Crossing the UN 🇺🇳 Green Line Into TURKISH Northern Cyprus

Day 75. 36km (76163kms 6yrs)

Hooray! I’ve dropped so much altitude that I wasn’t too cold overnight. It was even warm enough to drink my morning coffee in the sun! This also gave my camping equipment the time needed to dry out properly before I packed it away, for I was heading to the big city, and a guest house stay.

The road swooshed down some lovely bends from the foot hills to the basin in which Nicosia sits. I paused in a very lovely village named Politiko; the cottages and cobbles were beautifully quaint, plus some sort of Christmas market was being set up in the little village square. But the nunnery was closed, and the archeological site not worth the money so I proceeded directly to Nicosia.

Though there was nothing listed on the apps I suspected accommodation would be cheaper in the Turkish north of the city so passport in hand I lined up at the UN check point where first the Greek Cypriots then the Turkish Cypriots checked my documents. Nothing was stamped and this will be a problem in the future should I wish to return to Cyprus. You see Cyprus does not recognise the north’s independence so have not stamped me out of the country. But by leaving the island by boat from Kyrenia (in the Turkish north) I will not receive an exit stamp on departure either so having never formally exited, Cyprus will consider me to have overstayed which may jeopardise a return visit (on the same passport at least).

Apart from that it was very simple. I found an adorable guest house not far from the green line, opposite a caravanserai and in ear shot of both muezzin and church bells; perfect! I cannot wait to explore this city!

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