RUSSIA AT LAST.....

So this trip has been almost 8 months in the planning and began after following Salvo and Sylvie's inspirational account of their journey to the Stans last year.

I began researching visas in August and after chasing up various historical records such as my passport history and former employers and educational provider's details I began the process of applying for a Multiple Entry Russian Visa, valid for 6 months. Posts towards the end of 2025 detailed the procedure and progress and as a result I was, last Friday, waking up on a cold morning in Stepantsminda, northern Georgia and facing the prospect of it all coming to fruition.

The road up to the Dariali Border Crossing was initially empty and passed through more pitch black tunnels along the remarkable Dariali Gorge. Eventually I reached the tail end of another line of HGVs and passed them carefully as the free lane was effectively undertaking. Then the buildings on the Georgian side appeared and I was quickly through both passport and customs formalities and sent on my way through the couple of miles of nomansland. This was a stark and austere area with dozens of wrecked cars lying around and the steep gorge walls keeping out the sunshine. You are not allowed to walk this so independent travellers have to cadge a lift but there were none about and I was soon arriving at the Russian buildings of Upper Lars. They were all in good order but obviously very secure and ringed with electrified fencing and I joined the tail end of a block of cars where we sat for perhaps half an hour. There were about 30 gates available but not all were manned and about two thirds were for the red 'Goods to Declare' option. Having nothing on board that exceeded the limits I was directed to one gate, jumped out and was soon dealt with by the immigration official in his booth with the visa checked, photos taken but interestingly no biometrics, which had been taken at the Consulate in Edinburgh. A migration slip was inserted in to my passport which is also where, for borders, I keep my driving licence and I was asked to move on ten yards for the Customs guys to do their bit. Everyone without fail was polite, courteous and friendly, but equally very professional and thorough. As always I was more than happy to open up everything and I have learned that having the tailgate blind open makes it easier for them to see that there is only the bike and rack on the outside. I partially unstrapped the cover so they could see it was a pedal cycle and all seemed well. Babu the sniffer dog then gave everything the once over after which they asked to see under the bonnet and then looked around the glovebox and driver's door. Here they were very interested in a well wrapped package with masking tape securing bubble wrap around something heavy. I was reluctant to unwrap it all but as the bonnet was open could point and explain that it was my spare alternator. This caused me to remember a similar experience 16 years ago when I flew back from NZ with an alternator for repair and then back to Oz with the repaired one and half a dozen oil and fuel filters. Anyway all was well and the guys were clearly intrigued by my circumstances.

I was then told to park up and report to booth 31 where a small crowd of varying nationalities were gathered round a window which opened sporadically. It was here that the final Customs entry formalities began but they needed more than one booth open as the procedures were somewhat laborious.....

When you eventually caught the girl's eye and gave her your passport and DL she gave you two copies of the Entry Form and another Basic Information Sheet, fortunately in English and told you to return with the completed forms. Back at the van I was grateful for shelter from the cold wind and a table and duly filled in both sides of both sheets and the BIS. I then checked all my documents were still present and correct but couldn't find my DL so spent an anxious half hour checking every pocket, my documents folder and in and around the van but with no joy. I walked back to the passport booth and explained the situation only to be pointed to booth 31 where I queued again only to discover that they hold on to it whilst you complete the forms aarrgghh...After another wait at the booth, where a German guy who had been waiting 18 hours was getting irate to no avail ( apparently it can take the truckers as much as three weeks), I was told that my forms contained a number of errors, for example your VIN is the chassis number but not to be put down as the Identification Number as well, the Make and Model need to be on the same line, despite the next line asking you for Type, you need to state you are leaving Georgia and entering Russia : not many other options given the location but hey ho. You also need to give an address you will be staying at - tricky in a camper so I used the hotel in Vladikavkaz that had gone on my application for a Letter of Invitation way back when. Where I had put X's in the nothing to declare box under the various categories apparently the whole section should just be left blank, finally she said signing the form Simon Jarratt was wrong, even though it said signature followed by Print Forename and Surname. Thus I obtained two more forms as alterations were not permitted, had a quick chat with Fabrice who had just arrived and pointed out the errors I had made to save him the same fate. So I filled in both sides of both sheets, joined the queue again and after 20 minutes the girls went off for a coffee break leaving us all hanging about. Entertainment was provided by a huge German 4x4 truck squeezing in to Bay 30 and being asked to unload everything, including all the boxes on the roof. Everything was beautifully labelled and organised but took some getting to after which without closer inspection they were told to repack and go through the HGV X ray scanner. When I finally presented my second set of forms I was told that signing S Jarratt was no good - it needed to be SJ and not be followed by my printed name.....I asked for extra copies of the forms as I knew Fabrice would be needing them, filled in my 3rd set and they were finally accepted. The window slid shut again and Fabrice arrived saying he was having a problem as they had told him his van was on their register of Company Vehicles - pretty amazing. Anyway he managed to sort that out and to our huge and joint relief we were both finally given our Customs slip which we presented to the guy manning the final barrier and hey presto we were free to go. Further on after a final check we pulled in to the side of the road opposite a row of offices, one of which said 'Car Insurance'.

A lovely friendly lass, with some English, eventually issued me with two weeks cover for about £20, rubles only as cards don't work here so I was glad I had got some back in Tbilisi. Fabrice had another issue with his car being a commercial vehicle and had to pay double, the lass explaining that he was covered for multiple drivers, although like me he was travelling solo. We then asked if she could sort out SIM cards and were duly issued with Beeline SIMS valid for two weeks with 30 GB of data. She explained that web access would be limited for security reasons for the first 24 hours and that to use WhatsApp etc we would need a VPN, something way outside my techy knowledge or experience. Fortunately it was well within hers so she kindly downloaded the Jumpy App, did the necessary and we were good to go. I gave her a small bracelet we had bought back in Italy as a thank you and she seemed hugely touched.

So after 7 hours I was in, insured and interconnected so set the sat nav for a P4N in Vladikavkaz twenty minutes down the road. Fabrice followed behind but before long I realised that the sat nav was miles out and unable to get a GPS fix, similarly with Google Maps linked to the P4N App and even my Mapy.com maps. I pulled in and explained the problem to Fabrice and said I would have to use the Mapy maps in off line mode and memorise the route. Vladikavkaz was far bigger than I had expected but with a combination of luck and judgement we got near to the river, turned south and then eventually left in the hope we would be by the football stadium. In fact we ended up in the parking for Magicoffee so decided to stop there and review. The actual park up was only 300m away on the far side of a bridge but people seemed to think it would be OK to stop, assuming we all interpreted the sign language correctly. Magicoffee lived up to its name and was very comfortable - the pistachio croissant was the first either of us had eaten all day.

Later on as I was revisiting an extraordinary day there was a tap at the door and a guy we'd asked earlier about staying asked if he could bring us some food... I knew F had gone to sleep but said I would really appreciate that and off he went. Half an hour later he turned up with two friends and a pizza box containing 3 huge flatbreads filled with cheese and 8 bottles of water. They stayed for a while with a chat via Google Translate, said they go fishing fot beliga in the Caspian Sea near Astrakhan and asked if I had time to go fishing in the mountains with them. I thanked them but explained I only had a limited time in Russia on this occasion and they happily went on their way : remarkable.

I slept soundly and after saying goodbye for now to F set off towards the Sulak Canyon, a couple of hours away beyond Grozny, the Chechen capital. The sat nav seemed more usable outside of the towns and I made good progress within the odd police checkpoint causing no issues. A massive traffic jam in Khasavyurt held me up for an hour or so during which time I also failed to spot a huge bump in the road and heard the sound of smashing glass and china behind me. It wasn't possible to stop until another more formal checkpoint which was the border with the Republic of Dagestan. Here I was directed in to an office via a security scanner and had my details taken before exiting the building. A cupboard had burst open and the chairs bounced out of their storage in the bathroom taking the blind with it but as I was pulling over soon I left things as they were. A twisting road brought me up to the rather austere looking village of Dubki, beyond which was a turning up various gravel tracks to a viewpoint over the dramatic Sulak gorge. From an exposed rock outcrop you could see down to the river far below where the odd jet boat was giving passengers an exciting ride whilst a dozen or more eagles flew to and fro. 

A group of Russian tourists came down and were fascinated by my story and insisted on selfies with Katerina from St Petersburg giving me her number and offering me a park up if I'm ever that way : again lovely, kind, generous people. I repaired the blind and added a few more retaining screws to beef things up as the 25 year old plastic mouldings are a bit fragile.

Today I walked along the rim of the gorge for views of the hydro electric dam and then up to Dubki for milk, bread and eggs before returning to the van with a relentless and powerful tailwind nearly bowling me over.

A group of mountain bikers were struggling uphill against the wind and looked a bit defeated. Three guys at the viewpoint came for a chat - they had been hoping to do some hangliding and were again very intrigued by my story.

The wind continued to strengthen to the extent that I thought about moving but having strapped the roof vents down internally and pulled the bike cover tighter I think all will be well. F turned up at sunset and came in for a chat, he recommended Grozny for a visit so I will factor it in on my return. For now though it is a steady progression east with a night by the Caspian Sea planned for tomorrow and then two days in Astrakhan before entering Kazakhstan after the middle of next week.

So far (only 3 days) I have been thoroughly taken by Russia, as much by the warm and friendly reception from the people I have met - genuinely welcoming and interested, as the dramatic scenery so have a look for yourselves HERE

Testing

Just a dummy blog to test the Russian SIM....

 

A Week in Georgia....

After the huge enjoyment of Ani I returned to Kars and parked up opposite the cheese museum (as you do) and was somewhat surprised after a quiet night to wake to 4 inches of fresh snow. Fortunately it had stopped falling and with traffic moving I too was on my way after a leisurely breakfast, stopping briefly at a small supermarket before heading out to one of the lesser border crossings about 100 miles away. The main road had been ploughed clear and was pretty empty as I passed through snow covered mountains that will merit a return visit later in the year.

Approaching the Cildir/Aktas border point there was a line of HGVs which I passed before arriving at the first barrier. Here I was directed to park up and get my passport stamped out before moving the van on to customs where after a cursory inspection and a chat with the friendly female official's sister who she was Whatsapping I moved on to the Georgian side of things where lorries were jammed in all over the place with nothing moving. I got out for a recce and met a friendly Turkish driver who pointed at the lowered Georgian flag which apparently indicates a National Holiday. The delays were due to minimal staffing levels and mainly affected HGVs as they had to pass through X-ray scanners and only one was manned. He said I should just barge through the assorted trucks and get to the car gate - easier said than done with frustrated drivers of various nationalities towering above me in their cabs. Fortunately an Armenian guy had decided to get to get his stove out and cook lunch so when the truck in front of him moved I squeezed past and was at Georgian Passport Control. There were no problems here, or at Customs, as usual I opened every external door, put all the interior lights on and invited the guys in for a good luck at my humble home. 

Insurance is easily obtainable at a kiosk near the petrol station just beyond the border with various classes of vehicle charged different rates for periods varying from 5 days to the 3 months maximum you are allowed in for. With less than a week planned I erred on  the side of caution and took a fortnight for £15 which seemed reasonable but then paid through the nose in the fuel station for a SilkNet SIM. Buying insurance got off to a shaky start as the power had failed and they were trying to start a small genny to run the computers but it had no fuel left. Fortunately the mains came back on before I resorted to digging out my genny and I was soon away after a total crossing time of under two hours.

We had passed this way in the opposite direction last year and the 20 miles towards Akhalkalaki was as bad as I remembered. 20 mph was rarely achievable, snow drifts and meltwater obscured the many deep potholes and oncoming trucks were all over the place trying to avoid the worst of them with the articulated bodies twisting and bouncing to a remarkable degree. The usual police checkpoint to ensure you have insurance was unmanned due to a combination of being almost buried in snow and the bank holiday and I eventually arrived at a less than glamorous spot by the frozen football pitch in a line with 3 industrial bins. I walked in to town in search of an ATM and then out to a place by the remains of a small castle that was supposed to be a possibility for gas refills - not anymore. Strolling back to the van I was jolted awake by the sight of 3 recently severed bulls heads on a table but got back to the van for a quiet night until the bins were emptied at 6am.

Google Maps was set for Gori and I left the outskirts passing several wreckers yards, none of whom seemed to understand my search for a spare wheel rim. At one point a local started waving at me and shaking his head whilst pointing up ahead and I realised that he was telling me the shorter road through the mountains was shut so I rejigged Google Maps to go via Borjomi and took a familiar road through a twisting valley and past the turning to Vardzia, the cave city that had so amazed us last summer.

A final blast on the Batumi to Tbilisi main road put me in the centre of Gori where the same guy from last year filled my CG907 for £6 and I spent a quiet night. A German couple in a T5 pop top weren't far away and later a young Swiss guy turned up in his T5.

They all left the following morning on foot presumably to visit the Stalin Museum whilst I moved on the hour or so to Tbilisi and a 4x4 accessory shop just off the main highway in to the centre. This was closed so I moved on to my planned park up at a private house a couple of miles away. When I arrived at the locked gates I got out and spoke to a guy who rang the owner for me. He explained that the family elder, the grandfather, had passed away the day before and that it might be quite busy but I was welcome to stay and within minutes the gates to a side yard were opened and I pulled in with some difficulty across deep gravel to park by a rather quirky white Transit. 

This contained two Greek girls from Athens who had hired the rather basic camper conversion for two weeks touring Georgia. They explained that it was  Easter Weekend for the Orthodox church which made the family loss even more poignant.

As they were about to leave I then moved on to the patch of concrete that was nearer the tap and plug socket. A family member came out to explain the set up and I expressed my condolences and confirmed I would be staying 3 nights as heavy snow up at the border crossing had stopped all traffic. This information came from Joris who had friends stuck up there in what looked like pretty challenging conditions so with the power on I settled in to do some planning. I cut a neat hole in the floor carpet to get to the socket for my larger table and spent a useful couple of hours with all my maps and guides plus referring back to Salvo and Sylvie's trip last year, the latest updates from the caravanistan website and current visa requirements to come up with a plan for the next few months that should cover the highlights of what is an enormous area. In the photo below my route is in pink, borders are green and Turkmenistan is unavailable for independent travel so not included.

I took the bike and cover off to make dealing with the loo and changing a gas cylinder easier and gave the bathroom area a good clean. Both bike tyres were a bit soft so I removed the valves, added more sealant and pumped them up fully with the compressor before loading everything back up. Using my two extending poles that usually support the tarpaulin awning I can raise the tailgate single handedly but on my return I must seek out uprated struts that will make life easier.

Yesterday I set off towards Russia with the border around 100km to the north along the Georgian Military Road that follows the only natural passage through the Caucasus mountains. I stopped at a money exchange for £120 worth of Russian rubles to make insurance and SIM purchase easier at the border as due to sanctions no cards will work and then carried on. However after only 20km the police were directing all non Georgian vehicles to pull over and park up. Apparently the border was still shut and only locals were being allowed up as far as Stepantsminda, the final town. Thus dozens of lorries of various origin were parking up and scores of Russian plated cars were trying to secure food and beds for the night. After considering my options and mindful of a potential 60 mile backlog once the crossing was open I decided to return to Tbilisi where I could be parked up, plugged in and sit out developments for a very reasonable £15/night including use of the washing machine.

The family funeral was taking place, the hearse having been at the property that morning so I didn't intrude by calling them and noted that a Swiss van had also arrived. My phone credit had run out and without a connection it was hard to translate the texts regarding this so I decided to head out and find a phone shop but this proved elusive as the area is mostly home to garages and tyre depots plus the odd retail store. In one of these an assistant explained that I could use one of the Pay Boxes that I have seen dotted around but would need my number which I didn't know. Helpfully she suggested ringing her number so that it would display mine and hey presto I had my Georgian number.... Later I would discover it was also on the plastic card that had contained my actual SIM card - this is often not the case with say Lyca or Lebara as they reissue old numbers on SIM activation which as I discovered last year can lead to a whole host of new friends from the Asian subcontinent.

At a Pay Box near the park up I found the English button, selected Mobile Phones from the menu, then SilkNet and then browsed the various options choosing a week's unlimited internet for £3. I inserted a 10 lari note and soon had a text confirming all was well. Fabrice and his dog Otto were in a very well equipped 4x4 T5 with a roof tent and a host of other accessories and we decided it would make sense to travel together on Friday after another day of good weather and backlog decline.

So today I decided to walk in towards the city to  visit the 4x4 shop, a stroll of about two miles along a busy dual carriageway passing  numerous luxury car dealerships - there are obviously some very affluent people around, and also the heavily guarded and rather striking buildings of the American Embassy.

The well equipped shop had just what I wanted in the shape of a pair of recovery tracks with the slightly smaller version (110cm x 30cm) only taking up 10 cm in depth when stacked together and only weighing about 6kg but still capable of supporting a more than adequate 8 tons, the van is only about 2.8T fully laden. At £55 they were well priced and I walked back on a sunny afternoon stopping for coffee en route.

Back at the van I was pleased that they would easily store behind the passenger seat should they be in imminent demand but decided that most of the time they would be best stored above the cab below the solar panel, bedding and window insulation mats. This means they don't need an external mounting bracket (extra weight and cost) and are unlikely to be nicked. OK so you lose the pose factor but being bright green that was always going to be questionable anyway.

As the van was looking rather travel worn and there was a decent hose nearby I gave it a good wash having first hosed off the worst and then used bike MucOff as a very satisfactory shampoo. It was the first wash since last August and she scrubbed up well for a 25 year old. There are a few bumper scuffs and the odd scratch from other encounters but nothing I feel compelled to have seen to and I will be lucky if I escape unscathed over the next few months.

The owner has just turned up to collect payment, yesterday's funeral had been a long and tiring day, but he very kindly brought me a carrier bag of breads, fried fish, a meat stew, cheese salads and 2 more litres of wine plus a cake  for the journey : awesome.....

Anyway Fabrice and I have decided to head for Stepantsminda tomorrow morning in convoy and see what the score is so there is every chance that my next post wil be from Russia with love...... 

So until then there are a few extra pics HERE

Except, again.....

Leaving Tbilisi there was a clear road as far as Ananuri Castle then in the distance and still 40 miles from the border I saw the tail end of a queue of HGVs stretching in to infinity.

Along with various other cars and light vans I then began a game of chicken as we started overtaking the endless line, just managing to squeeze in as other trucks approached.

Once we started hitting the numerous hairpins the game upped a couple of levels and at the highest section pitch black tunnels provided another tier of excitement. The police were holding the trucks in batches several miles long to operate a one way system as both the tunnels and tightest curves couldn't accommodate two way truck traffic. The surrounding mountains were stunning with a modest ski resort in one village after which the road began a gradual drop to Stepantsminda where I have parked up on the edge of town with a good view of the beautiful Gergeti Monastery high above.

I walked back in to town for a coffee and to get some local bread, spotted Fabrice and spoke to a young German couple in a WP who have just spent the winter on the Arabian Peninsula and have been OTR for 4 years. They are off to the border this afternoon but I will head that way tomorrow after what may be quite a chilly night here at 5,700'.

Cold Turkey

 Leaving Tarsus after a very useful service stop I started to head away from the Mediterranean which has been a feature of the trip since Barcelona back in January as I aim for a return to Georgia. A slight diversion north took me to the large castle of Karatepe where dozens of families were picnicking around the lake. My attention was drawn to a number of well preserved carved stones that featured scenes from the Neo Hittite era of around 1200 BC as well as tablets inscribed in both Phoenician and Hieroglyphic Luwian which enabled the latter to be translated.

The D400 took me steadily on to Gaziantep with mountain ranges rising away to the south beyond which lay Syria. The car park attendant insisted, despite a number of empty places, on squeezing me alongside the huge truck I had seen at Sirince and I took off for a walk round the old city enjoying the bazaars as dusk fell and the calls from the minarets for the faithful to attend the mosques. I was unable to resist the smells from a cafe and treated myself to chicken kebabs with a range of salads whilst sat outside on a warm evening. It was a quiet night but I was away fairly early so yet again failed to make contact with the Knoblauchs.

A frustrating feature of the D400 was that almost every set of lights seemed against me but compared to the struggles of the possibly Syrian or Kurdish women who would approach all the stopped cars this was a classic first world concern.

There is a toll motorway running in the same direction but I prefer the insights in to town and village life obtained by passing through and I was constantly amazed at how much development and construction was going on but also between centres of population by the thousands of acres of trees that have been planted. I presume these will be mostly pistachio and almonds and the expansion is no doubt a spin off from the Great Anatolian Project which has constructed some 22 dams and 19 power plants along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. These produce 22% of the country's electricity needs and will irrigate 17,000 km2 of land for arable crops, pulses and cotton. Fish farming is being established on the new lakes but controversy has arisen as 80,000 people were displaced although new villages were built with all mod cons which no doubt appeal to the younger generations.

The huge carpark in front of the Museum at Sanliurfa was almost empty but ideally placed for a walk along the park to see the old necropolis carved in to the cliff side before I reached the two stunning mosques of Rizvaniye and Hail al Rahman which are situated on waters filled with rather well fed but apparently sacred carp. The Kapali Carsi covered bazaar was an absorbing area to get lost in : different zones are occupied by various trades and it was teeming with activity as I wandered round. Returning through the old town alleys and lanes I emerged above the necropolis again which after dusk was impressively lit. The history of the town is remarkably complex, at one time being under Armenian control and possibly the source of the Armenian alphabet, but it is now largely Turkish with a population of around 2,000,000 many of whom have come to the area for work as a result of the GAP scheme.

My plan was to stay at Diyarbakir which we had both really enjoyed last summer but I arrived at the park up around lunchtime and as it was cool and grey decided that (as so often is the case) a second visit would be less enchanting. Thus I checked my route and decided that heading to Erzurum rather than returning to Lake Van would be a more direct route to Georgia and take me through unvisited areas.  Interestingly my Garmin sat nav inexplicably stopped working as we entered the town last year and this time my  Aguri also froze and even the phone lost its GPS signal..... fortunately both were restored by a restart but surely that's more than coincidence. The D950 was a well engineered road that climbed towards snow covered peaks reaching around 8,000' at its highest point which two tunnels under construction will eventually avoid. It looked like construction work was on hold, possibly for the winter and judging by the huge drifts they had clearly had a lot of snow up here in recent months. Stunning views across snowy mountains were a great reward and the van had been pulling well on the long inclines but I was glad of a chilly fuel stop at Cat as the gauge was low. Fuel figures of over 40 mpg were still very acceptable as even on the long downhills I had been engine braking as I wish to ensure that my front pads, fitted before leaving, last the distance. I have a set of rears should they need doing but they were replaced in Igoumenitsa last March and don't do the heavy work of the fronts so should be OK. There were the usual numerous police radar vehicles along the way, all to be fair, well signed in advance but also some more unnerving stops manned by armed soldiers with armoured vehicles and blast proof structures although I was always waved through once they saw my driving position...

Anyway Erzurum is the highest city of any size (365,000 inhabitants) in Turkey and is surrounded by impressive mountains. It has a 'humid continental climate' with summer temperatures reaching an average of 28°C but there was a record 36.5°C in July 2000 and a record minus 37.2°C in December 2002. January averages are around -16°C.

When I arrived on the parking around the old citadel it was certainly very cold so I dug out my Mountain Equipment down jacket, 20 years old but still a superb piece of kit, and went off for a stroll before returning to fit the window insulation and  crank up the Eber for the first time in weeks. Despite the altitude of 6,300' it fired up instantly and I had the usual comfortable evening with no one around.

Today I made an early start for Kars and then on to Ani and followed another good road through high snow covered mountains. Before the split for the route down to Van there had been a few Iranian plated HGVS and I exchanged friendly waves with their no doubt much conflicted drivers but en route to Kars the road was virtually empty. I carried on past the city as I had plenty of time to visit Ani another 20 miles further on down a dead end route. This is because it almost reaches the Armenian border which is still closed between these two countries due to historical events, mainly during the first World War when 1.2m Armenians were displaced from the area, most dying on forced marches in to the Syrian desert.

Ani was for a time the capital of the Armenians in this disputed area but the country now lies across the deep Akhurian river which along with the Bostaniar Valley gives Ani a secure location. Military watch towers in the distance and the Armenian flag indicate that reconciliation is a long way off but visitors are allowed to explore the extensive site, abandoned in the 17th century, freely.

I was very moved to be there as last year heavy rain had prevented us from reaching it and I enjoyed several hours exploring the numerous churches with their familiar Armenian design. Earthquakes and lightning strikes had caused much damage over the years and whilst some rather heavy handed stabilisation work has been undertaken there was little sign of sympathetic restoration. Beautiful frescoes in one church seem likely to disappear in time and another had its entire cupola roof missing.

Anyway it was a worthwhile visit and heading back to Kars I filled up with water before finding my park up by the Cheese Museum, where we stayed last year. A quick walk in to town saw me get some more lira out so I have a stash for my return journey and a second compatible gas cylinder. Once I get the final CG one filled, with luck in Georgia tomorrow, that will give me about 30l which should see me across an increasingly (I hope) warmer journey.

The Aguri sat nav does not cover Georgia so a local SIM is essential at the border although as a back up I have downloaded the Mapy.com maps for off line use and much of Georgia is covered by the Turkish map on my Sat Map.

So goodbye Turkey, hello Georgia and eyes up towards Russia next week.... I need to source a wheel rim from a scrapyard in Georgia and get the tyre I have been carrying fitted, dig out my stash of dollars and if possible source some recovery ramps so there is plenty to be getting on with. 

Quick update... woke up to this!

However the sun soon emerged and a thaw set in so I am now at the border with what looks like a long wait with the lorries.

Final Turkey photos HERE

Mediterranean Turkey.

So after the adrenalin surge of the insurance issue a forty minute journey had me arriving at Cesme. I had been squeezed in alongside 3 HGVs and realised that the ferry has a very limited capacity, hence the lack of availability for a vehicle until today's sailing. There were however plenty of foot passengers as a visit to Chios is something of a day out shopping for Turkish people and not that expensive, whereas the van had cost a fair bit given the short distance involved. The port wasn't well signed but eventually I found Passport Control and was then directed to Customs for the van paperwork where the newly acquired sigorta was adequate. The guy pointed out that the van was allowed in for 90 days, more than adequate, and I then followed the sat nav to a park up near the post office where the branch ATM happily issued just under £200 worth of lira, a fair bunch of 200 Tl notes. I was surprised and delighted that the sat nav covered Turkey and presumed it was just an overlap with Greece but in fact then discovered that Turkey was in the list of countries in the menu but listed as 'Republic of Turkey'..... I also discovered that Russia is included, bizarrely, which will be useful.

At the Turkcell shop I was shown the price list for a 'Tourist Sim' but then the assistant couldn't get the system to accept my foreign details which rather seemed to defeat the object but replicated the situation last year. Vodafone had been able to assist then but the shop had already closed so I decided as by now it was dark I would park up near the fortress and try again the next day. A line of cars had a few gaps in so I parked next to an old caravan and slept well, only startled once by the call to prayer later that evening.

The Vodafone shop was still closed the following morning but as I am in Turkey for less than a fortnight I've decided just to use the O2 Zone 2 Travel bolt on at £7/day but with no data limits so very useful for planning and it still gives me access to BBC and ITV programming.

With Ephesus as my target for Monday and wanting to get there first thing I set off stopping for a couple of hours at Teos where an extensive ruined city lay across several rather waterlogged fields as there had been a dramatic thunderstorm just as I arrived. Work was in progress to restore the theatre and I enjoyed the fresh air and exercise as the sun came out.  The village of Sirince was long occupied by the Greeks but in an agreement after the Greco Turkish war in the 1920s there was a huge exchange of populations across the borders and it is now exclusively Turkish. The jumble of old houses along a network of lanes and alleys has become something of a tourist attraction so sports plenty of memento and trinket shops and in a covered area many excellent options for eating. I stayed outside the village on a flat parking area near a large green German plated Unimog which I am sure I have seen somewhere else and looking through their blog we have been in the same areas at the same time in recent years.

 After a quiet night I made an early start so never actually saw them but I was almost the first through the gate down at Ephesus and saw the main attractions without the hordes. The restored facade of the Library of Celsus was remarkable and I'd paid extra to see the terrace houses that sit under a large protective canopy as they still have many superb friezes and mosaic floors.

The main street has a host of buildings, temples and fountains plus an amusing 43 seat communal latrine and a large odeum or theatre. The huge amphitheatre is undergoing restoration so was out of bounds but there was still a good view of this vast structure that dominates the site. The AV experience in the museum revolved round CGI interpretations of the city in its heyday and was included in the rather steep €42 admission fee. I got talking to a couple from Sydney, although originally Cardiff, who were about to start 3 months interrailing around Europe and left the site after an enthralling few hours as visitor numbers picked up rapidly. 

I had the Camlik Steam Locomotive Museum all to myself and was absorbed by the 40 or so silent beasts manufactured mainly in Germany but also the US and a few from the UK. Many were arranged round a working turntable and there were carriages and a couple of huge snowploughs to add to the interest. It was possible to jump up on to some of the footplates and walk through the carriages although the presidential carriage of Ataturk was off limits.

The ancient Hellenistic city of Priene is over 2,000 years old and was deserted as I walked through to the theatre which had seating for 5,000 and some carved marble seats right at the front for dignitaries. Sitting in one with my arms on the marble armrests I could just imagine fingers gripping the smooth curves as a drama unfolded. The Temple of Athena is regarded as one of the finest examples of Ionian architecture and the huge facade has been reassembled at ground level to allow closer inspection of its superb carvings. On the lower parts of the gymnasium walls are examples of schoolboy graffiti from 2,000 years ago..... nothing new under the sun..

Down at Didyma I parked up next to the site finally abandoned after an earthquake in 1493 that left only 3 of the original 108 columns in the huge Temple of Apollo still standing. I went in early the following morning and was dumbfounded by the size of fallen columns and remaining stumps, heaven knows how the thing was built. Two carved heads of Hydra were a final highlight and as I left the rains began.

Down at Dalyan there are some impressive temples carved in to a cliff face on the far side of the river and although staying was an option I decided it was a bit early so moved on to the town of Gocek which is now a yachtie haven. The large and empty market carpark had two other vans in situ, both Turkish plated and I walked down to see if the P4N listing for a gas shop was open. It wasn't but the following morning after a peaceful night I tried again and was in luck. The guy had one CG 907 and offered me another similar to those available in Morocco but I explained it would be unusable back in Europe so he said to come back in half an hour. After a walk along the marina which had some very smart villas arranged around small canals in which a kingfisher was hard at work I returned to the shop where my other cylinder was waiting. At £15 each it was a good deal for both of us, a good mark up for him but still a third of the UK price for me. Whilst filling up with water an English lady came over to say hello, she and her husband are originally from Ogmore in South Wales but have Turkish residency and live in their house here for half the year and have done so for 20 years. She reckons about 5,000 Brits live in the area but says things are changing and most of the sleek yachts moored up belong to Russians.

Round at Fethiye were some more accessible temple and tomb carvings on a cliff overlooking the town after which a twisting mountain road brought me to Kayakoy where the ruins of over 4,000 houses lay spread out over a hillside. After the Treaty of Lausanne following the end of the Greco Turkish war in 1922 both countries agreed to repatriate large numbers of their populations : 1.2m Greeks and half a million Turks were moved and places like Kayakoy never recovered. There were plans to repopulate the place over 20 years ago which came to nothing and now despite the listing as a UNESCO site the decay has probably gone too far. The long distance footpath the Lycian Way passes through on the main street where a couple of chapels still stand. There were some lovely old fireplaces in some of the less dilapidated buildings that gave a hint of the previous way of life.

In Kalkan I was grateful for sheltered park up in old quarry as terrific winds had built up making my walk in to the small town for bread and milk something of a challenge but things eased off overnight and the sun came out as I took a superb road along the coast with long climbs, numerous hairpins and swooping descents. I had filled up with BP Ultimate diesel at £1.20 a litre and the van was pulling well on the hills. Above Demre the view was extraordinary as huge expanses of polytunnels extended far below, reminiscent of Almeria in Spain and growing much the same : tomatoes, peppers and courgettes. Unfortunately I also suspect that the living and working conditions of the labourers imitate that of the in effect modern slaves who provide affluent Western Europe with cheap produce out of season.

The ruins of Myra lay unexpectedly amongst all this enterprise and contained another impressive amphitheatre, more carved temples and tombs and detailed carved heads and images. Outside an old Turkish lady was trying to encourage trade in her simple cafe  but most visitors were tempted by the more modern offerings inside. However I took a seat and she was obviously delighted to serve me freshly squeezed orange juice and an omelette with cheese and herbs. I wish visitors would support people like her as it was a far more authentic experience than the other bland alternatives. 

North of Finike the ruins of Limyra were limited but beautifully situated either side of a clear stream after which I pushed on to stop at Tekirova where I was able to pull in right on the beach. A huge expedition truck with French plates was the only other vehicle present and later on Andre came over for a chat. He had raised a family in there whilst travelling the world but was now 'tout seul' as his two sons were in their thirties, I didn't ask about their mother but thought it a bit daft to have such a large vehicle for one person. 

Yesterday dawned brown and murky as a huge cloud of Saharan sand, part of the dust storm that had covered Athens and Crete, was now covering this area. Light rain had transformed the van in to a fetching beige so I decided it was a good day to clock up some miles as there's a fair way to go to reach Tbilisi in a fortnight. The D400 coast road is toll free and well maintained so progress was smooth and passing through the Kiskalezi region I noticed that banana palms with their tresses of fruit wrapped up in bags were prevalent. Dozens of roadside stalls had bananas at every stage of ripening for sale but few people seemed to be stopping and there would be a lot of waste as many bunches were already black. 

The large city of Antalya was easily passed but either side were huge new gaudy hotel developments with garish golden features, aqua parks and shopping centres and I spotted various holiday makers who were perhaps thinking that with all the brown dust and damp conditions it wasn't quite living up to the Jet2 promises.

After stopping for a food shop I eventually turned down a side road passing polytunnels full of strawberries and emerged after a flooded and potholed track on to a shingle beach side parking area at Anamur with a French and German van already in situ. An Austrian 4x4 Merc also arrived but there was plenty of space and I took a walk along the beach with Cyprus only 50 miles to the south. Remarkably in a compound next to the park up an underwater pipeline supplies 75 million cubic meters of water a year from the Alakopru Dam via a pipe suspended 250m below sea level. There are pumping stations at either end and the project costing over £300m was completed in 2014 helping to resolve the island's chronic water shortage.

This morning the dusty rain had moved away so I walked up the beach to view the ruins of Anamur with numerous hammans supplied by two aqueducts that would have been equally ambitious in their day and then decided to add another chunk of mileage and effectively bring my Mediterranean journey to a close. The apartment blocks of Mersin looked like New York but were bypassed on a good dual carriageway where at one point I spotted a car with Kazakhstani number plates....

Although not really needed I decided a service stop here at Tarsus on a rare municipal site would fit in well and at only £4 including hook up and a free washing machine it has been well worth it. Four Turkish vans, one Swiss and another huge German truck (again with a sole occupant) sit alongside me and tomorrow I begin heading inland towards Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir and Van en route to Georgia. After another refuelling the van is achieving well over 40mpg which would make the truck guys cry and I picked up a Turkish Aygaz cylinder for about £9 with refills being only a fiver. I will get another one before leaving Turkey and would hope that the 6 cylinders in total, amounting to around 30l of gas will last me about 4 months, especially as the warmer weather will reduce usage.

Anyway that's all for a while, enjoy more photos HERE

THE LAST WEEK IN GREECE.

We took a final walk in to Nafplio where I got a much needed haircut and was fascinated by a recycling scheme based in a shipping container where people were turning up with jumbo bags of plastic and glass bottles as well as cans and feeding them in to a crusher that credited them with 3 cents an item which soon added up : brilliant.

A few miles north we passed the substantial walls of Tiryns before pulling in to the village below Mycenae where a large and empty car park provided a place to stay. The linear village seemed to have seen better days with a string of rundown restaurants and shops that were mostly closed. We enjoyed a quiet afternoon and were up early the following morning to beat the crowds up at Ancient Mycenae where the extensive ruins of the city founded in legend by Perseus and the centre of Mycenaean influence with proven occupation since 2000BC spread out over the hillside. The remarkable Lion Gate leads up to the main site with the acropolis reached by passing grave circles and the outlines of various buildings. A cistern tucked away had been excavated to reach a spring that lay outside the walls and we were lucky to have the place to ourselves as the coaches were already arriving in the car park below. However one group of Americans on a 'Mystery of the Seas' cruise aimed at those seeking an alternative path had already formed a circle on the temple and were listening to the wisdom of, I kid you not, Sasha Starseed. Still each to their own so we dropped down to the impressive museum although some of the finest relics are in the National Museum in Athens. Just down the road lay the Treasury of Arteus, an impressive and intact beehive tomb with a 15m entrance corridor leading to a large gateway with an amazing 9m long lintel estimated to weigh 118 tons. Ironically it was humming due to a large number of bees buzzing around inside the remarkable structure, built entirely of stone with no mortar. Looking back up to Mycenae itself the newly arrived visitors really did look like ants scurrying around and we were glad to have avoided them. The relative proximity to Athens has meant more tourists than elsewhere on this trip but it must be heaving in the high season.

Passing through the village we filled up with water and headed off to Ancient Corinth where we planned to stay overnight and again visit the ruins first thing in the morning. However with time to spare we took the road high up to the Acrocorinth located 565m above the surrounding plains and regarded as Greece's most important mediaeval fortress. Still surrounded by 2km of walls it has been occupied by a wide range of invaders over the years and even today the Turkish influence is very evident. Admission was free but the site still closed at the usual 15.30 leaving us a bit of a dash to climb up to the highest citadel passing the site of the Temple of Aphrodite, once used as a brothel, having passed through a triple gate complex. We were rewarded with panoramic views across the Gulf of Korinthos and the Sardonic Gulf but couldn't linger as the closing siren was sounding.

Down in Corinth itself we found plenty of space in the main car park and took a walk through the town which has various parts of Ancient Corinth spread amongst its more modern parts. A welcome ice cream before the sun set preceded a night in and an early start to visit the main site with the impressive Temple of Apollo the central and main attraction. We enjoyed looking round the extensive ruins and were joined by a friendly stray dog that had found us the night before and quietly latched on to any friendly face. The museum had many exquisite statues and other artefacts and we left as the first coaches arrived and had a coffee on a roof top terrace looking over the ruins and up to the Acrocorinth.

The Corinth Canal, started in Roman times but only finished by Hungarian engineers in the 1880s is visually jaw dropping and if you need more dropping a bungee jump is possible. We watched a nervous lass finally take the plunge to a round of applause and another lad who opted for the chest harness rather than ankle loops approach. Towards the north end of the deep but narrow cut we could see a floating crane at work so no vessels were passing through but it sees around 35,000 ships a year looking to save a 400 mile diversion round the Peloponnese in normal use.

To avoid the traffic and navigational nightmares of central Athens we used the toll motorway which again charges a fair bit more for vehicles over 2.2m but reached the Camper Stop near the airport where a night with power was a very reasonable £20. Whilst we charged everything up Mandy sorted out her belongings for the journey home after which I placed the genny and fuel can within easy reach as it may well see use in Turkey. The following morning we made use of the washing machine before heading out to the airport which has a free 'hug and drop' section. It's always hard going our separate ways and this time it's for up to 6 months but we have had the most amazing 8 weeks together, I've been away 3 months already and further adventures await.

Down at Piraeus I parked alongside a marina, deciding that paid, secured parking was worth the extra tenner and walked round past some smart looking fish restaurants no doubt patronised by the owners of the various luxury yachts moored up. I'd failed to get any gas but have two full ones and can get Turkish cylinders once over there, all of which I hope to refill in Gori, Georgia by mid to late April. Joris and his wife who we met a while back from Belgium have encountered heavy snow in central and eastern Turkey so there is no need to crack on as crossing the Caucasus may be similarly affected. Thus I decided to extend my interlude on Chios which is the stopping point for getting to Turkey.

I arrived in the main port of Piraeus in plenty of time, confirmed my etickets were in order and by 2pm was being directed to reverse deep in to the bowels of the Blue Star Ferry 'Mykonos' alongside the HGV trailers. Departure was scheduled for 16.00 so I found my cabin which was high up on deck 7, directly below the bridge and with a forward facing window. As we left on time the vessel was pretty full with most people in seated accommodation as I realised that the ship called at several other islands en route during the night. We passed large numbers of tankers and container ships as Piraeus is a very busy port and were soon heading to Mykonos our first stop. 

Later on the seas became rougher with waves hitting the port side and sending torrents of water over my window so although the restaurant fare looked excellent I took the safer option. At Skyos for example it was fascinating to see the ship reverse up to the quayside, disgorge passengers and vehicles, take on new and get going again in a matter of minutes : clearly back at Piraeus loading had taken in to account which vehicles were going where and as we arrived at Chios I was the only one left in Garage 5. I'd had a welcome and courteous wake up knock on the door at 05.30 and as we arrived dawn was breaking. 

Heading north I stopped at a small garage for fuel where a guy said they were actually closed but would allow me to fill up. Unfortunately his pump was faulty so I left it to start heading round to the top of the island. I checked out the filling station at Volissos online only to see that it had been destroyed in a forest fire last year so tried another one back in Marmaro only to discover it was Greek Independence Day and nowhere was open. Thus a bonus day of rest was in order down at the small beach of Girolimenas where due to a strong northerly wind the waves were crashing on to the pebbly beach. It was a peaceful spot and I made use of the nearby tap to wash the salty spray off the van the following morning before returning to Marmaro where the guy had found the fault in his pump lay in the trigger switch and I put in €50 to get me in to Turkey where it will be half the price, despite the turmoil in the oil markets at present.

A road across the mountains brought me to Volissos, passing the ruins of the garage with burnt out cars still on the forecourt or up on four post lifts - a sobering sight. Large areas of forest had also gone with blackened trunks dotting the bare limestone. The village lay on a hillside and had largely escaped any damage but was very quiet with just one mini market open for bread.

Moving down to the coast I soon came to idyllic Tigani bay that would be impossible not to stay on. It was a hot sunny day, I could tuck away almost unseen and with nobody about I enjoyed a day on the beach and a paddle up to the knees - still a bit of a wuss in the sea swimming stakes at this time of year.

Beautiful coast roads brought me round to Limenas, a small port where a ferry to goodness knows where was berthed and I stopped for a strong black coffee - I have decided to seriously address weight issues over the next 6 months in the hope it will resolve a chronic knee pain so have halved the quantities for all meals and stopped the snacking....

Following the coast south I entered an area known for the production of a mastic gum from the pine trees which gives rise to the term 'mastihohoria' that covers a group of around 20 villages. Mesta is one of these and is a very well preserved mediaeval fortified village built in the shape of a pentagon and protected by six iron gates. The houses have no outward facing windows and within the walls there are numerous blind alleys and tunnels all surrounding a main square and church. Another coffee in the sun allowed me to soak up the atmosphere before I moved on to Pyrgi with its decorative houses in xysta patterns that are etched through the whitewash layer in to the black sand render.

A side road out to Ayia Dhynami produced two superb coves near a Genoese look out tower and small monastery. Nearby may have been an artillery training ground as I spotted a number of tanks parked up and a large military helicopter.

At Emborios I visited the archeological site of Old Emborios and whilst the lofty position was impressive the remains were less so. The ticket lady seemed surprised to have a visitor and after watching a short video I signed the book, the first for ten days...

High in the mountains with rain and winds forecast I called at abandoned Anavatos that is almost invisible on its craggy escarpment. Some work using a trolley rail system is underway on the castle and the odd house seemed occupied with a clever representation of the village itself painted on to the walls of one cottage.

I found a quiet spot just off the road for last night as the heavens finally opened and will head down to Chios shortly for my ferry over to Cesme. It's only a 30 minute crossing (and thus quite pricey at £160) but has saved the long haul round northern Greece and through parts of Turkey covered last year.

Priority on arrival will be a month's vehicle insurance and a local SIM as I expect to enter Georgia within 3 weeks if the winter snows clear.

Thus that's it for Greece which has exceeded my expectations and will certainly be factored in to my plans for future winters..........

Final Fotos

Quick update...

Called at the rather lovely Neo Moni monastery, filled up with water in a village and headed to Chios. At the Turyol ticket office I was told I needed vehicle insurance which I was hoping to get on arrival. I made a few fruitless calls to agents in Turkey so made my way back to the van to look at options. Returning to Piraeus and driving round would be long and costly and risk my 90 day limit but then I had a lightbulb moment, searched online and found a company who could provide the necessary by email.

I filled in their form, uploaded photos of my passport and V5, paid by card and within half an hour had a PDF by email with the policy.

After digging out the printer and connecting it to the EcoFlow power pack the document printed wirelessly and back at the office all was well.

Passport control gave me another fright by wrongly adding up my Brexit days but after a biometric assessment and vehicle check with customs I am now on board a small ferry with just 3 HGVs.

A SIM and currency in Cesme will complete the necessary....