Cyprus, on a cheap Ryan Air flight from Stansted, super seats

Sunny Cyprus, is a popular holiday destination, an island on the Eastern end of the Mediterranean sea (the word Mediterranean means middle of the territory or land). 

From Stansted you can fly from the UK to Cyprus (and many other European cities) on 'budget' Ryan Air. Booking early means you can get those cheap flights. People who booked a day or two before the flight had to pay a premium.

Stansted was very busy in May 2022, with the world opening up to travellers, business, family reunions and holidays after Covid-19. Welcome signs greeted everybody on arrival. We had booked meet and greet valet services (which still require a bit of a trundle to their reception with your hand luggage on wheels).

Ukrainians Welcomed

 Inside the airport were welcome signs under the blue and yellow horizontal oblongs of the Ukraine flag. The kiosk for them offered help with accommodation, transport and more. I was glad for them.

Well-organized England. It made me feel glad to be British, because we were organized. But also, a relief to be on a holiday, a holiday maker, not a refugee. 

Fine Food

We had cautiously arrived early. Our early arrival left time for a delicious chicken sandwich from Marks & Spencer. 

On board we had pre-booked a hot meal which was surprisingly good. The Thai green curry did not look like the picture which showed the ingredients but was very tasty. I had a glass of Prosecco.

We had no films to watch. The seats did not recline. That is Ryan Air. Nothing like the luxury of Singapore Airlines which charges everybody a lot more.

Money Saving

We also saved money by not booking the priority booking - which was very popular, the larger hand luggage with overhead locker space, and choosing who to sit next to and where on the plane.

Wonders of the Window Seat

I got moved around and ended up in a window seat, although I find the aisles less claustrophobic. I thought, it's a cheap flight. Just go with the flow. I was rewarded with great window photos of the clouds and wings of the plane showing the airline name.

Our flight was slightly delayed, so we arrived at 1.30 pm UK time instead of 1 pm, which was 3 pm Cyprus time.

We took a taxi from the Paphos airport, although we had an Avis hire car the next day. Taking a taxi was costly, but saved us having to drive in the dark and find our small hotel. 

Stansted Spelling

Yes, the spelling of the airport is Stansted. Sted. Not Stead. If you don't have a flight ticket to check, you can easily check by typing it into Google, Chrome, and seeing what comes up.

In Cyprus, at Pahpos, the first night hotel was a delight. See my next post.

Camping, cheap? Five star hotel expensive? What is Free?

Problem
Sometimes the holiday turns out cheaper than you expected. Sometimes it's dearer. Factors to remember?

Answers
Camping
You will need hiking and waterproof outdoor clothes and boots. Tents. Sleeping bags. Ground sheets. BBQ equipment. Caravan hire or mobile toilet. Camping ground fee, or permission from farm owner. (Some Scandinavian countries have a right to roam which lets you camp anywhere providing you remove your own litter and leave the place as you found it.

Hostel
Some hostels are like five-star hotels. Others expect you to bring your own sheets, and are so far away late at night that you need a taxi both ways to get you there before their closing time and to be safe.

I once stood at a station in Japan, having been told there were no seats left on the train. I asked the location of the nearest hostel. the price, the taxi price. So much money? And not meeting up with my boyfriend who was leaving next day.

Overnight Sleep Option
I sat down to contemplate. The ticket office man beckoned me over. was I willing to pay another £10 for a couchette?

Yes! Much cheaper than the cost of the hostel and two taxis. Less hassle. The train was due in thirty minutes later. I could be in bed and asleep in less than an hour and in Tokyo next day!

When you are taking an overnight flight and sleeping on a plane, or overnight on a train, offset that cost against what you would pay for a night at a hotel.

Five Star Hotel
You can get good deals on last minute, offseason, long-stay, free Sunday with a two night Friday and Saturday booking, or if the breakfast or dinner is included. Also look for free airport transfer (which would otherwise cost you up to £25 each way). But make sure the transport service does not incur a charge added to your bill which is higher than calling a taxi or uber using your mobile.

Useful Websites
lastminute.com
sportsdirect.com

AUTHOR
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

More Malay Words in surveys and questionnaires : passenger, age, sex, holiday, residence

Malay - English
nomor - number (no more numbers!)

English - Malay
number - nomor

MALAY (My memory aids in brackets)
penumpang - passenger (pa..ng passenger has pangs on flight)
yang - the
terhormat - respectable / terribly honourable (respectful greeting)
selamat datang - welcome
di - at
penerbangan - flight (penetrating the skies)
negara tujuan - country destination (country you are going to)
jenis - type
kelamin - sex
umur - age
liburan - holiday (leisure / liberty)
apakah - what
dewasa - adult ( d .... a - or think d.w.. a one who works)
berapa - how much (tell me the price and we can wrap it up)
kali - times (count all)
dalam - in
sekali - once (solo event)
diatas (on top, in addition, more than that)
negara asal keberangkatan (country departure)
data pribadi data private  / personal
tempat tinggal (residence)

ENGLISH

passenger
the
respectable
welcome
at
flight
destination country
type
sex
age
holiday
what
adult
how much
times
in
once
on top
country of departure
personal data
residence

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages

Travel Tale Detectives - are you one?

Problem
A member of my family takes a trip to Changi airport with a friendly chatty taxi driver. He says he travelled to London several years ago. He can't remember the airline or the airport name. London has five airports. Which one was it?

Answers
My relative asks: "Was it a direct, non-stop flight?"

"Yes, it was direct."

"Only three airlines fly direct and non-stop between Singapore and London. They are Singapore Airlines, British Airways and QANTUS."

"It was Qantas."

"They fly from Heathrow. So you flew into Heathrow on Qantas!"

When you go to London, photograph the statue of Sherlock Holmes outside Baker Street Station. How many clues can you pick up from your fellow travellers? This great fictional detective was based on a Scottish doctor who could deduce several facts about a patient the moment they walked in and said hello.

For example, a farmer might have dirt under his fingernails.

My late father was an optician. He said that when somebody walked into his shop, he knew what they needed. A teenager without glasses probably had myopia, short sight, and needed his first pair. An older person with a frown, wearing a pair of glasses, was probably a reader and needed an updated stronger prescription. A middle aged person wearing glasses probably had glasses for myopia, short sight but had developed presbyopia, age related long sight in later life and wanted bifocals.

We were on holiday in Spain and my father said of a couple looking in shop windows nearby, "They are British."

I asked, "How do you know? Did you hear them speak?"

"No," said my father. "They are wearing National Health Service spectacles. "

*** 

Have you ever made deductions about people you meet on your travels? Were you right or wrong? How often do you find that 'the clothes make the man' and 'no smoke without fire'? How often do you find that 'you can't judge a book by its cover' and 'handsome is as handsome does'?

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourites posts.