Sukhum

It is cool and rainy today in Sukhum, Abkhazia. I am on my way to the Interior Ministry to take care of some visa-related business. Then I am going to do an interview, which will be posted later.

My plan is to cross the border with Russia later this afternoon.

Sukhum has been very, very quiet in the evenings.

Of course, there are not many tourists here since it is past the season. But, despite considerable economic growth in the last several years, most people just don't have a lot of money to be spending in cafes, bars and restaurants. That is going to change very soon in my estimation because there should be a huge increase in tourism.

Sukhum has a number of attractive buildings in the center and there has been some reconstruction from war damage and disuse. Unfortunately, for many years this place has been in abject poverty because of the lack of international recognition. You can see that things are changing, though. There are many Russians coming and looking at opportunities. The Mayor of Moscow was here a week ago and the Moscow City Government is erecting a building in central Sukhom near the waterfront. It will house shops and offices.

The increase in tourism in 2009 over 2008 has been estimated at 100%. I think that trend should continue for some time. If the airport reopens, that will provide a real boost.

I have photos posted at Flickr.