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FRIDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2006
(ABKHAZIA) Just had a GREAT 2 non-biking days in Abkhazia. Beautiful place, despite
the destruction from the war 13 years ago, but more stunning was the
fantastic hospitality and warmth I was met with. A highlight of the trip! 
TUESDAY
26 SEPTEMBER 2006
(MAKHACHKALA, Dagestan - map
here) So I got to the Caspian Sea
today. Yesterday was sunny, nice road and wind in the right direction, today
rainy and had some stomach probs as well, but at least downhill almost all
the last 60 km way down to the republic's capital at the Caspian
Sea. Now I'll have to find a way to get back to Sweden. Earlier
just after crossing over from Crimea to Russia was quite tough and
slightly boring biking. Had I prepared better then I would have known on the
steppe with east wind almost constantly. So I took the train from Min Vody to
Gudermes and continued from there.
WENESDAY
28 SEPTEMBER 2006 Crossed Chechnya
from Dagestan to Ingushetia with no probs. Great
biking day, sunny, minimal wind. Stopped 3 hours in Grozny, lots of destruction, but also lots
of construction ongoing (certainly more than in 13-year-post-war Abkhazia
last week, but I strongly suspect it is very much photo-friendly work on the
surface). Talked with quite a few people and have very mixed impressions
about the situation. People were more open that I had thought but at the same
time I did not want to be too explicit with more sensitive questions. I left
with quite mixed impressions.
THURSDAY
29 SEPTEMBER 2006
(BESLAN, North Ossetia) Stopped biking for a
while. Only 30 km from Nazran to Beslan today and foot hurting since a few
days. Will take train to Ukraine,
do just little traveling there in the north east and then get home to Sweden.
I
came to Beslan on the route out of Ingushetia. I felt somewhat embarrassed to
inquire for the way to school No 1, but actually did not have to ask. Two 14
yo boys approached me about it. They started with the usual questions about
my bike and trip, but soon asked if I had seen the school. The boys had lost
two brothers themselves in the incident. It was absolutely heartbreaking to
listen to the boys showing me the school, the photos of all those hundreds of
children, parents, teachers, small brothers and sisters that came along to
the school year opening ceremony, who died after the three day siege (mor e in log book).
SUNDAY
8 OCT 2006
(STOCKHOLM): Came home today, after spending the last week in the Kharkov
area doing some research on the location where my grandfather died 64 years
ago, in northeastern Ukraine and finally found the village of Derevenskoe near
the Russian border.
I
finally managed to update the log book. Now I just
have to put my diary and some photos on the site..
Write me at bicycle2002@mail.ru
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