Time for a Cuppa!

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My 14 day visit to C&A apartments in Polis Cyprus 2004

I'd like to state that Chris Neophytou and his family are wonderful and genuine people who truly go out of their way to make people welcome in their home. I am truly delighted to have met them, and I hope to do so again one day. Chris is truly a great friend of all people disabled or able bodied, and his nick name of the “Wheelchair Warrior” is fitting as he is championing all of his home village of Polis to become wheelchair friendly. I know that one day he will succeed in his quest. His integrity is beyond reproach and he is a truly remarkable person, I state publicly that I am honoured to have met such an intelligent, honest and friendly man, who always finds time in his busy schedule to talk to the people around him.

Thank you Chris for allowing me the privilege of meeting you and your wonderful family

http://www.ca-tourist-apts.com.cy/disability_travel.htm

http://www.paraquip.com.cy/Rates.htm

Mike Coatesworth

The following review of C&A apartments in Polis Cyprus is purely stating the facts as I saw them, and in no way whatsoever is it intended to be a slur on the great Chris Neophytou and his family.

This is my own personal review and not necessarily the view of other guests who have stayed at C&A apartments

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I'd finished all my articles and the editing of my latest novel “One tear is not enough,” and I was looking forward to a much needed break. I received an email from a man who asked me if there were any holiday apartments in Cyprus for wheelchair users. I gave him a couple of addresses and after I replied to the gentleman, it got me thinking. I remembered the previous year 2003 when I was supposed to visit Chris Neophytou at the C&A Apartments in Polis www.ca-tourist-apts.com.cy for a holiday, but something came up and I was unable to go. So I thought that this could be an ideal time to take the trip that I missed. So I looked up the website for C&A Apartments to see what was still on offer. With its inviting sunny pictures of the apartments and activities of Scuba diving, parasailing, horse riding, sun-drenched beach that was only a few minutes away, and the deep blue sea. I showed it to my daughter Lesley. She was over the moon with the pictures, and after I asked her if she would like to visit the apartments for a holiday, without hesitation she said yes, and stated that she looked forward to going horse riding and parasailing. The website looked almost exactly as it did the previous year and for what the guests were going to receive, the prices appeared quite reasonable. I sent an email to Chris and asked him if there were any vacancies. When he replied that there were vacancies, I asked him if there was any place for wheelchair users to do some fishing, and he said that he didn't know, but he would look into it. I was happy with his answers and with everything on offer on the website, and decided to go on the holiday for fourteen days to Polis with my daughter Lesley, and after I found a flight through http://www.deckchair.com/ leaving for Cyprus on the 18th February, with Helios Airways, for a cost of only £99.00 GBP plus airport taxes per person return, leaving from Manchester, I confirmed the apartment booking with Chris.

After the four and a half hour flight, we were met at Paphos airport by Chris's father Andreas, and after we exchanged pleasantries, he loaded up with the cases and my wheelchair. It took approximately 45 minutes to get to Polis and all through the journey the friendly Andreas was kindly pointing out the places of interest. Both Lesley were excited as we neared Polis, and we stated that we would be up early the following morning to begin the activities and enjoy our holiday to the full.

We entered the sleepy backwater village of Polis and Andreas pointed out the places we would need to know, including banks, shops and restaurants. A few minutes later and when we were a few yards from the C&A apartments, my jaw fell open in shock, and behind me I heard Lesley utter “my god what's that?” At the side of the apartments was a village yard, with a few cars piled on top of each other and old rusty car parts scattered around the area. At the sight of this, both Lesley and I just wanted to turn around and go to another apartment or hotel. If we had hired a car instead of being picked up by Andreas, I know that is exactly what we would have done.

At last we were outside the main gate of the apartments and the cases were unloaded for us. It had begun to rain, and Chris's mother, Eva, came out to greet us with an umbrella. At that moment Lesley and I were not very happy with what we had seen so far, but after a few moments discussion, we decided to give the people a chance. We were shown down a long courtyard to our apartment and as we entered it, I was pleasantly surprised at how spacious and clean it was, and Lesley's room was also quite big. I checked out the bathroom and was delighted at the design and the roll in shower unit, there was everything that I needed. In fact besides the absence of an oven, the room was perfect. (Later Eva supplied us with a microwave oven.)

Eva came in and showed us where everything was, and she was followed moments later by a smiling Chris. We shook hands and he was genuinely delighted to see us and asked us to visit his home on the next floor for a coffee. I thanked him and stated we would be up as soon as we had refreshed ourselves from our journey. When everyone had left, I turned to Lesley and her face said it all, she was not a happy person with what she had seen so far, and she stated so. A few minutes later armed with a signed copy of my novel “Time for a Cuppa!” for Chris, we took the lift to the next floor where we were warmly greeted once again by Eva.

We were shown into their apartment and it was magnificent, I was truly delighted with their home. Once again everyone shook hands and we were made welcome and asked to join the family at the table and we were given coffee and offered some Cypriot biscuits. After the niceties were over, I handed Chris the signed copy of my novel, and he was truly delighted to receive it. He had asked me to bring four copies of my novel for him, and I informed him that this one was free as he was a friend. I told him that I would bring up the other three novels that he wanted to buy, later.

Chris informed me that normally the price of the transfer from the airport to the apartments is £80.00 Cypriot, return. Our apartment was £20.00 Cypriot a night for the two of us. He asked if we would be hiring an electric chair, and I asked him how much it was going to cost, and he informed me that it was to be £70.00 Cypriot a week. I thought this over and decided that it was too expensive, so I thanked him, but declined the offer. I asked him about the costs for the horse riding and other activities, whereas we were informed that it was winter in Cyprus and there was nothing open, which meant, no scuba diving, no parasailing, no horse riding. I asked if we could book a cruise and we were told that there wasn't any as the sea was too rough. So I asked him if he could tell me exactly what was on offer, and Eva stated that apart from the apartment, there was nothing on offer as it was winter. As I had brought my rods with me, I asked about the fishing and was informed that there was nowhere for a wheelchair user to gain access to the sea to fish, only in Latchi a few kilometres away. On hearing this I was beginning to worry as I knew that Lesley was not the type to hold her tongue, so a few moments later we made our excuses and went back to our room. I immediately took out the brochure and looked at it, and in the small print it clearly stated that the activities were from May to September only. It wouldn't have been so bad if I'd been able to go fishing, but I couldn't even have that pleasure.

Lesley sarcastically asked what we were supposed to do for two weeks in Polis if everything was closed. I couldn't answer her as I didn't know, but I informed her that we would take a look around the following day and see what the village was like and if there was anyway that we could make our stay in the village enjoyable.

The following day Lesley and I took a look around the apartments and were delighted to find that it was exactly as it was described in the brochure, I was truly delighted with it, and the only small point was the pool was also not in use due to the winter weather.

We set off to explore the village, but after a few minutes I knew that we were going to have problems with the few steep roads in a manual wheelchair, (see my write up on Polis Village.) I was in a quandary as I knew that I didn't have the strength in my arms to power my manual chair, and Lesley was not strong enough to push me around all the time, so it appeared that I would have to pay the money that was being charged for an electric wheelchair after all. When we got back to the apartments, Chris could see that we were in a little distress from trying to get around the village and he kindly offered me the loan of one of his personal electric wheelchair for a few days free of charge, to which I thanked him and accepted.

I was truly happy with the C&A apartments and Chris's family made us more than welcome, and even had two meals with his wonderful family. Lesley and I were not happy that there were no activities and we soon began to get bored. Eva took us out in the car to see if there was anywhere for a wheelchair user to fish, but sadly there wasn't, and even in Latchi, there was a new harbour being built, so with all the heavy transport and equipment, there was no where to go fishing either.

We did manage to book a trip to Paphos for one day at a cost of £50.00 Cypriot, but that was the only trip that we had.

One day, Chris asked us if we would join him and allow him to take pictures of us on the roads. We were going to the beach, so I agreed just in case I could find a spot where I could fish from. When we finally arrived at the beach, I found it inaccessible by wheelchair, not even by a power chair. I sat looking at the sea from almost thirty metres away.

Later Chris asked me for my honest thoughts about the apartments, and I informed him that he might not like what I had to say. He stated that unless I spoke to him honestly, how was he going to improve the place for wheelchair users? So I told him that I was truly happy with him and his wonderful family and that we couldn't have been made more welcome if he had tried, I stated that we were delighted with the apartments and found nothing at all wrong with them, and that I would recommend any wheelchair user to stay there, but I personally was not happy living next door to a scrap yard, to which he replied that he agreed with us that it was a truly eyesore, and that Eva's family owned it and that they were in negotiations to have it either cleaned up or have trees planted around it so that it couldn't be seen from the road.

I explained that it stated in the brochure that the beach was a few minutes away, and was accessible, when in fact it was fifteen minutes away on full power by the electric wheelchair, and certainly was not accessible by any type of wheelchair, to which he replied that a special mat for wheelchairs was going to be in place in the summer of 2004 so that wheelchair users could get onto the beach. I replied that it stated on his website that it was supposed to be in place by September / October 2003, so it would be interesting to find out if the mats were indeed in place by the summer?

I informed him that I thought his hire charges for the disability equipment were too high, especially the equipment where a disabled person required it for basic needs, such as a commode and a hoist to get in and out of bed. He asked me what would be a fair price. Not being a business man in that line of work, I stated that I didn't really know. I do know that wheelchair users searching for cheap holidays don't want to be faced with lots of charges just so that they could enjoy their holiday. When guests have to pay £10.00 Cypriot a day to hire an electric wheelchair to get around Polis, or pay £10.40 Cypriot in winter to hire a car for four people to get around Cyprus, I know which I would choose.

Chris, maybe you could halve the prices of your disability equipment in winter? Maybe you could also take a look at the prices for the disability equipment in summer with a view to a possible restructure?

Our stay at C&A apartments was warm friendly and the whole complex was clean and tidy and completely wheelchair friendly and I couldn't have asked for a nicer place to stay, but with the complete lack of activities in winter, not only did Lesley and I find it boring, but I found the winter prices for just for the room a bit expensive, especially when I knew that just a few miles up the road in the village of Kissonerga (near Paphos) at Kastambena self catering apartments they only charge £50.00 Cypriot a week for four people in winter, Disabled Access (Kastambena Apartments) Cyprus 2003 although I must admit they are not as wheelchair friendly as the C&A apartments.

Chris, maybe you could look at your winter prices for the apartments?

Chris asked me if I would return to the apartments, to which I replied that with the lack of activities, I couldn't envisage returning to his apartments in the winter.

The summer could be completely different of that I am certain, but looking at the prices being charged in winter, and I know that the rooms will be charged at around £28.00 Cypriot a night for two people in the height of season, which isn't bad as there will be activities during the day (Scuba diving, parasailing, horse riding, cruises etc.) But what will the cost of all these extra activities be per day? I couldn't find a price for them on the website?

Chris, maybe you could you price up the daily activities in summer?

My Rating for C&A Apartments

Independent wheelchair access: 10/10

Assisted wheelchair access: 10/10

Accommodation: 9/10

Customer service: 10/10

Hospitality: 10/10

Overall for able bodied guests: 10/10

Apartment value for money (in winter): 7/10

Price of disability rental equipment: 7/10

Activities at the apartment: (no rating as everything was closed for winter)

Mike Coatesworth