The Caucasus. Beautiful!

The night was not so great. The accommodation and meals were adequate for the price, and the landlady was a very kind person. I think she would have liked to keep me here 😅. The mattress was completely worn out, you could feel every single spring and there was no padding left.

I already knew the type of shower from Bulgaria. Before taking a shower, make sure to put the toilet paper somewhere safe. The shower hose was connected to the sink, so the whole bathroom got flooded during the shower because there was no shower curtain or anything.

After a very hearty breakfast, we set off. First, we took a very well-developed road towards Kutaisi. But as often before, the road soon became narrow and deteriorated as we headed into the mountains. The vegetation is very lush, with huge trees that I have never seen before, and bamboo was being grown. Thick stems were being offered on the roadside, processed into all sorts of things.

In Kutaisi, the traffic was chaotic again. Luckily, we didn't have to drive through the whole city. Soon, we turned left into the high mountains. The road followed a river and was in good condition, but you have to stay highly focused all the time. Georgians cut the curves very massively, and cows like to lie in the hairpin turns and curves right in the middle of the road. Not just individual animals, but whole herds of cows! Goats and pigs also run across the road. Grazing is rare or almost non-existent. The farmers must think that the animals will come back, at the latest when their udders are full. Later on the road, a new additional danger appeared. Rocks and masses of rock lined the edges of the road. Every now and then, there were also stones, or rather boulders, on the road. In some places, the road was completely destroyed and filled with gravel. I think the heavy rain of the past few days caused many rockfalls.

I wanted to continue on this road until Ushguli, a place known for its many towers. Tour guides coming in the opposite direction indicated to me that the two roads leading there are closed due to rockfalls. So, I find myself in a dead end and will probably have to drive back tomorrow. We'll see.

In any case, my accommodation today is still before the closure. From my window, I have a beautiful view of the high and snow-capped Caucasus. I'm not alone here. A Polish couple has taken quarters in the next room. They came here by taxi and will go hiking tomorrow.

By the way, it's thundering again 😬 I hope that the return route will be passable tomorrow. 🤔