Georgia & Armenia (by Nico)

We entered Georgia on a sunny day. It was our first border crossing as a group and everything went smooth as rain. Our local guide, Zaza, met us at the border and helped with the language barrier between Nico and the customs official.

We had lunch soon after the border next to an old fort, and saw a frog. Just crossing the border it is unbelievable how big the difference between Turkey and Georgia is, people, buildings, roads, vehicles, cows, and the scenery. It is obvious that we are now close to the massive Caucasus Mountains – a place everybody in the group was looking forward to experiencing.

Lunch at the fort

Narrow fit

Verrrrry narrow

We spent the night in Batumi, a small city on the coast of the Black Sea with challengingly narrow roads and bad drivers. We went for a Georgian feast made up of continually appearing dishes and litre jugs of homemade wine. There was also some really bad dancing to equally bad live Georgian music.  After that about half the group braved the rain for some drinks and cha cha at the aptly named Quiet Woman Pub.

The boat restaurant

Feast on a boat

After a few jugs, everyone wants to dance!  Tina, Bruce & Lou

The next morning saw us driving off into the mountains to Mestia, the warm heart of Georgian hospitality. It is a small village high up in the mountains surrounded by old defense towers and small farms. Mount Elbrus, at 5642m above sea level the highest peak in Europe, looms like a sentinel over the valleys. We had one full day for exploring and half the group set off on the 7km walk to the Chalaati Glacier, with the other half going for a walk in town, exploring the towers. We learned a valuable lesson that day: Georgian kilometres are not metric! Our 7km walk turned out to be closer to 28! It was an amazing day in the hills and we all made it to the foot of the glacier. We felt small and vulnerable in between big mountains melting and falling apart around us. Our homestay mom, Nino, fed 19 very hungry mouths that night.

That night it rained in the valleys and snowed on the mountains.

Old suspension bridge enroute to the Chalaati Glacier

Great success - Daniel, Mark & "Dog"

"Dog" joined us from town and protected us against the avalanche

Steve taking one for the team

The bakers bread saved us out on the hill

Nino's endless dinner

Nino and the girls looked after us like family

After two nights in Mestia none of us wanted to leave Nino and her girls! We had to drive back down the mountain passes. They were covered in stones dislodged by the heavy rains. We even narrowly missed a rockslide coming down right in front of us across the road!

On we went to the Prometheus caves near Kutaisi. They are one of Georgia’s natural wonders and are quite impressive with big stalactites and stalagmites and an underground lake.

Kutaisi was another challenging driving experience. The main roads were closed for a concert, and we had to drive up steep and narrow roads to get to our hotel. The view from our balcony was spectacular and well worth the squeeze to get there.  Kutaisi is Georgia’s second largest city. There is a very interesting market in the city centre where we stocked up with fresh veggies and meat.

Rocks around every corner, Mikkel saves us

Prometheus caves

Boating into sunlight from the underground lake

Kutaisi cathedral

Amazing market for fresh everything!

Dinner!

Our first bushcamp in Georgia was in Uplistsikhe, the ancient rock hewn town, 10km east of Gori, where Stalin was born. We visited the Stalin Museum and got a “propaganda” tour of his life and achievements. This was quite interesting.

Stalin

Wayne and the old man

After Gori there was another high mountain pass topping out at 2400m to take us to another part of the Caucasus Mountains and the village, Kazbegi, only 10km from the Russian border. Here we bushcamped for two nights on the bank of the Tergi River. It was really cold at night, but the days were pleasant and sunny. On the first night the wind picked up in the early hours of the morning and blew our mess tent away! Zaza’s tent also ended up in the river after he got out to help the boys move all the tents to the lee side of Calypso to huddle together out of the wind. Adventure! We only lost one connector of the mess tent that night. Not too shabby, as Mikkel put it.

The group split up again the next day. Some hiked up to the Gergeti Trinity Church high up in the hills, some took a Lada 4x4 taxi, and some went for a dumpling cooking class with Laila. The dumpling course included copious amounts of cha cha, the local hooch. Even Zaza folded under the peer pressure and cha cha-ed with the rest of us.

Cal's new hat

Lada taxi up the mountains - Mark, Lou, the driver, Alicia & Dave

Monastery on the hill

Alicia rolling dough for her dumplings

Even boys can cook!  Jordan and Daniel under the watchful eye of Laila

Lou helping the boys out

Dan, Dave, Jordan & Tina carry dumplings to the dinner table

Dave, Tina and Dan look amazed at the dumplings

Kazbegi at night

We left early the next morning, heading for Old Tbilisi, Georgia’s capitol city. It is ten times the size of any other city in Georgia. On the way there we stopped for out first group photo.

Tbilisi is a wonderful city. We went for another Georgian feast with local sword dancing. After our feast some of the group went dancing at Club Safe. Some of the other guys got lost looking for Club Salve. We still don’t know if it really exists. Thanks Lonely Planet!  

Zaza took us on a walking tour through Tbilisi the next morning.

Tbilisi is a mix of old and modern

Tbilisi group meal - girls

Tbilisi group meal - boys

Georgian dancing

Tbilisi secrets on the walking tour

Zaza explaining

Statue of light fixing

Come to my shop!  These guys are everywhere

Old buildings in Tbilisi

After Tbilisi it was time to head for Armenia. We bushcamped close to the border in a lovely area with hills and pastures. When Teresa went for a bushy she was surpised by two European Legless Lizards. The boys could not resist catching them and we all had a feel and a closer look.

Bushcamp close to the Armenian border

Bushcamp dinner almost ready

Mikkel with his European legless lizard

The next morning we drove to the Armenian border. We crossed over with no hassle and headed on to Yerevan. Again the difference between the countries was stark. It looked like the place was abandoned decades ago and left to crumble. Half built buildings, car wrecks, rusting industrial equipment, and very few people visible until we got closer to Yerevan. This city is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. The drivers in Armenia are even crazier than those of Georgia and Turkey combined! We spent three nights in Yerevan at a hotel with a view of Mount Ararat. You can see why Noah chose this mountain to crash his boat on. It is quite high (5165m).

In Yerevan we went for a walking tour of the old city, relaxed at the hotel, and visited the Genocide Museum.

Armenia seemed to be a land forgotten in places

Buses in Armenia (I prefer Calypso - although she is definitely NOT a bus!)

More forgotten factories

Monument on the way to Yerevan

Is this where Kalahari Ferraris come from?

The Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Lightning in Yerevan

Interesting sculptures

History plates

More sculptures

Dave plays the big guitar in Yerevan

We headed back to Georgia after our stay in Yerevan. The plan was to camp at Lake Sevan, but a huge hailstorm persuaded us to head on and look for a camp closer to the border. We found a lovely spot near some old Russian villages and just as we finished setting up tents the hailstorm caught up with us and filled our gin and tonics with ice. Great success!

The storm is coming!

Bee keeping in the Russian village

Next day we crossed the border quick quick back into Georgia. Our destination: Signaghi. This is where Georgia makes wine. We stayed at Lali’s and Nana’s houses. These ladies are something else. They raised the bar for Georgian hospitality. Wine and cha cha could not be refused! We quietly escaped and let T-Money take the fall. That night we went for a wine tasting and meal at the Pheasant’s Tears restaurant and winery. It was quite expensive, but you get what you pay for – the wine was amazing! These guys make wine in big pots that they bury underground. They do not use barrels like we do with New World wines. It’s different, but we like!

We moved on to Telavi for more wine tasting. This is where Georgia makes a different kind of wine. We camped next to an old graveyard site and soon after arriving the locals came with homemade wine in big two liter beer bottles (they spell it bear!), branches heavy with fresh sour plumbs and cherries, hazelnuts, and roses. One man gave us a demonstration with his scythe. The local boys came over for a football match, the girls for a giggle and the oldies for a chat and more wine. And did we mention that we went for another wine tasting?

The girls giggling with D-Boy

Monastery near Telavi

The last night in Gerogia and best bushcamp so far waited for us at Lagodekhi National Park. This is the oldest protected natural area in Georgia and extends up into the Caucasus Mountains. We were desperate for a shower after Telavi, so we thought it wise to look for the river and go for a swim. These rivers come from melting glaciers, and we felt it! The boys quickly built a pool in the river and we jumped in. Bliss! We could easily stay here much longer, but Azerbaijan waits!

Lagodekhi bushcamp

Steve chillaxing

Good luck indeed!