It is hard to believe

Cyprus.

Walking among the traditional whitewashed buildings that populate the streets of Cyprus. Adam Collier could not believe that only a few miles away there was an active RAF base and on the coast the naval base at Valletta. Try as he may he could not relate images of the two worlds being close, but there was no mistaking the sound of the engines as the transport planes landed. 

A significant matter of concern is the radar they use it interferes with the bands used for civilian radio transmitters. No matter how often the "ham" operators complained, the military refused to change their frequencies. Another aspect of concern is the "Over the hill" radar that is used to spy, this radar causes distress among the avian population, despite denials by the military.

The Cypriots live and work with the military, they have no option, but they despise the presence of airmen and sailors on the island. It is many years since the takeover, but tensions still run deep among the families, especially those who had been forced to move for their safety when the Turkish army invaded in 1974. 

With the Greek Cypriots in the south, and the Turkish Cypriots occupying the more significant northern sector of the island being on the island is not a pleasant task.

Matters were not made easier by the southern area being the more affluent because of the beaches on this side of Cyprus. 

A part of the tension is that the Greeks are friendlier people than the Turks, so tourists tended to flock to the south while avoiding the north. A significant state of anxiety arises because the northern section of the island is only accessible from Turkey, and people are concerned about the record of brutality from the Turkish police force. The south of the island is accessible from almost anywhere in Europe which induces travelers to visit the area. 

To Adam, it seems inconceivable that two worlds so vastly different could co-exist so closely without more friction. Many of the population are still Greek Orthodox, and despite the heat, the women wear black clothes covering all their bodies.

On the hills above the villages where the tourists visit. Men tend their goat herds. The goats are the only animals capable of feeding on land that is so burned by the Sun; it cannot support even grass. Where there is a little soil and water, the olive trees grow. 

Adam had lived among the Greeks for so long that the locals treat him as one of their own. This is a rare thing among people who are proud of their heritage. A part of his popularity came from a love of fishing and the fact Adam was hard to anger. Life meant a lot to the man who came to Cyprus and fell in love with the land, the people, and the history over two decades ago.