Lasīt tālāk
29.May
MAY 29. CAVE OF ABRASKIL.
27 May
- 2014 -
Author
Andis Pikāns
Unplanned solutions and motorcyclists daily life in Abkhazia. The rain follows us until Suhumi, where the sky starts to clear. The road condition is good, but you have to pay special attention to Abkhaz drivers. Also, you have to watch out for cows and such, because they often appear on the road. There are almost no ATM machines except the ones in Sukhumi.
About the police. Miron, who has connections within the police says, that the president has ordered not to bug tourists on the road, but the reality is a bit different. There are many police posts on the road, we don’t get pulled over without reason, but in some cases, immediate action is taken after minor misdemeanours that would be ignored in most countries. Yesterday, a cop in a civil car followed us and with his phone filmed Janis making a forbidden manoeuvre, after which he stopped us and fined us without protocol. Documents have to be in order, wine and at breakfast is out of question. Also, sometimes we get pulled over to answer questions about equipment, the purposes of our trip and other stuff. Of course, all of this limits the feeling of freedom.
In Sukhumi, everything goes smoothly. In the Russian Consulate, a kind employee sends us to formalise our visas for Abkhazia, without which it would be impossible to get a transit visa for Russia. The Consular Department is located in Saharov street 33, and this is where we get our visas from the kind officials. After lunchtime, our documents are taken for the Russian visa and it is promised to open the visa in 5 work days. We leave the city to the South and head to Ochemchire. At 6 pm we enter a city which walls are still marked by the war that took place 20 years ago. A mercedes stops by us, and the driver, Asni, a young man with a kind face, offers help. We answer that we are looking for accommodation. Without hesitation, he invites us to his parents home, where a meal is also presented. 180 km covered today.
