Local bus was late. Did not stop at the top of the sculpture park. No time to explore
Since my visit last Friday, barricades across the entrance. I can only assume to stop idiots with off-road bikes and other vehicles.
Posts Tagged ‘Ayia Napa’
Ayia Napa International Sculpture Park
November 2, 2022Ravioli’s Italian restaurant
October 30, 2022One visit a year is enough. I live in hope in vague hope it may have improved. Or maybe I am a glutton for punishment. At best mediocre.
Last night, the second time this month. More fool me.
My ravioli tonight was not good, tough and chewy.
I am choosy where I sit. If I cannot sit where I wish, I will usually walk out.
No, you cannot sit at the indicated table. Why? It is reserved.
The table sat empty all night. Two, three, four tables became free.
My table was dull and gloomy. I had to get up to find light to read the menu.
Very overpriced for very poor quality ravioli.
I can cook far better ravioli.
Complimentary ice-cream.
When I finished my meal, the nearby table smoking, smoke was blowing over my table.
Last straw. When I paid waitress demanded I left a tip.
Pizza I cannot comment on as I have never tried.
Risotto I have tried in the past. As with the ravioli, I can prepare and cook superior risotto.
The strange thing is Ravioli’s is owned by the hotel on the other side of the road. The hotel serves better pasta.
Ayia Napa International Sculpture Park
October 28, 2022For the first time on many trips, local bus stopped at the top bus stop, giving me time not to explore but at least to walk through the sculpture park then pick up the InterCity Bus for Larnaca at the bottom entrance.
Konnos Bay attacked whilst swimming
October 18, 2022Swimming Konnos Beach, sharp pain in my leg. Happened a few times. First time I brushed something away from my leg.
When I came out of the water, blood streaming down my leg from whatever had attacked me. What, I have no idea.
Ayia Napa Medieval Festival
October 15, 2022The final day of the 17th Ayia Napa Medieval Festival
Compared with previous years fewer in the procession. Absent some rrom Wednesday.
Ayia Napa International Sculpture Park
October 15, 2022I caught an rstkier bus thsn Wednesday, which gagevtieç
Bus once again failed to stop at top entrance lm
Ayia Napa Medieval Festival
October 12, 2022Intercity Bus from Larnaca could not pass through to the main square (where I needed to change to local bus) road closed for Medieval Festival. I decided I would stay for the Medieval Festival.
Procession was quite short. A wander around the Medieval Market, then took my seat for the concert.
First half of the concert was spoilt by idiots standing in the aisle. When people asked them to move, they turned agressive and abusive. Where were the stewards.
I left part way through the second half of the concert.
A wander around the Medieval Market. Free red wine, a bottle of zivania.
It was then to eat, but first a massage.
Ayia Napa Medieval Festival
October 16, 2021The last night of week-long Ayia Napa Medieval Festival. My third night.
Leaving Limassol later than intended, I reached Ayia Napa later than intended, caught last hour of concert.
I sat for about twenty minutes, then wandered around the stalls.
I had no intention of buying anything, I ended up buying a jar of honey, two bottles of pomegranate juice. Each bottle, the size of a coke bottle, the juice of a kilogram of pomegranates. One good for health, but never more than one.
The honey eased the sickness of caffeine poisoning.
Tried local version of jamon serrano. Very tasty.
Soaps tempting but would have contaminated coffee.
I suggested bees wax paper for wrapping. Where to obtain from? I inquired of honey stall. They were not very helpful.
The Medieval stalls were far more interesting than any craft market in England, which tends to be overpriced tat.
I thought I would eat at a restaurant, further up, past the monastery. Too late, closed. A conversation with the owner, a large glass of brandy, invited to return another day.
Ayia Napa International Sculpture Park
October 14, 2020Yesterday, changing from local bus to Intercity Bus en route to Larnaca, I alighted at Ayia Napa International Sculpture Park and wandered through.
I noticed many new additions since my last visit a year ago.
Cyprus hotels refuse refunds on bookings
May 3, 2020Not a controversial plan, nor does it support tourism. As many have already pointed out, an act of crass stupidity and unlawful. Does government not have competent lawyers who can give sound advice?
What the Cyprus Mail headlines as ‘Controversial plan to support tourism’, legalisation to renege on refunds to those who have booked for hotels in Cyprus, would not only be a contravention of EU Directive, it would do irreparable harm to the tourism sector.
The House commerce committee will discuss on Wednesday ways of salvaging the tourism sector, including a controversial plan for businesses to issue vouchers instead of cash refunds to customers for cancelled bookings.
The issuance of such vouchers is to help shield the hard-hit tourism sector from the effects of the coronavirus epidemic that has brought global travel to a financially devastating halt.
Yet such a plan contravenes EU law, of which the European Commission is the guardian, which provides customers with the right to choose between a cash refund or accepting a voucher for a future package holiday.
Cyprus village mentality writ large.
Such legislation would have no legal legs to stand on as would contravene EU directive which holds precedence. It would be also be self defeating, self-harming and counterproductive.
Cyprus already has a reputation of short sighted hoteliers out for a fast buck cannot see past end of nose, of dustbin for the dregs of the tourist industry, this foolhardy measure would only serve to enhance that reputation.
This one measure, short changing tourists and ripping them off with worthless vouchers, would simply enhance the well deserved reputation of Cyprus as a bunch of sharks. The opposite should happen, those hotels failing to refund guests, name and shame, hit with a hefty fine, and close for the season.
Cyprus is dependent on tourists from UK. With every household hit by £450, staff furloughed or fired, people losing their businesses, refunds matter, being offered worthless vouchers an insult.
Yes pass legalisation but pass legalisation that helps not harms.
Two measures, which would not only help improve the image of Cyprus, would not only benefit hoteliers, would benefit the entire sector.
- outlaw all-inclusive hotels
- limit tour companies to 20% of occupancy
No one tour company more than 10% occupancy, tour companies pay at the end of each month not end of season, penalty if do not pay on time.
There can be no return to business as usual. There must be an end to mass tourism, destroying the planet, destroying Cyprus, brings the dregs of the tourist industry to Cyprus.
Time should be spent on reflection, how do we improve Cyprus, and it has a long way to go.
Develop Doughnut Economics Cyprus, adapt Doughnut Economics Amsterdam. How to achieve zero carbon 2035 whilst at the same time maintaining a healthy tourism sector in which all share its benefits, and of late, before covid-19 pandemic, tourism was not in a healthy state.
Tourism is more than hotels, it is car hire, watersports, restaurants, coffee shops, boat trips.
All-inclusive benefits foreign tour companies, little money flows into the local economy.
There is already a problem of airlines and tour companies refusing refunds, offering worthless vouchers. In UK, airlines and tour companies are under official investigation by Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for not promptly supplying refunds as legally required.
Instead of refusing refunds be positive, offer flexible bookings, if cannot come now then come later and if need to change dates, we will do so at no extra cost.
By all means offer a voucher, but provide a choice, not no refund, and make it worthwhile, if accept a voucher, we will offer extra days, dinner if only booked bed and breakfast.
By refusing to pay refunds, it is using the hotel sector’s most desirable clients to bail out the hotel. These would be direct bookings, most likely regulars, the very visitors Cyprus should be encouraging not discouraging.
If a hotel has low occupancy, offering free accommodation, two for the price of one, two weeks if booked one week. The marginal cost is low as fixed costs are the same whether a hotel low occupancy or high occupancy.
Attract direct bookings. Offer amazing deals to regulars if book direct, not only this season (which at earliest will be end of season) but also for 2021.
Many years ago, my first visit to Cyprus, we were met at the door by the hotel manager, he had a problem not of his making, work had overrun, work for an internal pool not ready, the outside pool a lagoon pool was not going to be started or at least finished for the season and temporary pool was in place (better than most hotels).
He made an offer:
- relocate to a 4-star hotel as good or better
- free drinks during our stay
- return next year for free
A few took the free drinks, we took free stay the following year. We went home with a good story to tell about the hotel, not a bad story.
But that is the difference between a good manager who cares about the reputation of a hotel, wants his guests to return, recommend to their friends, and and a bad manager who is only interested in short term profit, turning around a quick buck. The bad manager would have let people stay and ignored their complaints.
I have since spent a lot of time in Cyprus, but had my first trip been a bad experience, I would not have returned. I have met many visitors to Cyprus who say they will never return. When asked why, bad hotel. Other reasons given, noisy bars, unable to sleep at night, the drunk tourists both inside the hotel and out on the streets.
- Controversial plan to support tourism
- Tour companies and airlines renege on refunds for cancelled trips
- Cyprus hotels not open until end of season
- Let’s rewind Cyprus back thirty years
- No international travel anytime soon
- Doughnut Economics Cyprus
- Collapse of the tourist economy in Cyprus and the need to divest
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