Culture shock in Northern Cyprus

We spend the first week in the northern part of the island, a state that is only recognized by Turkey in the world. A first short stroll through Girne / Kyrenia gave me a multiple culture shock, so that, contrary to my intention, I am writing a second blog post today.

First goal: where can I get a local SIM card? Our local guide is so nice and accompanies me (It's a young woman - how do you make “local guide” grammatically feminine?). Ultimately unsuccessful, but I'm very surprised at her tight, cropped, off-the-shoulder top. And out of respect for the culture, despite the heat, I dutifully put on long trousers and a T-shirt with sleeves.

Let's move on to buying water. To do this I have to work my way past a gigantic selection of alcohol and chocolate. The mainland Turks are hoarding in quantities like I last saw with toilet paper at the beginning of the Corona pandemic. The shops and the shopping baskets are packed (and no one but me is buying water).

There are exchange offices for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. I suspect this, combined with the many casinos, is a symptom of the fact that Cyprus is the Mecca of money laundering.

Otherwise there are countless cell phone shops, lots of tempting restaurants and cafés (what a shame that I don't have a travel buddy to help me escape here), quite a lot of empty space and very run-down buildings. Also flags on top of flags, always nice in pairs: the Cypriot one on the right, the Turkish one on the left.