Part 2 completes our day in Büyükkonuk.

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After lunch we went to the Children’s Park named for Alikko and Caher famous radio personalities from Büyükkonuk who set their sketches in Büyükkonuk village.

Alikko and Caher are described as the Cypriot Laurel and Hardy

The plaque at the park.

Nothing in the park was more interesting than the very small black goat on the other side of the fence.

Working off lunch with our future dinner in the bag on the ground.

We honestly had no clue how to use some of it. (Charmaine’s photo)

Charmaine, Linda and I set off on Walk # 28 in Walks of North Cyprus

Following the directions in the book took us ‘round Robin’s barn and back to where we started before we headed off the right way.

Father Time with his scythe

Bricks from an ancient Roman road (Charmaine’s photo)

Name: Agave, Agave Americana

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/node/69931

“Otherwise known as: Century Plant, Giant American Aloes

Habitat: A perennial succulent member of the Agavaceae family growing up to 8m in well-drained sandy soil in full sun and native to Central America. The plant develops from a series of rosettes, the leaves being serrated and blade-shaped, terminating in rigid spikes. There is a mistaken belief that the plant flowers every 100 years, hence the appellation Century Plant, however, it flowers after seven or eight years, from a single central stem that can reach a height of 8m, and bears rays of pale white flowers that then leave decorative hard seed pods. All basal parts of the plant are poisonous.

What does it do: Agave is named after the daughter of the Greek god Cadmos, the mythological founder of Thebes.

The plant was fermented into a powerful alcoholic beverage, known as pulque, by the Aztecs and featured prominently in their religious ceremonies, being given to those about to be sacrificed and consumed by the priests that would perform the deed, according to Hernando Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico.

Agave contains calcium oxalates, needle shaped crystals, that cause severe dermatitis if the sap comes in contact with the skin, and acute conjunctivitis in the eyes. The extremely sharp leaf terminals can easily penetrate the skin and will result in extensive bruising that will takes weeks to heal. Excessive exposure to the sap will not only give rise to serious skin disorders but will lead to long term diarrhea, headaches and myalgia.

The plant was introduced into Europe in the 16th century, although there are claims that there is evidence of Agave in Greece from the first millennia before Christ. Medicinally, Central American shamen used the plant as a treatment for inflamed rheumatic joints, jaundice, syphilis and pulmonary tuberculosis. The Aztecs made enemas from the root to treat dysentery.

An interesting aspect of Agave is that when the pulque is distilled into tequila, it is highly recommended by Mexican herbalists as a beneficial treatment for ulcerative colitis, Chron’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and colonic cancer.

Agave has many practical uses, ranging from providing a soap that will lather in sea water, fibre for ropes and nets, pens, nails, needles, stock hedges and razor strops; a syrup rich in vitamins is obtained from the heart of the plant.

Recent research reveals that Agave contains Hecogenin needed in the production of synthetic steroids, and the sap can be used to stop the growth of putrefying bacteria in the intestines.

Once the plant flowers it will die, but over the years it produces a series of offshoots that will continue to flourish.

Agave is very common in Cyprus, particularly in the Mezoria region, and in the past the municipalities would spray the flower stems and use them for Christmas decorations.”

Linda and Charmaine birding…

Well it was a short cut…. (Charmaine’s photo)

I thought I knew how to get back to the church in town, but it dead-ended in a family’s back yard. The people who lived there happily showed us the “path” to the church. But now that it’s snake and tick season we’ll avoid these kind of short cuts.

Buyukkonuk’s finest!

Then it was back in the car and home to DoraMac!