Day 36 - October 9th, 2023 Visit to Kolkheti and Poti National Park

Autumn has arrived and the sky is overcast. We have to get out early because we are supposed to be at the national park center at 8:30 a.m. There we buy the ticket and have to drive about 1.5 km to the boat pier. A young man is waiting for us, life jackets are handed out and then we go in the motorboat at full speed across the lake and further up the river. How we are supposed to observe the birds amid this noise and crashing waves is a mystery to us. The national park covers 33,710 hectares and, as a wetland, contains a rich flora and fauna. The birds here include sea eagles, black storks, comorants and more. We were able to observe kingfishers, gray herons and comorants. Just in time for the return to the port, massive downpours began. We drive to Poti and take a short tour of the city with an umbrella and visit the Cathedrale St. Virgin, a replica of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, built in 1906. We returned in the late afternoon and stayed in the small hut at the campsite. But the constant rain and cold send us into our sleeping bags. 8281 km