Archive | January 2012
January 29, 2012  

Paphos, Cyprus – deliberate animal poisonings.


If you live in the Limnaria area of Paphos, please check out the thread contained in the link below:

PS: there are photos contained in the forum thread (on a link) so it’s up to you if you wish to view. You will not see any photos unless you choose to click on the link contained on the Cyprus Living forum thread.

January 29, 2012  

Egypt – Nile Cruise, here we come….. again!


How did you spend your day yesterday?
I spent mine hard at work in front of my computer researching and comparing Nile cruise itineraries (that was hard work as we want to spend as much time in Aswan as possible), different boats, cabin levels (hmmm Main Deck or Upper Deck?) before I even looked at the costs!

After that, I spent the rest of the late afternoon calculating the best flight options to allow us time to meet up with the cruise boat and finally converting the breakdown of costs into EUR to get a final total.

Then we had another decison….. Take an Excursion Package or not?
We decided the Full Package is of little use to us as we’ve done most of the stuff in Luxor that we want to do with our Cyprus friends the last time we were in Egypt, with the exception of the Luxor and Karnak Temples. But, as we’re moored in Luxor for a night or two – we can do both of those under our own steam should we fancy it.

Karnak Temple, we visited the site in 2010 but didn't go inside that day.

But what about the temples along our route to Aswan?
A quick calculation of the Egyptian ticket prices means if we do all of the options we fancy it will only cost the equivalent of EUR 18.00 per person.
We know how easy it is to arrange transport in Luxor or Aswan as well as around the Nile bank in between so we’re looking forward to some haggling and having our own version of “The Amazing Race.”
We aim to get to the ancient temples and monuments before the tourist coaches do :-D

Amazing Race, Egypt - Coming soon!

So, what’s the plan then?
The plan is to “do” Esna temple by taxi/mini bus (depending on the number in our group by the time we book this holiday), KomOmbo temple is a piece of cake as the boats dock almost at the bottom of the steps of the temple, although you do have to run the gauntlet of shop keepers in both directions :-)
In Aswan, we will have further to travel as we aim to take in the High Dam, Philae Temple and possibly the Unfinished Obelisk in one foul swoop! That will be hard work, but then we will have a nice rest afterwards on our cruise back down river to Luxor again.

Unfinished Obelisk - taken in 2007

Approaching Philae Temple, Aswan - 2007

It looks like now I’ve finally cracked it:

We’ve just agreed the itinerary etc with 2 of our friends from Cyprus and all we’re left with now is to work on the final dates.

It looks like this will be our floating hotel for 7 nights along the River Nile:

MS Serenade - river Nile cruise boat.

How much?
For 2 people including flights from Larnaca to Cairo, then Cairo to Luxor and return plus 2 nights hotel accommodation on All Inclusive basis followed by a 7 night Nile cruise on Full Board = EUR 831.50

January 26, 2012  

Question – Is Cyprus rain good, or bad?


Cyprus dams to overflow on Friday 27th January 2012 –  a date for your diary!

It seems the rain is either good news or bad - depending on which way you look at it. From an article in the Cyprus-Mail online newspaper today (26th January 2012)

To top it all, the Asprokemnos Dam near the airport in Paphos is very soon expected to overflow. They reckon it will happen on Friday 27th January 2012. Check out the video below taken by Lloyd (a member of the Cyprus Living forum) yesterday 25th January and don’t miss the ice-cream vans and Loukoumades (honey ball) sellers on there. It looks like a real carnival atmosphere!

We missed the last “overflows” as we arrived in Cyprus just a couple of weeks after they let loose in February 2004. It seems we’re experiencing the 2nd wettest winter in 100 years.

If it carries on much longer – it WILL be the wettest. I’m truly fed up of it now!

January 22, 2012  

What on earth is going on with the weather?


I’m finding it really difficult so far this winter in Cyprus.

It’s the worst that I can recall since we arrived at the start of March 2003. I know there was lots of rain in the February just before we arrived and the dams overflowed but certainly since then, this has got to be the wettest it’s ever been….

Yesterday the heavens opened again and it deluged for most of the day with last night bringing wind and torrential rain.

We awoke in the early hours of this morning (Sunday) at around 04.30 to hear the house being battered again by heavy rain and gusting winds hitting the side of the house causing the pergola frame to rebound off the wall.

Then – the power went off :-(

It came back on a couple of hours later – for about half an hour or so, then – off it went again.

Finally, it came back on about 45 minutes ago. Good job we don’t have central heating run by an electric pump. Thank God for Calor gas and kerosene heaters!

It’s still pouring with rain every so often so it looks like it could be another day indoors. No doubt when it’s time to go back to work for the week, it will be fine, dry and sunny!

It’s starting to remind me of how it used to be living back in UK. Nice, dry and pleasant weather through the week but peeing with rain at the weekends!

It’s times like this I need to pinch myself and remind me why it was we left the UK for our more relaxed lifestyle that is Cyprus…

Yesterday & Today
Curium Beach 19 June 2011
Curium Beach 19 June 2011
Curium Beach 19 June 2011
No storms at the moment!

QUICK UPDATE 10:58: It must have read this posting…. The sun just came out!

LATEST UPDATE 17:28
Well, it’s continued on and off all day from blustery showers to very heavy rain but finally – it looks like we may be in for a peaceful night. Watch this space….

You can track your next Cyprus storms here

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