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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Nov 22, 2005 07:00 PM Moheli - one more jewel of Indian Ocean
Comores Aviation seems to be the only reliable domestic airline – flying from Grand Comore to 3 other islands of archipelago. They charge like 40 euro per segment. I am flying today to the smallest island – Moheli – wildest and least developed. It has 15 by 30 km… Fomboni – the main settlement is located just 3 km from the airstrip – but nothing interesting there except ladies painting their faces with sandalwood powder – they call it beauty mask… I took crowded minibus to Ouallah on the south coast. There are wonderful beaches, the chain of small, picturesque islets and lush, tropical jungle. Locals offer accommodation in the bungalows /5000 Cfr with breakfast/. Crystal - clear water... Wow! It is like little paradise! I must add Moheli to my list of prettiest islands!
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Nov 21, 2005 07:00 PM Mzungu in Moroni -capital of Comoros
Sunrise at 6am. But earlier – at 4.30 in the morning you will hear call from the minarets – you are in the Islamic country! Be careful taking pictures – they do not like cameras… Change your euro in the bank /no other place/ 1 euro is worth 490 CFr. But they charge 2100 CFr commission for the transaction – so change together with your friend or other mzungu. Yes, this is Eastern Africa and they will call you MZUNGU again! People are friendly, but they speak French only… The most picturesque part of the town is squeezed around Grand Mosque – it is old medina with the labyrinth of narrow streets and the old harbour packed with old-fashioned boutres – traditional wooden boats. It reminds me Zanzibar, but in small scale. It is hot and very humid. The bottle of coke costs 150-200 CFr, French baguette – 150. Water shortages… yes, it is Africa...
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Nov 20, 2005 07:00 PM Welcome to the Comoros!
I spent 10 hours waiting for the connection in the Nairobi airport. This is additional “fee” paid for my cheap tickets. If you do not want to pay for the Kenyan visa and go to the city /nowadays not very safe/ you have two options: for 20 USD you can stay up to 4 hours in one of two first class lounges /snacks and alc. Drinks included/ or to go to the hidden Kenya Airways transit lounge – watch the sign just before immigration control. Air Madagascar flight was on time. We landed in Moroni on Grand Comore at 7.30 pm – in the dark. I filled visa application form declaring 7-days stay. They gave me 6 days only /No problem!-was the response when I asked -Why? /. They asked for 15 euro or 20 USD in cash. The price of the visa was 6000 Comoros Francs= 12.20 euro. No change! No exchange facilities in the tiny airport. Welcome to the Union of Comoros!
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Nov 19, 2005 07:00 PM Back to Africa!
Why not ? November/December in Europe are dark and rainy with occasional frost and snow ; Since a year I was planning my voyage to rarely visited Comoros Islands and unknown to me – Southern Madagascar. After studies I decided to take cheap flight to the main African hub – Nairobi. For those, who want to visit Madagascar and Comoros on one trip the best solution is Air Madagascar flight NBO-Antananarivo. Only on Mondays it makes stopover in Moroni-Comoros so you have a choice of one or two week stay on the islands… Lets fly!
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Nov 03, 2005 07:00 PM Bye bye Tbilisi!...
It was my last, unforgetable evening in Georgia. We wandered iluminated streets of the old town of Tbilisi enjoying the atmosphere, singing, eating for the last time tasty khachapuri (very popular cheese pie). Thank you Manana! For your warm hospitality and for the casettes with Georgian music you gave me for goodbye...
In the night there is no bus the the international airport. The taxi will cost you 12-15 lari. My flight was delayed... Nothing... I had a lot of time to complete the notes in my travel notebook. In the late afternoon I landed in Gdansk. Kazakhstan - Kyrgystan - Uzbekistan - Turkmenistan - Azerbaijan - Georgia... It was really fantastic voyage! The highlights of the trip were... hospitable people of Central Asia and the Caucasus!
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Nov 02, 2005 07:00 PM Stalin Museum in Gori...
Stalin was born in Gori! Georgians still are proud of him... In the central part of the town there in wide avenue - Stalin Prospekt. It crosses huge square with imposing Stalin monument... At the end of the avenue in the park you will see a building with a tower (it reminds me rather monastery...) - this is Museum of Stalin. Entry fee is just 1 lari. Inside you will see a lot of photographs, documents related to the generalissimus and his life. Gifts presented to him from many countries are also on display. Nothing is written about milions of people he sent to the gulags - labor camps in the remote areas of Soviet Union. On the left side of the building there is raiway carriage he used to go to the Potsdam Conference... And in front of the buiding under the columnade you will see little house - Stalin spent his childhood there...
I want to recommend old and friendly taxi-driver who has rooms for rent: Vakhtang Chitashvili - Melikishvili St 11 ph.765 94 - so you can avoid expensive and run-down Intourist hotel and try Georgian hospitality!
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Nov 01, 2005 07:00 PM Kutaisi - Georgia
The road north of Batumi goes along the coast and is picturesque. At 9 am I took the most popular means of transport in Georgia: minibus called "marshrutka" to Kutaisi. For two hours drive they charge 8 lari (like 5 USD) and is much faster then junk bus or train. Kutaisi itself is located on the boths sides of the river with the impressive ruin of Bagrati Cathedral on the cliff... But there is much more interesting place just 15 km from the town: Old Gelati Monastery in the mountains. It is definitely worth the visit - it has spectacular location and the buildings are well preserved... I was the only tourist there...
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Oct 31, 2005 07:00 PM Batumi - on the Black Sea
There was still darkness - 7 am when I disembarked train at the Batumi station. The station is located few kilometres out of town. Yes, taxi drivers will wait for you, but say: -Thank you! (Spasibo!) Frequent minibus no 101 - it will take you to the center for just 60 tetri... I decided to stay at Piramid Hotel conveniently located in the centre - they charge 10 USD for the room with bath. The highlight of Batumi is St Mary's church - once catholic, now orthodox. Along the sea coast there is nice, clean boulevard. Dissapointment: the beach is not sandy... There are little stones only... In the past there were interesting aquarium with dolphins in Batumi. I found it... run-down but still exist thanks to the enthusiastic staff. The entry will cost you 1 lari... On the road to the Turkisch border there is old bizantine fortress with imposing walls - but nothing to see inside...
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Oct 30, 2005 07:00 PM Third attempt to Jvari Pass!
I spent a night in the inexpensive Lion Hotel in the center of Kazbegi - they charge 15 lari for bed and breakfast. Shared facilities, cold water only but you can see the traffic movement throuh the window: is there anybody coming from the open pass???
At 11 am we decided to try to cross the pass for the trird time. The check point was open. Climbing up to the culmination we overtook about a dozen lorries and smaller cars not strong enough to manage diffucult conditions of the road... Good luck boys! Thanks to the high skills of our driver at midday we reached the pass and started the descent to the valley enjoying beautiful views... We passed picturesque 16th century fortress at Ananuri - overlooking the river. We reached Tbilisi in the late afternoon. No snow here but it is raining... I decided to take night train to Batumi on the coast of the Black Sea trying to escape the bad weather. The sleeper cost just 11 lari... We will see...
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Oct 29, 2005 02:00 PM Caucasus - locked up by avalanche...
Winter in October... It was snowing whole night... I have not winter clothes or boots with me... Friendly Peace Corp's workers offered me lift out in their car. That's what I need! We started to climb to Jvari Pass at 9 am. The road was difficult but passable. There is police check-point at Kobi - just before accent to the pass. Bad news: the avalanche blocked this only road to Tbilisi. They do not know when the road will be passable. - Go to Kazbegi and wait! Back in Kazbegi we were waiting in the hotel lobby. At 3 pm somebody informed that the road is cleared. We went back to the Kobi check- point. More then 20 cars were waiting there in the winter conditions, we joined the line hoping that we will be able to cross the pass before dusk. No, at 5.30 pm checkpoint staff informed that it is to risky to open the pass. Some vehicles decided to stay there in the snow overnight but we decided to come back to Kazbegi... It is still snowing. How many days shall we wait?
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