Rainy Days in Georgia.....

I was nicely settled at dusk on my lofty perch when I heard a siren squawk and spotted red, white and blue strobes bouncing off the surroundings. I jumped out and met a guy, not in uniform but clearly some aspect of the police. He asked where I was from and where I was heading and then insisted I jotted down his phone number should I need any assistance and promptly drove away...

Next morning after an undisturbed night I was away out of the valley and over to Kutaisi passing the frozen Shaori Lake. En route I passed through Tkibuli which was a severe and grim looking industrial town with many dilapidated tower blocks from the Soviet era. Kutaisi straddles a river and with the magic of sat nav, and some eagle eyed spotting of one way streets that contradicted it's instructions I was eventually in a residential area where rather like Gino's in Rome a park up was available in someone's garden. I walked through the pedestrian gate, knocked cautiously on a door and then went in to a lobby to ring a bell. With still no response I knocked on a door behind which a TV was playing loudly and an older guy jumped up to greet me. He spoke no English and was profoundly deaf but we managed to communicate through the medium of mime and I was soon parked up having been shown the facilities in a lower basement.

I walked in to town, spent some time exploring a well stocked produce market and then climbed up to the Bagrati Cathedral adjacent to a tall pine tree. As it is the run up to Easter there were priests conducting a service and many people kissing icons and crossing themselves so after a respectful glance inside I went over to the gift shop for coffee and a cake as it had been pouring down. The assistant was delighted that I bought a T shirt before heading back to town and deciding that a meal and a beer in a warm restaurant was needed. I found a small cafe in a basement that did the necessary with pork skewers, chips and a decent local beer. Having mostly dried out I walked past the ornate central fountain, crossed the partially glass floored White Bridge and arrived back at the Stepin Garden Hostel in time to do my laundry after a long hot shower... £6 all in. An Austrian plated van had also arrived and having a pop top had elected for hook up no doubt to power a heater, but I saw no sign of the occupant (s).

The following morning I was away to eventually reach the ruined Geguti mansion before picking up the main road for a few miles east noticing on the way a road sign to Tehran 1300 kilometres away (not enough!) before turning off for the remarkable Katskhi Pillar where a small chapel sat incongruously on a lofty limestone column. Reached by a steel ladder and provisioned by a winch it was a bizarre sight which I enjoyed by myself in warm sunshine.

Chiatura used to be a manganese mining town and a network of primitive cable car routes were installed to get the workers up from the valley to the mines. These have now been replaced by modern French designed systems and allow the locals to get around town quickly and quietly. £2 gave me a day ticket with unlimited rides so I enjoyed 3 of the 4 routes which offered good views of more grim looking apartment blocks, the railway line and river and down in to people's lives as we glided over roofs and gardens. Some of the derelict routes still linger on with the cars looking primitive and decidedly dodgy.

A swerve south was dictated by the disputed area of South Ossetia which, like Abkhazia on the west coast, has broken away from Georgia and leans towards an alliance with Russia. The city of Gori was as recently as 2008 under Soviet control but now sits in Georgia and is ironically proud of its association with Jozef Stalin who was born there. I arrived in the large parking area near the Tourist Information centre just as the sun was bathing the castle in a deep red glow and took a nose at a place right opposite that P4N suggested would fill gas bottles. It was a bit rough and ready but there was some basic equipment lying around and a large gas main with flexible pipes coming off. There was no one around so I walked over to the nearby market which was closing down for the day, bought some fruit and veg and returned to the van for a surprisingly quiet night as the location was effectively in the centre of a large roundabout.

Looking out the following morning I saw a guy over at the gas point, took over my Camping Gaz 907 and after a rummage in his shed he produced the necessary adapter. Cylinders should only be filled to 80% and gas is dispensed by volume so a 2.75kg  cylinder should take about 5l but as he was using a very rudimentary set of scales I asked for just 2kg which took no time at all and cost £3, compared to around £20 in Europe and £50 in the UK. There still seemed to be the necessary air space in the cylinder but I decided to put it to use immediately just to get some gas drawn off so swapped out my Turkish cylinder and used the refill to boil a kettle and then run the fridge while I was in town. My destination was the Stalin Museum which gave an extensive history of the former tyrant's life and times and detailed the many atrocities that arose despite during WW2 his regime being aligned with the Western powers. Outside his humble family  home had I guess been relocated to the museum and his personal railway carriage also stood adjacent to the grandiose museum building. Access to the coach is currently unavailable but I noted the 6 axles, one of which via a belt drove a large underslung alternator that would have provided power and lighting inside. I walked up to the castle which overlooks the town and is an imposing structure although there is little left inside.

A few miles away I visited the remarkable cave village of Uplistsikhe, now topped by an unusual 3 naved Georgian chapel, that spreads out across and inside a large sandstone outcrop. Abandoned at the start of the 18th century it was fascinating to explore the various living quarters, storage areas, wine cellars and other structures carved out over the various stages of occupation. I was taken by the neat rows of hollows that would have taken the huge wine amphorae and the decorative elements of the larger houses. It was an absorbing day so I decided the best course of action was a second night in Gori so I returned to the same park up and said hi to a Swiss couple in a very large motorhome before walking back in to town. On my way back I noticed a van with flashing lights stop by a bank, three guys got out, two with body armour, body cameras and sub machine guns whilst the third carried a cassette to restock the cash machine...

The guides I had picked up in Zugdidi enabled me to plan a route to a number of forts, churches and monasteries with one at Ksani requiring quite a climb up a track more or less destroyed by landslides. From Mtskheta north of Tbilisi I took the dead end valley out to the beautiful Shiomghvime Monastery where again many devotees were listening to various priests, bowing in front of icons and accepting the sacraments. Again I watched respectfully noting that all the women wore headscarves and many were in black. Heading back I spotted a large recreation area amongst pine trees and as the sun was out decided that would do as a place to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Various families turned up but there was plenty of room for all and I watched the efforts made to celebrate someone's birthday with a string of balloons, a large barbecue and eventually a huge box with a ribbon that when opened discharged more balloons and a cloud of blue smoke. By sunset I was the only one left and after a few horses had passed by it was a quiet night.

Down at Mksheta I called at the Samtavro nunnery and then walked in to town to visit the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral within its walled compound. Another service was underway with groups of children dressed in various outfits and to my amusement one of the elderly, bearded priests taking a selfie video as he walked through the congregation.

Out on the street there was a bit of a kerfuffle as one of the various horses that range freely had obviously become unwell and was lying motionless alongside a row of souvenir stalls. I noticed a few minutes later a bearded guy I had seen earlier come charging through town on another steed so assumed he was either the owner or had some equine knowledge.

I avoided Tbilisi as we shall visit the capital when Mandy arrives in a month but headed north on the Trans Caucasus (or Georgia) highway which is one of the few routes to cross the range and thus has lorries with number plates from Russia and the various Stans heading in both directions. It was in good condition and soon had me at the Ananuri Castle and Monastery billed as overlooking the majestic blue Zhinvali reservoir. On a wet and grey evening with the water level way down exposing the muddy banks this was perhaps far from the reality but a large and level gravel area made for a good park up away from the road. The usual dogs came over in the hope of scraps and as often happens one took up residence alongside and barked occasionally for my protection. It was quite reassuring although this country has felt very safe and anyway by the following morning he'd disappeared.

It was a bright fresh morning so I walked up to the Ananuri complex before the day's visitors began arriving and then dropped back south before taking a switchback mountain road over towards Telavi and the Kakheti region of NE Georgia with the Russian border up in the snow topped mountains to the north and Azerbaijan to the east. It is one of Georgia's most important wine growing areas and tours and tasting are an important part of the economy but although there were signs of spring the ongoing poor weather did not show the area at its best. I stock up daily on the delicious bread but fresh salad veg other than tomatoes and cucumbers are hard to come by and by and large the numerous small shops are poorly stocked. I had bought some cooked fish in oil which with rice and veg made a nice risotto but what I thought was orange marmalade turned out to be preserved whole tangerines in syrup so they have been relegated to the back of the cupboard as a future hostess gift. Peanut butter is not available and I dare not succumb to the temptations of Nutella so for now breakfast is usually an egg sandwich .....

P4N had flagged up a place to stay run by an English couple so I thought it worth checking out and was soon pulling up outside Jughaani House Farm. Unfortunately Gaby said they were shut at the moment as they had dug up their land to install utilities and whilst I am very self sufficient I didn't push the matter. Her husband is returning from the UK on a recently purchased motorbike but has experienced poor weather all the way through the Balkans and across Greece and in to Turkey which mirrors the experience of friends who are heading this way that I met in Morocco.

In a spare moment Google 'Chris and Gaby round the world cyclists', you will be humbled, moved, amazed and possibly inspired......

Gaby said that the poor weather I have been experiencing is very unusual and that the winter had started early and was going on late, so those readers in the UK experiencing the fine weather over recent weeks are to be envied. Anyway after a chat about their COVID affected ambition to cycle round the world and plans for a new life in Georgia I went on my way and turned off to Ilia Lake after visiting the monastery at Eniseli. A large and grandiose hotel stood above the lake but is currently closed as many of its clientele were wealthy Russians who would fly in to the adjacent helipad so I took a gravel side track above the river bed and settled in for another undisturbed night as the rain fell. My month of unlimited internet has been a godsend during the poor weather as I can do all my research and planning, keep in touch with friends and enjoy books via BorrowBox, watch videos courtesy of YouTube and my assets vanish courtesy of Trump.....

A short run across the Caucasian Plain has landed me in the self styled 'Love Town' of Sighnaghi where heavy rain has confined me to quarters but at least given me the opportunity to update the blog. Unsettled weather is outside of my control of course, but the way to deal with it is within my remit. Knowing that I can easily refill gas is good news, water is readily available during my travels and despite a limited, or indecipherable choice, food is available and the ever reliable Eber keeps me warm and dry. Passing the shepherds tending their sheep and cattle in all conditions makes me count my blessings and I doubt many return to such a cosy haven as the van provides for me. The numerous free park ups keep living costs down and fuel is about half the UK price so all is well. There are signs of an improvement by next week when in any case I will, with luck be in Armenia for 2-3 weeks so until the next time ....More..