Cyprus Sarah

Cyprus

July 17, 2000—Sarah

We arrived with a friendly dolphin visit at dawn, and when we got to the dock we found the Hoptoad and Nanamuk kids waiting to help tie us up, dressed up as businessmen in clothes they got at the marina club deposit. Things happened fast when we got there. A couple of hours after arrival Margarita was getting hauled out, with us hovering anxiously nearby as always. Then followed a very busy week. We rented an apartment and Neill closeted himself with his computer and put in long hours and I worked on the boat along with Varnavas, a local painter we hired. Highly recommended if anybody needs work done in Cyprus. He took over Margarita's bottom, once we had done the initial scraping, and covered up all the reef damage and made her look like new again. The children did a lot of school and I varnished the cabin floor and did this and that. We did take enough time here and there to appreciate how friendly the Cypriots were. What a refreshing change to be in a country where you end up stopping and having long conversations with people who aren't trying to sell you something. We also took the whole day off and played on Bronwen's 15th birthday. We went to the waterslides with the Hoptoads and the Nanamuks - a total of 7 kids and four adults; Sonny of Hoptoad and Grace of Nanamuk didn't come. It was a great waterpark - lots of fun, then pizza back at the apartment afterwards - how North American. A long cry from Bronwen's last couple of birthdays.

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