OP
OP
Back in the 80's I travelled to Cyprus in a VW Camper a few times.
Different world then, through Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece, onto a ferry wandering from island to island before reaching Cyprus. The ferry then went on to Israel and Egypt.
Yugoslavia was like entering a time warp. Driving on a perfectly maintined motorway but when I left it to look for food I exited onto dirt roads and most transport was by Pony and Trap.
Into Greece, straight into a petrol station strike.
Reached Piraeus, queuing for the ferry the vehicle was approached by a group of 'heavy' looking characters ringing a nerdy looking guy with a briefcase.
A bang on the door and an identity flashed at me. Not having time to read it I asked for the men to identify themselves again please! To say they were reluctant was an understatement, so I shouted to a Greek policeman who was loitering close to the queue. The 'heavies' flashed their cards and guns at him and waved him away, but he stood his ground so the guys had to show their identity cards to me.
Turns out that they are from the Israeli Magav, Border Police. So I submitted to their questioning, the Greek Policeman had called in reinforcements, seems that at ground level the Greek Police did not like having foreigners doing their job.
The Magav officers were all over the van, wiping down every surface with little swabs to detect explosives, every nook and cranny was searched, my papers and tickets were photographed. They loved my passport as it had visas and entry stamps to some countries they didn't like but my ticket was only to Cyprus so their interest waned, a little.
After a short conference, radio calls, no cell phones then, I was passed but both my ticket and passport had documents stapled to them that apparently meant that I must leave the ferry in Cyprus!
Arriving in Cypus, I was pulled over into the Custom's Shed and the fun really began! Every aspect of the van was inspected, every piece of the van that had an identity number on it was recorded, chassis, engine, gearbox and the tyre depths were measured, photographed and recorded. All this information was typed into a document, they called it a Carnet. I was informent that I must produce this document when I left Cyprus or the vehicle would be impounded!!!!!
It transpires that Cyprus had high importation duties on cars and car spares. Locals and British Service people would bring a good vehicle into Cyprus, swap the engine, gearbox or whatever needed into a Cypriot vehicle that needed parts and then drive the now well worn vehicle off the island, thereby saving a massive in import duties.
Different world then, through Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece, onto a ferry wandering from island to island before reaching Cyprus. The ferry then went on to Israel and Egypt.
Yugoslavia was like entering a time warp. Driving on a perfectly maintined motorway but when I left it to look for food I exited onto dirt roads and most transport was by Pony and Trap.
Into Greece, straight into a petrol station strike.
Reached Piraeus, queuing for the ferry the vehicle was approached by a group of 'heavy' looking characters ringing a nerdy looking guy with a briefcase.
A bang on the door and an identity flashed at me. Not having time to read it I asked for the men to identify themselves again please! To say they were reluctant was an understatement, so I shouted to a Greek policeman who was loitering close to the queue. The 'heavies' flashed their cards and guns at him and waved him away, but he stood his ground so the guys had to show their identity cards to me.
Turns out that they are from the Israeli Magav, Border Police. So I submitted to their questioning, the Greek Policeman had called in reinforcements, seems that at ground level the Greek Police did not like having foreigners doing their job.
The Magav officers were all over the van, wiping down every surface with little swabs to detect explosives, every nook and cranny was searched, my papers and tickets were photographed. They loved my passport as it had visas and entry stamps to some countries they didn't like but my ticket was only to Cyprus so their interest waned, a little.
After a short conference, radio calls, no cell phones then, I was passed but both my ticket and passport had documents stapled to them that apparently meant that I must leave the ferry in Cyprus!
Arriving in Cypus, I was pulled over into the Custom's Shed and the fun really began! Every aspect of the van was inspected, every piece of the van that had an identity number on it was recorded, chassis, engine, gearbox and the tyre depths were measured, photographed and recorded. All this information was typed into a document, they called it a Carnet. I was informent that I must produce this document when I left Cyprus or the vehicle would be impounded!!!!!
It transpires that Cyprus had high importation duties on cars and car spares. Locals and British Service people would bring a good vehicle into Cyprus, swap the engine, gearbox or whatever needed into a Cypriot vehicle that needed parts and then drive the now well worn vehicle off the island, thereby saving a massive in import duties.
