18.12.2020 2020 Russia

Gelendzhik

20 kilometres from Gelendzhik in the area of the village of Kabardinka there is a very unusual attraction that appeared here two years ago. A huge dry cargo ship with the romantic name Rio was washed ashore by a storm in December 2018.

The 146-meter-long giant stands on an even keel and patiently awaits its fate. Getting to the ship is not so easy, you have to first drive a few kilometers by off-roader and then walk down a steep slope to the rocky uninhabited seashore (N 44.62005, E 37.914395)

The ship built in 1985 is as tall as a five-storey house and as long as a football field and a half. The size makes you feel astonished. Excursions are organized here and for 500 rubles (≈5$) you can make a deal with the guard and walk around the deck, and for 1000 rubles you can visit the inside – crew cabins, engine room, mess desk, wardroom, command bridge, etc.

All the ship equipment is in perfect condition and it is fully serviceable. The only problem is that it costs a whole lot of money and is not economically feasible to get it off the shoal.

So today's owners are preparing it for disposal. And it is very sad, because Rio has already become a local celebrity and I think that with a little investment, it could be turned into a great tourist attraction.

We spent half a day exploring the possibility of approaching the dry-cargo on our heavy motorbikes, but realized that it would be very difficult. On the light enduros, though, it's not too much of a problem.

This is hardly Rio de Janeiro!

Today was very interesting and full of adventures!
We dragged almost three hundred kilos of iron to the Rio dry cargo ship!

I suspect that no one else has taken this gamble before us. I mean driving up to the ship on a heavy motorbike.

It wasn't easy, but we were very lucky with the weather: sunny, +15° C, the steep slope with clay areas dried up and thus made this illogical but very exciting and fun task much simpler.

For the experiment we took one BMW GS, although it could have been two, but it would have taken an hour more. Instead, the route of a couple of kilometres back and forth took three hours with breaks, videos and photo sessions. Super!

After lunch we decided to ride along the nearest mountain trails and in one of the gorges the motorbike fell into a coma and categorically refused to give any signs of life. The old battery died. We had to carry out another special operation to tow the dead GS along the mountain serpentines.

A wonderful day, though!

Well, guys. I am leaving Gelendzhik with a firm conviction that I will return here more than once and, I think, in the near future. I wonder how I didn't get here earlier. Although no, there was an attempt in June. But then we were not even allowed out of the airport due to hellish quarantine measures. But now everything is fine, no one asks to wear a mask, all shops and restaurants work as usual, and the most important thing is that it is warm and sunny, there is the sea, and hundreds of wonderful mountain routes for motorbikes, quad bikes and bicycles.

For the fans of extreme sports – vertical ascents and descents, rocks and puddles, sandy and pebble beaches, where you can turn the throttle to the fullest and get the maximum possible portion of adrenaline. At the same time, you can ride in light-enduro mode, for example, from Kabardinka to Gelendzhik along the coast, admiring beautiful views of cliffs, sea and ships sleeping on the roadstead of Novorossiysk.

And for those frivolous ones, who can't sit still, it is recommended to visit Rio dry-cargo. By the way, whoever gets there first on a heavy motorbike will get a prize from me in the form of a traditional bottle of Jack Daniels! :)

Good luck, well health and a great mood to everyone, and we are going back home to cold, damp, dank Moscow to make plans for new adventures and travels!