THE MAKENZI AREA


After the war with the Turks in 1974, this place here,- a short walking distance from the Larnaca airport, had become a shanty area . A favela in reality, with one restaurant next to the other, most of the owners refugees, coming from the north part of Cyprus who found this place here to create their small little business those days. The majority of them had lost their properties and had nowhere else to go. Some of them used to have a room at the back of the small restaurant to shelter their families. As the years go by, the government helps these people and now this place here is one of the most beautiful in Larnaca.

This shanty place has become a very popular area nowadays, with very expensive beach restaurants and bars. A beautiful walking area with palm trees next to the coast, with the people from Larnaca and tourists enjoying their morning and late afternoon walks in this area out here. A place with sports facilities for all ages.NOTE:I received an e mail from a Turk friend this morning after this entry, who wanted to remind me that those days of the War, these Turk-Cypriots suffered as much, even more than Cypriots ..They also had their houses taken, and actually this area of Makenzy, those years belonged to Turks. After the war, Turks settled in Cypriots houses in the north, and Cypriots had to do the same with what they found in the south. So, they entered these houses, and stay here ever since. I remember those days that we knew Turkish students from school, and believe me we were thinking of them just as much as we cared about Cypriots.So, sorry my friend, hope you fogive me. I just don't wish to mix politics up here in these pages.


BEWARE

AVOID going to ZAKOS Restaurant in the Makenzi area!



I would advise tourists –especially foreigners to avoid eating at–ZAKOS Beach Restaurant.

The restaurant is in this area of Makenzi, and we are brought here by the coach driver . It is very late in the afternoon, and we are hungry, after the day trip and tour we had today.   In Greece and Cyprus coach drivers can have lunch or dinner for free if they drive tourists to a restaurant - an agreement has already been made of course. I believe every driver has specific restaurants that takes the people.

The restaurant is really expensive. I am lucky not to order anything as I sense what is going on, but my friends (all 52flying to Athens) must eat something before their flight, as they will reach their homes after midnight.

What they are brought is just plain junkfood, and the owner and staff are very arrogant.

We are talking to them and they pretend they are listening to us, but without talking at all or reacting to what we tell them.


Most of my friends complain about the junkfood being brought to them, but instead, both the staff and the owner seem to walk around and do their work as if they are robots . They ignore us.

From the expression on the owner's face, I can understand his thoughts.  It is as if he is saying "eat here foolish people, you are trapped……no matter what you say, I am going to have your money"!

While my friends are complaining, the driver is enjoying a huge plate full of grilled Prawns and (Barbouni fish) red mullet which is quite expensive here.


One person orders a pizza which is brought after 50 minutes. It is full of water on top –the ice that had melted probably after being in the freezer, hair in the plate, and 2 awful dishes of mousaka.


I write all this up here because I don’t want other people to fall in this trap and have the bad experience that my friends are having here this afternoon.


The Phinikoudes area in the other part of the city has many restaurants and bars where one can enjoy their meal . Makenzi is an expensive area, although there are one or two restaurants worth visiting if one wishes to have a dish of fish. Generally speaking, fish in this area is quite expensive. I mean the service might be much better, but still fish is expensive in the area.