Telavi, Georgia

Today I left the luxury of my hotel room for the truck and we made our way towards Telavi, stopping at the newly renovated tourist town of Signagi along the way. The town felt very out of place, with its picture perfect facades and decorative window boxes, after all the delapidated buildings of nearby Tbilisi. There were police on every corner, maintaining the sense of peace, as hordes of Georgian tourists flocked to the newly created Pleasantville, to pose against the sparkling fountain and take a yellow tourist bus out to the boundary walls.

A huge amount of money had been spent on turning this town into an attraction, so much so, that it felt like a themed city, sterile and false, with a hint of something sinister, underneath the artificially created surface. The surrounding landscape was idyllic and resembled images of Tuscany, with terracotta roofs and green rolling hills. I sat on the fountain steps and ate my lunch, when even a cheerful dog sat beside me, well mannered and tail wagging as I tore off some scraps of bread.

Later in the afternoon we arrived at our homestay, a large family house with huge rooms and a balcony, overlooking a garden with herbs and fruit trees. We went fr a walk to the nearest town, while our host prepared a delicious meal for us, with a meaty soup, various dishes of vegetables and peppers stuffed with meat and rice. I also had a small dish of sliced mushrooms mixed with herbs. The soft drinks, however, were quite disgusting, artificial and fizzy, barely resembling the flavour that they were supposed to be. Much local wine was consumed by the others as a string of toasts were made. Part of the way through the evening the power cut off and we were in darkness. Our hosts brought out candles and we continued to eat.

The next day we said goodbye to our hosts and drove to a monestry in use by a group of nuns. Photography was not allowed and we were given long skirts to wear, on top of trousers. The main building was oppressive, with faded frescos, dimly lit by candle light and guarded by stern faced nuns. The next stop was a wine tasting experience, which a few of us decided to skip. The rest of the group came back quite merry and continued to drink throughout the day. They also filled a jerry can for the journey through the Stans, with cheap Georgian wine.

We sat up camp by the end of the afternoon in a clearing, surrounded by wooded hills and a lake. A local farmer hearded his sheep around the campsite and out towards distant pastures and a few of us gathered wood for the fire. Meat was cooked over an impromptu barbecue of hot wood with jacket potato and vegetables. It tasted divine.

Shortly after going to bed I became aware of drunken singing growing louder as a group of locals wandered around our campsite, probably curious as to who we were and wanting someone to drink with. After a while of us laying silently in our tents, they moved on and all that could be heard was the trickle of the stream.

Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi is a fusion of Western high street stores and Soviet style grocery shops, with a small selection of meats, veg and an assortment of plastic goods. The main high street has a very modern feel, with imposing architecture and interesting churches, but as soon as I stray from the main area, the side streets display a vision of chaotic wiring and crumbling facades. Many of these buildings are still habited but they look more like a scene from a shanty town, than modern Tbilisi. There is another part of town near the river, with pavement cafes and bars, providing a great atmosphere and somewhere relaxed to eat in the evenings.



The food in Tbilisi is wonderful. There is a lot of choice and salads are served to a Western standard. On the first night, I ate at a pavement cafe and ordered a potato with veg salad and a dish of chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce, accompanied by green tarragon flavoured lemonade. The waitresses here are very friendly and service has so far been with a smile. A mix of rock and pop songs are played in the background and groups of friends chat and laugh over a selection of European cuisine.

Yesterday we had a walking tour, through botanical gardens and church grounds on a hillside, which gave great views of the city. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch and continued to the modern town, passing grand Parliment buildings and an ornate theatre. Our young guide was in her final year at University and coincidently is the daughter of the family whose guesthouse that we stayed at in Mestia. This really does feel a very small country.



By mid afternoon it had started to rain and by the evening it was torrential, so I took the metro to the new town, which was clean, efficient and in cryllic. I commited the ultimate traveller sin and ate at McDonalds. I think that the last time I did this was in Prague, many years ago. Again, it was raining a lot and I hoped it wouldn't be as bad as the chain at home. So I ordered my hamburger meal and took advantage of the free wifi. The city looked really beautiful at night so I took a few photos. I took the metro back to hotel GTM and got quite soaked on the quick walk back. This morning I bought an umbrella, although today is has been hot and sunny. We have another two days in Georgia, including a night camping and a home stay.

Mestia, Georgia

The musical sound of bells can be heard, as a cow emerges from a cluster of pine trees. We trek for a few hours, through woods and large rocky landscapes, precariously negotiating my way across a stoney valley.

Both sides are forested and infront stands a glacier, dwarfed by a peak of ice. On the other side of the glacier is Russia. I pause for a while and eat my supply of cake, biscuits and turkish delight, standing in a mix of snow and grit. I try to shelter by a large rock as some of the group trek right up to the glacier. The weather begins to turn, so we head back.



We have been staying in the rural town of Mestia, after a long drive from Batumi, into the mountains.



We arrived late after a slow journey, not helped by a spring breaking on the truck. Tired and admitting defeat, we checked into a guesthouse, where within half an hour, our host had prepared a meal for us, consisting of soups, potato salad, a homemade pizza, yogurt and an incredibley sweet walnut cake. Much wine was consumed by the others and it was a fairly joyous night. In the morning we were treated to a hearty breakfast of potatoes, egg and barely wheat, at the Nino and Eka Japaridze guesthouse, before our trek into the Caucasus mountains.



By the time we arrived back in town, the leaders had nearly finished working on the truck and we had gathered quite a crowd. I sat on the park railings with some of the local kids, as cows strolled past and even a pot bellied pig. There is something quite liberating about staying in a community where animals wander freely and people toot their horns and wave, when we are camping. The people in Georgia are so friendly.



With the truck fixed, we drove a short distance out of town, to a grassy field and pitched our tents. I heard the distant sound of buzzing which was rapidly getting louder. Some of the guys were sitting around the camp fire, blissfully unaware and after a brief moment of panic, we jumped into the back of the truck, as a swarm of either wasps or bees flew by. After returning to the field, we soon had company in the form of a drooling dog, who kept his distance while staring intently at the food being prepared. A group of children also appeared, who lit their own camp fire and proceeded to jump over it. As night fell, the children left but we were surrounded by dogs and cows. I fell asleep quickly and all to soon it was morning and time to pack our tents and drive back to Kutasi, which we had stopped at a few days earlier.

Batumi, Georgia

We made it into Georgia, after a lengthy police stop and much waiting for the truck to get through the border crossing. We have stopped in the town of Batumi, an interesting town with a port and many individual stalls. The people have a very different face shape to Turkey and so far have been lovely.

I took a few photos in one of the side streets of various merchants, including one of myself and a flower seller. For lunch we found a pavement cafe where I ordered grey mullet fish and bread. Many of the items on the menu were unavailable, but the meal was delicious and our hosts were appreciative of our custom. It's been a relaxing day, with a stroll along the sea front and various wandering through streets. There is noticeably more povety here, with many people begging and even a baby left on the street, to attract money. However, Georgia looks like a fascinating country, which I shall see more of soon. Tomorrow we leave Batumi for our homestay.