to one's exploration of the gallery space.

(Right):  The Sultan is reported to have had the custom of breaking his fast under this terrace during the fasting month of Ramadan, which coincidentally begins tonight.  Ramadan Karim to all of my Muslim friends.  Love you!  

Up next was a quick photo op outside of the aforementioned Hagia Sophia Mosque (though we wouldn't enter until the next morning)…

…and then we were off to the Grand Bazaar!

We stayed just long enough to get completely stressed out by the crowds and overeager vendors, and to buy some Turkish Delights for coworkers.  Okay, okay.  We also bought several boxes for friends and family, but the only ones that made it out of the house were the two for our coworkers and my parents.  YUM.

As if to make up for the utter disappointment that was the Athens Hard Rock experience, the new franchise in Istanbul seemingly opened a few days prior to our arrival.  The food was, as always, an amazing reminder of American bar food at its finest (with the American novelty of free refills!), and I got my darned shot glass.  Snapped some random but fun street shots along the way.

 That was pretty much it for the first night.  We freshened up and tried to enjoy an evening out and off of the boat, but the nightlife wasn't all it was cracked up to be, especially on a Monday night.  Perhaps we'll give it a go some other time on a long weekend.  All of our coworkers in Jerusalem rave about the Istanbul night scene.  The city itself is definitely beautiful enough to warrant a second pass-through.  And speaking of second pass-throughs…

We started our second and final day in Istanbul by heading underground.  The Basilica Cistern is a 70mx140m water reserve constructed in the 6th century at the height of the East Roman Empire's prosperity.  The columns and capitols are mainly Ionic or Corinthian…and then there's this swirly alien thing to the right...

The only other unusual characteristic to note would be the two Medusa heads.  Nobody is quite sure where they came from, or why one head is upside down while the other lays on its side, but scientists are in agreement that they were most likely laid that way on purpose.  It is theorized that they were ransacked from a late Roman era building and brought here.   

Definitely a cool stop, but Pool of Arches wins Cistern of the Year for the boat ride alone.

Returning to street level, we finally made our way inside the Hagia Sophia Mosque.  The church-truned-mosque-turned museum is a treasure of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.  It apparently makes an appearance in Dan Brown's "Inferno," but I've yet to recover enough from "The Lost Symbol" to give it a go.  

Mosaics depicting Mary, Jesus, and various saints adorned the walls of the Hagia Sophia during the Byzantine period.  They were either ransacked during the crusades or plastered over during the Byzantine era.  When Hagia Sophia became a museum in 1934, work began on recovery and restoration of the mosaics.  Below are three stunning examples, including one artist rendering of what a completed mosaic may have looked like. 

We next ventured across the courtyard to the famous Sultan Ahmed Mosque, more popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the interior walls.  I was unable to take photos during our walkthrough, as there was a prayer service in progress.  The mosque leaders are kind enough to allow entry to outsiders during prayer time but do request that guests refrain from taking pictures until after

services have concluded.  I believe TJ and I were the only visitors to honor that request.  Most people snapped away, many with the aid of distracting flash equipment.  To our horror, several tourists could be seen kneeling on the carpet and pretending to pray while their companions took souvenir photos of the event.  More horrifying still, these tourists didn't even bother to face Mecca while doing so, further demonstrating their lack of respect and understanding for the faith of their hosts.  But hey, it made for a better photo, right?  I was nearly in tears as a small, dignified employee knelt down to politely ask that a tourist cease taking photos.  When the service concluded, an announcement was made inviting any visitor that had questions about Islam to step forward.  Of course none did.  They already had their photo op.  TJ and I sat in stunned, saddened silence for a few minutes, allowing our eyes to take in the beauty of our environment, hearts breaking ever so slightly.

When people so flagrantly disrespect you and your religion to your face, maybe it's not such a far stretch of the imagination to think they would consider doing so in the toy aisle.