An old mining town, the Black Sea and saying goodbye to friends

For a change we were on our way west, back towards the Black Sea. On the way is Chiatura, a Soviet mining town in which 30,000 people lived at one time and covered 40% of the world's demand for manganese. The city is also known for its many cable cars, some of which have now been replaced by modern examples and the majority of the rest have been disused. The old cable cars were in operation for decades and were known as “Stalin’s coffins”.

Of course, here too we had to explore abandoned buildings and discovered a hospital below an old cable car station, which, after a good half of the population moved away after the collapse of the Soviet Union and with it the manganese mining in Chiatura, has not been used for a long time and is empty .

Afterwards we continued to Batumi, a metropolis on the Black Sea, which has preserved a very tranquil old town alongside towering high-rise buildings and a wide, 7km long beach promenade that is perfect for strolling. The view of the beach and snow-capped mountains at the same time is unique.

It was the last stop together with our friends, who are now on their way back to Germany and towards winter. It was a significantly different journey with six people and a rental car.

We've seen a lot in the last two weeks and enjoyed sitting together in a large group in the evenings; But we also didn't have such a good feel for the country and the people, without the many hours in intercity buses and at train stations. Of course, with six of you, you won't be approached as often by locals when you're sitting in a café or walking along the beach.

It wasn't easy for us to say goodbye because it had been postponed for three months. This is how our adventure for two finally begins.

I also had to say goodbye to my beloved large tent, tent, sleeping mats and hiking boots; they are traveling back to Germany with our friends.

Robert