Across the plateau

Friday, June 7, 2024

Day 13 of 13 Across the plateau to Tbilisi

Today we head back to Tbilisi, but not directly, but over the wide plateau east of the Kura Valley where we spent the last few days. Thanks to a few lakes, there are numerous water birds and even pelicans. Russian is still the language spoken in this area. The population is Armenian, because here in the south, across the border, lies Armenia and no longer Turkey. We can see the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus in the background. Curiously, an old railway carriage is used as a bridge, although it is already quite rusty.

The railway line Kars–Akhakalaki–Tbilisi–Baku, or KATB or BTK (Baku–Tbilisi–Kars) for short, runs here and we follow it for a while. The 849-kilometer-long railway connection between Turkey and Azerbaijan is a joint project between Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan and was put into operation in 2017.

Flocks of sheep and cows graze. Cow dung is dried here and used as fuel. Many dilapidated or empty houses are noticeable: rural exodus. Our tour guide Asmus tells us how friendly the population is towards storks. We see many stork nests along a village street. We look for pelicans several times. Finally, on a hill, we see a very large flock of pelicans flying in formation. There are probably several hundred of them. This doesn't just seem to have something to do with sociability, but rather with hunting tactics. In any case, it's all about solidarity. Together we are stronger!

The afternoon ends with our last dinner together, which we eat in a restaurant high above the city. There is an open-air museum there, where typical Georgian house types are on display, including a wooden house on stilts.

We eat a tomato and cucumber salad, a bean dish, the typical bent white bread, a kind of ratatouille, a particularly tasty cheese preparation with mint and finally fried chicken in garlic broth. Beer is offered "Black Lion" IPA. Everything goes quite quickly, which is typical for such guest meals. Our trip initiator Helge says a word of thanks to our bus driver Ilia and especially to Asmus, our tour guide. There is well-deserved applause. Afterwards we go to the Hotel Clock, where we had already spent the first two nights. Later we find ourselves on the roof terrace and enjoy the breathtaking view of the lights of Tbilisi. We feel a little wistful. Tomorrow we go home. What remains? Many beautiful memories of a very beautiful and hospitable country that is currently going through difficult political times. We hope for the best and some of us would like to come back.