Shavi Coffee Roasters – The Original
40 Mikheil Zandukeli St
One of the top specialty coffee shops in Tbilisi, featuring a minimalist interior and a welcoming atmosphere (it’s actually a chain, and each location is fantastic). Mornings and afternoons are quieter, while evenings can be lively – it may seem counterintuitive, but that’s typical in specialty coffee culture.

Asters, Specialty Coffee
4 Kote Marjanishvili St
A small, intimate spot with a cozy atmosphere, focused on quality. While walking down the main street, you might easily overlook it, but it’s a true hidden gem. Here, in a simple setting, they serve excellent drip coffee and offer unique flavors with their own character. It’s perfect for a casual work meeting or remote work – the space is laptop-friendly.

BNKR Specialty Roasters
26 Simon Janashia St
A modern third-wave coffee shop, focused on innovation and unique drinks. Don’t miss their signature coffee with pomegranate juice (yes, it works!). The coffee here is above average. It’s a great place to linger and enjoy a relaxed morning in the company of local cats.

SALI | Specialty Coffee & Breakfast
30 Anton Katalikosi St
A wonderful blend of specialty coffee and a hearty, satisfying breakfast – the ideal way to start the day. Less experimental, but consistently high-quality coffee. Nothing excessive, just great coffee and delicious food.

kanary • Specialty Coffee – Vake
44 Irakli Abashidze St
A cozy café in the Vake district, friendly and offering intriguing drinks. It’s not strictly a third-wave coffee shop, but it has the ambiance of a “neighborhood” café – calm and quiet, away from the tourist hub. Try their latte with banana syrup and enjoy the freshly baked, low-sugar pastries.

The road to Batumi!

After the nationalistic-religious Black Sea coast of Turkey, Batumi appears like a shining wonder of pleasure when entering at night. Everything shines and sparkles.

You can still see the old Batumi, but construction is everywhere, entire streets are scaffolded, and the most incredible skyscrapers, the shining pearl of the Black Sea.

Esti is unfortunately quite sick now and needs to recover at the hotel. But what joy it is to be back in Georgia. The food, the wine, the people, the landscape, everything is good, beautiful, and stylish.

We spend the first break since Greece in Ureki, camping under pine trees, the black magnetic sand, beer at the beach bar, Kakhati chacha from a plastic bottle in the pouring rain with the guys who share chicken and cheese with us, toasting to love and Esther, with khinkali and shashlik at Café Ureki.

The travel time to Tbilisi has halved in the last two years. Despite the wet and cool weather, it is the most beautiful city. With the funicular up to Mtatsminda, looking over the entire city. Watching the skaters and running through the fountain in Dadaena Park.

Two days in the failed but beautiful paradise of Chateau Chapiteau, Supra during the grape harvest. Then up into the Caucasus. Our beautiful Ju'ta in the rain, the first time below freezing in the bus.

Nevertheless, we set out for our first hike and are rewarded: the clouds break open and the mountains reveal themselves. Pancakes and Krakow with mountain panorama.

Stepantsminda is our last stop in Georgia. The best food in the country at Restaurant Maisi. The last night in the parking lot of the Gergeti Monastery, which, like Mount Kazbegi, remains hidden behind dense fog.

We spend the morning cleaning our phones. The next border crossing gives us quite a bit of nervousness.

The travel community is split on how they prefer to suffer: hot and dry like in Cappadocia or hot and humid like by the Black Sea. I haven't decided yet which team to join and am postponing the choice until my arrival in Thailand.. Batumi, at any rate, belongs to the latter form of heat and stands out as Las Vegas of the Black Sea coast, quite different from the cities I have traversed so far. European architecture from the 19th century, interspersed with concrete buildings from the Soviet era and modern skyscrapers that are partially under construction and partially operational. A few travel companions riding in the minibus to Mestia tell me about their hotel in a gigantic glass new building and the elevator there that simply stops on one of over twenty floors that is still under construction - completely raw and without windows.

The transfer from Batumi to Mestia is similarly wildly organized. Apparently, I'm the only one who has been given the correct meeting point. A British couple waits a few blocks away with incorrect information. Two Germans were even promised that they would be picked up from their hotel. They are on the phone with the visibly annoyed driver, who doesn't speak a word of English and hands me the phone to translate. After everyone is accounted for, we set off from Batumi with a 45-minute delay.

The two friendly Brits, Danny and Glyn, are currently traveling in their 11th month of their gap year; they congratulate me on my one-month anniversary. Today is August 1st, and time feels elusive to me. I don’t even know what day of the week it is anymore, and that’s a first for me since I usually fixate on monthly dates and times.

After we change drivers and vehicles at a transfer station, the roads become narrower, steeper, and more serpentine; the landscape greener and the gorges deeper. Slowly, we reach the Caucasus, and the driver who standardly doesn’t buckle up (since Romania, I haven’t seen anything but seatbelt-less taxi or bus drivers) alternates between playing Buena Vista Social Club and Georgian pop music blasting through the car...

In Svaneti, so-called homestays are widespread; privately operated guesthouses for adventurous hiking tourists who prefer a warm welcome but spartan conditions. Often, one has to share the bathroom with the family, a leashed cow grazes in the front yard, and the Wi-Fi password is '1234567890'. My hosts are an older couple who greet me right upon my arrival with potato salad and coffee. Mixing sign language, Georgian, and English gibberish, they assure me that the door to the kitchen is always open and the small mixed-breed dog, Micky, just wants to be petted when he barks at me.

It seems I did everything right with the booking. The only downside is that I have to walk about 3 kilometers to get to the actual town center of Mestia each time. So, I try hitchhiking once, and at least for this short distance, it works better than in Turkey. When I’m getting in, the driver points to the seatbelt: 'Police!'. I would have buckled up anyway, but here the motivation is more about not wanting to confront the law than it is about avoiding death.

While I am reading Bram Stoker’s 'Dracula's Children' – a small paperback that I appropriately bought in Romania – a fierce thunderstorm breaks out in the valley of Mestia. Spooky weather as if ordered. When did I last see real rain? It was probably in Germany. The temperatures are back to normal, and I enjoy the pattering downpour... until it occurs to me that I now have to walk around the house outside to use the bathroom.

On a hike that unexpectedly extends from originally planned 15 to 30 kilometers due to an unplanned detour, I encounter Viktor from NRW, who, like me, has taken on too much. We take a break and swap stories about our respectively miscalculated hikes and the breathtaking viewpoints. With a view of Ushba, the highest mountain in the region, my line of sight sometimes extends all the way to Russia.

Our two-man self-help group for overestimation meets up again in the evening, and Viktor turns out to be a total Georgia fan, who has also traveled to Iran at least just as many times. We wonder why the many street dogs never bark at pedestrians, but they more often bark at cars of the Suzuki Carry type. A car brand that is overly present here and serves the Swans as a means of transport for everything from hay to firewood to building materials. Viktor’s theory is that some of these small transporters may have already hit or run over some street dogs, which has imprinted that behavior in the packs. Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome for Dogs.

Mestia is a small place, and so I coincidentally run into Danny and Glyn from the minibus from Batumi again. I recommend they watch 'Dede', a drama about the Svanetian 'tradition' of kidnapping women. When I strolled through the town on my first day, I noticed the cinema that shows this film five times daily in seven different languages. Without much fuss, the operator sells me a ticket, and a minute later, I am sitting in the improvised basement cinema space in one of many beach chairs in front of the screen. A Polish couple, who were coerced into buying tickets shortly before me, are the only other guests so we watch the film with English subtitles, but simultaneously in Polish dubbing. Polish dubbing means that one single speaker covers all other voices over the original audio. Like in the Eastern Bloc in the 80s, I think, but I can quickly tune the speaker's voice out and immerse myself in the film. With stunning landscape visuals, it pulls me into the Svaneti village communities of the 90s and tells, alongside the main story, about ghost beliefs, the Caucasus war of 1992, and family feuds in Svaneti.

The reason that the many medieval watchtowers are so close together is not only that Mestia has often been attacked by various powers but also because blood revenge between families was not uncommon. Nowadays, however, it remains peaceful, and the only competition among the tower owners is purely economic. Some of the numerous towers can be climbed for three Lari (= 1 Euro), and so I climb a total of three. Each time, you have to go up four or five stories via wooden ladders that are guaranteed not certified for safety and can then step out through an open hatch onto the roof with rotting wooden shingles, rusty nails, and the obligatory Georgian flag. I admire the panorama and count a total of 37 such towers in the valley.

I set off around 10 AM. On the way out of the city, I noticed that the motorcycle was leaking gas. At first, I wanted to wait until the next fuel stop, but since the leak was significant, I aimed for the next parking lot. Apparently, a clamp on the fuel line was not tightly secured. After tightening all the possible clamps and screws, the issue was resolved. The ride took me through beautiful landscapes in sunny weather. However, it got progressively colder, and I was glad I had worn a pullover. The border crossing into Georgia is at an altitude of about 2000m, which explains a lot regarding the temperatures. On the way to the border, I encountered a cyclist from Australia. He was heading to Yerevan and wanted to travel through Kazakhstan to China. The border crossing was completely hassle-free and quick. The route in Georgia was even better. Good roads, nice weather, and beautiful landscapes. After arriving at the hotel, I visited a castle complex. It is located directly across from my hotel. Tomorrow, I will continue to Turkey. The destination is the city of Erzurum.

After I had reassembled everything and the machine was running, I felt a strong desire to quickly head to Georgia. In case any technical issue arose again, I did not want to be subject to the tight time constraints of a transit visa. My impression of Grozny, as a tourist, was that of an entirely normal city. Hard to distinguish from cities in Kazakhstan or any other Central Asian country. Men often sport long beards, while women seem perfectly dressed everywhere and always. Departures and arrivals were absolutely problem-free. There were some traffic jams, but as a motorcyclist, they hardly affected me. Unfortunately, the motorcycle shop in Tbilisi couldn't help me at first. A power outage had knocked out all computer systems. I was told to come back tomorrow. During dinner, I finally managed to book my hostel, which meant that the day was largely checked off. Tomorrow, I will try my luck with the air filter again and then the day after tomorrow, I will travel to Lake Sevan in Armenia. Benjamin has announced he will be in Tbilisi tomorrow. Let's see if we can manage to meet before my departure.

Friday, June 7, 2024

Day 13 of 13 Across the plateau to Tbilisi

Today we're going back to Tbilisi, but not directly, but across the wide plateau east of the Kura Valley where we spent the last few days. Thanks to a few lakes, there are numerous water birds and even pelicans. Russian is still the language spoken in this area. The population is Armenian, because here in the south, across the border, lies Armenia and no longer Turkey. We can see the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus in the background. Curiously, an old railway carriage is used as a bridge, although it is already quite rusty.

The railway line Kars–Akhakalaki–Tbilisi–Baku, or KATB or BTK (Baku–Tbilisi–Kars) for short, runs here and we follow it for a while. The 849-kilometer-long railway connection between Turkey and Azerbaijan is a joint project between Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan and was put into operation in 2017.

Flocks of sheep and cows graze. Cow dung is dried here and used as fuel. Many dilapidated or empty houses are noticeable: rural exodus. Our tour guide Asmus tells us how friendly the population is towards storks. We see many stork nests along a village street. We look for pelicans several times. Finally, on a hill, we see a very large flock of pelicans flying in formation. There are probably several hundred of them. This doesn't just seem to have something to do with sociability, but rather with hunting tactics. In any case, it's all about solidarity. Together we are stronger!

The afternoon ends with our last dinner together, which we eat in a restaurant high above the city. There is an open-air museum where typical Georgian house types are on display, including a wooden house on stilts.

We eat a tomato and cucumber salad, a bean dish, the typical curved white bread, a kind of ratatouille, a particularly tasty cheese preparation with mint and finally fried chicken in garlic broth. Beer is offered "Black Lion" IPA. Everything goes quite quickly, which is typical for such guest meals. Our trip initiator Helge says a word of thanks to our bus driver Ilia and especially to Asmus, our tour guide. There is well-deserved applause. Afterwards we go to the Hotel Clocks, where we had already spent the first two nights. Later we find ourselves on the roof terrace and enjoy the breathtaking view of the lights of Tbilisi. We feel a little wistful. Tomorrow we go home. What remains? Many beautiful memories of a very beautiful and hospitable country that is currently going through difficult political times. We hope for the best and some of us would like to come back.

Thursday June 6, 2024, day 12 of 13. This morning most of us drove in 3 four-wheel drive minibuses to the Tmogvi fortress high above the Kura valley. The fortress was first mentioned in the 9th century and served to secure the border region between Georgia and the Ottoman Empire. It was probably never conquered, but 3 earthquakes destroyed the proud castle. The first in 1088. It sounds a little strange that the otherwise highly praised Queen Tamara gave the ruins away. 2 more earthquakes completed the destruction, as the area is characterized by volcanism and seismic activity. Ultimately, the Russian Empire got the proud loot. Despite the very summery temperatures, some of our group preferred to hike and even skipped breakfast. This ambitious decision triggered a wave of concern among the less ascetic tour participants and even our bus driver Ilia. Too much food was packed, so that we are still devouring eggs and cheese as I write. Everyone rode along for the remaining few hundred meters of elevation. One of the vehicles soon had to stop because it was losing coolant. The driver refilled water and continued on. Drinking water and coolant bottles both contained H2O, which invited someone to accidentally taste it. No problem, thank goodness!

When we arrived at the top, there was a wide green plain with grass and a variety of flowers. As a result, the bird life was also very diverse. The rare rock thrush was spotted and a booted eagle circled around. Bearded vultures also appeared. A very old chapel in the middle of the flower meadow aroused my curiosity. It is called Zeda Tmogvi, which means nothing more than "above Tmogvi". The reason why a chapel stands there all alone is because of Stalin, who had the Christian Meskhetian Turks living there forcibly deported. Between 92 and 94 thousand Meskhetians were deported to Central Asia. It is not clear how many reached their destination alive. The village was flattened like around 200 others and nature took over again and overgrew the remains of the foundation walls. We found quite a few gravestones with crosses and the year 1905. One of our drivers told us that his grandparents had lived there. Wolves are apparently raising their pups there and are using the abandoned terrain. The ancient church with a bell in the tower is still almost intact. Inside, however, old wall paintings have been painted over and the interior whitewashed. Nevertheless, the pretty little church dates back to the 11th century. There are a few photos of icons and small crosses inside and a few burning candles show that many believers still come to pray there. A farm is still in use and dates back to the Soviet era.

Another group of young international archaeologists has turned up at the accommodation. We enjoy a lovely evening in a relaxed atmosphere by the river. One of us discovers a small snake on the edge of the terrace: Natrix Tesselata - a dice snake. It is non-venomous and harmless to humans and is a water snake.

Wednesday June 5, 2024, day 11 of 13.

We visit the famous cave city of Vardzia. Founded by King Giorgis III and his daughter Tamara in the 12th century as a border fortress against Turks and Persians. The cave dwellings were carved into a rock wall that rises about 500 meters from the valley. There were probably up to 2000 of them, of which 750 still exist. In the numerous caves you can find relics of everyday life such as ovens, wine cellars for Qvevri, 2 churches, a meeting room and Queen Tamara's chambers. The rock church of the Assumption of Mary with beautiful frescoes. 800 monks once lived there. Each monk was entitled to 1.5 liters of wine a day. I think you can bear it like that. We climb the many stairs and with my headlamp I illuminate dark, smoke-blackened rooms. Today many swallows live in the caves. Our bird friends report on a wide variety of feathered friends.

Great weather, but already very hot. Nevertheless, an excursion a few kilometers up the valley. Frogs, cicadas, cows, scorpions and a black widow were discovered.

For dinner we drove a few kilometers down the valley and through a very narrow village. But where is the restaurant? Ilia and Asmus ask their way. We are greeted in silence. Nevertheless, it is a friendly family business. There is grilled trout and a somewhat unusual red wine that doesn't want to dissolve. Only drink water? Not with me! The revenge is red wine stains on my T-shirt. On the way back we come to an abrupt stop. A large boulder had fallen onto the road, the force even made a deep hole in the tarmac road. We pass it. Later by the river we hear the howling of a jackal! We listen intently, but the silence of the night returns. One thing is certain: we are not alone!

Saturday 01.06.2024. Day 7 of 13.

June began with wet weather. In the morning our destination was the Daryal Gorge. We drove along the Tarek River towards the north and the Russian border. Before that we stopped at a lookout point. Above the picturesque mountain world, partly gloomy, partly sunny and mild green. Clouds and peaks in the fog. At some point a truck had crashed into this rocky, steep corner. The debris made us shudder. Bearded vultures circle confidently and elegantly above. Suddenly there was a commotion in the tour group - a bear!! 16 binoculars aimed at a steep grassy slope on the other side of the narrow valley. And indeed there was a stately light brown bear romping around there. Everyone followed the discovery in fascination. Telephoto lenses were aimed. Everyone was happy! The monastery down the valley a few hundred meters from the Russian border. We were amazed by the heavy traffic, including German trucks. The area near the border is gloomy, and not just because of the weather. Back at the hotel, after a rain shower, we decide to climb up the mountain with the chapel. The view is clear, with a band of fog above. An ancient watchtower shows the way up. A variety of flowers, including the bluebells, which according to Asmus come from here. A vulture carries its prey over us. When we reach the top at 2200 m, we see the old Trinity Chapel from the 14th century with its rich ornamentation. A wedding party poses for photos. The ladies are wearing elegant high-heeled shoes and chic dresses. The bride smiles happily over her probably 50 petticoats. The road goes all the way up here and the wedding party drives back over the mountain ridge honking. We are also happy because of the wonderful view of the green mountains.

Tuesday June 4, 2024, day 10 of 13.

Cozy breakfast in the wonderfully airy arbor of Nikas Guesthouse. Some of the tour participants, who seem overtired, report on their early morning experience in the forest. Unfortunately, no wolf sightings. The jeep takes our luggage back across the stream and we travel further south into the mountains near Turkey. There we stay for a few days in Valodias Cottages near Vardzia at an altitude of 1260m. The torrent rushes here too. Beforehand, we get some food in the spa and bathing resort of Borjomi. Tsars and especially Russian soldiers probably used to recover there. The healing water cured stomach aches.

Monday, June 3, 2024. Day 9 of 13.

Under a bright blue sky with a clear view of the high Kazbeg, we headed back towards Tbilisi over the Cross Pass. On the way, we had the opportunity to visit the historic Ananuri Fortress. The oldest parts of the imposing building date back to the 13th century. The ensemble of fortress and 2 churches with a high defensive tower stands proudly above the Aragvi reservoir. The cross-domed structure of the Church of the Assumption depicts scenes from the tragic and eventual history of the princes of the self-sufficient Argravi Valley. Finally, along the military road, which has now been converted into a motorway, we came to settlements for the tens of thousands of refugees from South Ossetia who had to leave their homeland in 2008 due to the military conflict and eventual Russian occupation: bungalows covered with red tiles in settlements laid out in a checkerboard pattern. In the background on the high mountains are transmission stations for Russian missile bases. Finally, west of Tbilisi, we came through the city of Gori, known as the birthplace of Stalin. Another representative of a painful era of the Soviet era. Much nicer, however, was our destination Ateni with the guesthouse and winery of Nika Vacheishwili, a picturesque, narrow rocky valley with a torrent flowing through it. Nika was previously Georgia's Minister of Culture and has been doing real pioneering work here since 2012. He greeted us personally with humorous words. He has now earned a reputation as a successful winemaker who relies on hand-made wines of a special kind with special grape varieties and production methods according to the motto "quality instead of quantity". We were led to a new small museum where the beauty, history and nature of this beautiful area were impressively presented with the help of modern projection technology. Nika is a professor of archaeology and with his humorous, friendly manner gave an impression of his knowledge and love of his homeland. We followed a beautiful nature trail with a view of the town of Ateni and the Sioni / Zion Church, which dates back to the 7th century. Reliefs decorate the exterior, including a scene depicting Samson's fight with a lion, as well as ornaments with grape vines. Inside there are ancient frescoes and icons. We return to the guesthouse via a small bridge over the Tana stream. In the airy, brick-covered arbor we learn more about Nika's projects and plans, and three wines are served during dinner with delicious starters and various dishes seasoned with fresh herbs. Amber-colored organic wines with unique aromas, including one that he calls "Grandma's cupboard." The bitter oak aroma makes it easy to recognize the reason for this curious name. Spicy beetroot, bean dishes, fresh salads, white bread and much more make this culinary wine tasting in the foliage and the wonderful setting sun a very special experience. The relatively light red wine and finally a strong pomace schnapps from Nika's "Chacha Laboratory" - as he calls it - are also testament to high quality and uniqueness.

Sunday, June 2, 2024. Day 8 of 13.

This morning, the 5047m high Kazbeg finally appeared, snow-covered and shining white in the sun, with blue skies above. This time we were quickly taken to 2200m in minibuses. There was a service going on in the Holy Trinity Church. The priest hid behind a door and only appeared sporadically, alternating with monotonous prayers. Once outside, the Kazbeg hid again. Our group split up to make a more or less rapid ascent depending on our ambition and ability. The first group quickly tackled the 800m in altitude. The second group, which I was part of, also wanted to go up - no, not to the summit, but according to the motto "the journey is the destination" - with more time to enjoy the beauty of the mountains and to photograph the numerous flowers and blossoms. Among them were gentian, white rhododendron, purple primroses and much more. The first snowfields appeared, releasing meltwater due to the sunlight. The Trinity Church became smaller and smaller, but the mountain panorama was revealed in all its splendor. Clouds created a varied play of light and shadow over snow-covered peaks. Stone pillars appeared with crosses and icons on them. When we reached a mountain saddle, the altimeter showed 2950m. A group of mountaineers had their touring skis and equipment transported up on horses, dogs lay around, weary and exhausted. We enjoyed the magnificent view and were happy. Group 1 was just about to descend again. Bear tracks had been spotted in a snowfield. I still need about 40 meters of altitude to reach 3000. Since the official route goes slightly downhill, I climb up in open terrain and meet a Brit who is trying to film the Caucasian Imperial Fowl with a camera on a tripod, whose distinctive call could be heard several times. We happily dismount and meet the rest of the group. The afternoon sun gives the magnificent landscape a special glow. We then head back down to town at breakneck speed by bus.

Friday, May 31, 2024, day 6 of 13. We drive west. A special banquet at lunch. We are received and warmly welcomed by the Mirziashvili family of musicians. As is often the case, the table is generously laid with vegetables, grilled mushrooms, shashlik, and filled dumplings. The head of the family makes a toast to the wine and his German-speaking son explains and translates. The father also talks about Germany, how he played music in front of the Beethoven monument in Bonn. We are given a German songbook. The request to sing one of the songs is met with an embarrassed tour group. As a passionate choir singer, I sing one of the well-known songs, but we prefer to keep quiet about our musical performance. Finally, there is a performance of lively flute music, accompanied by mandolin-like string instruments. The homemade wine tastes delicious and goes to some people's heads. A true master flutist, the father and band leader of Ananuri, plays two flutes at the same time at an insane tempo. Coffee, fruit and the obligatory pomace schnapps Chacha are served in the wonderful cherry orchard. After a wistful farewell to this family, who are so authentically lovely, we soon drive up over the Jvrevi Cross Pass (2395m) to our destination Stepansminda. Large flocks of sheep graze on the alpine meadows. The shepherds drive the sheep on horseback with a short leather whip. A monumental monument from the Soviet era commemorates the Persian raids in 1783. Bearded vultures circle majestically above us. From the hotel at 1766m we can watch ibexes. The temperature here is pleasantly cool after the humidity in the jungle yesterday.

Thursday, May 30, 2024. Day 5 of 13.

Our day began in the restaurant of the Hotel "Brigitte" with a solid breakfast and a view of the lush green mountains on the slopes of the Inselberg, on which Sighnagi stands. On the drive to the Lagodekhi Nature Park we saw the snow-covered high mountains of the Caucasus coming closer. The mountain tops shone like icing on the cake. The mountains themselves are hardly accessible by road, there are almost no roads, paths are rare - pure nature. A jungle-like, dense, green forest covers the high mountains like a blanket. The ranger who registered our group was keen that we, as guests from the long-awaited EU, get a good impression and also report positively, because funding for the nature reserve is important for the maintenance and expansion of the facility. We hike in several groups along a path along a mountain stream up towards the waterfall. A lush green jungle world reveals itself to us in all its splendour. The heat and high humidity make you sweat. Many plant species originate from here, as Asmus explains, including the sweet chestnut, which was first brought to Italy by the Romans. We climb steep slopes and look at our watch to plan our route and our strength. We spot a slowworm, but it is only related to our native species. It has light blue spots. There is a warning about ticks and the wooden steps along the torrent become very steep. The path continues upwards in serpentines. Not everyone makes it to the Black Grouse waterfall. Ferns are everywhere on the rock walls. On the way down we dip our sweaty feet in the cold mountain water - a relief. Finally, we relax in the café of the nature park, which also seems to be a kind of leisure park with a swimming pool. From the wilderness to coffee and ice cream specialties and even Belgian waffles.

Wednesday, May 29, 2024, day 4 of 13.

We had already been warned: today's tour would take us to Vashlovani National Park. It is located in the southeast, on the border with Azerbaijan, and offers unusual landscapes, pristine nature, and pure wilderness. Just the thing for wolf lovers. First, we submitted our prepared applications for access to the national park administration, which is partly a restricted area administered by the military. Everything had already been prepared by our tour guide. We got into four four-by-four vehicles and set off through vast wheat fields and then on dirt roads over hill and dale further east. The landscapes turned back into green, flowering hills and finally a wilderness began that thrilled the tour participants, as, for example, imperial eagles appeared, rollers, bearded vultures, and many songbirds, such as rose-breasted starlings, larks, bee killers, and finally nightingales and cuckoos. In the wadi, Asmus found a small turtle, and in a rocky valley, a bearded dragon. Gradually it became clear that the landscape could hardly be explored in any other way than by four-wheel drive minibus with sufficient ground clearance. Tamarisks were blooming everywhere in the wadi and seemed to glow in the backlight of the blazing midday sun. Towards the evening, when the sun was lower, the rock structures became more clearly visible. After leaving the dry wadi, we came across a lime-green expanse that was covered in fragrant mugwort. Finally, a group of gazelles were spotted a few hundred meters away. Everyone followed the beautiful animals quietly and intently. In the background are the mountains beyond the Asani river border with Azerbaijan. We visit the border posts as agreed and the friendly soldiers seem to be happy about the change in solitude. They keep dogs with cute puppies. We continue to curve endlessly through dry streams and also encounter broken-down vehicles. A high-tech Unimog has problems with the fuel supply. Our drivers keep their nerve. A final meeting of the drivers with a happy greeting and we return to the park administration late but happy. One group was actually able to observe a lynx - what an experience!

Tuesday, May 28th, 2024 Day 3 of 13. Today we headed back to the east of the country with the bus packed with bags and suitcases to Sighnaghi, a picturesque high-altitude town with a medieval flair and city fortifications. It lies between inner and outer Kakheti. This beautiful place was to be the starting point for further excursions. On the way, the green, hilly grasslands turned into wooded low mountain landscapes. During a break, we enjoyed fresh Georgian wheat bread straight from the oven - a real treat. It is shaped like a boomerang because it is also baked on a round stone. The botanical wealth reveals itself at every stop and especially on the slopes of Sighnaghi. We climb the old city wall that runs far around the city over the mountain and admire the distant view, which unfortunately is not very clearly visible today. It is very hazy and the humidity prevents us from seeing far away. It is summery warm and we enjoy the view and the atmosphere on the terrace of a restaurant and spend the afternoon there in a cheerful mood. House martins circle around, hunting for insects. A red-backed shrike is also spotted. We spend the evening at a large table in one of the numerous wine bars. We really enjoy the wine and some very spicy dishes. The strong Saperavi is becoming our favorite. We stock up on provisions for tomorrow's day trip.

May 27, 2024. Day 2 of 13. Bright sunshine greets us this morning. Perfect for exploring the bustling city of millions on foot. The difference in altitude was noticeable through winding alleys and some crooked stone steps. Numerous Christian Orthodox churches show the still deeply connected Christianity. The Georgians believe that this is the only explanation for the fact that they still exist despite the painful, changeable fate! According to legend, hot sulphurous thermal springs, which are still used, were the reason for the founding of Tbilisi. The city's founder is said to be King Wolfshaupt, who used to wear a wolf's skull on his head. The beauty of the city is reflected in the picturesque alleys with filigree wooden balconies, which often look a bit dilapidated. Some buildings are also crooked. An aged patriarch still enjoys great respect and a financially skilled oligarch makes no secret of his influence on the city and the country. Georgia still has a rocky road ahead of it towards joining the EU. The population is currently demonstrating loudly for a westward orientation. A sea of white and red stripes of fabric blow along the large boulevard past the parliament, museums and opera house, expressing the strong national consciousness. After almost 7 hours, we are happy to be able to cover the last few kilometers of our impressive city tour by metro. After a very fast and incredibly long escalator into the depths, this is a real hell ride in rattling but functioning Soviet technology. Today we got to know the soul of the Georgian people in an impressive way: very humorous, pragmatic, with a strong will to survive and creativity. In the evening, we enjoyed a breathtaking view of the city from a restaurant above the city and an opulent banquet in the Georgian tradition. The wine is not enjoyed without a toast. The first toast always begins with a toast to peace. Our tour group has now adopted this beautiful tradition and so this time I started with this toast. Since the dishes follow one another quite quickly, it is possible to slow down the pace of the banquet with more or less long toasts. In the meantime, dark storm clouds had risen on the horizon. Nevertheless, a small group of daring people decided to take a nighttime ascent in a tethered balloon. At around 10 p.m. we saw the white balloon rise silently into the night sky above the city. Unfortunately, our waving, light signals and shouting went unnoticed and we only received strange looks from the other restaurant guests. Thankfully, the weather had calmed down, so everyone returned safe and happy.

Sunday, May 26, 2024. Day 1 of 13.

On the first day after arriving in Georgia's capital Tbilisi, we headed south-east to the border with Azerbaijan, led by our tour guide Asmus Schröter. Asmus is a biologist, comes from Germany and has lived in Georgia for 6 years. Georgia, and especially Tbilisi, celebrated Independence Day today, which refers to 1918, when Georgia, as an ally of Armenia and Azerbaijan, decided to leave Russia.

In a comfortable minibus, which could easily accommodate all 16 participants, we drove across the vast steppe landscapes to the cave monastery of Davit Gareja. The landscape with green, wide, hilly grassland and high mountains in the background is characterized by herds of sheep and cows grazing there. Wolves are said to appear near the herds even during the day. We were amazed by the huge almond plantations that investors had planted. Asmus did not predict a great future for this monoculture. There were isolated salt lakes in the depressions, encouraged by the hot and dry summers in this area. The salt has a high sulfate content and is practically inedible - at most as a laxative. A sea of colorful flowers thrives here at this time of year. The diverse bird populations in particular are evidence of high biodiversity. Black vultures were observed slowly circling in the sky, obviously finding a good supply of food here. Various species of lark and little bustard were sighted and their distinctive twittering gave the special landscape a feeling of space and openness. The monastery in this remote place is built in natural sandstone caves. A stone tower towers above it. Deep down there is a rock church decorated with icons, which also contains ancient frescoes from the 13th century. After a thorough exploration of the flora and fauna, we left this picturesque place. Asmus had a lot to say about the natural treasures we had experienced. Every question was answered in detail, as wolf lovers would expect - at least most of them. Another botanical peculiarity is a special pink-flowering sage Ibericus, which Asmus named as a symbolic plant for the country. The numerous swallows flew low on their daring hunting maneuvers, probably also because of the drop in air pressure that accompanied the gray spring sky. Back near Tbilisi, there was an expert tour of the special Georgian wine culture at the Vellino family winery. For around 8,000 years, wine in Georgia has been fermented in special, huge clay amphorae with the pressed grapes. These vessels, called Qvevri, give the wine particularly intense aromas and over the last few years this winemaking method has increasingly won over wine connoisseurs in western countries. We were able to try various wines at a sumptuous banquet. The diverse dishes, such as vegetables mixed with herbs, cheese and meat specialties, also tasted excellent and were a real experience. Together with toasts, even on serious topics such as the wish for peace, the late lunch not only had a cheerful mood due to the wine, but also a thoughtful note and encouraged our sympathy for the Georgians.

Today, due to the bad weather, I changed my plans and didn't go to Vardzia but went straight to Tbilisi. I will be staying here for at least the next 5 days and exploring the city and the surrounding area.

The journey itself was OK, as I decided to take the motorway for the 130km stretch. After I had already had a little taste of the crazy driving style of the Georgians in Batumi, today's drive through Tbilisi was the full program. When it comes to driving, the Georgians are really crazy. The key is to stay cool, swim in the traffic and hope that everything goes well.

There will be pictures tomorrow, after my first sightseeing tour of the city.

15.05.2024: Today I explored the city in ideal weather. Lots of light but also lots of shadow. Occasionally I was reminded of Cuba.

An attempt to get tickets for Rezo Gabriadze's puppet theater has failed for now; all performances are fully booked until May 19. I'll try at the box office on the evening.

Here are the announced pictures, because pictures speak more than a thousand words.😀

05/16/2024: Today I treated myself to a bath in one of the city's public sulphur baths. With a massage, of course. The public baths are much simpler than the private ones, but also much cheaper. There was also a cup of tea at the end. Overall, it was very worthwhile and a good way to get in the mood for a visit to the National Museum. I was particularly fascinated by the gold jewellery on display here and of course the connection to Colchis and the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece.

After a short break in the hotel, I set off again to get a ticket for the puppet theater. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one with this thought, so I had to leave without accomplishing anything. Mission impossible. 😔 Regardless, I made extensive use of the local public transport today. I was surprised at how punctual and frequent the buses were. A ride costs about 33 cents. 👍

17.05.2024: I had two plans for today. Firstly, I wanted to see the Davit Gareja Monastery, and secondly, I wanted to take this opportunity to drive to the border with Azerbaijan to see for myself that the border is actually closed.

The drive to the monastery was quite bumpy over the last few kilometers, although the stony, dirt-track-like sections were easier to drive on than the more or less tarred sections riddled with potholes. The monastery itself doesn't offer much other than the great landscape in my opinion. However, I was glad to escape the city and have a bit more peace and quiet around me again. The route to the border was similar in one section. When I got there, a friendly border guard explained to me that the border was closed and shortly afterwards there were some soldiers in a pickup truck. They stopped briefly while I was still busy using my sat nav for the return journey. Now the only route left is through Russia. I should receive a response to my visa application tomorrow. I'm excited to see how it turns out.

05/18/2024: During the course of this morning, I had to do some organizational things first. At the top of my to-do list was doing the laundry, then the coming days would have to be replanned due to the impending bad weather in the Caucasus. This also included extending the accommodation and organizing tickets for the puppet theater. Last but not least, I wanted to use the rest of the day sensibly. The extension of the accommodation was done with a phone call and so was the purchase of a ticket via the Internet. Meanwhile, the washing machine was already running. For the rest of the day, I had planned to visit an old monastery in Ananuri. It is about 60 km north of Tbilisi. Driving through Tbilisi is always not a very pleasant experience. The traffic volume is considerable and so are the traffic jams. The rest of the route was very easy to drive. The monastery itself was in a rather deplorable state. Only the location and the church with its icons offered a point of attraction. On the way to the monastery, a wine route was signposted several times, which I then tried out on the way back. However, there was hardly any wine or wineries to be seen. I don't know what went wrong here. I've now adapted to the way of driving here. Nevertheless, there are always unpleasant surprises. But there was also a nice surprise, because my visa arrived today. This means there's a good chance that I'll meet Barbara in Tashkent at the beginning of July. 😀

05/19/2024: There's not much to report today. Spent the morning viewing and saving videos/pictures and doing some organizational tasks. In the afternoon we went into town for a stroll and a coffee. At lunch we met a cyclist from South Africa and in the evening we had small talk with a couple from Voronezh, Russia. The cyclist from South Africa has been on the road since last year and said he needed a break from cycling. He will spend the next few months in Tbilisi. He has an acquaintance here. The Russian couple had a similar experience to me. They actually wanted to go to Azerbaijan, but are now going to Armenia first. I am currently filling their gap in Russia.

05/20/2024: This morning, the next stop was in Stepanzminda and the journey continued through Russia. Then I explored new paths in the city on foot. I came across a car-free street with lots of cafes and restaurants. A real treat.

05/21/2024: Today's day began with a little gymnastics to compensate for the motorcycle riding. After a hearty breakfast, it was time to find out which platforms you can currently use to book accommodation in Russia. The platforms we use don't work there. After that was sorted out, with the help of the Russian couple, I was able to book my first accommodation in Vladikavkaz. Today I finally had a proper and extensive Georgian meal. A bit meaty but very tasty. I also had a very tasty Georgian red wine and a Turkish coffee to finish.

Tomorrow it's time to do the laundry and slowly start thinking about setting off for Stepantsminda. Unfortunately the weather forecast for there doesn't look so good. We'll see 😸 😜

PS I bought a bike that should be able to cope with the local traffic conditions. 😜

05/22/2024: Today was very quiet. Apart from a few things like changing money and getting provisions for the trip tomorrow, there wasn't much left to do. The only highlight of the day, a visit to a performance of Rezo Gabriaze's puppet theater, I almost missed because I was packing. That would have been really annoying after all the effort to get a ticket. In the end, however, it worked out and I was able to watch a wonderful performance. Tomorrow we'll be heading on to Stepanzminda. I'm excited to see what awaits me there and hope to be able to implement my plans there.

05/23/2024: What was a clear prospect yesterday is already yesterday's news. It has now been established that it is not possible to travel on to Kazakhstan through Russia with an e-visa. This means that my plans and reservations from yesterday are already obsolete. First I canceled all hotel reservations and then racked my brains about how to proceed. By chance I came across an article in a travel blog that described in detail a possibility of entering Azerbaijan by moped. On top of that, the author had also included the contact details of the organizer. The man's name is Anton Polikarpov, is Azerbaijani and organizes these transports from Baku. The whole thing looks like this: the moped is transported to Azerbaijan by truck, while the drivers fly there from Tbilisi. His counterpart in Georgia is Eyyub Transport, named after its owner Mr. Eyyub. As my Georgian SIM card had no credit again (I have no idea why), the waitress in the café where I was sitting agreed to call Azerbaijan. Anton answered immediately and after I explained my request, he explained to me that my moped could be on its way tomorrow. This was a huge surprise to me, but somehow it was unstoppable and meant extending my hotel stay, checking flights to and accommodation in Baku, and gathering and preparing documents. In the evening, all preparations for the transport were made and after Barbara also encouraged me in this decision, it was clear that I would do it.

05/24/2024: After a restless night and a quick breakfast, this morning I first had to pack my belongings so that I had everything I needed for the time until departure, but did not exceed the 10kg for hand luggage. Around noon it was time to pack the moped and drive to the meeting point in Marneuli, about 45km southeast of Tbilisi. Here I had arranged to meet Mr. Eyyub to prepare the transport of the machine. Also with us is a young Brit who has just finished his studies and is on his way to Japan with his Honda 500. First we drove into town to a lawyer who drew up the necessary papers. Then we drove to the local bazaar, where Mr. Eyyub invited us to dinner. Then we drove back to the motorcycles, where there was still a lot to explain and stow away. After everything was done, Mr. Eyyub drove us back to our accommodations in Tbilisi. The man is super helpful and nice. Simply great. Now the rest just has to work just as well.

05/25/2024: The machines should be ready for pickup in Baku next Tuesday. Anton will meet us there and hopefully help with the customs formalities. Yesterday I got a ticket for a flight to Baku. Ben has the same flight, so we can pick up the machines together. Today I mainly had to get a new pair of glasses. My actual glasses apparently got lost in a taxi and, despite all my efforts, I couldn't find them. It's now quite difficult to be without glasses. I also had to print out some documents for the flight in a copy shop and organize an airport transfer. That, along with a long coffee break, pretty much filled the afternoon.

BTW: The weather is rather modest and therefore ideal for such tasks.

05/26/2024: Today was a rather quiet day. This gave me the opportunity to explore the area a little, talk to my daughter on the phone and take care of the entry formalities for Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. If everything goes well, I should arrive in Aqtau/Kazakhstan next Saturday. This means I am two weeks ahead of schedule. This gives me more time for my first visit to Kazakhstan, I will enter again later, but I would have liked to have seen a little more of Georgia.

Since I still haven't received confirmation of the taxi I ordered to the airport, it seemed sensible to check alternatives using public transport. Fortunately, there is a train station and a bus station not too far away and there are good connections to the airport.

Today Georgia is celebrating independence and just now (around 9.30pm) there was a big fireworks display. Unfortunately I couldn't see much of it.💥💥💥

05/27/2024: The day could actually be completely relaxed if it weren't for Bolt, through whom I ordered the taxi to the airport for Ben and me. I haven't received anything so far that I could consider as confirmation. To be on the safe side, I checked public transport. Around noon, I took the bus to the Chronicles of Georgia. A very impressive monument, even if the ravages of time have taken their toll on it. After that, there wasn't much left to do other than enjoy the day.

My journey today took me first towards Poti (it started to rain here) and then towards Tbilisi. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't so good today. My destination was the cave monasteries of Vardzia. Unfortunately, I took the wrong one, so I had to continue without accomplishing anything. Unfortunately, when I tried to turn around, the motorcycle fell over (for the second time). The first time it fell over, nothing happened at all, but today I had to remove a side part of the luggage rack and reattach it. Luckily, I had the right tools with me, so after a short time everything was OK again.

Today was the first time I drove in the dark, which was extremely exhausting. There are cows, goats and pigs everywhere on or near the road. The worst thing, however, are the many dogs, some of which are lying on the road or running barking next to you. I was glad to finally pass a hotel that still had a room available. Tomorrow I want to make another attempt to get to the cave monasteries. Then I'll go to Tbilisi.

Anyone who comes to the capital sees two things: the Sameba Cathedral, built in the 2000s, and the mother of Georgia “Kartlis Deda”. The city appears young, European and enchants with the morbid charm of old houses, street art and the chic of European cities. It's worth strolling through the alleys in peace and thinking about why gentrification hardly plays a role here and why residential buildings, tourist highlights and corner shops harmonize so well with each other.

A lot of Russian is spoken in the city, the “old” Georgians can speak the language through their time in the USSR and the “new” are Russians who took refuge here to avoid military service and Putin’s dictatorship. Georgia is the size of Bavaria and has 3.7 million inhabitants and now 100,000 Russian migrants. The construction boom and economic upswing are the first things mentioned here as the consequences of this migration, a different view of people who have to dare to make a new start.

If you want to be close to people, you should go to the public sulfur bath. A domed hall, maybe 15 showers with real hot water and on two marble blocks is scrubbed, massaged and then chatted over tea and a cigarette in the changing room. If you go there alone, you quickly become part of the women's group and can have a say with your hands and feet. I felt so comfortable in this group of women and I was thrilled by the positive body feeling even with more than one XS on my ribs.

Georgia also went its way to independence in 1990 and left the USSR behind, so religion could play a role again and the huge cathedral was built. But the path from actually existing socialism to a social market economy and democracy is more than religious freedom and the young Georgians know that. Their striving to join the EU is noticeable in many places, their geographical location makes this very understandable and the small, brave country deserves to have not only Georgia's mother protecting it.

Kathleen

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

Anyone who leaves the big cities in Georgia quickly arrives in the world of nature, mini shops and homestays. The infrastructure becomes minimalist almost without warning and the tar road becomes an off-road track that is shared with goats, sheep and cows.

After the tranquil hinterland of Kutaisi, we traveled on to the wine-growing region around Sighnaghi, in search of Georgian wine and good weather. We found both and also spent our nights in a small winery. We didn't understand everything there. Why do the pigs fight in the stable at night? Where do all the people come from one evening who celebrate exuberantly on the estate, distribute lots of flowers everywhere and take a lot of photos? No matter, there was very tasty food made by the winemaker family, the wine was tasty and the animals around us also slept at some point.

We were particularly impressed by the Lagodekhi National Park, just around the corner, where after a short hike we could watch the rainbow all alone at a heavenly waterfall. Oh yes, and four out of six of the tour group did not go back along the hiking trail, but rather along the river, with many wild river crossings - clean feet included 😊

We continue in little Georgia with a tour into the great Caucasus, over really small roads. After many hours of conquering the passes in an off-road vehicle, we were allowed to stay for two days with a family in the tiny fortress village of Shatili, on the Chechen border.

It was incredibly cold, but even the young participants were extremely impressed by the absolutely lonely mountain landscape. Anyone who believes that there is no longer any human life in the valleys is mistaken - as soon as you wander a little over the mountains you discover very remote fortress settlements and farming families who live in a very deprived area and are completely devoted to the seasons and thus also maintain the cultural landscape. The views, the foresight and the peace were wonderful.

Kathleen