(Upper) Omalo

On Wednesday, July 17, 2019, I supply Rango with some leftovers from the previous day and then wash some dishes at the water source in the village of Iliurta. During this time, I have to repeatedly ward off Rango from the brewing place. For the Tushen people, it is a sacred place where dogs are not allowed. When the big guy confronts me about it, I firmly reprimand him, which Gelo, the village dog (a Caucasian about Rango's size), uses to attack the big guy. The two of them had been suspiciously eyeing each other since Tuesday, and now the situation is going to be settled. I can grab Gelo and with the help of a bucket of water, Koba manages to make the Caucasian let go. He had bitten into Rango's cheek. The big guy steps back a bit upon demand, and the two of them are temporarily separated. I have a small scrape on my leg, and Rango seems to only have a few scratches on his head. I leave Rango on the terrace and clean our minor injuries. Back at the washing area, Koba offers to take us to Omalo, as he has some errands to run there. So I pack my things, and shortly afterwards, we are sitting in his jeep. We get off just before the upper village around half past ten, which according to Koba is much more attractive. He is right. I first look for a coffee and something to eat. This is how I end up at Mari's 'House of the Rising Sun'. I get coffee and biscuits and take another good look at the big guy. There is a deep hole in his cheek, which I clean and disinfect as best as I can. Then, after a brief consideration, I check in at the guesthouse for 50 GEL. I had actually wanted to camp somewhere, but Koba offered to pick me up the next morning and take me to 'Lowland'. So I can start a bit earlier without having to pack up the tent. Besides, the last week in the mountains was quite cheap, so my budget allows for it. This way, I can enjoy various delicacies throughout the day, do laundry, and enjoy small comforts like a lukewarm shower. I take small walks around the village and up to Keselo Castle, and I chat with Mari and her older son. She talks somewhat wistfully about the changes in Omalo over the past five years. More and more guesthouses have been built, which only partially fit into the village landscape. As a result, the original charm of the village is being increasingly lost. Nevertheless, she talks with hope and enthusiasm about her plans for a small wine bar and the local wines she wants to market. I seem to be her first guest since the opening this year, and I have also attracted other guests since then, a few Swiss people and a couple from Heidelberg. I am lucky with the shoes for Mari. A nice compliment. After dinner, around ten, I retreat to my room with Rango. Shortly thereafter, it starts raining heavily. The thunderstorm is going to settle over the village almost the entire night.

On Thursday morning, I get up around seven and pack my things. Shortly afterwards, Mari prepares a small breakfast for me. I wasn't a big fan of buckwheat before, but cooked with a little oil, lightly salted, and with a fried egg, the grain is quite delicious. Then we have another coffee with jam bread before I say goodbye around nine and continue with Rango. I buy some bread from a baker who speaks good German and she shows me her bakery. Then we walk past the lower village, which doesn't look particularly impressive from a distance, and after about 5 km, we reach the first hairpin bends down into the valley. Rango briefly befriends a white dog just before the descent, but I don't feel like waiting. So I continue walking and call the big guy regularly, but I don't see him. After half an hour, I lose my patience and approach a passing car. The young Russian family believes they saw Rango in Omalo and offers to drive me back there. I agree and shortly afterwards find myself back at our starting point at the House of the Rising Sun. No Rottweiler to be found. I don't see the big guy on the castle either. I leave my WhatsApp contact and drive back down the mountain to the spot where I last saw the big guy with his new friend. Here, I ask a farmer, who is pretty sure she saw Rango and his white companion heading towards Omalo. So I accompany a group of hikers who are going there. At a horse stable, I see a white dog and decide to ask about Rango again. It turns out to be a small military base. The men with machine guns haven't seen the big guy, but I can quench my thirst with some water, then I continue up the mountain. In the lower village, I ask a few other tourists about the big guy, as it turns out, a family from Dresden. Just at that moment, Mari calls, the big guy has taken a seat on her terrace. Andi, Susi, and their three children were planning to go to the upper village anyway, so I also have good company for that stretch. Shortly afterwards, my four-legged companion looks at me sheepishly when I arrive at Mari's place. He seems to realize that something went wrong. For me, it becomes clear that Rango apparently cannot follow my trail but instead returns to a place he knows. I am treated to another coffee and then set off for the lower village, where I saw some shops. It is already past two, and starting again doesn't make sense. I probably missed Koba due to all the searching. So I spend some time at a market, recharging my battery. In the late afternoon, the people from Dresden join me again, and we look for a camping spot for the next night. I offered them to use my gasoline stove since their borrowed gas stove was given to them without a proper or the wrong filling. So we enjoy a pot of macaroni and tomato sauce and end the evening by the campfire.

During the night until Friday (July 19, 2019), Rango's wound oozes, and in the morning, I squeeze a lot of pus out of the hole in his cheek. It seems that my spray disinfectant is no longer the right solution, so I decide to visit the local doctor. In the meantime, some of the people from Dresden take a trip to the tourist center. The paramedic recommends that I remove the hair around the wound and disinfect it again. Other than that, the motivation to help is limited. Understandably, they are not veterinarians and have more important things to do. For cleaning, I opt for a soapy solution since I couldn't find any chamomile. Throughout the day, the swelling on Rango's cheek subsides a bit. Otherwise, he seems to be doing well and shows no signs of any behavior changes. Nevertheless, I want to try to get a salve in the valley. The Zikatridina from last year left a good impression. If we find a spot, the people from Dresden will take us over the pass in their off-road vehicle. In the afternoon, the family gradually gathers again at the market, and later we go on a trip towards a viewpoint. The evening passes in good company, with a shared meal and then by the campfire.