Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russian FederationMIR Trip Notes - Day 3: Pyatigorsk, Drive to Tsey
After
an early breakfast, begin the drive toward North Ossetia, stopping
first in Nalchik, capital of the Kabardino-Balkaria republic.
Its name
means "horseshoe," since it is set within a crescent of mountains.
Though Kabardians, Balkars, Chechens, and Circassians had been living in
the aea, the city was founded when the Russian Empire built a fort here
in 1818.
Visit Nalchik's
Kabardino-Balkaria National Museum, displaying the natural history of
the region, as well as a section on the traditions and costumes of the
original people, the Balkars and Kabardians. Enjoy a thrilling
demonstration of shashka proficiency by a master wearing Circassian
traditional dress. The shashka is the original Circassian saber:
light, flexible and very effective.
Continue
into North Ossetia through the mountains, stopping in one of the
regions' oldest villages, Chikola, for lunch and a taste of the famous
Ossetian stuffed pies.
The drive to
the mountain resort of Tsey includes some of the most spectacular
scenery in this region, with craggy peaks, waterfalls, snd medieval
stone defense towers. Enjoy tea in the village of Kamunta, where only
seven people live permanently.
Drive
off-road up one dirt track to Zgid Pass at 6,500 feet, and down into
Tsey. Situated in dramatic Tsey Gorge some 60 miles from Vladikavkaz,
Tsey is a mountain resort that caters to skiers, mountaineers, hikers
and photographers. Two ski lifts that run all year afford fantastic
views of the steep slopes, the river below, and the little town.
Check in to the rustic Hotel Vertikal for dinner and overnight.
Hotel Vertikal,Tsey Russia,Phone: +7 (928) 065 77 88
Meals: B,L,D
Driving time today in total will be 7-8 hours, including winding mountain roads with rough surfaces.It was 7 am breakfast and 8 am
departure. I brought my bag down well before breakfast was due to
start, but I saw Dana with a cup of something so I went into the
restaurant and a waiter took my coffee order and then brought me the
yogurt, toast course. It wasn't until I was joined by Kay, Jerry and
Betty that I got my blini with caviar – red salmon roe. I think
the blini were better yesterday with the sour cream, but it was OK.
I shouldn't complain. We discussed how the the hotel here did not
try to make amends for our mistake but just told us we had gotten
what we ordered.
After breakfast, I had a whole half
hour to get ready to leave, so I went down early and turned in my
key. Michel came to the bus and called for me. The hotel had said
that I took the robes, but I hadn't even seen, them much less stuffed
them into my fully stuffed suitcase.
We drove out of Pyatigorsk which is
Stavropolsky krai and into Kabardino-Balkarskaya Republic*, the
capital of which is Nal'chik where we went to a market which I liked
(but I like almost all the markets I have been to). I bought some
walnuts for 50 roubles, 2 dill pickles for 50 roubles and a kilo of
nectarines for 100 roubles – about $1.50. And the peaches and
nectarines here – I think they come from Kazakhstan – are so
good. They are wonderful. They did get a bit mushed over the course
of a day's driving though.
We then visited Felix Nakov, the expert
in the Circassian sword, shashka or shishua. He gave a demonstration, showed
us videos of some of his exhibitions, and showed us various sizes and
shapes of the shishua and other implements of destruction. The
Circassians are known for being great fighters and when they were run
out of their lands, some of them ended up in Jordan where the King's
guard is made up of Circassians. Felix could slice forward and
backward, right-handed and left-handed. And his fancy soft leather
boots allowed him to dance around and swing his shishua and kill
opponents right and left. He wore a Circassian men's outfit and hat.
The demonstration was held at Kabardino-Balkaria National Museum that also presented
various items for sale and for view.
2025-05-22