Connecting with Family

Limassol, Cyprus
Niki's House - 9:00ish

My grandmother’s brother lived about 5 kilometers from where I was staying, so I figured 30 minutes would be enough time to get there. I woke up around 9am, showered, packed, and was on my way. I spoke with Themi the previous night and he helped me find a major street near the house.  Once I was there I struggled to find the actual house. Skoobler (driving GPS), Google and Apple were useless. Back home I use an app called Honk to remind me when a meter is up. When you set the timer within Honk, it records your location on a map – so you don't forget where you parked. I loaded honk to remember where I parked my car and to my surprise the street name was on the map within Honk! Sweet! On my way to meet my grandmother’s brother Vasso.

Off to Vasso’s

I wasn’t sure what to expect meeting my grandmother’s siblings. My grandmother has eight other siblings. The age range of the family members is very wide. My grandmother’s youngest brother is actually younger than her oldest child. Vasso is 92. To be honest, I expected to stay there an hour, maybe two, than explore Limassol. I was anxious to see the castle. It would be nice to meet him, but I figured the conversation would be akin to talking to a potato. From what Themi had told me, Vasso had done very well in life. One note, Greek’s call any older relatives or close family friends by Theo (uncle) and Thia (Aunt). The idea is that it takes a village to raise a child – so family runs deeper than blood.

Vasso’s House & his new car

I took a picture of the house, sent it off to Themi’s to confirm it was the house (above), opened the fence to the porch, and rang the bell. Themi confirmed - gotta love modern technology. My Theo Vasso answered the door and immediately greeted me in traditional Greek fashion. Shortly after I walked in his wife, my Thia Sophia, would appear. I hadn’t been told his wife was still alive, so I was a bit confused at first who she was.  My Thia Sophia watched over my mom when she was young.

Meeting Vasso & Sophia

 

Theo Vasso

 

Theo Vasso, me, Thia Sophia, and Frank

(Frank is the  dead Zebra in back of us)

I was completely taken back by how sharp Theo Vaso was. What’s shocking is how good his memory was. As I would learn, he was one my papou’s (grandfather) best friends. He was actually lived with the yia-yia (grandmother) and papou for six years in Africa before he got married. He recalled years of activities with ease. He had it more together and could tell a story better than anyone – and he was 92. To say this man was sharp for a 92 year old does him no justice. He could match wits with anyone of any age.  As we spoke I began to realize what I was learning had to be shared with my siblings and cousins, so I took notes. My papou passed away when I was something like seven, and while I have memories of him I never really did get to know him. I’ve heard lots of stories about how generous, soft spoken, and wise he was, but that was coming mostly from his children. We talked for hours, to be exact nearly six hours. My poor thia Sophia fell asleep while Vasso and I chatted away. Vaso was one of the first of the children to go to Tanganyika (present day Tanzania, Africa) for a better life with their uncle Mikaelis. He was a mechanic in Cyprus and went to Tanganyika to act as a sort of machinist for heavy machinery. He would eventually own a garage with nine mechanics and a dealership for Jeep, Volkswagon, MG, and many other brands. He also had an honorary post in which he acted as a driver examiner, determining who could get a license. He comically let me know that it took his wife, Sophia, nearly 2 years to pass!

Talking with Theo Vaso and Thia Sophia

If you’ve ever been to my apartment you’ve probably noticed African animals made out of ivory, ebony, etc. They also have a lot of such ornaments. All of the stuff is hand carved and pre-ban, so it’s legal. I noticed his clothes washing machine (common to have those in the kitchen) – it was a Bosche, the same make/model as mine.

 Bono Bar & Restaurant

After saying goodbye to Theo Vasso and Thia Sophia, I headed over to the Castle. The Castle closed about 30 minutes earlier (5pm) but there were tons of shops, cafes, and restaurants around the area. I explored a bit and ended up at a café/bar I wanted to visit the night before suggested by Themis. The place advertised free WiFi and I was hungry so I stopped in. Everywhere I’ve been in Cyprus that has a TV has the news on – even sports bars. People are waiting for a proposal to the banking problem. When I arrived earlier in the week, the proposition involved taking something like 7-8 percent of all money in checking and savings (deposit) accounts with balances up to 100,000 Euros, something like 10 percent for balances above. Imagine loosing 10 percent of what’s in your checking and savings accounts overnight and you’ll understand what Cypriots were facing. The proposition was rejected a few days later and many people were celebrating. People are sad and stressed. Banks have been closed all weeks. There are long lines at many ATMs. Gas stations are refusing to take credit cards and only accept cash. Bars that I’m told are normally filled with people every day are now empty. The EU is now threatening to kick Cyprus out of the EU if they don’t come up with a solution. After setting up shop at the coffee bar, the barista/bartender started chatting with me.  His name was Mikaelis. I comment about how good his English is and he lets me know he was educated in Atlanta, he studied culinary arts. I’d come to find out that Mikaelis owns the bar – he opened it something like 5 years ago. He mentioned how much he’s cutting back on costs because business is down – he actually excused himself to go to the basement to ensure the lights were off. As we chatted, he told me the cost of electricity has gone through the rough. Something like 5 years ago Cyprus was pressured by the US to take control of a ship carrying weapons bound to Syria. Cyprus took the ship cargo and stored it on a military base near the islands major power plant. The explosives were in typical metal storage containers. After roughly 2 ½ years of baking in the Mediterranean sun, the explosives ignited destroying the power plant and killing a dozen or so people around the base. For the next month, everyone on the island would be subject to rolling blackouts. From what I understand, people got power for about 2 hours a day. Since that time there has been an additional tax on electricity.  Mikaelis mentioned his electric bill is over 2,000 euros a month – a bit more than his rent. I would be disappointed to learn the café did not serve kebobs, only western sorts of food. After a burger and a beer with Mikaelis and some passing customers I booked a room at a nearby hotel and was off.

Le Village Hotel

Finding the Le Village Hotel was not very difficult. It was on a main street and consumed an entire four story building. From the outside it looked small and quaint, but cozy. The elevator was tiny – fitting one, maybe two people at most. The room was clean and comfortable, but chilly. The WiFi was excellent, so I gave Themis a ring to setup plans for the next day. I’d head to Nicosia (the capital) for a daytime tour, head to Klirou (the tiny village my yia-yia and papou were born), and lastly a birthday party at his sister’s home. In other words, a jam packed day beginning at 8am. After a quick shower I was on my way out to socialize.

A popcorn vending machine? 

Why have I not seen something like this before?

Note the balcony! Like the Rose Mountain Inn, the room was very chilly

This door is the hotel elevator

Pirated movies and software is everywhere, including corner markets.

Friends Rock Bar

After leaving the hotel I drove up the strip along the waterside – where the nightlife is centered. I explored a bit, but most places were open and dead empty. At the end of the strip and up the street I found a pub that appeared busy called Friends Rock Bar. To my chagrin all seats at the bar were taken. Unlike everywhere else I’ve been, I didn’t get very social vibe at the bar. I had to be up very early the next day to head to Nicosia, so after some conversation with the bartender and a drink I left for home.