21/8/2016

Elista is a unique city, capital of Kalmykia, it is the only Buddhist enclaves in Europe: walking around, it seems to have been suddenly thrown to several km further east. Temples and monuments are at every corner, and the faces of the people betray unequivocally Asian origin.
Mongol origin, the Kalmyks arrived in this area several hundred years ago, then they decided to return to Asia. Some of them were unable to cross the Volga and the Ural rivers and remained in the area, where they lived without too much trouble until the Second World War. During the war, some sided with the germans, and the revenge of Stalin was the deportation of the entire people in Siberia. It was only in 1957 that Khrushchev allowed them to return, and today they inhabit this particular and unusual region.





















22/8/2016

We leave Elista and Kalmykia and head south. At a stop, I notice that on the drink bought by Roberto is shown a kiwi, but I ignore it.
We meet a couple of newlyweds from Ekateringburg, who, for their honeymoon, have decided they want to see the sea: from where they live it's only 3000 kilometers, and riding more or less than 1000 per day in a maximum of 4 days they will arrive on the Black Sea coasts ...
At another stop, Sabrina decides she wants to teach the ducks that staying too close to the road is dangerous, but despite also this new animal vein, in the evening we reach Vladikavkaz, in North Ossetia.









23/8/2016

In the morning we decid to go back a few kilometers to visit Beslan school and its memorial.
Here in 2004 took place a massacre that, after three days, left on the field more than 300 deaths, two-thirds of them children.
Around the gym, which like the rest of the school still has visible signs of terror and battle, it was built a gold-colored monument, that makes the visit even more impressive.
Sabrina runs away as almost she just entered, I snap some photo to remember: this testimony of human madness is definitely touching.









The road begins to climb, we cross the border without wasting too much time and Georgia and its mountains are in front of us ..















In the evening we decide to stay in Kazbegi, where, in the main square, visitors are welcomed by ladies that offer rooms for rent: Sabrina and Roberto go to see a few but are not convinced, then Roberto follows an old woman with a cane.
A few minutes later he comes back with breath saying that it is ok and has found the accommodation. The elderly woman actually uses the stick to pull the cows and on the steep climb has left back Roberto like only the good times Pantani ...
When we ask for towels, she give us laughing just little more than the napkins, but that's okay as well.
A glass of wine, a good dinner, and even a bit of low temperatures are things to which we were no more used since a few days...