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Published: October 2nd 2006
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Enjoy yourself!!
Sochi is the Lycra and silicone trim of the Russian machine. Unfortunately, Russians seem to have got a little err.. overly flamboyant and possibly a little rebellious at this stage of the creation.. rules are broken left right and centre as these wonderful finishing materials are paired with body hair, wrinkles, fat, and poorly disguised penises. Russians don't do the beach well!
I've had a cold for the last few days and haven't really been in the mood for the beach, but let's just say - If i was, I'd find somewhere other than Sochi to go. Too many people, too much make believe, & not enough beach. I did make sure I went for a swim in the Black Sea though - for the record it's warm, a little salty, and mostly stoney.. oh! and there's no tide 😊
Another for the record, now Russia's done and dusted, it cost me $60nz /day.. not too bad when you consider the km's you get for your money!
Getting the ferry from Sochi was a real buzz. I had no idea what to expect, the guidebook was a little err.. bare on this topic. That may
be evident to those of you up with the play who realise I'm in Trabzon, not Istanbul as planned. It turns out the ferry Kanin that may or may not have plied the Istanbul-Sochi route is definately no more.. hmm, you go with the flow. I sat down on the concrete outside the terminal to wait with a whole lot of Turkish businessmen who apparently spoke neither English nor Russian. It didn't take long for me to attract a fair bit of attention, being the only -young -european -backpacker on board. I had no idea what they were on about, but it's quite disconcerting sitting on your pack on the ground surrounded by men talking about- and to- you, not really sure whether they were friend or foe 😊
It turns out Turks may be the friendliest people in the world & in a historic twist of irony remind me more of Kiwis than anyone i've met!
Thanks to the Financial Rich Bastards Club Inc. those of us on board the ship had the best seats in the house to watch a dusk hot air balloon display. A truly beautiful sight as we pulled out of port for
the 12h trip. I got talking to a couple of friendly Turkish ladies as my passport was off being "inspected" (evidently they don't see too many Kiwi papers in these parts). The ladies introduced me to Turkish food and hospitality & helped me find my feet for the first few hours in Trabzon. I can't describe how disconcerting I find it arriving in a new city mapless!
My Lonely Planet has two accomodation entries for Trabzon; the Sankta Maria Katolik Kilisei, and Hotel Nur. The first sounded like a great location underneath a Catholic church.. Unfortunately after sitting outside for an hour or so hassling the odd passer by, I think I figured out that the Papakis may have been a "bad man" and was shot by a 15yo boy who wasn't happy wýth something he did - maybe. The hostel is no longer open. Hotel Nur is billed as a safe option, but a little outside my budget. I went searching the streets and quickly found a $10-$15 a night hotel with free 24h porn. The decor appealed so I took it.
Within an hour of exploring the town I met Tunahan who helped me figure out
Lenin Mosaic
Possibly the most beautiful thıng ın Sochi the internet, took me to find a cheap cellphone which we bought under his name, and took me out to sample more Turkish cay (pronounced chai) tea and food with his mates. Oh yeah, it's Ramazan - check this before you go visit a Muslim country.. eating at the moment is a bit like dancing to my i-pod, it's tempting and not technically wrong - but I'd never do it in the street, and always get some weird looks wherever I am! 😊
I managed to drag myself away from my hotel paradıse long enough to take a tour out to the Sumela Monastery the next day. Sumela is about an hour out of town and dates back to Byzantine times. It's history is long and it's location is beautifully precarious. The Turkish countryside is also beautiful and begging to be explored - heaps of camping! I shared the tour bus with a group of Turkish uni students. We got chatting and they invited me back to their places for the night. It was great, so much like the guys at Centennial and girls at Rountree it was uncanny. I just totally relaxed for the first time since NZ.
Eating simple, fresh and delicious Turkish food, hanging out watching videos, and chatting about life - totally cool - cheers! I'll have to be careful - if I spend too much time here my "Turkish muscle" (stomach), as Huseyin so aptly put it, is going to get quite the workout!!
I spent today wandering round town checking out the beautiful buildings and shops & being chased by cries of "tourist" and "where are you from".. even from delivery drivers as they drove past - how am I supposed to answer that!? 😊
I also made plans today. Tomorrow I'm off to Mt Ararat (of the boat and the rain fame). It's on the Turkish-Iranian border, and if the weather plays ball & I can find the right person I might go for a wander skyward... I'll just cruise ıt.
Take care, and until next time
Güle güle
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pete
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ha ha free porn! mint