Mestia - Lucky break

Shortly after eleven at night on Thursday, August 16, 2018, we leave the train to Kutaisi in Samtredia. If all goes well, we can continue our journey with the night train from Tbilisi to Sugdidi shortly before three in the morning. Until then, I try to make myself comfortable on a bench in the waiting area of the station. Around half past two, I go to the ticket counter to purchase a ticket, unfortunately without success. But I don't give up that easily. With all my stuff and Rango, I take my position on the platform. After the train arrives, I approach the train attendants and after some back and forth, I am finally allowed to board. Of course, the ticket is a bit more expensive this time... But we arrive in Sugdidi shortly after six and have the whole day available for our onward journey to the mountains. First and foremost, I have a coffee at a nearby gas station, along with a small breakfast for myself. Then we set off to the city center, as Rango also needs to be fed. After taking care of that, I start looking for a marshrutka (a minibus) to Mestia, which is about 120 km away. I was already approached at the train station, so Rango seems to be not a problem for once. After some negotiation at the meeting point, I manage to arrange a ride at a reasonable price, and shortly after eight, we get into the minibus. But it will still take some time before we depart, the bus only leaves when it's full. And finally, around eleven, we finally head northeast through the picturesque Enguri Valley. The road conditions are terrible and the driving style is at least inappropriate. During the three-hour journey, I start feeling a bit queasy and Rango wants to get out of the marshrutka at every stop. But the landscape passing us by compensates a bit and increases the anticipation for the coming days. In Mestia, I need a break near the bus stop before we start looking for a campsite. The city is definitely no longer an insider tip, tourists as far as the eye can see. Nevertheless, I have planned a multi-day stay with one or two day trips to the surrounding mountains. After we were able to check in at the third campsite, I set up our camp and was able to have a little chat with our hosts. Then we set off for a first trip to the capital of the historic region of Svaneti. The many defensive towers, in which the Svan people sought refuge in turbulent times, are of course noticeable. Otherwise, the cityscape is characterized by gastronomy as well as smaller hotels and guesthouses. Tourism has already left its mark. However, there is still an original medieval city structure with small alleys, traditional houses, and gardens behind stone walls a little further away from the city center. In the early evening, we return to the camp and are greeted with 'We don't know how to tell you, but a pig was running through your tent!' After a 'Excuse me. WHAT???' and a careful look into the tent, it's certain: the farm dog has apparently scared a pig from the neighbor, which then decided to flee through our shelter. Result: both mosquito nets torn, the new mattress broken, and a distinctive smell under my tent tarp. I'm already a bit disappointed in that moment, especially since I can't get a replacement for the tent or mattress up here in the mountains if needed. My hosts provide me with a room for the night and invite me to dinner. Just before going to bed, I can already laugh about the absurd incident.

So on Friday, I am forced to spend my time doing repairs. I benefit from the experience I have gained during my journey while patching up the mattress. Nevertheless, it is a pity that I could only enjoy the good piece undamaged for one night. I have my tent washed by my hosts before I can fix it again by hand in a few hours in the afternoon. Since the garden gate on the property is constantly open, a cow comes in to graze during the afternoon. I don't have a good feeling about it anymore. The combination of the farm dog and various other animals in close proximity to the tent seems too risky to me. After completing the repair, I take a look at two other campsites in the immediate vicinity, where at least the gate to the street seems to be closed, and decide to move. My previous hosts are understanding and we even get a free night in a hotel bed. So in the late afternoon, I take another walk in Mestia with Rango to do some shopping and in the evening, I can rest in the beloved tent as usual.

On Saturday, August 18, 2018, I get up shortly after seven, feed Rango, have breakfast myself, and set off with the Dicken to Mestia shortly after eight. From there, a trail leads into the mountains to the Koruldi Lakes. During the first hour and a half, the trail takes us about 700 meters in altitude up to a viewpoint at around 2200 meters. We linger for a while and enjoy the view over the Enguri Valley and the surrounding mountain landscape. We continue with a slightly easier ascent to the unspectacular waters at around 2700 meters, which we reach at around eleven in the morning. Here, I take a longer break with a wonderful view of partly snow-covered peaks and doze off a bit. Shortly before twelve, thunder rolls wake me up. In the meantime, it has become a bit cloudy and a thunderstorm seems to be raging to the southwest. I actually wanted to go a bit further into the mountains to get a glimpse of the double peak of the Ushba, but the weather is now thwarting my plans. We start our descent to Mestia and have to seek shelter just before two due to the increasing rainfall. After 20 minutes, the rain has subsided a bit and we can continue walking. Shortly after entering the village, Rango has to defend himself against an attack from a farm dog once again. Apparently, the owner is afraid of his own pet and accordingly has little control over it. Very annoying. At that moment, I also let my frustration show, but nobody understands me anyway... Luckily, Rango remains uninjured and shortly after, we return to the campsite.

I start Tuesday in a more relaxed manner. I write this travel report and use WiFi in the city to upload pictures. Otherwise, I need to recharge my energy for the coming days, as I want to embark on a longer tour that hopefully takes us to Lower Svaneti. Well, let's see...