The Mini Token Blog

Cyprus is and island that is well know for many centuries of great traditions, but to most of us simply know it as a great hotspot, which has made it a very popular destination with tourists, with over 2.4 million visiting its many resorts. Cyprus basks is more than 330 clorious days of sun each year, which has given it the name The Island of the Sun. With plenty of travel agents offering Cyprus holidays and budget airlines such as Easyjet offering routes to Paphos and Larnaca, getting there is cheaper than ever.

While attracting visitors from around the world, most of them tend to be Europeans. In recent years Russians and Poles have become poolside regulars alongside the French, Germans and, of course, us Brits.. One of the main reasons why there is such a heavy presence of Brits in Cyprus is because of the positioning of the British Armed forces in the southern Greek part of the island. With quick and easy access to the Middle East, this is likely to be the case for some time to come. The impact of this on the surrounding area is that Cypriots have grown used to, and in turn, now cater for the Brits. From English being spoken everywhere you go, to driving on the left side of the road. No doubt the similarity to the UK makes us Brits feel more at home, but in a more favourable climate.

For many reading this, the prospect of taking a holiday away from England only to be greeted at the airport by a hire car representative hailing from Croydon and being served an authentic Mediterranean dish of steak and chips will not appeal. However, this side of Cyprus, that continues to attract millions of tourists year after year, is only one aspect of the island and is concentrated around the tourist hotspots of Paphos, Larnaca and Ayia Napa. Fortunately as you venture off the beaten track, your are soon reminded of the character that has made this island a popular destination for millennia.

If your fancy cooling off, and seeing something different take a trip up to the Troodos Mountains. In the heart of the mountains you will find the Kykkos monastery, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1998. Housing art and exhibits on ancient Greece, the monastery has the twin function of being a museum for visitors and a practising monastery lived in by worshiping monks. If you are a wine lover, there are treats in store for you. A daytrip to the Troodos Mountains can be a welcome change from the beach and with overnight accommodation available in many of the authentic villages dotted about; you might want to spend a few days here sampling another side of Cyprus.

The Chinese were flying their airplanes over Everest and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. Min Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Mount Everest. They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. Nepalese climber, 77, oldest man to climb to the summit of Chomolungma or Mount Everest “Mt Everest this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

Min Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism.

With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Bahadur Sherchan noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on the Mount Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. Now that Andrew Brash has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. Sherchan just 25 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

His first found him within 185 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. Three years later, Andrew Brash, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Chomolungma to finish what he had started.

They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

“The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on Mt Everest. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though Mount Everest is shared by two countries. However, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Bahadur Sherchan with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. More than 3269 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

Min Bahadur Sherchan last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Min Bahadur Sherchan returned a hero to Calgarians. The 74-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of the Mount Everest. This season French mountaineer Anthony Loeff is reporting the scales for Chomolungma after he reached the summit of Kilimanjaro earlier this year.

Indeed, he was all too aware of the potential dangers Chomolungma or Mount Everest could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused