11 a.m. local time (7 a.m. GMT)

Yesterday, the Georgian parliament decided to repeal martial law as of today, four days earlier than initially planned. Poti, however, remains under a state of emergency, as are all other areas that Tbilisi considers to be occupied by Russian forces. That includes the Russian outposts in Georgia proper, as well as Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

I spoke to the mayor of Poti, Vano Saghinadze, and asked him to clarify the change. He said that martial law had slowed down economic activities in Poti: investment ceased and cargo movement plummeted. The main port continued to operate, but experienced significant financial loss. According to the mayor, the shift from martial law to a mere state of emergency will have a positive affect on Poti's economic life.

As I wrote in previous entries, a number of sites in Poti -- the military bases, the military port, and the coast guard facilities -- were examined by a de-mining unit from Tbilisi, which concluded that those places were mine-free. The sites, previously sealed off with yellow warning tape, will now reopen, and employees will be able to go to work again. But it is not yet clear when this will happen -- today, tomorrow, or later.

As for the Russian soldiers and their checkpoints, there's still no sign of change. Excavators are continuing to dig trenches, into which they've moved sand bags and armored vehicles.

It's a hot, calm day in Poti. The soldiers are sitting outside their tents, talking or bathing in the Rioni River.

9 p.m. local time (5 p.m. GMT)

 

There's been an important development: Four inspectors from a de-mining unit arrived in Poti today from Tbilisi and checked for explosives at a number of sites. Their arrival flies in the face of repeated statements by local authorities who said no de-miners would come to Poti until the Russian forces were gone -- to avoid any potential confrontation, I think. But because the Russian presence has gone on so long -- with no signs they'll be leaving anytime soon -- the explosives experts were brought in.

 

But I learned that they examined military bases, the military port, and the coast-guard facilities and concluded that those places are all free of mines.

 

The possible use of cluster bombs has been a major issue. I've been told that an unexploded Russian cluster bomb was removed from the grounds of the military port by Russian forces sometime around August 20. Apparently some particles or pieces remained, however, and the explosives experts from the de-mining team took them for further tests. At this hour, the de-miners have already left Poti after concluding that the locations that were thought to be at the highest risk are in fact clear of mines. A much more extensive search will be conducted once the Russians are gone.

 

On another note, as I was walking through the center of Poti on my way home today, I noticed that restaurants were full of diners. That's a pretty big change from the past several weeks. Restaurants reopened shortly after the bombardment and occupation, but nobody was actually going out to dinner. But now, it looks like people have started to dine out again -- yet another sign that the seemingly never-ending Russian presence here has become a fact of life. A frustrating one, of course, but a simple fact. 

11 a.m. local time (7 a.m. GMT)

I was told that last night a small group of Russian soldiers entered a restaurant close to one of their checkpoints and had dinner. The restaurant staff says they were particularly polite and respectful, leaving 1,000 rubles (about $40) on the table at the end of the meal.

Today, some Poti residents observed other Russian soldiers going into a grocery store and doing some shopping. I haven't been able to find out whether they paid in rubles or in lari, the Georgian currency.

These facts show that the Russians are no longer confining themselves to the territory around their checkpoints and are now venturing into other areas of town.

There are no signs that the Russian soldiers are planning to go anywhere anytime soon. Trenches are still being dug by excavators at the checkpoints. Soldiers continue to bathe in the Rioni River.

Their presence has become a fairly routine part of life in Poti.

8 p.m. local time (4 p.m. GMT)

It's going to be another hot night in Poti. The sea is calm. 

I was out all day today, talking to people and observing life on Poti's streets. It is becoming increasingly clear that things are normalizing here, despite the continuing presence of the Russian troops.

I spoke to minibus drivers who told me that the number of their passengers has increased, yet another indication that people who fled the Russian invasion and bombardments are now steadily returning.

A lot of people actually say that since the Russians moved to the outskirts of Poti, and no longer come in direct contact with residents, that life in the town has become safe again.

As I reported, schools -- as well as kindergartens -- are opening on September 15, even those located close to Nabada, where the Russians have one of their checkpoints. But, of course, things are not fully normal yet, and won't be until the Russian checkpoints are gone.

In order to really talk about "safety," Poti still needs de-mining work in several places -- the military port, the coast guard base, and the locations of the current Russian checkpoints among them.

As I wrote in one of my earlier entries, de-mining brigades will only arrive once the Russians have left.

11 a.m. local time (7 a.m. GMT)

The Kvartskhava cows have gone missing. The family searched far and wide before reluctantly approaching Nabada, a much-frequented pasture for livestock before Russian troops arrived last month and set up one of Poti's two remaining checkpoints. But when family members approached the Russian positions to ask whether they'd seen the cows, the soldiers were approachable and responsive; they said they'd actually seen the animals fall into the Rioni River and drown. The Kvartskhavas remain skeptical, fearing that their cows might have been slaughtered to feed the soldiers.

Such suspicions are fueled by reports that troop levels have increased recently at the checkpoints. Local authorities previously estimated their number at around 60; now they say the figure might be closer to 100. None of the residents know for sure. But if the ranks of soldiers have swelled, they'll be needing more food.

Offices, banks, and pharmacies are open; public transportation is running as usual. Building renovations that have nothing to do with the fighting are continuing, new pavement is being poured. More people are returning to Poti, too.

Importantly, the Russian troops keep to themselves for the most part, they don't come into town. I guess that's as near to normal as we can expect, for now.

10 p.m. local time (6 p.m. GMT)

Lots of people have stayed outside, and there are still flags and banners waving in the streets. Cars keep honking, people keep chanting, the atmosphere is still defiant. The Russian soldiers, for their part, are still at their checkpoints, digging trenches with their excavators.

As I was returning from the rally, I met a 22-year-old Poti resident and ethnic Russian named Alexandr Medvedev. We chatted a bit. He said that, until recently, he was proud to share his surname with the Russian president. But now, he said, he is ashamed of Russia's actions.

There's an interesting story that I've been hoping to tell for a long time, but I've been unsure of its veracity and so have simply been collecting information. Here's what I know:

In the early days of the conflict, word spread that one afternoon when the Russian troops first entered Poti an armored Russian vehicle stopped in front of one of our secondary schools -- the one named after Ivane Javakhishvili, located on Akaki street. It's an old building that in Soviet times hosted a Russian-language secondary school.

The story goes that the school security guard tried to run away when he saw the armored vehicle and a Russian general inside -- but the general stopped him and ordered him to open the door. Then, according to local residents who witnessed the scene, something extraordinary happened: the general started going from classroom to classroom, literally kissing the walls of the school. He was said to have asked for Vera Konstantinovna, the school's former principal, before leaving the building.

Konstantinovna was the school's director for several decades. For the last two years, she's been confined to bed. I went to see her to ask about the rumors of the mysterious Russian general. She said that if it's true, it must have been one of her former pupils -- a boy called Igor U. (name withheld), whose father was a military officer living in Georgia.

I asked other people, too, including teachers who currently work at the school. It turns out that there are other theories about who the mysterious Russian officer might have been. Some name a certain Nikolai S., who also grew up in a military family in Poti. Others have different ideas.

So the phantom officer's identity remains a mystery. But one thing is clear: Residents will continue to tell the story for a long time to come of a Russian general standing in one of Poti's secondary schools, in the midst of this war, with tears in his eyes.

6:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. GMT)

Even though the official portion of the protest rally is over and the human chain is gone, people are still out on the streets, waving flags and singing songs. So the streets of Poti are packed.

On another note, I learned that Poti authorities have decided to start the new school year on September 15 after all. Some previous statements suggested that the presence of the Russians could delay the opening of schools until October. Apart from one school that is being renovated, teachers and students will gather again in about two weeks' time -- wonder if the Russian checkpoints will still be here.