28 May 2010

Tbilisi, Georgia





So we rolled into Georgia's capital in time for lunch and checked into a very nice hotel in the centre of the city. The room's even got air con and a balcony. Although everyone enjoys the luxury of the hotels you do find yourself not seeing much of the group as everyone is scattered everywhere. I think though after 6 bush camps in 7 nights not many will be complaining about the unlimited supply of hot water!

I spent the first day having a potter around the city but the traffic is chaos as the 26th May is Georgian Independence day and you find yourself just waiting to be run over as you cross 5 lanes of crazy drivers. The evening was spent at an Irish American bar where everyone could choose some more homely food which was nice. Ben was very happy with his pancakes and Vermont maple syrup.

Independence day was also Roberta's and James' birthday and I woke up with food poisoning. Everyone else went out to see military parades and the opening of a new ultra modern foot bridge whilst I spent it in bed. Managed to drag myself out for some food in the eve but it was pretty much a wasted day.

Feeling slightly better I joined the others for Zaza's walking tour to the Tsminda Sameba cathedral which was huge and to the fort for good views of the city. It was good to get out but I think most were struggling with the uphill climbing in the heat of the day. In the afternoon I planned to find the shops to get some bits and pieces- sunglasses, flip flops, some more toiletries and clothes before we get into much more remote countries but a metro trip and a lot of walking later I came to the conclusion that there isn't any. Will have to make do with what I've got!

To celebrate Kylie's birthday we had planned to go out for a group meal but the restaurant cancelled last minute in order to take a wedding booking so we all went separate ways. some of us ate in the KGB bar and then went to a jazz bar but it was generally a quite night all round.

We have one more bush camp enroute to the Azerbaijan border and then that's Georgia done. It's been a very quick 15 days but I think everyone's had a brilliant time and I've especially enjoyed the countryside.

26 May 2010

Telavi, Georgia







Kirsten's birthday and it brought the sun back as we headed towards Telavi where we had a homestay. We arrived in the middle of a huge storm and everyone was much relieved that we were not camping and were to stay in a deceptively large and grand house. Another huge feast was thrown topped off by the local wine and a 12 egg birthday cake (how you order them here!).

The next morning was free to walk around Telavi which the crew bought food and the on truck bar was stocked up. We then headed down the road for 2 very different wine tasting. The first was very informal as we tried 5 different wines in an old couples back yard. Was pretty interesting too and we bought 40 litres from them (not going to last long!). The second winery was more of a here's a glass of wine and have some strawberries place and very much more fancy. That evening we bush camped in a village field. This region of Georgia is definitely the rainy and windy part. The tents and us survived though.

We had a full day at the bush camp as the day was filled with party preparation. Pete and Zaza had order a lamb and had invited some of the locals to join us. Some of us cleared out the truck and sat in the sun whilst the boys played football against the locals and Pete, zaza, mike and Neill put a lot of TLC in to the spit.

6 hours later and we had the locals and the food ready. The lamb was tasty and completely different to lamb eaten before so I'm glad I tried it even if there was some reluctance! The locals were nice but making conversation was more than an effort as they didn't speak any English and we didn't know any Georgian. I managed to figure out that i was very tall and some man telling me that it was too cold to wear flip flops and it was!

Good evening and many of us nursing hangovers on the truck journey to Tbilisi the next day!

Photos: wine tasting. mike and the lamb.

Kazbegi, Georgia









We headed to Kazbegi along the Russian Military Highway (highway being a very loose phrase!). The highway is closed from Kazbegi to Tbilisi due to the closed Russian border so we will have to do some backtracking after the stay in Kazbegi.

Camping in the foot valley of Mt Kazbeg everyone was pleased with the beautiful location and we set up a shower tent so that we could have a hot electric shower. I think we were all starting to smell! After a very cold night we all walked to the Samba church at 2200m. A nice easy walk but I ended up getting separated from the group and got a little lost. My dodgy sense of direction eventually pushed me in the right direction... luckily! Good views from the church over the town and a leisurely walk down hill in time for lunch. That evening we had very heavy rain and gales. We all new that we were lucky to have survived 5 weeks seeing very little!

photos: Samba church. Tight on the rules- mike found out eating and drinking can also be added. Enroute breaks.

Gori, Georgia





We stopped for a few hours in Gori, birthplace of Stalin. The truck dropped us off in the centre of town in order to take Nick to hospital (broken toe) after the compulsory photo of Stalin looking over the truck was taken. Being before 9am nothing was open but the gathering crowd outside the main square coffee shop was enough to make the owners open early. Coffee and cake later we headed to the Stalin museum where we had a tour. I think everyone was pretty disappointed with the museum as our English speaking guide basically regurgitated Wikipedia and pointed to a few photos. We did get to have a look around his parents house and his private railway carriage though.

Photos: enjoying the cake. The stalin museum.

Bush camps galore- Kutaisi, Uplistsikhe.







We had the morning to walk around Mestia, where there was nothing really apart from the sweet shop. I bought a kilo in the excitement of not seeing sweets through Turkey! We headed back down the windy mountain pass which was a long day made longer by a truck blocking the road. With little effort our truck towed it out the way and narrowly squeezed through. We stopped in a town to drop off Rich, Kaye and Darrell at the train station. They were all heading to Tbilisi. Darrell had to fly back to London for a week and Kaye was going to get her Chinese visa at the embassy. We finally rolled into our bush camp near Kutaisi on the banks of the Mtkvari river. Much to my pleasure the camp was covered in fireflies all glowing away.

After breakfast with the pigs and cows and a look around a ruined fort we headed into Kutaisi, Georgia's second biggest city to stock up on food at the huge market. The old town was nice but there wasn't much to do and like all of Georgia's town and cities everything was covered in scaffolding! That night we camped near Gori in a village called Uplistsikhe and I suffered the sad loss of a flip flop.

photos: Pete reading to the pig (?) in Kutaisi bush camp. In Mestia outside the the sweet shop. Mestia siege tower dominating the village.

17 May 2010

Mestia, Georgia





Onto Mestia with the majority of the truck feeling a little worse for wear. Mestia is a little mountain village in the Caucasus with a mammoth drive to it (10hours) along a narrow mountain road. Amazing views which where seen from the roof seats but it was tiring and everyone was glad to get to Nino's homestay where we were to be fed alot including some very nice cake (which she also serves for breakfast)!

Today, there were 2 walks on offer and a trip to the highest inhabited village in Europe (if Georgia can be classed as Europe!). 8 of us had a nice but not too strenuous walk to a glacier. We had a 'jeep' trip to the base of the walk. The 'jeep' was a very old van so I was pretty glad that we didn't go far and all of us was amazed that it could get through the meltwater streams and rivers. The glacier was spectacular but we couldn't get too far on it due to it melting creating landslides and avalanches. It was absolutely silent apart from the cracking sound of the ice. Still can't get over scorching heat and then walking over meters of snow!

We are heading back downhill tomorrow with 2 bush camps enroute. Should be fun!

Batumi, Georgia





It turns out that the early night in Sumela wasn't so early after all as a laptop was stolen and we ended up calling the police. Amount 12 of the army turned up, guns and all. It turns out that they met Darrell and Ned at the monastery earlier. All was sorted in the morning as the laptop mysteriously reappeared.

So it was smiles all round we headed to the Georgian border and onto Batumi. We thought the border would cause problems but we were all through it in 30 minutes and we met up with our local guide Zaza. Batumi, apparently is a top tourist destination for the Georgians. I don't quite believe that as it was a building site. We didn't get far through the town so stopped on the 'prom' for drinks. Saw dolphins playing just off shore which was pretty cool.

Our accommodation for the night was a ship hotel which was really fun. We had dinner plans in a ship restaurant (they like their boats here!). 25 of us to the table and a huge mass of food which keeps coming. Food was Delicious, toasts made, dodgy dancing and cheap wine. Good night had by all!

14 May 2010

Bush camps, Trabzon and Sumela









Our last night in Goreme was spent in a restaurant eating a traditional stew. The stew is cooked in an individual clay pot and then the pot is brought to the table and you crack the top off with a knife. Fun was had by all. A few drinks in the Flintstones cave bar and then a huge walk uphill to the campsite completed our stay in Goreme.

We had 2 planned nights of bush camping as we head into the mountains. We had a short stop in the village of Zara and passed our first planned camping location too early to camp (we don't want the locals to know we are camping there) so we drove further to find a spot later in the afternoon. After driving up and down the mountain passes we stopped to camp on the snow line (2200meters) in a little patch at the side of the road. It was getting dark and thick mist was blowing in so I was pretty glad to stop. Freezing night but I think that everyone appreciated the views in the morning!

The second bush camp was in the back garden of road side restaurant near Giresun. We only drove 2 hours in the morning so some of us headed out for a stroll by the river. On our way back we passed a little village. The locals were fascinated by our presence and invited us to join them for tea. We accepted and joined them outside. The post office man even brought me out a chair to sit on. It turned out that it was the owner of the cheese shop that we were talking to. We tried some sheep's milk cheese and decided to buy some for lunch. He was so generous and gave us it as a gift. I reckon that it will be the last blonde haired girl he'll come across in a while!

I am currently in Sumela where we arrived yesterday. On route we stopped for the majority of the day in Trabzon. Trabzon is a typical Turkish un-touristy city so it was nice to not be hassled walking down the street by people trying to sell you tourist tat. There wasn't much to do but it gave us chance to stock up on some bits and bobs before Georgia. This side of Turkey it seems that Westerner are a bit of a novelty. The amount of kids that walk past you and giggle and point. Even the road users will give a wave.

This morning it has been hot and we visited Sumela monastery which has been carved into a cliff face. 30 minutes of uneven walking uphill and I nearly killed myself- must cut out all the cake! It was nice to get out for a walk but I was a little disappointed by the monastery itself as you couldn't walk around much of it. The fresco's were beautiful though despite being grafittied. This afternoon I've carried out my job of truck cleaning and cleaned the fridge...exciting stuff! Probably an early night as we head to the Georgian boarder tomorrow.

Oh, this campsite has the oddest bathroom. A shower over a toilet...not too convinced how clean you get.

Photos: Snowy bush camp, Ned and girlfriend enjoying the snow, Sumela outside and inside.

10 May 2010

Goreme, Turkey











After a couple of nights and relaxed days in the non touristy Black Sea town of Akcakoca we had a long drive to the tourist haven of Goreme in Cappadocia, central Turkey. The scenery was amazing as we headed inland. Despite my mammoth naps I saw snow capped mountains and huge lakes surrounded by salt flats. Really beautiful.

Despite the drive everyone was glad to be here amongst the rock formations and even more thankful to be travelling with Odyssey as we met the UK to Oz truck which was having more than a few problems on route. Unfortunately Ned (the gnome) suffered a broken leg and neck in 2 separate accidents today. He's undergone some temporary surgery though.

The first of two days in Goreme was spent with an early morning hot air balloon trip. We were in the sky for about an hour and saw the famous rock formations in a completely different perspective and the volcano that created them. It was definitely worth the early start though we couldn't see the sunrise due to cloud.

The whole group then went on a bus tour, stopping at various sights in the area. We wandered around the 'fairy chimneys' which are tuff which has been covered in a lava and then eroded into the crazy chimney shapes. People have then carved houses and churches into them. We also had a tour around an underground city which was really interesting. They were huge and the one we visited could hold 7000 people and had 12 levels. It would definitely be easier to be over a foot shorter if living there though!

We had a buffet lunch with so much Turkish delight and then a trip to a pottery shop and local town. There was some heavy rain in the evening so we ate our tea in an underground cave under the campsite which was pretty cool.

I am still in Goreme today but relaxing this morning and getting some washing done whilst some of the group go quad biking. I decided it would be sensible to give it a miss. would hate to end up in hospital this early into the trip! I'm off to a carpet demonstration this afternoon as apparently the carpets are unique here. Also provides a free lunch! This evening we are going into town for a traditional Turkish meal and a few drinks. It won't be a late on though as we have a 7am leave for two nights bush camp tomorrow.

photos: view from campsite on Black sea coast. Volcano in Cappadocia. Ned has a great time.

5 May 2010

Istanbul, Turkey















The last European city and what a contrast to the others!
We left the Bulgarian bush camp very early in order to get to the Turkish boarder. All the truck passengers got through but the truck took 6 hours to get cleared through so we had a lot of time sitting on the concrete in no mans land. We met some interesting people who came to chat- some rally drivers racing from Germany to Jordan and a bunch of people driving to Istanbul from London. It made the day a little easier but after a full day of travel we reached Istanbul and checked into the hostel late evening. Everyone thankful to have got here!

The following morning I was woken by the call to prayer. The hostel is located right in the city centre so it was easy to explore the city without the hassle of figuring out the public transport.

A small group of us got a guided tour around Aya Sofya. This mosque was so interesting as it was initially a church and later converted to a mosque. This meant that there is christian images around which was a little odd. very decorative and huge!

After Aya Sofya we walked across the square to the Blue Mosque which you are allowed to walk around if prayer is not taken place. It was beautifully decorated with flowery patterns, kind of like wallpaper in a stately home. It was very well organised with bags to carry shoes in and scarfs to cover up in.

We later visited the Basilica Cistern which was pretty good. The huge space was filled with 336 marble columns, two with Medusa heads at the base- que the tourist queues. We then walked down the promenade to the fish market where the others had a fish sandwich- smelt and looked rank. I had a chocolate bar and ice cream for lunch.

The Grand bazaar was disappointing (perhaps because I know if I bought something I would have to carry it). It was filled with traditional gifts but it was all much the same and similar to the streets out side. We only spent ten minutes in there but it was enough time to get completely disorientated so we spent ages trying to find our way back to the main road!

The end of the first day was completed with a kebab meal in a restaurant underneath the bridge so we had great views of the mosques across the water.

Day 2 has been a little more relaxed. I went to Topkapi palace, home of the sultans in the morning. It was very crowded with school groups and cruise shippers so I spent a long time waiting to see things. There was very impressive tiled rooms and jewellery with lots of gems. The afternoon was spent with a look around the very colourful spice market and a boat trip on the Bosforus. The boat was good as we did see lots of nice waterfront houses and mosques but there was no commentary so we didn't know what we where looking at!

This evening I think everyone is going to watch a light show on the Blue Mosque which should be good. Travel to the Black Sea tomorrow.

Photos: Me in the palace, Blue mosque with 6 minarets, inside Aya Sofya

4 May 2010

Veleko Tarnova and bush camp, Bulgaria







We left Romania and had a simple 20 minute boarder crossing into Bulgaria. We camped in a very picturesque campsite in a little village which was pretty hard to find given that our directions where in English but all the signs where in Cyrillic. It was really nice to stay somewhere with no tourists and just relax in the sun.

We spent a morning exploring Veleko Tarnovo which is small but has a large hill fort built in the 1970's on top of medieval ruins. There was a very small church at the top which didn't have the traditional decor inside. The walls were painted in a variety of greys with very strong lines and the images where modern. In the afternoon we headed to our bush camp which was 3 hrs from the Turkish boarder. After a few hitches (driving the wrong way up the highway and trying to find flattish ground) we camped on the edge of a lake where some of the boys enjoyed a canoe.

Early night. I got my foot stuck in a puddle on the way to find a bush pee site. After a cry for help Rich thankfully camp to the rescue. Don't know what I would have done if he didn't!

1 May 2010

Bucharest, Romania





Lazy morning and we headed into the city centre by bus in the afternoon. Chaos! We were stuck in traffic and it was baking hot and then our bus stop directions were wrong so we ended up miles off course.

Getting stressed we stopped for pizza and beer for lunch and then headed to the Parliament Palace. we luckily managed to get the last English language tour of the day after we walked around the entire edge of the palace grounds (1.5 miles) trying to find the entrance. The palace was huge the 2nd biggest admin centre after the Pentagon. The palace was super impressive- huge amount of marble and everything matched perfectly.

In the evening we met up with the whole group for a traditional Romanian evening it a beautiful carved building. I had chicken and chips. I also tried pate- yuk!
A few drinks later and we got a taxi in the early morning. An experience trying to find the campsite!

We spent 3 nights in Bucharest. Not a very pretty city and I wouldn't come back. I actually think everyone was pretty glad to leave.

We have moved onto a English run campsite in Veliko Tarnova. It's been nice to chill out in the sun. its been about 29 degrees today.

Sighisoara, Romania











After a great nights sleep in the hotel I woke up to lots of rain but still rambled into the town centre for a bit of a nose. The town was full of lovely little cobbled streets and very old, traditional buildings. Saw some huge snails in a graveyard. Random ping pong ball fell out the sky straight past my head- oddest experience!

We were to spend the afternoon travelling to Brasov to visit Rasnov castle and then bush camp in the evening. Unfortunately the castle was unexpectedly closed so we pushed on to Bucharest to camp there, arriving about 9pm.

Passed through some really beautiful mist covered valleys and snow covered mountains and some scattered nodding donkeys on the plains.