NanaK

I understand that some people don't like Cyprus, but I think everyone is best to decide fro themselves. I have lived in 5 countries so far and there are good and bad things everywhere. I remember having to drive 30 km to pay an electric bill as it could only be paid in Electricity authority office in Thailand and not cooking in India as I couldn't stomach the idea of plucking my own chicken.
Cyprus has it's downsides, but all in all it's a good life here. Yes, wages aren't great, but when you get off from work you are already in a place where others pay to go for only 1-2 weeks a year. watching sunset on the beach after work is free and very enjoyable.
Yes, there are rude Cypriots, but there are rude Brits as well. Culture in here is different and if you want the place to be like UK, I'd suggest to live in UK. You shouldn't expect a country to accommodate you, but change to accommodate the country you live in. It's not always easy, sometimes all but impossible and at that point it is a good idea to pack your bags and go somewhere else.

Good luck in getting to know Cyprus, hopefully you'll be as happy there as I am.

Honest_H

I'm glad there are some people who really enjoy Cyprus.

I also understand that we can't expect a country to accomodate us and that we have change, and its not always easy, but I still like to be treated like a human being and not dirt on someone's shoe. I wouldn't do it to anyone and don't expect it to happen to me. But, it has, on lots of occasions. I try my best to fit in, but I just haven't felt welcome.

Your right, pack up and go home. I'm trying to, but if you've read any of my previous threads, our builder and solicitor didn't do their jobs and we've been left with an illegally built house that we can't sell, so we now have to try and save some money from our crap salaries to pay for stuff to be shipped home. This is going to take until next June. So for now, we're stuck.

derrick c

NanaK, I don`t expect it to be like the UK. It`s just the Cypriots think we shouln`t be here. Their rude, aggresive and don`t care about their country, as long as their alright. I have lived and worked in China and if you want a culture shock, go there. At least the people there treat you with courtesy.

aqualiv

Wow what a negative site
We came back from cyprus 2 years ago and it was the best place we have lived and has given us so many lovely memories.
We were in a different position to the people on here as we lived on a forces base with british people. But the things I will list are mostly to do with things off the base.
Positives for us were- more time togther as a family, we all finished work and school just after lunch.
We bought season tickets for a great water park down the road and went most days.
Snorkelling in crystel clear water
You are get sunshine from may to november.
Petrol is cheap. Off road driving in our jeep was great fun.
We had lots of lovely cheap meals out.
Olivia

NanaK

So nice that someone else likes Cyprus as well. I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it would be nice to hear bit more positives, don't you think?

Honest_H

Olivia,

I'm glad you had an enjoyable time in Cyprus, I live very close Dheklia base. We make regular use of Cessac and the cinema.

Fortunetly, you left at a good time. Petrol has virtually doubled in the past few years, the Euro has hit the consumer hard, and fewer people are now visiting simply because its too expensive. There are only a few places now offering those cheap meals out.

You were lucky that you got to spend time with your family, I wish I could, but as salaries are poor here, both my husband and myself have to work full time. Its long hours leaving at 7am and not getting back til 6.30. Its taking its toll now, I'm not as close to my daughters as I used to be, I feel that their nana knows them better than I do. Its very frustrating.

I completely agree that there is loads of things to do in Cyprus, waterparks are great, beaches are fantastic (when they're clean) and generally weekends are great. However, now that things are so expensive we really have to watch what we're spending. We take snacks and drinks everywhere to avoid having to spend when its not necessary. We didn't have to do this when we first arrived. The introduction of the euro has really been hard on us.

aqualiv

Sorry to hear that prices have risen so much
It seems the euro pushes prices up, why do they bother
Those are long working hours, they seem similar to the hours people in the uk have to put in to pay their mortgage.
Can I just add the whole of august in the UK was horrible weather, I had wrote a nice long list of things to do with the kids and only managed to do a few of them on account ot the weather
If we had been in cyprus we wouldn't have had that problem.

Olivia

Honest_H

[QUOTE=aqualiv;6744209]Sorry to hear that prices have risen so much
It seems the euro pushes prices up, why do they bother
Those are long working hours, they seem similar to the hours people in the uk have to put in to pay their mortgage.
Can I just add the whole of august in the UK was horrible weather, I had wrote a nice long list of things to do with the kids and only managed to do a few of them on account ot the weather
If we had been in cyprus we wouldn't have had that problem.

olivia,

Water is a problem here too, but opposite of yours! We're quite lucky were we are, in that we have the water turned on every other day. Our friends in Larnaca have water whenever the authorities decide to turn it on. They have had no water for periods of up to 4 days. I hear that the limassol area is worse.

Can you send some over??

NanaK

Some of the "price increases" are due to the exchange rate having altered so much and some people having income in GBP. Thus the amount of money has been reduced. And yes, petrol prices etc have risen, but that is also worldwide as the oil prices have inflated. Inflation happens everywhere - but I'd also say that due to the tourism being down this year, some of the establishments have increased the prices to get as much out of the few clients they do get coming in.
It's feasible to compare the increases to world wide scenarios first to get the big picture.

aqualiv

Take as much as you need

We didn't use much water when we were there, we drank bottled and had our daily wash at the water park

Olivia

yummymummy150

More positive please there are 1000 who are happy and made it work ,
Things are bad world wide. Its what you make of it and who you are with .
these bad time come arond they will pick up .
Tricia

Honest_H

NanaK,

This is true for anyone who has GBP money. My Dad loses out in 60 euros a month on exchange rates on this pension. However, I get paid in Euros in Cyprus, and I can say that my money doesn't last as long as it used to. We used to eat out a few times a week, now its once a fortnight if we're lucky.

I know the government we supposed to put things in place to stop people rounding the euro prices up, but it hasn't worked in my view.

Last year we frequented a very popular bar in the centre of Ayia Napa. A pint of Keo was 2cyp, now its 4euro! If you calculate with the offical exchange rate, it should be 3.42euro. Its quite a hike. Haven't been back to that bar.

Its the same with food. The menus displayed on the streets are a joke. Duel pricing allows you to see what the food is in cyp and Euro, so last year we paid 3.50cyp for a pizza in a restaurant for my daughter, we went back in the summer and paid 7euro. They display it on the menu board as 4.09cyp or 7euro. Who in their right mind would believe that they would charge 4.09 before the change over.
Restaurants have just rounded their prices up and calculated back. Goodness knows what increases there will be once the dual pricing goes.

Sorry, NanaK, I'm just getting on my soap box, have had a very hard week!

lobby lou

well although i live in the naughty word,beginning with N and ending in ORTH when i am there ....i love it love it love it .......yes prices have gone up quite a lot ,but if u know the right places is still ok xxx.....as for petrol its horrendous compared to where i live full time ......50p a litre.....costs 15 bit pounds to fill my merc lol.......which also only cost me 11,000 ... how much would that cost there ????lol......but our tax free salaries(workin 7.30 / 2 )is a long day .....makes it all the more worth while ....also didnt have a prob with water the 8 weeks i just spent there ....even had a full pool xxxxxxxxx


as for living on a militay camp .....u would be able to afford more .....but agree with uk weather ....that and being only 3 hours away was a main decider in buyin there xxxxxxx

Honest_H

[QUOTE=lobby lou;6748447]well although i live in the naughty word,beginning with N and ending in ORTH when i am there ....i love it love it love it .......yes prices have gone up quite a lot ,but if u know the right places is still ok xxx.....as for petrol its horrendous compared to where i live full time ......50p a litre.....costs 15 bit pounds to fill my merc lol.......which also only cost me 11,000 ... how much would that cost there ????lol......but our tax free salaries(workin 7.30 / 2 )is a long day .....makes it all the more worth while ....also didnt have a prob with water the 8 weeks i just spent there ....even had a full pool xxxxxxxxx

Lobby,

Where does your water come from? Its a bit unfair that the south have to suffer, while the north have no issues.

lobby lou

they do have some issues xx we have to buy for pool xxx 50ytl for tanker xxxwell worth it