2003-07-12
At 10 AM the Russian super-phone with vocal caller id (a robot voice saying the caller's number in Russian) rings. It is Sergey calling to see if we're ready to go for an excursion. He suggests a few things to see / do around Sochi, and we decide to go rafting. We stop by at a cafe on the road up the mountains to have breakfast. After a few minutes, at 10.30, loud disco music starts playing and a couple of Russians begin drinking vodka. Sergey considerately explains that Russians on vacation like to drink a lot of vodka, often. We continue up the mountain road in Sergeys luxurious Toyota, and reach the starting point for the entry-level rafting. A moment later we're in the rapids together with our russian-only speaking guide and a russian family on vacation. The scenery is very beatiful along the ride. High cliff walls, green hills, bathing Russians, cows and even a camel, enhance the experience. After an hour, 12 kms downstream, we reach the end of the ride, where Sergey stands waiting. He shows us a riverside restaurant where we have some grilled fresh salmon trout and home made wine. Satisfied, we head back to our apartment in Adler. Sergey tells us to get some rest, since Alina & Max are going to show us the Sochi night life this evening. A few hours of rest, to the sound of starting and landing Tupolevs & Ilyushins (the Sochi area airport is in Adler) Alina and her friend Viga comes to pick us up in a mini bus, with Alina's brother Maxim as driver. We leave Adler heading towards Sochi and turn into a rough dirt track road leading up a mountain. At the end of the road Maxim explains that this is the highest peak in Sochi, reaching 660m above sea level. Having seen the view from 3k+ meters in Kazbegi, we are more fascinated by the millons of fireflies in the forest around us. The bus then heads toward central Sochi where we park outside the large amusement park. There we order some food at a restaurant. We think we ordered 200g steak per person, but when we get served it turns out that we get 200 to share. Very well, at least it was cheap. The park has quite a few rides and attractions and we try some kind of rotating vertical centrifuge. Viga then recommends a discoteque nearby, called Oscar. After a couple of drinks there, we want to go to a crowdier place and we end up at the "Malibu", which is by the beach, not far from the ferry terminal, with beautiful lighted palm trees surrounding the premises. Alina is learning english, and also has a small electronic translator so we can communicate quite well even if it takes some time. HJ's russian phrase book also comes in handy, even if it is a bit outdated, containing phrases like "It is Komsomol evening at the People's house tonight" and "My dental plate is broken, can you fix it". Maxim spends the night drinking coffee and Red Bull to try to keep his eyes open. Russia has a 0.0 limit for drunk driving so it is best to stay away from all alcohol if you're going to drive.
At 10 AM the Russian super-phone with vocal caller id (a robot voice saying the caller's number in Russian) rings. It is Sergey calling to see if we're ready to go for an excursion. He suggests a few things to see / do around Sochi, and we decide to go rafting. We stop by at a cafe on the road up the mountains to have breakfast. After a few minutes, at 10.30, loud disco music starts playing and a couple of Russians begin drinking vodka. Sergey considerately explains that Russians on vacation like to drink a lot of vodka, often. We continue up the mountain road in Sergeys luxurious Toyota, and reach the starting point for the entry-level rafting. A moment later we're in the rapids together with our russian-only speaking guide and a russian family on vacation. The scenery is very beatiful along the ride. High cliff walls, green hills, bathing Russians, cows and even a camel, enhance the experience. After an hour, 12 kms downstream, we reach the end of the ride, where Sergey stands waiting. He shows us a riverside restaurant where we have some grilled fresh salmon trout and home made wine. Satisfied, we head back to our apartment in Adler. Sergey tells us to get some rest, since Alina & Max are going to show us the Sochi night life this evening. A few hours of rest, to the sound of starting and landing Tupolevs & Ilyushins (the Sochi area airport is in Adler) Alina and her friend Viga comes to pick us up in a mini bus, with Alina's brother Maxim as driver. We leave Adler heading towards Sochi and turn into a rough dirt track road leading up a mountain. At the end of the road Maxim explains that this is the highest peak in Sochi, reaching 660m above sea level. Having seen the view from 3k+ meters in Kazbegi, we are more fascinated by the millons of fireflies in the forest around us. The bus then heads toward central Sochi where we park outside the large amusement park. There we order some food at a restaurant. We think we ordered 200g steak per person, but when we get served it turns out that we get 200 to share. Very well, at least it was cheap. The park has quite a few rides and attractions and we try some kind of rotating vertical centrifuge. Viga then recommends a discoteque nearby, called Oscar. After a couple of drinks there, we want to go to a crowdier place and we end up at the "Malibu", which is by the beach, not far from the ferry terminal, with beautiful lighted palm trees surrounding the premises. Alina is learning english, and also has a small electronic translator so we can communicate quite well even if it takes some time. HJ's russian phrase book also comes in handy, even if it is a bit outdated, containing phrases like "It is Komsomol evening at the People's house tonight" and "My dental plate is broken, can you fix it". Maxim spends the night drinking coffee and Red Bull to try to keep his eyes open. Russia has a 0.0 limit for drunk driving so it is best to stay away from all alcohol if you're going to drive.