Our situation is anomalous in a number of ways. We travel on our own - no tour company and separate bookings for the segments, with only the Canada to UK bit booked as a return flight. We flew from London to the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) but took a taxi to the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC), a state recognised only by Turkey and existing in a state of varying tension with the RoC. TRNC does not normally stamp passports, as is the case with many countries whose stamp could cause future difficulties, nor was there any particular reason to ask for a stamp on a piece of paper, though we do know who our taxi driver was and he would confirm our time of entry. We are not staying at a hotel or usual tourist facility at a time when hotels are closing. We are staying in an airbnb but it is a self-contained unit with no other foreigners nearby. Our host is not actually in the country, being in Turkey for a bone marrow transplant, although she is not difficult to contact online. As a presence, we almost don’t exist.
Meanwhile we have been messaging with Ulus, a former teacher and cultural activist whom we met on a previous stay. Ulus has a daughter at university in England. Despite mixed emotions, he thinks she’s better looking after herself where she is rather than travelling on airplanes and through airports, although as a citizen she would be allowed to enter the country. This pretty much our view, particularly as we would be looking at a much more complex trip home than Ulus’ daughter. And, like Ulus, we are assuming our presence here is not problematic.
We’re not short of food during this self-isolation period, but are aware of the need to spread it evenly over the remaining days of self isolation. Could accurately refer to this as rationing but that implies a deprivation that we’re not really experiencing. Happy find in the freezer was a container of small buns (for lack of a better word), a ground meat filling covered with a soft dough. Absolutely delicious and more than a meal’s worth. Kitchen is pretty well equipped. There’s a two burner electronic hot plate unit and a small microwave, as well as a full sized fridge and a full sized - and faultlessly clean electric oven. Even a new-looking and beautifully well designed pressure cooker, which came in handy when the bag of dried chickpeas we found proved to be old enough that 24 hours soaking and extensive simmering did nothing to soften them.
J coughing. Me, suspiciously, wondering what the dry cough is. No, not covid-19. He’s been eating the oven roasted seasoned chickpeas, which were not a success. Finally chokingly drily overdone after hours of being underdone. Really not short enough of food that we are required to keep them.
Meanwhile we have been messaging with Ulus, a former teacher and cultural activist whom we met on a previous stay. Ulus has a daughter at university in England. Despite mixed emotions, he thinks she’s better looking after herself where she is rather than travelling on airplanes and through airports, although as a citizen she would be allowed to enter the country. This pretty much our view, particularly as we would be looking at a much more complex trip home than Ulus’ daughter. And, like Ulus, we are assuming our presence here is not problematic.
We’re not short of food during this self-isolation period, but are aware of the need to spread it evenly over the remaining days of self isolation. Could accurately refer to this as rationing but that implies a deprivation that we’re not really experiencing. Happy find in the freezer was a container of small buns (for lack of a better word), a ground meat filling covered with a soft dough. Absolutely delicious and more than a meal’s worth. Kitchen is pretty well equipped. There’s a two burner electronic hot plate unit and a small microwave, as well as a full sized fridge and a full sized - and faultlessly clean electric oven. Even a new-looking and beautifully well designed pressure cooker, which came in handy when the bag of dried chickpeas we found proved to be old enough that 24 hours soaking and extensive simmering did nothing to soften them.
J coughing. Me, suspiciously, wondering what the dry cough is. No, not covid-19. He’s been eating the oven roasted seasoned chickpeas, which were not a success. Finally chokingly drily overdone after hours of being underdone. Really not short enough of food that we are required to keep them.