Abkhazia Rulezz: Sukhumi II

So, the “rap concert” I was promised turned out to actually be a sort of talent show. But the rappers were definitely the star attraction. They performed in the Abkhaz language, which I’ve found is not actually widely spoken – most people here speak Russian. One person compared the status of Abkhaz to that of Gaelic. But the Sukhumi Youth House, which put on the talent show, is trying to teach it to kids. These adorable tots, for example, are singing a children’s song in Abkhaz:

The rappers will have to come later, I'm getting kicked out of the internet cafe. But you're not missing much.

The only sort of political content I saw in the show was in a skit about the 2014 Winter Olympics, in which the independent Abkhazia team is performing. In the biathlon, the Estonian skier forgets his rifle, the Japanese guy misses the target and commits hari-kari, and then the Abkhaz comes and sprays the target with automatic fire, and then throws several grenades at it, to wild applause from the audience.

I mentioned to one person today that people drive really fast in Sukhumi, and she said that guys who were in the war need an adrenaline rush and this is how they get it now.

After the break, some photos…

This is the border crossing, 6 am:

The sea front. I’ve seen the Black Sea from a lot of different places, and never thought it was very attractive. Here, though, it is, it’s a beautiful blue. It’s pretty easy to see why this was a big tourist spot for Soviets – it has a gorgeous spot on the sea under some tall mountains, the weather has been great, the food is as good as the rest of Georgia.

Here’s one of the hotels the Soviet tourists used to stay in, now gutted and with trees growing inside (not visible here):

This is in the deputy foreign minister’s office, a detail of his huge world map:

This isn’t anything in particular, but I like it anyway:

And, no comment needed:

Comments

[Preetam Rai]

Hi Joshua, I always wanted to do the route you are doing. But its going to be a while before I can do it. Thanks for blogging your journey.

[lucia]

Hi!
NIce to read ab your trip, I am getting there as well in a week, italian based in Moscow with "right visa" (multientry annual).
Where did you sleep? Can you suggest contacts, rooms in private houses? Would like to stay with local families or at sanatories. We speak russian
thank so much!
Lucia