Georgia

Georgia was a fascinating and easy place to travel. You could feel the unique blend of historic influences from past occupations by the Persian, Turkish and Russian empires alongside European culture. The country had stunning dramatic mountains in the north, the charming and cosmopolitan capital of Tblisi, and a lush wine region in the south (Dawn was happy). The hiking and wild camping was spectacular, and the cultural sites intriguing, many stemming from early Christianity. The people are independent, maybe a little bit gruff, but once you got under their outer skin, a delight to talk to.

*Our nearly 2000 km route through Georgia*

We entered Georgia after a slightly stressful rush across Turkey - long driving days without much of a break because we had to get the truck out before it ran out of time and could possibly get impounded. All this to say, we were happy to enter Georgia and crash in a seaside hotel in Batumi.

*Our first night in Georgia, long border crossing from Turkey so we landed in a sweet hotel in Batumi - luxury. (But free for us on credit card points)*

*Beautiful architecture in the old town square of Batumi. It was hot so Andy took the opportunity to stroll into the fountain.*

*The Georgian language was a complete mystery to us - we have never seen anything like it. Google Translate was not at its best here.*

After our relaxing hotel night it was time to camp again, we worked our way up the coast to a paid campground (our first in a very long time!). We had lots of company with Russian tourists beating the heat.

*Warm welcome at a campground north of Batumi - just us and mostly holiday makers from Russia*

*This would be the alternate universe Instagram photo that makes it look like we are alone.*

*Adding our Georgia sticker to our chaotic sticker wall - 78th country in the truck! But who is counting . . .*

Our first foray into the Georgian mountains was heading north into the Svaneti region anchored by the village of Mestia. The roads were rough but doable - we stuck to the often broken and potholed pavement rather than venturing onto the rugged 4x4 routes.

*Driving along the beautiful river gorge on the way to the Svaneti region*

*Pealed off on a brushy lane to what we hoped would be a great wild camping spot*

*It was! Amazing grassy field with mountain views, the only visitors were a few horses*

*With the bonus of a nearby hike to Georgia's tallest waterfall*

*Shudgra Waterfall - biggest in Georgia, maybe not as big as some of the Icelandic ones, but idyllic and private*

*Another beautiful Svaneti wild camp - this one on the way to a glacier hike*

*Another sketchy bridge! (consequences on this one a little more drastic with gaping holes down to a serious fall but we made it)*

*Village of Mestia - with its ancient watchtowers still standing*

One thing we quickly learned about driving in Georgia is that domestic animals completely owned the roads. Cows, horses, sheep and pigs used the roads alongside traffic. Respect for vehicles was non existent.

*Cows glaring balefully at us as we dared to want to cross their bridge*

*Don't even think of trying to disturb the napping pig*

Having successfully navigated the farm animal obstacle course with no casualties, we came down from the mountains for our first major cultural site visit in Georgia - and probably our favorite-Vardzia, a cave monastery and city carved out of the cliffs in the 12th century. The site was also built during the reign of Georgia’s famous King Tamar - one of the most powerful monarchs in the country and also a woman (the word “king” in Georgian is not gender based) She governed over the most extensive territory that Georgia ever held, uniting principalities and developing a national identity based in Christianity.

*Parked across from the cave complex at Vardzia*

*Homes, places of worship, food storage, libraries and wine cellars all carved into the cliffs*

*Walking our way up the cliffs to explore*

*Found a great riverside camp after a busy cultural day*

*Private enough to use our outside shower! Andy saving you all from the x-rated version.*

Entering our fifth year on the road, we still try to maintain some basic level of fitness, mostly through walking. If we are not heading to a hiking or walking destination, We scan our daily route looking for trails or walking paths. These random stops have created some enduring memories along the way - opportunistic encounters with villagers or cultural activities along local walking paths. On this day we stopped by Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park since Dawn saw some trails on the Gaia app we use for finding hikes. We ended up on a two hour jaunt through gorgeous forest and found out it was actually the first national park in the Caucuses and one of the largest in Europe - we barely scratched the surface on our drive by hike.

*Hiking break in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park*

Our final stop that day was the base of the road up Albano Pass - an iconic Georgia scenic drive. The day we had planned to drive to the top dawned rainy and cloudy - not a good omen.

*Road to Albano pass - mostly single track gravel*

*One hour in and Dawn is not feeling it*

*Where it is paved the road is literally dropping off the cliffside*

Well, the fact that we have no picture at the top should tell you something . . . We arrived at the top of the mountains socked in by blowing clouds, barely able to see the edge of the parking space. We had planned to head down the other side to Omalo to hike but in the end we were cold, tired and not feeling like the weather was going to cooperate so turned back. Some days are like that. Even in Georgia.

*Fresh marking on the hood map as we enter year five*

Impossible to imagine we have been living together in a truck camper for over four years. We often say to each other that neither of us could imagine doing it with anyone else. Not every day is unicorns and roses but we are still thriving.

The weather continued to challenge our hiking plans so we decided to take a wine country break. Georgians are proud to claim being “the birthplace of wine” based on evidence from archeological sites (verified by scientists from the US). We later found out that the Armenians beg to differ. But either way the culture of wine making in Georgia is ancient, culturally ingrained and unique.

It was on our way to the vineyards that we encountered blinker-gate and Andy’s first legitimate ticket in years. Police were hiding along a stretch of highway which made a logical turn, although you could have gone straight. We were issued a $15 ticket because he did not use his turn signal and watched as others were similarly pulled over - which at least made us feel like they weren’t targeting tourists. We were told we would have to go to a bank and pay before we left the country. Luckily we did, as at the border it came up connected to our license plate and they wanted to see our receipt of payment. It was interesting to us that in the course of the routine traffic stop in the middle of the day they had Andy blow into a breathalyzer (which he had never done before.) It was enough of a caution for him to drink lemonade at the winery - not a hardship for him since he is not a fan. Dawn happily drank his share.

*Touring the history of wine at Shumi Winery - ancient clay pot - Georgians bury them in the ground for the fermentation process*

*Map depicting Georgia spreading wine making to the rest of the world*

Still finding ways to entertain ourselves that didn’t involve trekking in a rainstorm, next we stopped by the enchanting old town of Sighnaghi, perched on a hill in Kakheti.

*Wandering the old streets of Sighnaghi*

*Complete with ancient castle walls and turrets*

*The truck always looks a little out of place in old villages*

We stopped at one more cliff monastery - Davit Gareja. Arriving early allowed us to wander on our own, high fiving each other as we left the parking lot as tour buses started rolling in.

*Davit Gareja ancient rock monastery, carved into the cliffs*

*Looking down on the solitary truck in the monastery parking lot*

Then time for city life! As we usually do in cities, we booked into a hotel in Tbilisi so that we could easily explore on foot. (There are times we actually miss those ginormous urban campgrounds common at the end of metro lines in big cities in Europe - they definitely make it easy even if they are not the most aesthetic places.)

Tbilisi matched the country of Georgia in its intriguing blend of history and cultures. The city center held contemporary malls, regal 18th century government and museum buildings, old wooden courtyards filled with families living on topsy turvy balconies, family run bakeries and gourmet cuisine. Every corner held whimsical art surprises and graffiti depicted the country’s recent internal conflict over whether to look to the EU or Russia for fiscal and military support. Young people we talked to were clear that they were ready to align with the EU. But there was also fear with Russian tanks mustering at the border and very recent armed conflict in the north with a separatist state wanting to leave Georgia and become aligned with Russia. Similar to Armenia, it was a country on the brink of change. But the city of Tbilisi felt vibrant, dynamic, and filled with hope.

We also loved the food in Georgia and had some of the best of it in Tbilisi! The bread was extraordinary - so many varieties filled with everything from beans to meat to cheese. Meat dumplings called khinkali quickly became a favorite as did their flavorful eats and stews.

Tbilisi may not have the glamor and flashiness of Paris or Prague, but it has a simple understated charm and an equal depth of history when you take the time to explore and understand its past.

*Amazing chicken - flavored with grapes*

*Classic inner courtyard with wooden balconies and washing lines*

*Beautifully carved ornamental wood everywhere in the old courtyards*

*What looks like an old clock tower is actually a contemporary sculpture*

*The Bridge of Peace, symbolizing unity and harmony*

*Visiting the rug shop - yes, we did buy one, a contemporary Georgian one made in a nearby village*

*Parked outside our guest house in Tbilisi*

*Mural painted on a private residence in old town Tbilisi*

*Street art depicting the Silk Road history*

*Dawn's favorite place - tiny bakery making loaves of crusty fresh bread for about $.30 each*

More mid 19th century architecture from the days of the Russian empire. Georgia was ruled by the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union for most of the 19th and 20th centuries, finally declaring independence in 1991.

We left Tbilisi freshly showered, laundry done and truck re-supplied with food, gas and water.

*Another along the road walking break - this one taking the back road towards a hilltop fort.*

*Side trip out of Georgia into Armenia and back (separate blog), nice modern border*

*River side wild camp along the way, just us and the cows*

Truso Valley ended up being a favorite spot for us. It was one of those magical places to camp where the stunning scenery, the quiet and even the drive in all made for a fantastic exeprience.

Initially, we were not sure what the road into the valley would be like so we parked in the hiking parking lot and set off on foot to explore.

*Abandoned stone houses in Truso Valley*

*Stunning hills - so green! So far the road is easy and local taxis are roaring by us.*

*So we decided the camping had to be better in the valley than the hiking parking lot so went back for the truck*

*Andy taking advantage of the shallow water crossing to wash the truck*

*Found our spot! Beautiful views in Truso Valley*

*One of our favorite camps - no one around after sunset*

Grocery shopping in Georgia was easy, markets were huge and well stocked (even if reading labels and figuring out ingredients was sometimes challenging). Our current mini crisis - we were out of 3 of our favorite 12 spices. Garlic, onion and red pepper flakes go in pretty much everything we make.

*Oh no - out of our favorite spices. But Carrefour to the rescue and we were all sorted out.*

*Once again able to make Andy's favorite meal - some kind of pasta with some kind of red pasta meat sauce. And cheese on top.*

Our final stop in Georgia was the Kazbegi region, anchored by the town of Stepantsminda with its iconic mountain vistas.

*Even with the scaffolding the backdrop to this ancient Gergeti Trinity Church is stunning*

*Ever grateful to be doing this together*

*View from camp - it really does not get any better*

*And a final stop in Georgia - Dawn found one last single baker shop for her last loaf of Georgian bread (she still misses that bread)*

*Filling up at a free water source - preparing to cross into Russia the next morning (more on that decision in our Armenia blog)*

Last camp in Georgia - we had been heading for a site closer to the border but it had been shut down due to border control so opted for a trailhead parking area complete with graffiti. Still mountain views though! It was also laundry night.

That’s a wrap for Georgia! It lived up to it’s reputation of having gorgeous mountains and a fascinating culture. Next we continue our route east, a little nervous about crossing into Russia and transiting as quickly as possible (only 2 nights). Driving in an American plated vehicle, we are not sure what to expect but are continuing on a wing and a prayer. Thank you for reading and following along with us.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Armenia