Stage 76: From Batumi to Poti

After a restless night in the hostel and a heartfelt farewell from Tsitso (Mama), the journey was supposed to continue along the coast. Just before departure, the happy Orhan came around the corner, of course, he had lost his passport and credit cards at the casino, not at the hostel...

On the way north, after about 10 kilometers, you come across the Batumi Botanical Garden, which is considered one of the top attractions in the city. Unfortunately, it started raining again, so the planned stop here had to be canceled. A few smaller climbs provided a good view back into the valley, this is exactly how I imagined Georgia. Since not much else happened along the way, I was already in Poti around three o'clock and was able to photograph the most important buildings. But there is not much for tourism here, so I went quickly. The harbor area looked rather deserted and poor. In the Argonaut saga, the city was also approached by Jason and his fellow adventurers in search of the Golden Fleece. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the port city lost much of its importance, which explains the many ruins. In the meantime, however, the city is recovering and gaining importance again thanks to an oil pipeline from Azerbaijan. Despite that, my accommodation still looked dilapidated from the outside and was adorned with 'for sale' signs. I already thought I was in the wrong place when a grumpy older gentleman waved me over to him. I could store my bicycle in his garage and the small apartment was cozy as well. I still have to get used to Georgian supermarkets. There is everything imaginable in cans, but sliced cheese is rare, and sausages are also very expensive here. But you always find something for dinner!