Dreams, Army days and a reading

9 December 2013

Have you ever had a dream actually come true? I know I have a few times. Most of those times have been very private and I will not repeat them here, but I will tell you about one that did come true for me. During my army days I was stationed at Waterbeach, near Cambridge. One night I dreamed about being on a bus that was on a road by-passing a town. The countryside looked dry and parched, very little greenery. The bus arrived at a set of traffic lights just after they had changed to red. It then dawned on me that the bus was using the left hand side of the road, just as we do. Anyway, the bus turned left and drove through the outskirts of the town. I was on the offside of the bus and was looking out of the window and saw some front gardens, detached houses, a beach and the sea - and what looked like hundreds of ships out in a bay. The following day I mentioned it to a couple of the others and one of them side, 'I know that place but can't think where it is. It's not in the UK though but there's a decent garrison there.

About 12 months later I was on a RAF VC10 on my way to Cyprus. I'd forgotten all about the dream; that is, until the bus stopped at the set of traffic lights I'd seen. The bus did turn left; and there were the gardens, detached houses, beach and sea, and yes, hundreds of ships out in the bay. Well, maybe not hundreds, but enough to make it look like it. That town was Larnaca and the garrison was Dhekelia. The garrison wasn't as large at that time with only half a battalion and a number of other odds and ends of support units, many supply, admin and so on.

I didn't get into town straight away but eventually did later the following week. My first impression from the back seat of taxi was of crazy drivers racing about, all with the drivers window down and their right arms hanging down outside of them. Once I was dropped off I became of the smell of the place, a mixture of kebabs (real ones not the crap they sell here at the chippy), diesel and piss. Not very nice at all really. It didn't take me long to find a nice friendly Brit run bar, Bill's Bar. Then on the front were three others all in a line. Good times were had there my friends, very good times.

I don't have any photos of my time there on me 'puter so I have borrowed one from here ... http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=dhekelia+garrison&qpvt=dhekelia+garrison&FORM=IGRE#a ...    

 

his shot is from the cafe/shop which I can't remember the name of, but it is looking over the bay towards the Sailing Club.

And from the Sage again ...

 Today's Short Reading from the Bible...

From Genesis: "And God promised men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the earth."

Then He made the earth round; and He laughed and laughed and laughed.