Pshaveli - Qvareli

Saturday, July 20, 2019, it's time to say goodbye to Tusheti. After a small breakfast, I pack up our stuff and my new friends from Dresden rearrange their luggage in the car. Once everything is loaded into the SUV, it refuses to start because the battery is dead. Some of us head to the market in Omalo while Tim shows his father where the jumper cables are in the car. Then we have a coffee and a little snack before some Israelis help us jumpstart the vehicle. Around noon, the seven of us get in the car and start driving towards the Torha Pass. I was warned that the road conditions make the journey a real adventure. Indeed, the SUV is the appropriate vehicle for the trip, although I have also seen a few normal cars in the mountains. The car doesn't reach its limits during the drive, but Andi still seems to enjoy maneuvering the vehicle on the gravel road, through tight corners, potholes, puddles, small streams, and steep sections. His girls regularly remind him to be careful, and I feel well taken care of, the man handles it very confidently. After a short break on the pass, we reach a small coffee bar around four and enjoy a hot drink and something sweet. Shortly afterwards, our paths separate in Pshaveli. We say goodbye and I go to the local pharmacy with my dog. I am offered Меколь-Salbe here. I find a report about Levomekol for initially purulent wounds in dogs on the internet. Sounds suitable, so I buy it. Then I refill my water reserves, buy a little something in the village, and look for a place to camp. We head southeast from the village and turn onto a dirt road shortly afterwards. After changing our direction because of a wet section of the road, we finally find a suitable spot near the banks of the Stori River. Someone cultivates a kind of garden here and I use the infrastructure (table and seating) for a relaxed dinner. After setting up the camp, bathing and cleaning and salving Rango's wound, we get under the tarp. I am still spoiled by the cool mountain nights, in the 'Lowland' the thermometer hardly drops below 25°C. Unpleasant.

Sunday morning, the heat eventually drives me out from under the tarp. Before breakfast, I take another dip in the cool river and then enjoy my oatmeal with kefir and a ripe peach. Apparently, Rango also enjoys the first chicken in a few days. After packing up our camp, we set off towards the main road to the east around half past ten. We first walk along small dirt roads through corn and vine plantations that are irrigated with ditches. We don't have to walk on the main road for long before we are offered a ride on the cargo bed of a motor tricycle. So we quickly arrive in Saniori, where I have a coffee and some freshly baked bread in the center, which the dog also enjoys. Then we continue east, and we can still get on a bus in the town. Unfortunately, the bus turns south 10 km later and we get off. Now we walk along the sunny main road for almost 3 hours. We pause under a shade-giving tree and I enjoy some blackberries. We reach the Gremi Cathedral near Eniseli around three o'clock. I park Rango in the shade and take a closer look at the almost 500-year-old walls. Then we go to the town of Eniseli, where I get a hot drink and water for the dog. According to the locals, there is a bus from here to the east that could take me to Qvareli. There is also a lake for swimming marked on my map. I'm sure I can find a campground there too. After waiting for about an hour, the first bus driver refuses to let me ride. I had almost forgotten that taking the bus is a matter of luck for me. So a short time later, I can join a few young men who are apparently heading in my direction. They drive me to Nekresi, a small sacral building west of Qvareli according to the map. There is no direct way from here to the east to Lake Ilia and no other infrastructure either. Since the guys are leaving again shortly, I get back in the car and am finally dropped off directly at Lake Ilia. That seems to be the final destination of my drivers as well. The parking lot is full and the lake shore is crowded. I find a camping spot at the northeastern end of the lake, leave Rango and the backpack in the shade, and immediately head to Qvareli. I need food for myself and my companion. After a good half hour, I have everything I need near the town center and return to Rango. It's around seven o'clock when I set up the tent, get drinking water from the beach, and then plunge into the water. The water is surprisingly warm but still wonderful. By now, it has become quieter at the lake and I can take Rango for a rinse. He was bathing somewhere in the mud and should not come into the tent like this. Then we have dinner and retreat to the tent.

Monday morning (July 22, 2019) starts with a swim in Lake Ilia for me. It's around nine o'clock and I'm alone at the lake. So I enjoy the peace and splash around before having breakfast at the tent with Rango. It's already oppressively hot in the morning, so I decide to take it easy. In Qvareli, I'll look for a bus to Lagodekhi later. So there is time for minor repairs to my mattress and to rinse Rango's blanket. Due to his open cheek, this is often necessary at the moment. My shorts have also fulfilled their duty and will be turned into cleaning cloths. It's already around noon when we head to Qvareli. Near the center, I treat myself to an ice cream and a coffee and give Rango some time to acclimate. Then, shortly before half past two, we go to the bus station. I talk to three bus drivers and express my desire to go to Lagodekhi. I am quite confident that I can continue directly from here, so I am a bit disappointed when I am refused a ride around three o'clock. The man prefers to drive an empty marshrutka around. According to an old man under the shady neighboring tree, the next minibus will leave in an hour. So we have to wait some more. We pass the time with some bread and cheese for Rango and me. At four o'clock, only a marshrutka to Tbilisi is going, so I am told that I probably won't be able to continue to the east today. It's half past four when I head back to the center of Qvareli and organize food for the next meals. I have decided to hike a few more kilometers. Qvareli Lake is about 10 km to the east, and in the slightly milder afternoon and evening sun, the short walk seems feasible for Rango too. Shortly afterwards, we are walking along a small country road towards the lake. Just before the lake, there is a barrier with a police checkpoint. I am directly connected to the reception of the Qvareli Lake Resort and asked for a reservation. I try to make it clear that I don't intend to check in anywhere. I am not sure if they understood, but I am allowed to pass through the barrier and then find a spot for the night on a dike on the north shore. I wait until dusk to set up the tent, take a bath first, and then prepare a small dinner. We are undisturbed, and I retreat to the tent late in the evening. Rango can stay outside, it's just too hot under the tarp for him.