Cyprus-Forum.com

[Get Real!]

I spent a few days in Paphos recently and most of the hotels were half empty, the restaurants not very busy and offering discounts, hotel building projects have come to a standstill and little renovation done to existing hotels. The timeshare touts are allowed to roam freely and openly insult tourists who are not interested in their scratch cards.

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=47285

That's where all the Paphos money comes from… the Nicosians, not the stingy Brits!

[yialousa1971]

I bet Happy Island is still packed!

[danky]

"That's where all the Paphos money comes from… the Nicosians, not the stingy Brits"

We first met our Greek Cypriot friends 13 years ago in Protarus. They were staying in an apartment under us and Petros invited us out for a meal one evening. His wife was furious with him and said “why do that, we will end up paying for everything?” as she knew quite a few English people. In fact the evening turned into one massive argument over who should pay for the many different things that we ate and drank. We realised then that many Cypriots are very generous and if you make friends with one you truly have a good friend.

[angel1976]

Completly agree with you danky we have been coming to Cyprus since 2002 and how welcome everyone makes you feel and they are true friends, especially Theo & family at the Queens Arms on Dehkelia road they are great people make us welcome everytime. 5 weeks to go and we will be enjoying their company again carn't wait.
Do agree with the comment about hotels offering people all inclusive deals when they book we have just returned from Tenerife and the hotel we stopped in only offfered HB in the brochures but sure enough we got offered AI when we checked in at a reasonable price.

[Baggieboy]

My God, I do wonder if some of you work for the Turkish Tourist Board!

Calling us "Stingy Brits" and "idiots" is hardly welcoming is it? Some of the rudeness on this board is quite unbelieveable, and pretty bloody cowardly too (see Pernera Beach query). Easy to be a big man when your hiding behind a computer screen isn't it?

For the record my wife and I been visiting Cyprus for 8 years, often twice a year, throwing around £20k into your ecomomy. No, we don't stay at "all inclusive" hotels, or at private villas, we use your tavernas and bars and shops.

I've heard many complaints here that we don't spend enough - well maybe it would have helped if you hadn't have gone in the euro at £1.71!!

Maybe it would also help if your taxi drivers weren't the modern day equivalent of Dick Turpin. Maybe if your Eastern European barmaids didn't rip off customers with the old "you only gave me a tenner" trick.

Look, there's a lot to love about Cyprus, and I wouldn't be making these comments if some of your contributors hadn't kicked off and I'm sure the silent majority of Cypriots are happy for us to visit and spend the few pennies we do have.

We don't want your gratitude but a little civility wouldn't go amiss.

Richie.

[Freddy]

I first came to Cyprus in 1962 and since then I have lived and worked on-island for more than twenty years.
Of course we have seen the population grow and the island change but nonetheless it was our choice to move here on a permanent basis early 2004. But that said, during the past few years everything has gone down hill! No more can you say all Cypriots are kind and generous; I know of many non-Cypriots who have lived here for more than five years and although they have followed the correct procedures they STILL have yet to have THEIR property completed. Following the gathering of evidence from hundreds of known cases, a rough estimate is that 'rogue' property dealers and builders have taken more than 40 million Cypriot Pounds and handed over nothing, as the supposed properties are still unfinished! Yet the legal system here does nothing and it all too obvious that no matter a problem, Cypriots close ranks and protect each other. Several of our friends are in such a situation and have been forced to rent for over five years! Sadly there is all too many problems on this island now; drugs, total lawlessness on the roads by almost all Cypriots, corruption in every avenue of Govt departments and absolute greed! My family and I were here during the Greek led coup of 74 and saw personally Cypriot killing Cypriot (Greek on Greek!) and to this day Greek Cypriots expect reunification! Well, knowing that throughout ALL their schooling Greek Cypriots teach hatred of Turks, and Greek Cypriots openly demonstrate their hatred on the streets, how could anyone expect reunification? Only last year, at a name day celebration, a young Cypriot girl of seven told me that the Turks crucified Jesus!
Sadly Greek Cypriots are now openly demonstrating a hate for the British! Word soon gets around and even I know that today it is all too easy to find many of Anti-Cyprus Websites! 'Don't buy in Cyprus' Don't holiday in Cyprus' and not least, 'Cyprus the rogue state', to name just a few.
If the Cypriot people want to continue to have the wealth of recent years then they have certainly go to clean up their act and, not least, the WHOLE island, because it's complete rubbish tip!
Until this year we never thought of living anywhere else but we are considering elsewhere - we never purchased because we knew the problems so we have worry about selling!
Come on you Cypriots, get your act together before it all goes down the toilet.

[miltiades]

My God, I do wonder if some of you work for the Turkish Tourist Board!

Calling us "Stingy Brits" and "idiots" is hardly welcoming is it? Some of the rudeness on this board is quite unbelieveable, and pretty bloody cowardly too (see Pernera Beach query). Easy to be a big man when your hiding behind a computer screen isn't it?

For the record my wife and I been visiting Cyprus for 8 years, often twice a year, throwing around £20k into your ecomomy. No, we don't stay at "all inclusive" hotels, or at private villas, we use your tavernas and bars and shops.

I've heard many complaints here that we don't spend enough - well maybe it would have helped if you hadn't have gone in the euro at £1.71!!

Maybe it would also help if your taxi drivers weren't the modern day equivalent of Dick Turpin. Maybe if your Eastern European barmaids didn't rip off customers with the old "you only gave me a tenner" trick.

Look, there's a lot to love about Cyprus, and I wouldn't be making these comments if some of your contributors hadn't kicked off and I'm sure the silent majority of Cypriots are happy for us to visit and spend the few pennies we do have.

We don't want your gratitude but a little civility wouldn't go amiss.

Richie.

Here is one Cypriot who appreciates all that the Brits have contributed to the Cypriot economy and still do. Politics aside , we are talking about the very worthwhile contribution that the Brits have offered Cyprus , their contribution to animal and wild life welfare is much appreciated by most Cypriots.
I have posted on a number of occasions on this forum that if we lose the British contribution to our economy we shall be going back to the days of the horse and cart.

Most Cypriots share this view those that don't are living in cloud cuckoo land.
Long may the Brits keep coming to Cyprus and next time Richie you are out spending your money rest assured it is appreciated .

[miltiades]

I first came to Cyprus in 1962 and since then I have lived and worked on-island for more than twenty years.
Of course we have seen the population grow and the island change but nonetheless it was our choice to move here on a permanent basis early 2004. But that said, during the past few years everything has gone down hill! No more can you say all Cypriots are kind and generous; I know of many non-Cypriots who have lived here for more than five years and although they have followed the correct procedures they STILL have yet to have THEIR property completed. Following the gathering of evidence from hundreds of known cases, a rough estimate is that 'rogue' property dealers and builders have taken more than 40 million Cypriot Pounds and handed over nothing, as the supposed properties are still unfinished! Yet the legal system here does nothing and it all too obvious that no matter a problem, Cypriots close ranks and protect each other. Several of our friends are in such a situation and have been forced to rent for over five years! Sadly there is all too many problems on this island now; drugs, total lawlessness on the roads by almost all Cypriots, corruption in every avenue of Govt departments and absolute greed! My family and I were here during the Greek led coup of 74 and saw personally Cypriot killing Cypriot (Greek on Greek!) and to this day Greek Cypriots expect reunification! Well, knowing that throughout ALL their schooling Greek Cypriots teach hatred of Turks, and Greek Cypriots openly demonstrate their hatred on the streets, how could anyone expect reunification? Only last year, at a name day celebration, a young Cypriot girl of seven told me that the Turks crucified Jesus!
Sadly Greek Cypriots are now openly demonstrating a hate for the British! Word soon gets around and even I know that today it is all too easy to find many of Anti-Cyprus Websites! 'Don't buy in Cyprus' Don't holiday in Cyprus' and not least, 'Cyprus the rogue state', to name just a few.
If the Cypriot people want to continue to have the wealth of recent years then they have certainly go to clean up their act and, not least, the WHOLE island, because it's complete rubbish tip!
Until this year we never thought of living anywhere else but we are considering elsewhere - we never purchased because we knew the problems so we have worry about selling!
Come on you Cypriots, get your act together before it all goes down the toilet.

It is sad but you are correct in most of all that you say.
Our people have to wake to the realities and not bury their heads in the sand.
A lot of " hatred" as you say , directed against the Brits is to those Brits that have invested in stolen properties in the occupied part of Cyprus. Talking from first hand experience my English through and through wife has been coming to Cyprus for the last 40 or so years sometimes with me and on many occasions on her own staying with family.
I can not ever recall a situation that confronted her in respect of anti English sentiments. She does not speak Greek and looks very English.
Overcharged on a few occasions yes but outright animosity because of her Englishness , Never.

The Cypriots have to face realities and get their act together if they are to continue improving or even maintaining their standard of living.They must accept criticism , I accept it and I'm a Cypriot , a proud one but not one that lives in a fools paradise.

As far as your comments on the whole island being a rubbish tip , I couldn't agree more . The Limassol molos , the rockie part , is a bloody disgrace , such eyesores are mostly everywhere and it is about time that Cypriots demanded that the entire island is cleaned up.

[Baggieboy]

Miltiades - thank you for your kind words. I know for a fact that the majority of Cypriots are good honest & friendly people - a trait which attracted us to the island in the first place. Equally there are lots of English I wouldn't pass the time of day with!

Rest assured we'll be there again in September, when hopefully our £ may have recovered somewhat.

Kind regards,

Richie

[JoJo]

I will take Stavroulla Maleko's life thank you very much. Three holidays abroad every year.................