Blogs from Kutaisi, Western Georgia, Georgia, Asia - page 2

Geo: 42.264, 42.70750600 hrs Monday: A flurry of activity as we get ready for an early start. Today we are heading to Kutasi in Western Georgia some 200 miles away. You will of course be aware that this City is built around the the Rioni River and I have no doubt your are keen to see how the refurbishment of the Bagrati Cathederal is getting on!Tbilisi has been a great 2 day stopover. The Group are now fragmenting into two or three camps. Barriers are coming down and to be frank, there are already frank conversations about who likes who etc......dangerous stuff! I don't think WW3 will break out but we are not so chummy as last week! "Old Boy" manages to stray onto a railway line yesterday afternoon just as a freight train makes an ... read more

3rd May Leaving the Black Sea coast we're heading inland and stopped at the amazing Prometheus Caves, only discovered in 1984. Requiring a guide, we were ushered down the stairs and into the mouth of the cave. Over 1400m long and with 17 chambers, the cave was impressive from the start with huge stalagmites and stalactites, some still growing. I saw our guide for a few minutes in the first chamber but he set such a speed that I didn't bother trying to keep up, preferring to take photos and actually look at the surroundings. A few others trailed along at various speeds also and I thoroughly the peace and quiet that came with being on my own. Our arrival into Kutaisi today didn't go unnoticed, especially on the side streets we had to take to ... read more

Geo: 42.264, 42.7075I have left this as being in Kutaisi to make sense of the map, though I'm really in Tbilisi again. Back in Tbilisi for an evening and a day, chance to go to the traditional architecture museum and will fill an evening with the marionette theatre (subtitles in English) before heading off back up the military Highway and into Russia on Monday, assuming all goes to plan. My guide here has written out for me in Russian everything I need when I get to Vladikavkaz station, cancel one ticket I'm not using (Sochi to Rostov) and buy Vladikavkaz to Rostov and Rostov to Kiev. So here I am about halfway through the trip, in time if not yet degrees of the circle. Done a lot of travelling as a car passenger in the last ... read more

Rano znów całe góry w słońcu. Z okna pokoju obserwujemy, jak Kazbeg zmienia kolor. Walczymy przy śniadaniu o najlepsze miejsce - z widokiem. Nerwowo biegamy po aparaty, żeby uchwycić moment, gdy i Kazbeg, i monastyr będą w słońcu. Podgryzamy wędzone sardynki. A może to szprotki? W miasteczku panuje ta sama senność, co wieczorem. Krowy od świtu wałęsają się po ulicach, kobiety zamiatają liście, wiatr liście rozwiewa, ale chyba nic ciekawszego do roboty nie mają, niż ich powtórne zamiecenie. Jest około 0 stopni. Domy pozostają do 10.00 jest w cieniu i jedyną sensowną aktywnością jest siedzenie i gapienie się, jak góra Kazbeg zmienia kolor. Opuszczając Kaukaz, przekręcamy ciągle szyje do tyłu, żeby jak najdłużej widzieć szczyty. Wydaje się, że tuman na jakiś czas nas opuscił, bo gdy wjeżdzamy do Gori jest piękne słońce, a w ogrodzie muzeum ... read more

Dagen etter hviledagen i Kutaisi var det fremdeles meningsløst kraftig motvind, men vi kunne ikke bli der lenger, og tok fatt på veien videre østover. Det gikk meningsløst treigt treigt, og vi var i tvil om vi i det hele tatt ville klare den planlagte etappen på ca 10 mil før det ble mørkt. Det ville nok vært mulig å finne et krypinn i Zestaponi ca halvveis, men byen virket lite fristende, så vi hamstret vann og croissanter og fortsatte. Etter Zestaponi begynte stigningen mot en fjellovergang på knappe 1000 m. Fjellandet Georgia er ikke bare omgitt av noen av Europas høyeste fjell langs grensene i nord og sør,de har noen akseptable rygger som skiller kysten fra innlandet også. Faktisk gikk syklingen bedre da vi begynte på stigningen, siden vinden var roligere enn ute på ... read more