Sukhum- November 29,2010

Today in Sukhum the day has been sunny and warm.  It is about 24 Celsius (75 Fahrenheit) and the streets are full of people walking, talking and shopping.  The air is clear after the rain of the last few days and the nearby mountains are covered in new snow.  Abkhazia is especially beautiful at this time of year.  But there are few tourists.  This will change with improved transportation links because a winter in Abkhazia is very warm and mild in comparison with northern and Siberian Russian cities. 

The weather is marred by several tragedies that occurred over the weekend.   About 3 am Sunday after a wedding celebration a car accident near Gagra claimed the lives of two young men from the same family.  Earlier on Saturday an 18 year old man died after falling from a tree and being impaled on bamboo.  Everyone feels these events because Abkhazia's clans are large extended families.  With less than 100,000 ethnic Abkhaz in a country of just over 200,000, people are more than usually concerned about the welfare of their community.