Batch 27 — The Great Sojourn — theNOSTOMANIAC.com

153 - Sukhumi's Primate Correctional Facility (Sukhumi, Abkhazia)

The institute began as a Soviet project to create a race of hybrid super humans with the strength to carry out the laborious work of industrialization without the mental capacity to complain about it. Scientists injected sperm into female chimpanzees without success. Allegedly, they took it a step further, inseminating human females with monkey sperm, though no one has ever admitted this publicly. I’m guessing, if you’re willing to do the former, the latter ain’t so much of a reach. (For more info, see Stalin's space monkeys)…

Abkhasia, Batch 27by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacDecember 15, 2019Georgia, Abkhazia, Sukhumi, animal rights

154 - Svaneti and the Svans (Mestia, Georgia)

I left Abkhazia and returned to Georgia. I needed more time in the 'khaz,’ but the language barrier, money issues (no ATMs, no credit cards), and a slight tingle of foreboding pushed me onward and upward. Always heed the tingle.

I crossed the border back to Zugdidi, then hopped a mini-bus to Mestia in northwest Georgia near the Russian border. Mestia lies in Svaneti, the land of the Svans. The landscape is breathtaking, the people friendly, and the history long and varied. It was eight days well spent, a highlight of my Georgian exploration. Without the time or inclination to update my journal, I went with whimsical bullet points. Go…

Georgia, Batch 27by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacDecember 14, 2019Mestia, Svaneti, Svans, Ushguli

155 - Happiest Place On Earth (Copenhagen, Denmark)

On to Denmark. Why Denmark, you ask? Who wouldn’t want to see the happiest place on Earth? Year after year, the Danes sit atop the happiness index. I’d been there before and could attest to its congeniality, though my exposure was superficial at best. And when you’re visiting your five-foot-ten-inch blonde Danish girlfriend, what’s not to love? Though our affections fizzled, we kept in touch. I was in the throes of an existential crisis (insert link) and reached out for a sympathetic ear. She invited me to visit. I was hesitant and thought I could sense the same in her voice. My gut advised against it. My hormones overruled. I’m a moron. Thankfully, I had a backup plan…

Denmark, Batch 27by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacDecember 13, 2019Copenhagen, Denmark

156 - On A Whim With Grimm and Kim (Bremen, Germany)

I needed some psychological R&R. With a place to crash and a borrowed bicycle, I had free rein in this quaint city at the mouth of the Weser River. My chosen form of sloth was sipping coffee in Marktplatz to the tune of accordion/guitar street music while engaging in a favorite past-time: people watching. In between appointments at Starbucks (I justified my visits to this paradigm of American capitalistic globalism by free Wi-Fi), I did a bit of shopping (it was time for new Underoos) and some aimless cycling through the town center. Relaxation and rejuvenation. Thank you, sir, I’ll have another. The frequent rain did little to blunt my blissful existence. Kim’s prowess in the kitchen made for a delightful end-of-day punctuation, a delicious repast between friends…

Germany, Batch 27by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacDecember 12, 2019Germany, Bremen

157 - Cruising Berlin (Berlin, Germany)

Be who you want. Do what you want. Don't judge. Don't fret about being judged. Fascinating history. Well-maintained public areas. Plenty of attractions for Johnny Tourist and his clan. Exotic nightlife.

Still, one could get the sense Berlin is almost too cool for itself. A bit of xenophobia lurks in the shadows, which, I suppose, is unavoidable when folks from all over the world come to express their individualism. Throw a rock and, chances are, you won't hit a native Berliner. It was (is?) a city transforming itself, although no one seemed to know what it was transforming into.

On the subway, I saw a woman with the left side of her head sporting a short green hairdo, while the right sprouted a dreadlock Medusa-esque ensemble. Tattoos abounded, and if it was possible…

Batch 27, Germanyby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacDecember 11, 2019Germany, Berlin

158 - Holocaust Memorial Jamboree (Berlin, Germany)

No one else seemed to be on my wavelength, which led me to question the validity of my perception. Signs on the ground along the memorial’s edge did encourage quiet within the columns and cautioned visitors against leap-frogging the stelae. Security personnel reprimanded a few hoppers, but admonitions almost seemed half-hearted at best, related more to safety than respect.

While sipping coffee at a rooftop café overlooking the memorial, I asked a waitress (from England) her opinion. My viewpoint never occurred to her. Another friend told me the “tombstone” interpretation is one of many. Sure, but it’s still a Holocaust memorial, right? I suppose it is in a public square open to all twenty-four hours a day, and…

Batch 27, Germanyby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacDecember 10, 2019Memorial to the Murdered Jews in Europe, Germany, Berlin, Holocaust