2019-11-20 Day 397 Wed

Mum's Birthday.

We realised that we were only 40km from a Turkish border crossing so headed for that. The sun does not get up till around 0700hrs and sets about 1700hrs We normally leave around lunchtime.

Today was a bit more like 13:30. Such a nice spot and although we are camped right on the road verge only 3 cars passed us.

Sadly because of the smoke visibility is very poor.

We drove down through the Borjomi-Kharagauli national park. Again what started out as a nice little road was soon 3 cars wide with a lot of widening being done. It was lunch time and the guys were all eating so was easy to pass all the diggers and trucks.

Just before Benara we filled with fuel putting 40lts in top tank and filling lower still didn’t finish the cash.. A guy walking past pointed out a nail in our tire we pulled it out without losing any air..

Our last church for a while.

Next we took a short cut on a very rough white road and stopped on a hill for lunch.

At Vale we stopped at a little shop to spend the rest of our cash. A 13 year old girl chatted to John in English. She was doing very well. She liked the tourist map of Australia so gave her our last one. 
 

Bought another Georgain red wine and another cognac, raisins, cocoa, can of toms and left the change with the shop lady.

Off to the border checkpoint Vale.

An easy exit although the passport lady was a bit grumpy I think she had just woken up…

Not a busy crossing , half a dozen trucks but we could go in front.

A cursory look and out of Georgia into turkey.

Turkey was also easy and they accepted both the insurance and the visa on the phone.

Both check points in under an hour.

Now for a camp. John directed me 30km’s then up through a small town and up to the comms towers. The aerials had a fence and locked gate so went back down to the switchback and camped on the side of the road.

Filled the pressure cooker with water so we’d have some for tea in the morning.

68km Camp site  2230m alt.

2019-11-19 Day 396 Tue

This morning the washing was white with frost and solid. You can just see it out the front of the vehicle. We waited around until the sun had melted most of the frost off and although not completely dry I hung them inside

John likes going high so has found us another mountain. The forecast is all good but it may rain on Thursday.

In the small town of Tkibuli we stopped for some fruit and veg. They had some good vegs we bought lettuce and cauliflower, broccoli, grapes., apples, carrots, tomato, and some of the biggest radish we have seen, the size of a tennis ball.

This small park had these three sculptures.

 

 John was very tempted to stop on this cows lead rope….

Joined main road for 6.5km and saw a fellow traveler. Bigger than us but did not get their website. First we have seen for a while.

At Sairne which has hot baths and a number of hotels, also has these pump stations which seem to have taps inside maybe it is to enable you to drink the healing waters.

 

These two pictures are part of a long mural along the roads embankment.

 

After this last church we got to a road closed sign. Turned around and asked some guys cutting a tree up beside the road. In his limited English he said closed 2WD no go, but 4x4 maybe. I asked closed because of snow and a yes so we said we’d give it a go. Has been no snow for a week and the other passes were OK.

 

 

 

 

 A really beautiful drive up. 

A bit of snow flattened by cars just before the summit but went over it in 2 wheel drive.

Parked on the side of the road.

129km Camp site  2308m alt.

Ukraine Rabbit and Prune casserole and chocolate cake for dinner.

 

2019-11-18 Day 395 Mon

I bought us the ferry tickets to Cyprus. From Tasucu. At a cost of AU$508 I also bought our Turkish Visa for US$60 each. Fill out online form pay and it is emailed to you instantly. Valid for 90 days over the next 6 months and multiple entry.

I called Barbara Shortland in NZ for a chat. I mention this as she is the only reader (I know of ) of my blog. Knowing and being reminded that someone does actually look at it occasionally makes me try to write it a bit more interestingly but I find it hard. I am not one to write my thoughts of things I see or do. Nor sure if through them not being right or accepted or just because of my upbringing where seeing all these different cultures, lifestyles, buildings etc are just “everyday”.

We left around lunch time again.

And drove up these switchbacks.

Looking back down on a dam near the town. Looks like it has filled with silt.

 

Every valley is filled with smoke, Where the gas is not piped in heating is a fire mainly fueled by animal poo, shaped into squares and dried in the sun.

Grave yards are so grand here.

Stopping near the top of a hill we filled up with water using bottles, and put some washing onto soak, taking 4 bottles of water with us.

Lovely little villages we passed through.

This guy had this water fountain and roof erected as his Legacy.

A camp by the Shaori Reservoir.

I did the washing and John pegged it out. It was very stiff when we went to bed. It is certainly cooler at night.

81km  Camp site  1151m alt

2019-11-17 Day 394 Sun

A sad day my first fly of the drone it took off. I manage to crash land by the car and the second attempt it rose 2 feet then took off out over the road and the valley where it disappeared from sight. I was not sure where it landed. So 2 mins and gone.

We spent the morning looking but to no avail. John even thought to look for the wifi on his phone. We could track the strength of its signal but that was up just near the road and on the road. Could not see it any where then it’s batteries died.

I had not expected it to just takeoff……..

Oh well AU$100 gone.

During the morning JA spoke to his sister then JY on the sat phone. No phone reception here.

Late afternoon john drove us down most of the way. The road was well used with a lot of truck activity, they were widening the road. Our nice track became roadworks.

 This lady giving her cows more water just outside her house. The animals just seem to wonder all day. On and off the roads.

 One small town had a unique architecture. All very similar with built-in verandahs and very well loved.

Found a camp once we were back on the bitumen down by the waters edge. The noise of the river drowned out what little traffic there was. 


75km  Camp site  627m alt.

2019-11-16 Day 393 Sat

Through a few short tunnels along the side of the dam.

 

In these old towns up this valley the older houses have a special fortified tower for protection from marauders I guess.

Stopping in at Mestia for lunch, having a local meat pie, a bean stew and a local sausage washed down with some good Georgian wine.

They had this neat brazier on the veranda.

Mt Ushba(?) in the distance showing how rough and rugged the mountains are. It is within a couple of km of the Russian border.

 The old and older at rest one looks retired

Wonderful road, in good condition and no other traffic.

 

Following up the river.

The last small town before the pass supposed to be the highest all year round village in Europe. Although we are not sure Georgia is in Europe.

Arriving at the pass. Not much snow. Found a camp as the sun was setting with a view of the mountains.

143km Camp site  2645m alt.