Alison's Photos

Some Photos from Alison - thanks for being such a good sport Bob! A friend said we should have changed the words to "Blisters, Blisters, There were never such enormous blisters....."

Name That Tree

Can anyone name this tree for me please? It was growing at the back of The Ship Hotel where Bob, Margaret and I stayed. It was as tall as the hotel and absolutely covered in these gorgeous flowers. Many thanks. Anita

More Photos

Well, friends and fellow Trekkers, it seems an age since we were wending our foot-sore way across those fantastic mountains. No doubt all the blisters have healed and the pain is now forgotten and you are all saying "How about doing the trek both ways next time!"

Bob and Margaret have both sent me their photographs, so here are some of them. I will put them all on Photobox and send you all an invite to view/copy/print.

Once again John, thank you for a wonderful experience, for the wealth of knowledge you imparted, for the excellent organisation and food - for everything really! To everyone else, thanks for being such good company and for supporting me and my friends on this adventure. I am now planning my next trek, which will be either completing more of the Cornish Coastal Path or the Wainwright's Coast to Coast walk in the UK. Sometime soon I hope to do the whole of the Monarch's Walk here in the UK - that is a long, long trek but if anyone would like to join me, do get in touch (you have my email). Till then - happy trekking.

Star Trekkers

Here is Sarah's and Sue's poem from our last evening at the Club Malibu - for those not on email!!

Twas on Good Friday April 2009
We started our walk at Korucam coastline
‘Oh no’ Anita was heard to exclaim
We’re missing George, oh what a shame

Suddenly John looked all of a dither
And sent Dave to go fetch him hither
Outside the Mambo, George was at
No one to talk to, he was feeling flat

At last off we went with Alison guiding
Sarah, Don and Bob all striding
John and Sue strolled looking around
beautiful flowers the countryside crowned.

We started on Saturday from Gecitkoy dam
And climbed up towards Restaurant Kozan
We were all feeling hungry, with rumbling tummies
Our lunch, like yesterday, we knew would be yummy.

Margaret and Jan made a fantastic spread
We all dug in, there were 4 types of bread.
John hurried us off we all gave them thanks
The next thing we saw was a bloody big tank!!

We met on Sunday and continued on walking
And still all we heard was George Marek talking.
Angela and Alison looking for flowers
We could have done this for hours and hours

We walk down the road to the army base
When out of the bushes came a smiling face
His name was Onur he would escort us through
The route we were going he vaguely knew.

We started to walk we did not hang
When suddenly there was a great big bang
We were assured we wouldn’t get shot
Well maybe only the South Cyprus lot.

We walked past a pond full of duck
Just get me to the end I don’t give a monkeys
The hill at the end made our hearts sank
Now we needed that bloody big tank.

Up the hill we march in the sun
Now this for sure was not very fun
Up ahead we saw Bellapais Abbey
The finishing line we were all very happy.

On Easter Monday we continued to walk
And still all we heard was George Marek talk.
Zdenka sat in the car with Dave
She went past with the royal wave.

John was keen to tan his chest
So off his white shirt he did undress
Sarah snapped a photo for ‘The Sun’
The headline ‘Corrie street actor undone’

We were all flagging by the end of the day
At lovers leap we so wanted to stay
But down we went to where once the monks thrived
Walking back up, we barely survived.

On day five we headed East
Looking forward to our lunchtime feast
Under the trees we saw a gap
And there sat a man in a Muslim hat

The café was owned by Mustafa Bunn
And his wife Fatima – Oh what fun
We had a good laugh and ate all we could
We especially enjoyed orange and apricot pudd.

Wednesday Claire came to walk
With us all she intended to talk
Philip told her he was a Greek spy
Somehow, I feel he was telling a lie.

Anita and Margaret with their bucket list
Lots of adventure they don’t want to miss.
Next time on Wimbledon you hear the word ‘out’
Have a good look, is that Anthony’s shout?

The funniest thing that I ever heard
When interviewed George hardly said a word
I really don’t understand this guy
Actually, I think he is rather shy.

On Thursday we came with cases packed
We were told to home we would not come back
Kantara village was the beginning
We certainly felt we were a winning.

Gaily walking in the sunshine
We were all feeling so fine
Suddenly the rain came down
You should have seen the walkers’ frowns.

Then as we got wetter and wetter
No one seemed to feel any better
We all resembled drowning rats
We just kept walking…..that was that.

We came off the ridge down to the sea
The sun starting shining we were filled with glee
And instead of us all asking ourselves why?
We were feeling good and at last dry.

To the Malibu beach we did head
With our great rooms looking over the Med
A few beers at the bar and then dinner
I think some of us will be getting thinner and thinner.

On Friday we had a lovely walk
Nothing happened I need to report
Back at the hotel some us went for a swim
Even the non-walkers Bernie and Tim

Tomorrow to Cape Zafer we will go
And then we can rest our blistered toes
Blisters, red legs and veins we had too
But I know we will all make it through.

I feel this poem now needs to close
Otherwise you all might dose
So a big thank you to John, Alison and the Daves
For the time, energy and love you gave.

A big thank you from all our tummies
Margaret and Jan the food was yummy
Thanks to all our walking friends
Who stayed with us round every bend.

Just one more thing I need to recount
I walked for Roy who I am now without
He died in January, what a sad day
But I know he was with me all the way.

I love and miss you all the time
And now I toast you with my wine.

Trek 10 - Finale!

The last day of our trek dawned clear, calm and hot. We arrived at our start point just outside Dipkarpas at 9.45. John took a tumble on one slippy slope. Then later on another. The track was very fragmented and it was difficult to keep the group together. At coffee I recited my 'Jolly Hunter' poem and at the lunchtime stop George did his tale about the golfer in Hell, Tony told his joke about the 3 senior military officers in heaven and myself, Margaret and Bob performed the Beverley Sister's song 'Sisters' with Bob in drag. We saw very few of the wild donkeys, though we saw lots of evidence of their digestive activity. We heard one quite close to us in the thorny bushes in Donkey Valley but could not see it. We crossed the finishing line at 3.30 after14.8 miles making a total of approx 145 miles in 10 days. Our welcoming committee had the finishing tape out and we all received an 'Over the Hill' club membership T-shirt and a congratulatory card hand painted by Jan Quayle depicting us at lunch under the shade of the trees on the 2nd day. What a lovely memento of our achievement. Then the sparkling wine corks popped and glasses chinked all round as we toasted the 9th and final complete Cape to Cape Trek organised by John. Many thanks John, it was a great pleasure and a privilege to be with you. Now 2 days R and R then back to UK and our families with the wonderful experience of trekking the North Cyprus Cape to Cape just a memory - but what a memory!

Trek 9

When I got up at 5.30am today the wind was raging, the waves were pounding on the beach in front of our room and the sea was full of white horses. Once we were walking in the hills we were sheltered from the wind and the sun was hot. John had asked us to make sure we walked as a tight group - because there were lots of places we could take a wrong turn. This was fine until Alison found a gladiola trifolium, which is a miniature gladiola found only in Cyprus, growing in a crack in the path. Then all the botanists wanted a picture! After that the group fragmented into its usual straggly line. Lunchtime found us well advanced towards Dipkarpas, Margaret had a stumble and slightly twisted her knee but Bob was there with his mobile pharmacy and she soon had a chemical ice pack on it. Some of the local muslim women found the sight of me striding through their village with my hiking poles and wearing my shorts, T-shirt and sun hat, hilarious. Can't think why! On our walk John pointed out some excellent examples of pillow lava which looked like man-made walling (see photo) After we returned to the hotel, many of us went for a swim as the sea had calmed, we were hot and it looked inviting. It was rather bracing but very enjoyable. Alison intended paddling in her shorts but the sea had other ideas! Our evening meal was the best yet at the hotel and was followed by the first half of our trekers' theatrical tribute with a performance by our guide team to the tune of 'Home on the Range' in which each of or trekkers appeared. This was followed by a poem written and narrated by The Blister Sisters (Sue and Sarah) and then a socio-political greek tragedy from Philip and Szenka. The second half will take the form of a lunchtime theatrical performance. Tomorrow sees us complete our Cape to Cape challenge. Our mileage today registered 13.8 on the Marek scale.

Granddad

As today is Isabel and Jack's birthday - here is a picture of their Granddad on the Kyrenia Trek.

Trek 8

Beautiful weather today for our trek from Balalan to Kurova turning, a total of 21.5km. We started off by the sea and climbed slowly to a ridge for our lunch, which was another wonderful meal of home-roast ham, cheese, pickles, bread etc, fruit and date and walnut cake (I really must persuade Margaret Chawner and Jan Quayle to give me their recipes!). We saw a good specimen of a bug orchid and lots of other vibrant flowers, some crested larks and a Cyprus wheatear. The walk finished early enough for a few of us to go swimming in the sea when we got back to the hotel. Margaret, Bob and I practised our song for tomorrow evening's entertainment but had to give up as we were laughing too much! Penultimate day tomorrow.

Day 8

Didn't sleep well. Air con set too cool and we could not find the controller. Will use the quilt tonight! Could hear the sound of the sea on the beach all night - very soothing. Lovely sunrise with not a cloud in sight. Should be an easier day of about 12 miles. The high mountains are behind us and the Karpaz peninsular ahead.