Earlier this evening we had wind gusts of 40knots and the wind now is still strong enough to rock the boat making it a bit hard to type. This morning, I had managed to get in a walk up to Sipahi before the rain; but the laundry, several pairs of jeans, is still drying in the saloon. I knew the weather probably wouldn’t cooperate, but we were going off on another adventure with Robin and Julia (Rob and Jules) so hanging our jeans in the saloon wouldn’t be in our way. And we each needed some clean jeans so there was no second choice. I can use the marina dryer in a pinch, but the saloon works ok for small amounts of laundry. Our adventure today was to take Scruffy off to the kennel where she will stay while R and J go to a Famagusta hotel for Christmas and New Year. The kennel is about an hour away and then we went to a restaurant on the coast for lunch. We all missed Scruffy but she’ll be fine. Earlier in the week we’d gone to Girne with J and R and here is the story.
Ru
Girne with Julia and Robin: Line Dancing, Harbor Master, Dome Hotel, Digiturk
Our friend Julia is a member of a line dancing group that meets at a golf resort not far from the city of Girne. Robin suggested that Randal and I come along and he would take us to Girne after dropping Julia at the resort and then he and Julia would come to Girne and we’d all have a late lunch. That was perfect as Randal and I had to go to Girne to hopefully, finally clear up the problem of our motorbike’s exit from Turkey. Our agent in Turkey had failed to do the paperwork to check the motorbike out when we’d left and now Turkish customs needed to make sure we hadn’t left the bike in Turkey. When we’d checked in at Girne last August, Randal had asked if we needed to complete any paperwork regarding the motorbike. We had been told, “No.” Maybe that wasn’t the correct answer….but the agent in Girne is working with Efe, one of the Karpaz Gate Marina managers and our agent Soner in Turkey to get it straightened out. Randal’s passport is stamped with the motorbike’s entry into Turkey and must have proof of the motorbike’s exit if he is to travel into Turkey with his passport! It took 2 visits to the Girne harbor and we still have more paperwork to do, but hopefully it will be resolved with email and fax rather than a very long motorbike trip to the Turkish embassy in Nicosia.
Robin and Julia picked us up at the marina at 9:15 and off we went. Our first stop of the day was at the Korineum Golf and Country Club in Esentepe. http://www.korineumgolf.com/
The main building where the dance group meets and where Robin, Randal and I had a coffee.
No sheep and goats here!
The Korineum is lovely, but I prefer the sheep and goats of Karpaz. Our friend Carol needs to come here to play golf.
While we sat and drank coffee, Julia got her exercise! I went down to watch and it was great fun. Maybe one day I’ll go and try it too. The Texas Two Step in North Cyprus!
The man in plaid is the caller and the woman in blue is Jan, the “Boğaz cat lady.”
Julia and Jan having a pre-workout chat.
Welcome flags in the parking lots indicate North Cyprus isn’t a huge destination spot for Americans.
Then it was on to Girne.
http://www.hoteldome.com/www/tr/anasayfa.asp
I read an MC Beaton Agatha Raisin murder mystery set in Kyrenia/Girne and the Dome was part of the setting. Now I’m reading Genocide Files by Harry Scott Gibbons who I later found out is married to Beaton. He mentions the Dome also. Robin suggested that we all meet there so we did and had coffee.
Julia and I ordered hot chocolate but the expression on the young waiter’s face should have warned us that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea. Luke warm milk flavored with chocolate was a better description. Earlier in the afternoon Randal and I had stopped for a drink. I was amazed and impressed that I could read the sign Taze Elma Cayi (with dots and underscores not on my keyboard,) and knew it said, Fresh Apple Tea.
Dressed for Christmas and New Year
One of the dining rooms.
………..Then it was back to the car to visit the Digiturk office and to return to the Girne harbor agent’s office.
Geereesh and Chuhkuhsh I think that’s how they are pronounced.
Robin needed to make a stop at an ATM and while he was doing that……
So, for some reason the man driving this car drove into this ditch..
Lots of guys came to help, including Randal. But instead of everyone pushing they made several of the men, including Randal; get into the back seat to add weight for traction. It didn’t work. So everyone got out, the big stone was put just behind the front tire and all the men pushed and managed to get the car out. AAA not needed!
Our next stop was the Digiturk office to see if we could get that office to help with our TV problem. When the Digiturk box was first installed it worked and I watched an old Gilmore Girls episode and an old In Treatment. Once Upon a Time is shown here too; and House and lots of good stuff that Randal doesn’t like, but I do. He likes National Geographic and History. We paid for a year’s service (they are afraid we’ll run off with their box because we live on a boat…) but it only worked for a week. The Famagusta repair man said it was because the boat moved and the satellite signal gets lost, but that can’t be true because it worked the first week and we do get 2 Turkish stations loud and clear. And if the boat moves, the program should come and go, but it doesn’t come at all. We hoped the Girne office would be more sympathetic. The English speaking woman rep called the main office and they knew about the Johnson’s TV problems along with other problems in Karpaz where we live. So sometime after the new year they will give us a new satellite dish to replace the one we brought from Malaysia. They just weren’t sure exactly when after the new year! We only hope they come at all and that it will work. Not sure what we will try next if it doesn’t.
From there we went back to the harbor to see the agent who hadn’t been there earlier. Our marina office had told us any time after 11:30 but we should have been told any time after 1 pm. We got there about 3:30pm, the agent was very helpful, and we left about 4 ish so our lunch with Robin and Julia became dinner instead. We went to a place called Peanuts near the harbour and I had a wonderful salad with salmon. Randal had a burger and fries. Julia had pasta with veggies and Robin chicken shis.
Girne harbor where we originally checked into North Cyprus and where we returned to deal with the motorbike.
On the way home we stopped at a grocery store for odds and ends and then drove home in the early evening dark. It had been a long but very nice day!
Thanks Robin and Julia!