Every month on Lincguide, Rosy Glow shares her news, personal thoughts and intimate letters on her new life living in Northern Cyprus. This month – snakes and turtles. (rain pic courtesy of Tony Woods)

Dear Sis,
Can you believe it they lied to me!
You know how I hate snakes so I thought I could manage the fact that I had been told Cyprus has only two snakes.  One brown and one black; the black being a good snake, an oxymoron if ever I heard one, in as much as it eats the brown snakes which are venomous.  Imagine my surprise, and horror, when I read in the Cyprus Today newspaper there are actually eight snakes in Cyprus and three of these are venomous.  Not only that they went on to say, and show in graphic pictures, the snakes here and a further eight in Turkey.  That’s it Turkey is definitely off my “must visit again” list.
So far, I haven’t actually seen a snake and it had better stay that way.  However, the snake population is starting to come out of hibernation early and is looking for food.  Well, let me tell them right here and now, “I am not your food, go find a rat or something”.

Of course, now we have the dogs, I have had to buy anti-snake venom from the chemist and a small 5cc bottle cost TL250 (just over £100).  I just hope I never have to use it and it stays in the fridge forever.   The other thing we now have to worry about is the poison that is around and as the dogs root out all manner of nasty things on their walks, we are getting them muzzles.  It’s something we really don’t like having to do but even KAR is saying it’s the best option as over the last few weeks there have been a very sad spate of dogs dying a horrible agonising death because they have unsuspectingly eaten something laced with poison.  I would never forgive myself, if through my own misgivings, one of our dogs died that sort of death.

So far I have not mentioned the weather, a first for me, but I have to tell you that we have had horrendous non-stop rain for almost 48 hours and as a result there has been a lot of local flooding.  I was watching it on local news last night and the water was gushing down streets in Lefkosia, Guzelyurt  and other places and cars were swamped, gardens were submerged and it was general chaos.

Sadly, Mediterranean countries do not build the infrastructure to accommodate such downpours and as developers continue to pile their rubbish in the ravines, which should be the water channels to the sea, this will continue to happen.  When will they learn? My last word on the weather (for this letter anyway).  Rob had to bale out 250 buckets of water from the ballast tank because the pool men had disconnected the water pump in the pump house.  I can only assume this is because there was about 4 inches of water in the pump house, which we so had to hand bale out, and the water might have ruined the pump.  We had to do this two days running.  What a carry on!

On a lighter note, Rob and I and some friends went out to the Village Bistro last night.  It’s a very small place, with only two tables inside but several outside, and is on the Turtle Bay Complex.  The menu is limited, things like, shish, kofte, burgers etc but we tried the chicken shish and kofte and it came with chips and salad and was excellent.  It’s a nice place and one we will go to again but it’s not the sort of place to you for a “slap up” meal.

Well sis, Happy St David’s Day and I hope you were lucky enough to get your faggots and peas.  I had to settle for casserole but I have seen Brains’ faggots in some supermarkets, just they never seem to have them in around 1st March; I must educate them before next year.
Right, sun is out so time to check the garden and remember -if the shoe fits – buy them in every colour.

As ever,
Your itinerant sister

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