American in Cyprus: Back to the North

After our birthday party on the North side of Cyprus, Demetris really wanted to return to see some sites he remembered as a child of 5-6 years old. For Greek Cypriots, there are many emotions that are raised with a trip to the occupied Turkish side. Since the borders became more open, there has been some controversy around Greeks traveling to the occupied side and spending money there. They don't want to feel as if they are supporting the economy in any way. There are several casinos on the Turkish side, which aren't allowed on the Greek side, and many younger people want to travel there just for the casinos. This is still frowned upon by many Greeks. We did our best to keep spending to the minimum, packing a lunch and snacks and avoiding the shops. We did have to pay for access to the beach, beach chairs and the umbrella. There was a sign at the beach that said bringing in outside food and drinks was prohibited, but I guess we didn't notice that. Anyway, we also drove around the town of Kyrenia, through the town center which is located by the water front. Demetris was hoping to find a beach that he remembered and we were lucky enough to stumble on it. Remember, he hadn't been there since he was six so it's not like he knew exactly how to get there, just that things looked familiar. We spent the rest of the day at the beach and then took a drive by the famous "five fingers" mountain before heading home. Demetris has more places he wants to visit on that side, but since we are in the final month of the pregnancy I think that will have to wait until our next visit to Cyprus.