Games Without Frontiers

Berlin is entire once more, its wall consigned to the dustbin of history. The gable-end murals of Belfast remain more as tourist attractions than as a sign of physical separation. Yet tucked away in a corner of the Mediterranean the capital of the idyllic isle of Cyprus is still split by its 'Green Line' of sentry-posts, barbed wire, bombed-out shells of buildings, and patrolling UN peacekeepers.

However, as I write moves are afoot in both the south (ethnically Greek and a member state of the EU) and the north (ethnically Turkish and with a government whose independence from Turkish military occupation is only actually recognised by Ankara itself) to look at reconciliation and - just maybe - reunification. Within a couple of years Nicosia may be divided no more.

This means that a window of opportunity is shutting for those who wish to wander across a border on foot and see two separate yet parallel cities, each with their own attractions to offer. In the two years since I last visited, North Nicosia seems to have shaken off much of the dust and lethargy that I felt consumed it then, and now has glitzy restaurants to rival its more outgoing and lively southern neighbour. Moustachioed men still puff on water-pipes in sun-baked squares by day, but by night it is the fashionable youth who smoke the nargileh whilst listening to live bands.

Yet at the same time it has never been easier to visit the two contrasting halves of the city. Within the last couple of months a new 24-hour crossing point has opened up on Ledras Street, the main thoroughfare. You merely stroll up, present your passport, fill in a slip which is stamped (so you do not get the Northern Cypriot stamp in your passport), and continue across to the other side. No fuss, no fee, but maybe a short queue at busy times of the day. It is particularly ghostly in the dim pre-dawn light walking back from bars and cabarets - blue-bereted UN troopers, rifles slung over their shoulders, observing as you pick your way under the shattered facades of the once graceful mansions that loom skeletally overhead. During the day the former main crossing to the west by the Ledra Palace Hotel still maintains its semi-forbidding aura, with the old Venetian town-walls coated with coils of barbed wire and monuments to martyrs of the conflict.

Money is not an issue either. Cyprus adopted the Euro as its currency at the start of the year, so visitors from most European nations will not even have to worry about exchange rates. In the north the Turkish Lira is legal tender, but the Euro (and before that the Cypriot Pound) is accepted freely.

The end result is that it has never been easier to visit both south and north Nicosia - but those wishing to do so had best hurry before the distinctions between them vanish.

Quick Tips:

This was my second trip to Nicosia, and this time I was here to party rather than to visit all the cultural sights, so I am afraid that my reviews will reflect this. There will be a slant towards evening entertainment. In finding restaurants and bars I had help from my friend who has lived in Nicosia for over two years. Yet even he did not know all the places to visit - Sfinakia in the south was recommended to us by a couple of girls we got talking to in a bar; in the north we stumbled upon Corado Cabaret Bar quite by chance.

Firstly, to gain an overview of the city, go to the Ledras Street Observatory in the Shakolas Tower just off Ledras Street. From here you can see across into the north, and dioramas point out the Selimiye Mosque, the ancient gates, the Ledra Palace Hotel and other sights. You can also see the gigantic Turkish and Turkish Cypriot flags displayed on the mountains to the north. Apparently the stones on the hillsides were clandestinely painted over a number of weeks, then all flipped over one night to shock the Greeks. A narration in eight different languages explains the history of this troubled city, while an aerial shot shows the circular town centre within its star-shaped bastions, pretty much the same as when the Venetians left it in the 16th century.

Also in the south the Archaeological Museum is well worth a look. Try to spot which artifacts have made it on to the back of the Euro coins (a primitive figurine that looks like a cross between ET and the Angel of the North).

For food I would have to rate the Syrian Arab Friendship Club as a deal. A heaving table of dips, mezze and grill for a mere €15 a person. And for drinking, well, if you are tired of gassy lager of the Keo / Efes brands, try Plato's - a massive selection of Belgian beer (each with its own distinctive glass), canned bitters, spirits that even they didn't know they possessed (we made them go rooting for Czech absinthe, Hungarian Unicum, and a weird blue Thai banana-liqueur), and the ability to miz a mean cocktail - a perfectly decent margarita was the last thing we expected to stumble across!

Best Way To Get Around:

In Nicosia itself, walking is the way forward. Indeed there are very few vehicles that are allowed to freely cross over, and even then they have to use the Ledra Palace Hotel Crossing. Within the old Venetian fortifications everything is very compact and reachable anyway.

Travelling throughout the wider city, taxis are cheap and plentiful. You can get pretty much anywhere on your side of the divide for less than €20. The most we were charged for any trip was €15, and that was split between four of us.

Travelling outside the city takes greater planning. Cyprus has no rail network, and the buses seem to be somewhat erratic - I was informed that only one bus a day ran from Paphos to Nicosia for instance. A good way to travel then is by service taxi. Travel & Express can be contacted on +357 7777 7474. These operate minibuses between the major towns in the south. They speak English, and the despatcher will arrange a time for you to picked up at your location, and be dropped off at another location in your chosen destination town. You may have to change however - from Nicosia to Paphos we spent 40 minutes picking up people from their homes in Nicosia, 45 minutes actually on the motorway to Limassol, 20 minutes dropping people off, and then a transfer to a Limassol - Paphos vehicle. It costs €10.40 between Limassol and Nicosia, and €9 between Limassol and Paphos.

So there I was with a party of Brits, eating Japanese noodles in a Spanish-Portuguese restaurant in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, while a Bolivian played pop hits on a pan-pipe. Never before have I been so unsure what to pick for 'Type of Cuisine'!

This schizophrenia is perhaps symbolic of its location. It throws light from its windows across a picturesque square nestled under the walls of the Selimiye Mosque. This building used to be St Sophia's Cathedral, and its butresses and narrow arched windows are the sort of Gothic edifice you would find in northern France. Its peaked roof is missing though, and two tall minarets flank its facade.

The Portuguese chef runs an impressive operation here. The interior is brightly-lit, modern and spotless, with artistic photographs on the walls. Entertainment was provided by the aforementioned Andean who performed along to backing tracks of recognisable hits - 'Yesterday', 'My Heart Will Go On' etc. Not personally my idea of entertainment, but at least it enabled us to amuse ourselves by thinking up the most unusual requests we could unsuccessfully ask him for - a tie in the end between The Prodigy's 'Smack My Bitch Up' and Chas & Dave's 'Snooker Loopy'.

There is an extensive menu. The tapas is of great quality, but obviously the shrimps, mussels and calimari are no good for those on a kosher diet (though the haloumi, sliced steak and salad would be). From the main courses you have a choice of Hispanic dishes (such as the paella which has to be shared by at least two people and takes 45 minutes to prepare - so at least you know its fresh!), Italian (I went for tagliatelle with mushrooms and king prawns), and the Asian fusion noodle dishes, which looked as good as anything you might get at Wagamama's.

I can honestly say that the food here was great. The tapas dishes were pretty small however - but then I suppose you should expect that really. For instance the king prawn dish featured only three of them (among six of us)in a piquant sweet-chili-ish sauce. Personally I would recommend the mussels! They also do a mean jug of sangria!

Again, the king prawns were not really in evidence in my main course. I eventually uncovered both of them. So I was left feeling a bit shortchanged by my meal (at over €14 I was expecting more seafood than what I got). The tagliatelle was nice, don't get me wrong, but I felt it was slightly overpriced for what I got.

A final gripe would be the service. They refused to serve us a jug of tap water, and instead brought small bottles of mineral water, which added to the bill. Also it took one of my friends a good twenty minutes and speaking to three different members of staff before he finally got his beer. In their defence it was a busy saturday night with a number of birthday parties in (to whom they sang while presenting cake), but it certainly spoiled the meal for one of the party.

Still, the food was good, and certainly out of the ordinary for north Nicosia. It is also in a very attractive setting. I would go back again - but this time I think I would have the paella...

Despite being located in 'Greek' south Nicosia, the Syrian Arab Friendship Club transports you across to the Levant with its carefully prepared Arabic food. Tasty, healthy, memorable - and surprisingly good value for money!

The eating area surrounds an open-air courtyard decoarated with plants and a water-wheel that some children were having fun with. There was also a cat or two snoozing - whether that's a good thing or not is up to you. Personally I'm not a cat person, and suddenly finding one twining itself around my calf as I ate nearly made me bite my tongue!

The menu details a range of dishes in English, explaining precisely what is the difference between your hummus, your tahini, your falafel and your baba ghanoush. There are dishes of main courses, but I would recommend flipping to the set mezze menu at the back. The mezze for eight cost a mere €15 per person, and proved to be more than eight lads, hungry after a five-a-side football competition, could manage. For this you get four big bowls of two different salads, warm Lebanese flatbread, falafel, a wide range of dips (ranging from the familiar hummus and tahini to more exotic ones made from red peppers or beetroot), and vegetables, both roast (yum) and pickled (urk). This was followed by a mixed grill of chicken kebabs, lamb kebabs, and shawarma.

We washed this down with local beer (Keo), and followwed it up with brandy - it turned out to be cheaper to buy a small bottle than get eight separate drinks, as the waiter pointed out to us. We didn't quite dare try the arak menu, arak being a Levantine firewater, similar to ouzo. We were also provided with complimentary small portions of baklava.

I would certainly recommend this place for a meal, even if you are not watching your budget. Indeed, my friend who lives in Nicosia takes many of his visitors here. And if you are trying to watch what you spend - well, even better! Reservations are reccommended as the place can fill up with families and groups.

The best live venue in northern Nicosia has to be the Arancia Nargile Cafe Bar. Located in the former 1930's Peoples' Covered Market (the etching in both Greek and Turkish can still be seen above the entrance) this large space has now been brilliantly converted into a throbbing nightspot, devoted to live music.

The 'L'-shaped building still is not fully utilised down one end, but it has three bars, and two stages for live bands (with two balconies looking down over them). Because of the prevalence of Mediterranean cafe culture, seating is at tables, rather than being jammed together in a sweaty mosh-pit crowd as you might expect in the UK. However, this does not make the experience any less atmospheric, and the audience is as vocal and up-for-it as you could hope. No surprise when top of the bill is North Cyprus' most famous and successful rock act SOS! (In global terms this is akin to walking into a Manchester pub and finding Oasis doing a jam session, or finding Dave Grohl hosting an impromptu gig in a Seattle bar).

Entry is free, but if you want a seat turn up early (very early), or reserve in advance (0542 856 4897), which is what we did. Upon arrival one band were already performing, to an enthusiastic response. The bar staff were attentive, and soon we were enjoying bottles of ice cold Efes. Beer is not the only thing on the menu however, and their vodka is Stolichnaya, which goes down well with the local energy drink (Shark). I needed that as I forgot that smoking always makes me sleepy, and I could not resist getting a nargile, or Turkish water pipe, with apple tobacco.

I must say, I do enjoy the sensation of smoking nargiles, though it does make me somewhat light-headed. Fortunately the tobacco used here was high-quality, and the staff ensure that your pipe lasts you as long as you want, topping up your tobacco, and replenishing the coals. Indeed, the sight of staff darting amongst the tables with bedpan-like implements containing glowing embers provided an odd firefly-like like illumination. But be careful - often the first I knew of their presence was a sudden heat going past the back of my neck!

A drink isn't a drink in Nicosia without nibbles, and staff frequently furnished our table with bowls of nuts, plates of fruit salad, baskets of salted popcorn, or glasses of sliced carrot and cucumber.

The real attraction here is the music however. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights are Turkish pop, but on Saturdays the regular performers are the rock group SOS. These guys are a tight bunch of performers who really know how to play - particularly the bassist! And just because we did not know the tunes or understand the lyrics in no way limited our enjoyment of the music. In fact we were some of the first people up to have a bit of a dance in front of the stage!

The only caveat I would add would be to watch what you are spending. The eight of us arranged for a tab to be set up, which meant that at the end of the evening we got a single bill. Either we were overcharged, or someone else's drinks were adeed to our total, or everyone else in my party was drinking vastly more than me, but my equal share of the bill equated to roughly £10 (GBP) per drink I had had. It was because of this that for the next night we ensured we paid for each round as it came, rather than paying at the end of the evening.

It was late at night (or very early in the morning depending how you look at it) that we headed back towards the Ledras Street Crossing after our night out at El Sabor Latino and Arancia Nargile Cafe Bar. As we headed through the dark and deserted bazaar towards the crossing we could not fail to hear music echoing from a street off to our left. Intrigued, we investigated.

Through a doorway where we negotiated a reduced entrance fee a flight of stairs lead down into Club Corado. At first we were nervously seated at a table right at the back near the air conditioner (I can understand their concern - eight tipsy British lads turning up on their doorsteps at 2am is maybe something they would be wary of). Once we had bought a round of Efes and showed ourselves to be not troublesome we were moved forward to another table. And that is where the trouble started...

Club Corado is essentially a Turkish cabaret club. And when I say 'cabaret' I do *not* mean anything sordid. An alcove in the high brick walls held a small band and a stage. It was here that Turkish Nicosia's own master of ceremonies held court. Mehmet Can is a truly charismatic host, and he clearly had his audience in the palm of his hand. He alternates between what I would term the Turkish equivalent of 'torch songs' in his beautiful trebly singing voice and audience interaction, exchanging chat and jokes with the crowd. Every song or arch comment got an approving roar from the audience. It was all in Turkish of course, which meant that while we could enjoy the songs, we were lost by the conversation. Which was the problem. Mehmet soon noticed us, and then we became the stars of his act. It was quite clear that he was asking us a question, so we duly hustled our one Turkish-speaking friend from his seat and up on to the stage. Poor Dave. He did his best. While he could speak Turkish, and made a game effort in explaining that we were Mehmet's fans from all the way over in England, it was clear that not all of the host's quick wit and innuendo was understood. We were later informed by a girl that his comments were "fine... nothing bad... not really". But we didn't really mind being the butt of the joke. In much the same way as anyone at a British comedy club who puts their hand up when asked "Any Americans in here tonight?", we knew what we were in for. But - and this is the important thing - we never got the feeling that the comments were nasty. And anyway, it was soon over, and Mehmet invited a couple of girls from a birthday party up on stage to sing with him.

We were only there for an hour at most before the night drew to a close at 3am, but this was an intriguing glimpse into the a world a thousand miles away from both European dance clubs and twee touristy folk nights. This was a cabaret for young Turkish Cypriots, and outsiders were a source of amusement. And while we were unable to follow the jokes and conversation, we could not deny the host's charisma nor his lovely singing voice. I would thoroughly recommend this place.

For basic orientation around Nicosia you can do worse that then Ledra Observatory, up on the twelfth floor of the Shakolas Tower. This gives a view across the city... and for many Greek Cypriots across to the parts of the island they used to call home until the '70s.

Entered by a short street off to the right of Ledras Street, the main pedestrianised street of the south, at first you may wonder if you are in the right place. The lobby is shared with Debenhams - the only give away is the large illustrations blown up on the walls. These are drawings from the Illustrated London News, depicting the island at the moment the British took control in the 1870s. Lots of stately bewhiskered tricorn-wearing admirals, and swarthy turbanned Cypriots.

Two lifts whisk you up to the twelfth floor (or to a cafe a couple of floors below). Here you will pay the entrance fee - a ridiculously low €0.80. The museum at the top is little more than a viewing platform, with dioramas pointing out places of note - such as the Selimiye Mosque / St Sophia's Cathedral, the Ledra Palace Hotel, the Great Khan, Paphos Gate, the President's Palace - on both sides of the Green Line. Each has a quick pen portrait. Two things are immediately apparent. The first is the eye-catching Selemiye Mosque. The shell of a Lusignan Gothic cathedral such as you could find anywhere in northern France looks out of place in this corner of the Mediterranean. Especially when you see the two minarets added upon its conversion into a mosque by the Ottomans, and which tower over the city. The second is the range of mountains that immediately abuts the city to the north. Two flags can be seen etched into the rock - a Turkish Cypriot emblem, and that of Turkey itself. Apparently, stones were covertly painted up on the hills for a number of weeks, before all being flipped over one night to shock the Greek side of the city as they went to work the next morning!

There is also an overhead photo of Nicosia, in which the circular lay-out of the old Venetian walls and the star-shaped bastions can be clearly seen, even today. This is coupled with a narration (in your choice of eight languages) which takes you through the city's history. Though the history of the second half of the twentieth century seemed to me a little perfunctory.

For such a low price, the Ledra Observatory has to be one of the bargains of Nicosia. And if you are someone who currently refuses to cross over to the North - like many Greek Cypriots or those sympathetic to their cause (such as my father) - this provides your only glimpse into Northern Cyprus. For the time being anyway...

I'm not sure if Nicosia can give you a night at the opera, but it can certainly give you a day at the races. The Nicosia Race Club, the only venue licensed to hold horse racing meets on the island, is located in the western suburb of Ayios Dometios, easily reachable with a car.

Races take place on Sundays and Wednesdays in winter / spring, and Wednesdays and Saturdays in summer / autumn. We attended on a Sunday, and if the day we saw is typical, they have eight races of twelve horses each spread over the period from 14:00 to 18:00 (roughly every half hour or so).

We had bought €20 tickets in advance, which allowed us through to the marquee. This was a shaded tent with its own stand outside. A huge buffet lunch was provided with your ticket and there was a pay bar. There were two betting kiosks at the end, and plasma screens showed the odds and the action out on the track. Turning up in combats and a t-shirt I felt distinctly underdressed. Jackets and ties (and even the odd panama) were worn by the men; the women looked marvellous in their summer dresses.

This was a very 'colonial' atmosphere, as one might expect from the marquee. Indeed, I think that the race club was set up by the British following their occupation of the island in the 1870s. We were asked to let the top two tables get their lunch first, these being occupied by British Forces Command in Cyprus, and the Australian High Commission. Yet the atmosphere was not stuffy. There was a family atmosphere with plenty of children, and lots of laughter and joking.

There was a three-tiered stand set up outside, from where the races could be watched. However, we found that better views could be obtained from the permanent public stands outside the marquee enclosure. These were also situated on the final straight to the finish line. Here one saw an interesting cross-section of (mostly male) Cypriot life, from wrinkled old gents gripping their cigarettes and racecards, to trendily-dressed young men chatting over their drinks, to children on the lowest level having impromptu games of football with plastic bottles. Also to my surprise, the toilets were pretty much impeccable, so no fears there.

One thing I found annoying was that with their Tote, odds changed after a bet had been placed. There was a big brown horse (by the name of Bigbrownhorse) that I fancied in the second race. Seeing that it was second favourite I put a bet on it (minimum bet is €2), then went out to watch the action. With a bang the race was underway. As the horses sprinted around the far side of the track it was hard to see how Bigbrownhorse was faring - I find the garbled horse-racing commentary hard enough to follow at the best of times, even without it being in Greek! Coming around the final bend and on to the last straight I could see that my horse was in the leading pack. Heading for the finish line it increased its pace until there was clear space between it and the two following steeds. First place! Jubilant I returned to claim my winnings.

However, there had been a flurry of bets after I had placed my wager - all on Bigbrownhorse. It had climbed from second favourite, to a very clear favourite. So in fact, my 'winnings' was just my stake that I had returned.

That seemed to be the theme of the day. I think the favourites won in every race - to get any winnings you really had to be create with your bets, going for triples for example, where you guessed the first three horses in a given race). As it was, leaving after six races I was only actually a couple of Euros down on the day - which isn't bad for a novice punter. Still, it was a hugely enjoyable afternoon, and even if you did not stake a bet yourself you could get caught up in the excitement. Plus, you're pretty much guaranteed fine weather!

Located in the narrow streets of the old town, I'm not sure I would ever be able to find Plato's again. All that mark's its location is a high hanging sign - entry is through unmarked double doors.

This is because Plato's is converted from an old house. Traces of its former use can still be discerned in the intricate floor tiling, and the fact that the tables sprawl through a cluster of rooms. The tables themselves are sizeable - perfect for large groups... or for getting to know your neighbours. The denizens are approachable, and willing to offer advice on where else to go, though it is not party central, despite the warning on its website that consumption of alcohol may actually result in pregnancy! The music was BB King-esque blues, but was low enough for conversation to be had. Basically, the atmosphere was condusive to those who wanted to sit down and get on with the serious business of drinking.

For those who have had enough of gassy Mediterranean lager (either Keos in the south or Efes in the north) Plato's is a godsend, with one of the largest drinks selections I have ever come across. Pride of place goes to its vast range of Belgian beers, each with its own special glass: some tall and narrow, some bulbous schooners, depending on the drink. One friend, who considers himself something of a connoisseur of Belgian lagers was in raptures as he perused the list of Trappist brews. Whereas I, who never drink lager at home, was exultant to find bitters and stout on the menu - draft Guinness, canned Boddingtons and Caffreys. Of course I paid for it - compared to €4.50 for a Keo (which I felt was quite expensive in itself) it cost €6 for a Boddingtons. The Boddies even came in a branded Boddington's pint glass - heaven only knows how much space they must have devoted to glassware out back!

The barstaff are also capable of producing cocktails - one of the party pronounced himself pleasantly surprised with his salt-rimmed margarita. They have a vast range of spirits, though they may have to have a good root around to find them. Some of our more notable requests were for absinthe (which together with Red Bull made our own patent cocktail 'AWOL'), the herby Hungarian spirit Unicum, and a blue Thai liqueur called Pisang Ambon, that tasted of banana-flavoured penny-chews.

While not a raucous 'get-the-party-started' sort of place (at least on the Sunday night we went), Plato's is a great little spot for a drink and a chat, particularly for those who want a change from the local lager. Plato's caters for the more adventurous in taste - I sincerely doubt that there's an alcoholic beverage that they would not be able to produce for you - all the more surprising considering its location tucked away in a backstreet in an unfashionable city in a far corner of the Mediterranean!

Despite living in Nicosia for two years my friend had never heard of Sfinakia. The club's owners must be very disappointed in this, as it is apparently one of Nicosia's premier nightclubs/bars (though I'll admit the competition is pretty thin on the ground), and has been around since the '90s. We were directed here by a couple of girls we met in a bar and asked where to go to continue the night; they showed up themselves later. Indeed, the bar did have a very 'local' feel, where everyone seemed to know everyone else.

Sfinakia stays open late - we got there at 2am on a Sunday night, and it was another hour before they stopped serving from the two bars. Sfinakia means 'shots', though we opted for long drinks. The drinks are on the expensive side - €7 to €8 for a vodka and tonic or equivalent (they had run out of lemonade!). However, you have to weigh this against the fact that there is no door charge, so that might make it pretty decent value compared to anywhere else you might try to enter at 2am.

The interior is pretty swish, with funky decor, white leather couches, and an open air bean-bag filled balcony. However, this was not strictly necessary, as the bar had good air conditioning. Music was a mix of typical European house with tunes that I recognised. Then, bizarrely, the DJ morphed into Greek tunes - whereupon spaces on the floors opened up, and people started traditional Greek-style dancing. A couple of my friends found this hilarious, but frankly for me I found it quite interesting, seeing how two different cultures (folk dance and clubbing) overlapped. I certainly can't imagine any Morris Dancing-based tunes having such an effect in an English club! It certainly made for a memorable evening!