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Lanarca
Cyprus
Bec2004-09-15 12:56:34
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Lanarca
The hotels on the Lanarca waterfront were empty like they had never been in the low season.
The 9th century Church of St Lazarus in the centre of town had been nicely refurbished since I was here last but there were no tourists to admire it.
St Lazarus is the patron saint of Lanarca. The legend has it that he lived here another 30 years after being resurrected by Jesus. The Orthodox Greek Cypriots believe this literally but the Muslim Cypriots of Turkish origin think such tales are bunk.
The Cypriots I talked to were unanimous in condemning the American war on Iraq mostly because it caused a drastic reduction in tourism. The many restaurants in this street were offering specials but they were all empty anyway.
Kofi Annan was in Nicosia while I was in Lanarca. Opinions were divided on joining the European Union, many thought it would be good for the economy but some thought that the islands Greeks and Turks would never learn to get along.
Some shop keepers were opposed to joining the European Union because they feared the bureaucratic regulations and controls that would ensue.
After 24 hours, I moved on to Beirut.
Copyright Bernard Cloutier
All rights reserved.
Please visit my website
See photographs from:
Cyprus Gallery
