Shared minibus called marshrutka from Derbent to Makha…. costs 200 rou. In the statistics the capital has 900 000 inhabitants, in the reality 1,2 mln -they say. It is huge, hot, dusty and crowded city on the Caspian Sea. I found good locum in the centrally located Tarkho Hotel. Zero international tourists… The last act of terrorism took plase 4 years ago, but the foreigners are still afraid to come here… Local administration does not care about – no info, no marketing, no city or region maps in English or even in Russian.
I feel safe on the street, even in the evening. I took the walk with my tablet in hand to tbe main Lenin Square (Mr Lenin is still alive here and has at least 2 monuments). Then I crossed by underground passage below the raiway line to the city beach. As iin the other Muslim countries it is hard to find there ladies in bikinis… Then it was worth to walk along the commercial Dakhadayeva Street to the Prospekt Shamil. Here on the corner they built the Grand Mosque. Turkey financed the works. The mosque ca accommodate 17000 people!
