Conquering Georgia

Georgia has welcomed us with open arms, starting with a quick and painless border crossing and meeting Sophie our local guide who will join us through Georgia & Armenia.  We spent our first two nights in Batumi, a popular seaside holiday resort for Georgians and their neighbours.  The hotel stunned us, were we in the wrong place?  Far too fancy and setting expectations high, but rather than complain we settled easily in to a bit of luxury.

Our first night, historically dubbed Batumi boat night, was an obligatory introduction to the food, wine and entertainment of the country and obligatory headache the next day to go with it.  We learnt to toast before drinking and chink glasses with a hearty “Gamarjos”.  Gary & Jo-Ann were the first to hit the dance floor with a bit of rock’n’roll and some impressively deft footwork.  We then enjoyed the locals leaping theatrically around the restaurant displaying their traditional dance.

Batumi boat restaurant

Gary and Jo-Ann rock'n'roll dancing

A free day the next day we explored the city with so much to see and many vow to return to.  The 6km seafront promenade dotted with artwork and sculpture, a cable car to a high point gave a good view of the expanding resort below, and possibly the most architecturally beautiful and award winning (for the building, not the food) McDonald’s in the world!

Art along the promenade - Man and Woman

Hels enjoying tea in Batumi

Wedding party on the beach

Monument to women flyers

Locals having a game of backgammon

And a bit of chess

Pretty buildings in Batumi

McDonalds!

Ross finds a pub

Boris bikes in Batumi

We had a stunning drive from sea level up into the mountains to the capital of the Svaneti region, Mestia, around 1,400m.  An area famous for its defensive stone towers, built between the 9^th and 13^th Centuries, around 175 of which remain, peppering the hillsides and villages, they were used in times of invasion to protect the villagers.  Due to its isolation invaders often didn’t reach the area so the traditional way of life along with many icons and religious artefacts brought here were preserved.  An informative museum housing a lot of these items and a small house museum and stone tower we could climb gave us a feel for how life would have been here.

En route to Mestia in the mountains

Ooops the disappearing road

View over the edge as we pass

The old road perhaps?

Another obstacle in the path

Manpower to move it

Svan towers in Mestia

House museum

Climbing up into a tower

We appreciate a good log pile

The group had a successful hike/jeep combo up the valley to the Chalaadi Glacier and back.  The crew opted to ascend the steeper hill nearby and were rewarded with what first appeared to be electricity pylons and turned out to be a brand new chair lift for the Mestia ski resort.  Runs no longer open as the snow had all but melted they still enjoyed the ride up and a warming cup of tea in the smart mountain café at the top.

Hike to the glacier

Ross, Jackie & Big Dave

The group reach the Chalaadi Glacier

Pete?

Mestia's ski resort

Chair lift above town

Hels adopts the downhill tuck

Rogs styles it out snowboarding

Loading up with wood before leaving Nino’s Guesthouse, who had fed us most adequately during our stay, it was noted the blonde girls got more wood than the chaps.  Never a dull day in Georgia, we did a short, bumpy detour to the Prometheus cave.  A fairly recent discovery and seriously impressive set up inside with 1.2km of walkways open to the public, multi-coloured lights highlighting the array of formations.  Ending with a short boat ride along an underground lake and out into the rain where a toy train awaited us to transport us back to the starting point.  It may sound tacky but it really was good, you’d struggle to find a cave complex as well adapted to tourism and so cleverly displayed.

Prometheus cave

Toy train back from the caves

Still in Western Georgia we stopped for the night in Kutaisi, Georgia’s second largest city.  The Argo Palace Guesthouse was worthy of the name with spotless en suite rooms and large balconies.  Another feast was laid out and the evening continued with a backgammon match between Anita and Georgian friend, the most popular game on the truck so far, enjoyed by locals alike.

Spectators while Penelope has a quick wash

Ross and his doppelgänger in the form of a salt cellar

David and friend outside the Bagrati cathedral

We love Georgian bread!

Traditional Georgian bakery

As well as a wander around Bagrati Cathedral, Kutaisi’s market gave us everything under one roof the next morning.  It was then on to Gori, the birthplace of Stalin and now home to a museum dedicated to his life.  The quietest the group had ever been for any length of time was on the tour, reminded of one of the bloodiest regimes in history.  Stalin’s personal railway carriage lies in the grounds along with the house he was born in and lived the first four years of his life, nothing more than a small wooden hut.

Stalin's house

Stalin's train carriage

And toilet

Our hotel in Gori was an old Soviet style hotel with distinct signs of previous grandeur; even though it had been recently renovated there was still a feel as if we had gone back in time, if only the walls had ears.  The small town offered a few eating options, our favourite, Hunter, recognised by the stuffed animals in the window and pine clad interior displaying more trophies and hunting paraphernalia. 

The Intourist Hotel on Stalin Avenue

The grand staircase

Gori Castle

Looking down over Gori

Pin head Rogs

The Hunter Restaurant

The next day was to be the most challenging of all so far, for the crew in particular.  It was with a lump in our throats we explained the significance of the journey that day up the Georgian Military Highway.  Just under six months ago it was where Hels had her unfortunate fall from the roof of the truck at an unassuming sunny afternoon group photo stop at the mosaic in the mountains.  It ended their journey last year and there followed some months of healing. 

Returning to the place brought the memories to the forefront of our minds.  We appreciated the sensitivity of the group and also had our friends from last year firmly in our thoughts and what they all went through that day.  Deep breath.  Thankfully we were able to stand strong and Hels is here to tell the tale.

Ananuri Fortress, enroute to Kazbegi

Rogs and Hels

It was with some relief we reached the small town of Kazbegi, now known as Stepantsminda, and a bush camp for two nights.  Celebrating the first night with Rogan’s famous potjie pot lasagna.  The cultural landmark of the town, 14^th century Tsminda Sameba church, was our goal the next day.  Hiking 430 vertical metres up along jeep tracks and steep forest paths, even spotting a red squirrel on the way, some opting for a thrilling and bumpy lada ride instead.

Camp at Kazbegi

David's tent attracts some attention

Dave shuns the toilet tent and goes off to dig his own hole

Locals fill their bottles with aerated water from a nearby spring

Gary & Sue - team lasagne

Tsminda Sameba church overlooking Kazbegi

Rogs on the way up to the church

Tom striking a mountain pose

Maggie at the top

Dinosaur carvings

Anita, Tom and Hels ready to enter the church

Anyone for a lift in a Lada?

Gary on the homeward stretch

The group then enjoyed a lesson in dumpling making, known as Khinkali in Georgia, followed by the eating of the dumplings washed down with a bit of Chacha.  They left some room for bangers and mash that evening which makes a refreshing change from all the Georgian feasts.  The group are definitely becoming connoisseurs of Georgian wines, having tasted a fair few.  Bearing in mind they’re sold in three or five litre containers this is quite impressive.  Stopping again on the way down the mountain to re-stock with the preferred ones.

Jackie learning to make Georgian dumplings

Refreshing pool near camp

Judy, Sue & Maggie brave the cool waters

Market stop for re-stocking the wine supplies

Georgian snickers

Rolled pressed fruit

Car graveyard

Now in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, we were greeted with the most almighty of storms, torrential rain, lightening and thunder to shake your boots.  We’ll be here for a couple of nights before heading south for a few days to visit nearby Armenia.

Mega storm over the truck in Tbilisi

The truck has now been called a bus by many, a lorry at times, and even a shed, whatever next!

Don’t forget you can follow our progress in real time by clicking on the “Where are We?”  Find Us button at the top right of this page.  On arrival at each new night stop we send a signal via satellite to confirm our position, which then posts a pin on the map.  You can then zoom in or out or view by satellite image and get an idea of where we are, town, country or riverside bushcamp!