14 - Radio report part 5

F: So far Gerard van Maasakkers. You like Gerard van Maasakkers S and M?
M: I hardly ever listen to him. I met him once, years ago at a presentation of a film of mine in Eindhoven. He was very enthusiastic about the music I used, from Art of Noise. I do not think it has influenced his music substantially thereafter. But if he occasionally passes on the radio I do not mind.
F: We have a question of G from S. He wants to know if the car is doing well and how expensive diesel is in Cyprus.
M: The LandRover is doing terribly well. We attract a lot of attention with it, particularly the winch on the front bumper feeds the imagination. It feels really cool to drive around in that thing. Soon we will go to Arkamas, a peninsula in the south to do some real off-road driving. As it seems it is not only allowed, but it is even famous in the 4x4 world for it. Here we do sometimes, but because of the mud and pits we are careful. Before you know it you're stuck. The nice part to it is that we get much further than with a rental in the previous years. A piece of dirt is no problem. The diesel fuel is suddenly very pleasurably priced: TL 1.70, which is € 0.85 per litre.
F: M from V wants to know if you have made any spectacular discoveries.
S: In the long history of the island there have been many waves of archaeological excavations. The probability of us suddenly discover something new is small, but perhaps we have done a little rediscovery.
The week before M went to have a look at Lambousa. Of course he could come very close with the car, despite mud, stones and a descent. Later, when he wanted to bring me there and show me the fish pond of antiquity, carved in the rocks in the sea, the path appeared impassable.
M: The rain of previous days had completely washed away the path, thus uncovering a series of rocks, carved in the rocks. Lambousa was a port in ancient times that has been under the control of Romans and Phoenicians, but the residents were eventually expelled by the Arabs. Several excavations have brought many artefacts to the surface, but we suspect that during the last archaeological round in the early 90's of the last century they the funding was cut and they filled up the place with debris. It is now partly washed out again. Our friends of Aphrodite will probably know more of this so the story will be continued. Later we will put the pictures on the web. Unfortunately I can not drive the car down there any more. Besides, two church towers of the old harbour village should be visible as well, but they are on military grounds and not accessible to visitors.
F: Did you suffer a lot of military or political?
M: Not directly, but it is everywhere visible and palpable.
Yesterday we were in the capital and we walked through the back streets. Suddenly you are standing in front of a barbed wire and you see a house of which only the front is intact. The back is a ruin and with the support of a scaffold that is placed against it, used as an observation post. We have no pictures of it, because taking them it prohibited and we do not know how far they are here to enforce rules. Any way they do have enough visible blue (and green) on the street.
The population however is very laconic about rules. Everyone knows someone who works with the police or government. Short lines make a lot possible.
In southern Nicosia we know, via via, a businessman who took us on a Saturday night to a real Cyprian restaurant. It was the first time we went over the Green Line by car. It was surprisingly smooth. Parking at the restaurant as well. The food was absolutely fantastic, exuberant tasty, and way too much. Our coffee we wanted to take downtown, so we followed our friend into nightly Nicosia. Everywhere people outside bars and restaurants, partly because the smoking ban here as well, but nowhere a parking spot. Our guide just parked his car on the sidewalk in a busy street and gestured that we had to do the same. During coffee I asked him if we could get a problem with. He replied laconically: "I don't, they know me". He has some important business with a company that deals with international relations and trade, was good friends with Makarios and his brother seems to be in the government. Anyway, the coffee was finished and luckily the car was still there without a ticket. Don't try this in the Damstraat in Amsterdam.
F: We are almost at the end of the broadcast today. S, I still haven't understood what you wanted to tell about that house.
S: Dogan showed us the house and told the new tenant wouldn't move in till one month after. He was going to call him and see if that could be two months. First he showed us another house, further up the mountain. This house however was a bit coldish and also somewhat isolated. We did meet Tamer, Dogan's brother. At his place we drank coffee and got to talking. The brothers know a lot of people who write, act and make films. They want to organize our acquaintance with that group. It was hard not to be enthusiastic. Dogan did arrange the second month for the first house and we agreed on the price (you have little choice). They make everything ready so we can move in.
F: When are you going there?
S: We change homes on Sunday. Saturday night we tackle everything and Sunday we drive up there. Fortunately it is completely furnished and it even has a washing machine, but what was especially interesting that it is an authentic Cypriot house with ...
F: I almost forgot a request from M In E, she is afraid that you are already homesick and has therefore requested this song, from Guus Meeuwis, yes, you guessed it right, Brabant.
Here it is, Guus Meeuwis with Brabant: