I arrived in the southern Cypriot city of Limassol and our ship anchored
in the harbor; but it was too big to
dock, so cars + passengers had to be ferried onshore on even smaller boats. With
my few remaining dollars, Customs allowed me only 5 days in Cyprus In Transit,
and they emphasized I had to be out by those
5 days!
But, I figured, ‘No problem!’ Red Sea Travel in Rhodos had assured
me that once I got to Cyprus I could get a boat to Israel because they left ‘every
couple of days’.
But… I soon found out differently: no boat was scheduled to leave for
another week + it would cost $22!
Not good on 2 counts: I didn’t have that much money for the ticket
+ I would be too late to meet my friend in Israel!
I was lost about what to do?
…so I went + sat on the beach + a sudden rogue wave splashed all
the way up the shore where I was + soaked me!
But what could have been the last straw proved to be a God-send!
This wave also somehow carried new inspiration and I inexplicably felt
like all my doubts + fears were being washed away!?
I returned to town, had an ice cream cone + everything was better!
I pondered a few new options: either head north into Turkish Famagusta
+ catch a freighter… seemed best + cheapest? Or… but before I could even get to
the other option, bad news: Famagusta dock-workers were on strike and travelers
had been stranded there for weeks!
Also, rumors circulated that even if a ship did sail from Limassol,
there were so many passengers waiting to get on board, that one boat would
never be able to take all those who wanted to board!
All these tourist agencies + horror stories were tiring me out!
I returned to the hostel, scrummaged a meal from fellow travelers
and went soundly to sleep.
And the next day my entire situation turned around!
Our Egyptian hostel manager required his hostellers to leave the
building during the entire day, so some of us holed up in a little café to read
+ write away from the cold. Seems the wind from Turkey had followed me here
too!
A few of us ‘chipped in’ to share chips + eggs together when a
French couple, newly arrived from Turkey, joined us with jaw-dropping stories
of their Middle Eastern adventures!
I remember hearing them describe Cappadocian cave cities + this got
me all excited to go there one day –
(+ Erica + I eventually did!)
But… my priority then was to somehow get to Israel in 3 days… cheaply!
But ... they brought more bad news: the Monday sailing to Israel had
suddenly been postponed indefinitely!
But… then they followed with the bestest news! ‘Did you hear
Cyprus Air has a cheap student flight to Israel from Nicosia on Monday!
Really?
Yes! + they gave me a phone number
+ I called Nicosia + it was all confirmed in a few short minutes through Dunc, a Canuck even! He took my name
+ I was on the list + it looked like I was on my way to Israel!
What a turn-around: so
complete + immediate!
You’d think I would have thought Someone was working miracles on
my behalf, but I remained unaware + still had a work to be done in me!
It was raining hard when I hitchhiked up to Nicosia the next
morning. A truck driver took me a ways + dropped me at gas station to catch a
further ride. Varaskova saw me soaking out in the rain + brought me a cup of
hot tea from her shop; Trifon actually left his soldier sentry post to help me hitch.
Supernatural help was coming from every direction and I soon reached Nicosia.
I found Dunc at the hostel, went downtown right + gave them my
money for my Monday student flight to Israel… only $5!
There was only 1 remaining problem. It looked like I could dodge
the Cypriot Immigration deadline for being out of the country in 5 days, but
would in turn Israeli Immigration let me into their country with only $10 to my
name?
Pondering my predicament, I walked The Green Line dividing the
warring capital’s Greek + Turkish factions.
Such a beautiful island, but it was suffering the ravages of war:
barbed wire and burned-out car wrecks littered and barricaded the streets. I was
in middle of a war zone, somewhat like a walled + divided Berlin.
Over the next couple days, I explored the city, mostly its Turkish
sector. Christian churches’ their steeples had been knocked off and replaced by
minarets, while former mosques suffered an opposite fate on the Christian side.
The guard of a reconditioned mosque asked me for payment to enter;
I refused on principle. The Turkish sector was definitely poorer + not as
well-kept as the Greek: streets were narrower + dirtier; the houses poorly built
…but the Turkish Delight was excellent!
On Monday morning, flight day arrived. I finally found the Israeli
Embassy open + they assured me that my minimal funds would not keep me from
entering the Promised Land. Their kibbutzim
would always give me a place to work for room + board!
Time was growing short, a fellow traveler paid for our taxi to the
airport. I checked my backpack, then a thorough search through security - even
frisked me, a rarity back in those days, but then, I was going to Israel!
Our plane was rather old, propeller-driven even, but what can you
expect for $5?!
And from having been lately so often at the point of despair,
I was now in the air
With money + time to spare!
…or was I?
Big promise usually holds big surprises.
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