The way to Grozny..

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In the beginning it was equally difficult to decide to go to Chechnya. The day before there was an attack committed by opponents of Kadyrov. It was a moment hesitate if it really was the right time. Done anyway! Along while hitchhiking from pyotigarsk to Grozny helped the Ossetian man in the first picture me with a lift. Which he not only brought me to Vladikavkaz but also ordered food (picture 2) and even bought credit for my phone. (Even i'd indicated, that it was not necessary) From Pyotigarsk we went first to the city Vladikavkaz in Ossetia. Then I had to pass Ingushetia after i arrived the Chechen region. Everywhere there was control. Also i was in a strange place were mostly men had long beards. Where you sometimes just could scare. This place was not like Russia it was a litte bit different and seemed more unsafe.

During my hitchhike to Chechnya a policeman lift me in Ingushetia. Can you imagine that you get in the car and in the back is a Kalashnikov wapon and these people who only speaks Russian. I speak very bad Russian so it was just a weird situation sometimes. Beside all this. I made it without any problems.

After i arrived in Grozny my CouchSurfing friend Yusuf came and pick me up with his car. Yusuf is an briliant person! His relatives was visited him in same days from other city so he сouldn't host me. But offered me an hotel where he wanted to pay the costs themselves. So he took me to a hotel.

The next morning we went to a football match. Terek Grozny the local club was playing against Locomotiv Moscow. There was a wondeful atmosphere all proud Checens were come to the game to support his club. Where Kadyrov (the leader of the Chechen republic) was also watching to the game.

After the game took Yusuf me to a local 'Chechen' restaurant. The dishes were delicious. Especially the dish called "khingalsh". And showed me the city and beautiful architectural mosq's. He would do more but unfortunatelly had not time because he had a business trip that was planned on behalf of his employer. The last day he give me a Chechen had (white) as souvenir/gift (last picture).

Yusuf told me that he hopes that more people come visit his homecity Grozny. He wants to show his city and landscape to the visitting people. Yusuf is available via this couchsurfing link: https://www.couchsurfing.com/users/1005338035/profile

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