Upon entering Georgia, I followed the Black Sea coast north to reach the city of Batumi. Serge’s words from the bus journey resonated with me – he had predicted that I might not enjoy Batumi. According to him, it was a place where affluent Turks would showcase their wealth. As I arrived, the city’s architecture stood out, I felt it was attempting to emulate the ultra-modern Middle Eastern city vibe. However, due to these new builds being constructed around the existing soviet structures, the blend didn’t quite work. My stay in Batumi was brief, just enough to grab some food and money before heading east into the mountains.
For the remainder of the day, I headed east, ascending through a gorge on a breathtaking road. Rain finally greeted me, the first since Istanbul, and it appeared that the night would be wet.
Luck led me to a great picnic area where I set up camp. This sheltered spot allowed me to avoid using the tent, sleeping on a table while keeping both myself and my belongings dry. A friendly cat joined me, providing company by resting directly on top of me throughout the rainy night.
The subsequent day, I climbed to an elevation of 2000 meters. While I expected a challenging ascent, I hadn’t anticipated such poor road conditions. The slow pace kept the climb engaging, requiring me to constantly survey the road for holes to avoid.
In one village, a man offered me a drink outside his home, presenting a bottle of fizzy water. Accepting his kindness, I realised as shot glasses emerged that water wasn’t what was being poured. It turned out to be some sort of raki, which at 11am did little to help me up the mountain.
Eventually, I reached the summit, only to face road works on the descent. The road was constantly transitioning from fresh tarmac to deep gravel. In one of these sections, I came off my bike right in front of the workers. They kindly assisted me in cleaning up, but I think found the whole thing quite funny.
As the road conditions improved, I made steady progress and camped by a river that night, accompanied by a friendly dog who slept outside my tent the whole night.
The following day demanded a long climb to a plateau, accompanied by a persistent headwind. The higher altitude brought cold temperatures, with me finding myself amidst the clouds once at the summit.
Descending through a village, a group of men beckoned me over while enjoying a meal by the church. They extended their hospitality, offering me a plate of lamb stew cooked over an open fire, along with bread. The meal was a welcome reward after a strenuous day. With each empty plate, they refilled it promptly. There was also plenty of vodka to go round, with toasts followed by shots about every 15 minutes. I never knew what I was drinking to as these men spoke no English but I still had a great time joining in.
As the night fell, one of the men gestured for me to follow him, offering me a room in his home. I took him up on his offer and it was fascinating observing his way of life. The house was very simple with no running water and an outside toilet.
After spending a day descending, reaping the rewards of the climbs I had conquered. I established camp 20km outside Tbilisi and headed into the city the following morning.
Within an hour, I realised that I had already explored much of what the city had to offer. It wasn’t particularly touristy, so I decided to head to a nearby lake for a refreshing swim and a much-needed wash.
My next task was to aquire a box for my bike. Finding one was relatively straightforward, and I managed to get one at the fourth bike shop I visited. However, I was charged around £10 for it, which I later learned was the norm in Tbilisi. Due to the Georgia-Azerbaijan border closure, to reach Kazakhstan, one must either pass through Russia, Iran, or take a flight. Most people opt for the latter, resulting in high demand for bike boxes in the city.
I decided to attempt cycling the 20 km to the airport with the cumbersome box. This proved to be quite a challenge, carrying it under my arm, and it became a bit nerve-wracking when the wind picked up. Nonetheless, I managed to make it to the airport.
Upon my arrival at the airport, I encountered five cyclists who had just arrived from Japan and were embarking on a journey around Georgia. They were busy assembling their bikes and trying to get rid of 5 bike boxes!
I packed my bike into the box, along with most of my bags, sealed it up with plenty of tape, and headed into the airport.
Georgia had emerged as my favourite country to travel through so far. The cycling had been exceptional, featuring remarkable mountain passes, and the locals had consistently displayed genuine friendliness. My culinary experiences had also been a highlight, with a variety of sweets and fantastic bakeries offering delicious savoury pastries which are always a surprise as to what they are stuffed full of.
Will Scam 