Bellapais Abbey

Constructed in the 12th century,
it is a must see for all visitors to Northern Cyprus.

Situated on top of a beautiful hill
and overlooking the Mediterranean sea....
there are luxury houses around this abbey,
well just say u also need to be on the waiting list
to get a piece of land to build your house.

Seville Orange tree greeting us at the entrance

very good "feng shui"
backing the rocky marble mountain
*which is also the same mountain where St Hilarion Castle sat*
and facing the sea.

No wonder the long waiting list~~~~~~

there's a courtyard in the middle
very very high ceiling.....err do u call that ceiling?
Dinos & Veeny

all of us looked so touristy...
and there isn't a single ASIAN tourist in Cyprus.

The only asians we saw were MAIDS.
well that explained why I had a hard time goin through the custom,
they thought I wanna gate crash their country and work as a maid.
hahahhaha.

Monkey the maid who only knows how to eat and enjoy life

Unfriendly custom officer: "Are you a couple or are you traveling together?"
Both of us simultaneously.....
JS: "We are traveling together."
Me: "We are a couple."

Unfriendly and now agitated custom officer: "NO. This is wrong. I don't believe you."
Angry and now agitated ME: "....................*WTF*...................WHAT???"

Unfriendly and now super RUDE officer: "Both of u are telling different stories."

GRRRRRrrr are u saying that we are LIARS?

anyway JS had to verify Veeny's details, DOB, the date she landed in Cyprus, whom she married to, her address and it took another 15 minutes before he let us through.

Dinos,
this round your name didn't work at all!!!
I couldn't say "Dinos sent me here!!" and get things done my way.
anyway back to the beautiful abbey,
very gothic architecture....Lusignan period to be exact.

hmmmm, how do u clean the top???
most of it were destroyed during war and earthquake
it's the sea on the background!!!!
Dinos!!!!

Thank you for driving us around to Northern Cyprus,
I think without you help....they won't even let us through
*what are u doin in Northern Cyprus?*

U need a visa to go to the North coz it's being run by a different Government,
the TURKS,
however this Government is not being recognised by the United Nations.

well I felt like I was in Iraq at the border between North and South Cyprus
with armed soldiers and wired fences and more landmines.
bluek!!!!

I still prefer the Republic South :))))))))))

See, the Turkey flags flying proudly...
hmmm I think Artemis will not approve this...

During the invasion by the Turks in 1974,
the northern Cypriots were chased out of their very own home
*namely the Greek Cypriots*
and they settled down on the southern part.

Now, Northern Cyprus is like er...Turkey = moslem = women with scarves = mosques
but my only concern was...NO PORK for me!!!!!

there's actually 2 levels
the arches that support the upper level
well at least the government is doing quite a "not bad" job to preserve all the ruins

pretty!!!!

JS with his gadget....
busy busy busy,
hence he ignored me.

I like all his pics, taken with such perspective.
well u got to have passions.
otherwise sure tak jadi like my pics.
yeah like my pics...
neither here nor there.

Busy day today,
will try to blog whenever I can.

Happy reading folks.