Dienstag, 30. Juli 2013

Day 42 – 44: somewhere behind Batumi - Mestia

We decided to spend some days in Svanetia, a valley of the Kaukasus on the Russian border and selected as UNESCO world heritage, before then heading to Tbilisi on Friday. Distances in Georgia are fortunately not comparable to distances in Turkey so we were optimistic to soon get to the main mountaineering trailhead of Svanetia, the village Mestia. 

We packed our stuff in pouring rain (all four of us were not unhappy about some fresh and cool air to thooth the little pressure behind our eyes). While we stopped at several gas stations, trying to find a map of Georgia larger than postcard size, the rain got heavier and heavier and soon the streets were under water. The cows aside of the roads had to stop eating to catch some air from time to time.
Orthodox church in downtown Poti.

Deep puddles aside the road...

And on the road.

Trying to find a map.


Our guidebook said: "the main traffic problem is caused by cattle". This time, the cows decided to stay on the side.





The two bikers initially wanted to get off at the road leading to Tiblisi, but the dark clouds over us and ankle-deep puddles in the street made them change their mind. We planned to drive up to the mountains, and the two happily accepted our offered lift to escape the torrents. Up through georgious georgian landscape and past a huge dam, we found a place to stay for the night on a plateau near a small waterfall.
The next day again started with some driving until we reached Mestia.


One half of the village looked as if it was build within the last 2 years, all new nicely built stone houses but all empty. We wandered around a bit, went to the tourist office (english speaking, but did not get any information) and looked for some food.


At the restaurant, as soon as we sat down at a table next to a bunch of soldiers the waitress turned up the volume of the music and we listended to Tina Turner and some Georgian and Russian smash hits until our ears rang again.


The food was again georgious! We had two different Kadjapuris (Georgian Cheese Pizza, as Gia had explained us), kingalis (dough pockets filled with meat and brew) Kortane (a bean stew), Adjabsandali (pickled vegetables) and eggplant with walnut topping. Mudseli!


Well fed (once again!) we started our biking tour for the afternoon. We wanted to go up to a glacier at the end of a small side valley and decided to go by bike as far as possible.


still with Kalimero, the way into the Glacier valley.

But then switching to 1-wheel drive.




On the way, the Georgian soldiers pointed the way with a certain smile, telling us with hand-signs that is would not be what they perceive as a perfect bikepath.



Well, we considered it a very nice trail, but several Georgians intruingingly tried to convince us that is was absolutely impossible to go on, pushing or carrying the bikes. After about half an hour more, we partially agreed and left our bikes – only David carried on for about 20 more minutes before we reached the glacier.

A Georgian, not seeing the point in David's bike carrying. So, he offered him a beer. Georgian hospitality.

Just for the photo... and it IS possible to go to the glacier with the bike.


There, we met some Georgians with flipflops and t-shirts, lighting a fire in a windproof spot behind a huge glacial rock. They brought several of the 2L-beer-bottles and even glasses, and their Georgian hospitality made them invite us to at least one glass of Kazbegi beer. We stayed with them for a while, it turned out they were construction workers in Mestia village, building a new orthodox church. On their day off, they decided to go to the glacier...


The guy with the yellow cap was incredible happy that we could translate the slogan on his cap - "Steurer und Sohn Eisenmarkt".
We had a hard time to get going but after inviting our host to our campsite in turn, we finally managed to ride down the near-perfect trail the Georgian hikers had warned us about. 

Back at the car, we enjoyed some duty-free Raki with glacier ice, before a car turned over – the construction workers, ready to continue the supra. It should get midnight and need a 2L-bottle of dangerous homemade Chacha before we finally were able to go to bed. As nice as Georgians are, their alcohol consumption at supras does not work well with the sporty schedule we intended to have.




With a certain hangover by the Chacha, it was noon before the austrians departed, and we decided to stay in this beautiful place for another night.


Georgian cowbell.

Montag, 29. Juli 2013

Day 39 - 41: Of – somewhere behind Batumi: „Komm an die Tafel“

Our initial plan was to go hiking and cycling in the Kackar Dagi mountain range, but the combination of thick, low clouds and Ramadan made us change our opinion: we decided to leave Turkey after 4 weeks and to go to Georgia. 

En route to the border, we once again picked up David and Marian in the late afternoon. The border crossing itself was quickly done, and we found ourselves between lots of Georgian Mercedes, a casino and countless money-changing-liquor-dutyfree shops. Lira were changed into Lari (almost 1:1), but the numbers at the gas stations were only half as compared to Turkey. This drop in petrol price led to funny (but conclusive) pictures: Turkish cars coming to Georgia want to make their tanks as full as possible. So, the Georgian gas station staff doesn't simply fill up, they bring a small wooden ramp to drive on, to fill every cubic millimeter of tank and tank lines. Plus, wouldn't it make sense to buy a 10L-canister of drinking water, empty it completely at the side of the gas station, and use it as a petrol canister? Some Turks that did not bring canisters definitely had this opinion.





We had Kalimero filled up as well (66L of 70 possible) and went on to look for a place to eat and to sleep.


Street scence behind Batumi

Russian influence increases


We ended up at a Restaurant on the roadside, and while going back and forth to find a leveled parking spot and some dancing to Gianna Nanini blasting out of the restaurant, a Georgian car stopped next to us, with a friendly guy talking to us. He had a writing „Georgian Baseball and Softball Association“ on his car door, and it turned out that he is a representative of this association. As he spoke fluent English, he did some interpreting for us at the Restaurant, where we said we would come soon to eat. 

We parked next to some agricultural building and unloaded the Austrians' luggage, as Katha (standing next to Kalimero) was waved over by two guys sitting in a small shack with open windows. 
The two workers at the farm just had dinner and invited us without hesitation to come into the small hut. Dishes and glasses were put in front of us, and we immediately had a full meal and Georgian wine served. It was one of the most delicious meals we ever had, and although we hesitated to eat (we – 4 people - did not want to take away their meals, plus we had planned to go to the restaurant we slept in front of), we were quite full after over an hour and 3 bottles of wine. Both did not speak English, but it turned out the older one was in Germany in 1968 as a soldier („Magdeburg, Magdeburg, eing-swei-drei“), and the younger one learned some German at school – 20 years ago. So, the conversation was rather done with hand, feet, paper and pen and our „Ohne-Wörter-Buch“. We couldn't stop laughing when, after some wine, the younger one seemed to remember more and more of his learned words, and suddenly muttered „Komm an die Tafel“ (come to the board) in accent-free German. 



After quite some time, we decided to go to the restaurant (where we had to confess that we only need food for two). Gia, the Georgian Baseball guy, sat there and waited for some friends, and he told us to sit at one big table and eat together. 



Next to us, the party already started quite some time ago


Next to the Restaurant, there were some bungalows, and a junior water polo sports team was just having their training camp here. The coaches came to eat with us after their team meeting. 



Gia, our tamada

Gia explained a lot about Georgian culture and food, and we – once again – were given substantial amounts of Georgian wine. He warned us not to drink the same speed as Georgians do – but still, he immediately poured in new wine once the glass might get empty in one of the countless toasts. In Georgia, one guy at a „supra“ (dinner/party) is elected toastmaster, "tamada", and he then announces all kinds of things to drink on.



interpreting help badly needed!

But finally (and with Gia's help), we managed to get even more stuffed.




This went on until about 2am before we went to bed – no surprise it was almost noon before we got up the next morning.

handwashing place at the restaurant

Day 37 – 39: Ordu – Of: The eastern Black Sea coast and its main attractions

The next morning, we had to do some burocracy: we had applied for Iranian visa in the Munich consulate two weeks ago, and their internet page claimed 2 days of express issueing time. We called , and were unfortunately told that we would not get our visa before August. As we need India and Pakistan visa as well (also both from Munich), this timeframe was too long for us. Because of the elections in June, nobody could reliably tell how and when visa were available. Trabzon has an Iranian consul who is known for issueing them quickly, so we decided to give it a try and go there.

Trabzon is a relatively unspectacular conservative city, so we tried to minimize our time here. We stood in front of the consulate when it openend and met Marian and David, the 2 austrian cyclists again. As they were told to get their visa the same day, we decided to cancel our Munich application and also get them here. 7 hours and a lazy Trabzon day later (as it is Ramadan, the city was full of men sitting at empty tables, waiting for dawn), we had the fresh stickers in our passports and a smile in our face. A bunch of foreigners was waiting with us at 5pm in front of the embassy, and we couldn't avoid the feeling that the main reason for a tourist visit to Trabzon is the Iranian consulate.

Water fountains in front of Atatürk in tropical-humid Trabzon centre

Ramadaning men waiting for the sun to go down. No night, no tea.

We did not ramadanize, so we bought some tea at a viewpoint above the city (where we also stayed overnight). As we are the only ones drinking it, we had to buy a whole samovar.

LOTS of tea in the small pot
And coal inside to keep the water warm - you pour it into your glass to dilute the strong tea.


The Iranian Consulate - THE main attraction for tourists to come to Trabzon.

And again, ramadanizing men sitting around and waiting.

The local Dolmus look angry to freighten poor Kalimero.

But the area has more to offer: after a decent night at a cafe above the city (the tourist information staff gave us the tip), we drove up into the mountains behind Trabzon and visited Sümela, an old orthodox monastery in a spectacular location under a huge mountain face. The thrilling architecture and the wonderful frescos between green hills, mist and low clouds were really wonderful.

Misty weather and Sümela Monastery.



Amazing frescos in the rock churches.


This one is approx. 2x2m in size.
Unfortunately, many of the frescos are severly damaged by vandalism. Many of the painted figures had their eyes and faces scratched out, which we attributed to some religious conflicts, but other scratches were just the plain name-and-date-vandalism.

No difference in people or cultures - Turks did it.

And Greeks as well, when they were here. What do you think when scratching your name over a 1000-year-old painting?

On our way further east in the afternoon, we saw the two Austrian cyclists on the coastal highway and picked them up for some 50km. For the night, we stayed at a former school in green hills above the small city Of.



Kalimero is soooo big.



Of is at the end of a valley where another touristic attraction of the area is located: Uzungöl is said to be a picturesque lake in the mountains, and the family at the Ordu Beach suggested us to go there. Indeed, the spot was very beautiful, but hiking or mountainbiking seemed rather unattractive to us, as the clouds were again very low. Plus, as it was Ramadan and the Eastern Black Sea region is quite conservative, the streets were completely empty. So, we decided to go back down and head further east.



Cay terraces around Rize.