Today, we traveled from Krasnoyarskiy Krai to Tuva Republic, which is known as the least developed and one of the poorest regions of Russia. Tuvans are renowned for their penchant for alcohol and that they become uncontrollable and very dangerous when drunk. I am not sure whether this is due to alcohol or to some other reasons, but as we entered the Tuva Repiblic, separation lines between the lanes on the road became unstraight (if you pay attention to the video, maybe you can discern it). And we were surprised to see some supermarkets not selling alcohol at all, and others selling alcohol only between 11am and 3pm. At the hotel, we were told to avoid being outside after 11pm (so dinner at the hotel as you might have guessed) and also were pinpointed some areas of the Republic where we should not go. Apparently, Shagonar is the most criminal town in Tuva.
As we set off from Cheryomushki, we were surrounded by mountains, which soon were replaced by plains and fields to become mountains again in the Ergaki national park area. As we entered Tuva, we found ourselves in steppes - virtually, across the Tuva sign and a small hill, forests have become steppes. On the road, we were stopped by a policeman for a document check. After seeing Pablo's passport, he let us go without any questions.
Tonight, in Kyzyl, we booked the most expensive hotel of our trip (after Novosibirsk, which has 1 million inhabitants and is very developed). However, we managed to get a very good discount and it was well worth staying here for comfy beds, nice rooms and a great swimming pool with massaging jets. The hotel is only a year old, hence everything is still new and glossy. As I enquired at the reception, most guests come here for business - some coal, gold and other mining business and a brand-new military garrison. Us, tourists, we are in great minority in this hotel (and probably in general - Tuva needs to work on its reputation of the most dangerous region in Russia).
As we set off from Cheryomushki, we were surrounded by mountains, which soon were replaced by plains and fields to become mountains again in the Ergaki national park area. As we entered Tuva, we found ourselves in steppes - virtually, across the Tuva sign and a small hill, forests have become steppes. On the road, we were stopped by a policeman for a document check. After seeing Pablo's passport, he let us go without any questions.
Tonight, in Kyzyl, we booked the most expensive hotel of our trip (after Novosibirsk, which has 1 million inhabitants and is very developed). However, we managed to get a very good discount and it was well worth staying here for comfy beds, nice rooms and a great swimming pool with massaging jets. The hotel is only a year old, hence everything is still new and glossy. As I enquired at the reception, most guests come here for business - some coal, gold and other mining business and a brand-new military garrison. Us, tourists, we are in great minority in this hotel (and probably in general - Tuva needs to work on its reputation of the most dangerous region in Russia).
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