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Steven CoeSteven Coe
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traveled in 9 countries Read more
  • TravelerBrisbane to Manchester
    Day 54–55

    Goris/Tatev Roadtrip

    April 21 in Armenia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    📌 We set off early out of Yerevan for our 4 hour roadtrip to the mountains of the south of Armenia. It was interesting driving through the country for a number of reasons;
    1. Roads are horrible, pot holes literally everywhere and where potholes are getting fixed, they have cut a chunk out of the road to be filled, but have not yet filled it. So basically you drive on the wrong side of the road a lot and have fun around trucks.
    2. The tensions with Azerbaijan meant there was a war over territory around the borders in 2020 and driving near the border is an unfamiliar feeling.
    3. Lots of Russian soldiers in trucks driving around as they are stationed in the area to keep the peace apparently.
    4. The close proximity to Iran, a country with so much happening right now, and we were approximately an hour away

    📌 All in all the drive was fun and really beautiful due to the mountains, including mount Ararat which the bible lovers think is where Noah's Ark landed.

    📌 We arrived in Goris and headed for the wings of Tatev, the world's longest tramway through some mountains to a monastery. It's 5km approx and offers some awesome views. The Monastery was from 10th century but it was pretty similar to some other ones we had seen, so we had a look around and moved on. We found a random hotel with a restaurant that had beautiful views over the valleys and enjoyed some Armenian/Russian lunch.

    📌 In the afternoon we headed back to Goris where we met our host Marietta, she welcomed us with a hug and said welcome my son and daughter. She was lovely! That night she made us home made dinner of Armenian specialities all sourced from her garden or the area. She even gave us home made vodka and wine. It was so nice to have a home cooked meal.

    📌 The next morning we were treated to a delicious breakfast in Mariettas veggie garden and after many hugs we set off on another fun road to a nearby attraction. We visited an old town where people lived in caves until approximately 1960, it was in a beautiful location with a fun swinging bridge across the gorge.    Read more

  • TravelerBrisbane to Manchester
    Day 52–54

    Yerevan

    April 19 in Armenia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    📌 A visit to another Caucasus country, Armenia! This was also occupied by the Soviets and our arrival came with a fun minivan trip across the border and into the capital of Armenia thanks to some more crazy driving.

    📌 We started our trip with a traditional Armenian meal, the cuisine was similar to Turkish and Georgian. It is mostly meat based but they did have more variety then Turkey. This restaurant was good fun, they had some singing and traditional music which even got some locals up from the table.

    📌 Day 2 involved a visit to the genocide museum, a horrible event in Armenian history centred around the Ottoman/Turkish genocide against Armenians occupying eastern Anatolia (now turkey). The worst part is, Turkey does not officially recognise the crimes committed.

    📌 We finished day 2 with a walking tour of the city, the guy was a character, he was fixated on whether people were married (apparently very important to Armenians). The Aussie guy on the tour was great to have a chat with, whilst the Americans were too serious as usual ☺️. It was interesting to hear the political tensions between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, and therefore how they must still rely on Russia for many things despite them previously occupying the country during the Soviet era.

    📌We ended the day by picking up a rental car and we were in for a treat, driving around another crazy driving country.    Read more

  • TravelerBrisbane to Manchester
    Day 51–52

    Tbilisi: stop over

    April 18 in Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    📌 A very hungover morning meant we were both dreading the drive back to Tbilisi. We had somehow managed to organise a lift with the neighbour who was going that way and he ofcourse was leaving at 7.30am. He was a nice man but he drove like crazy and his car ran on gas, this meant I was soon asking to stop as I had to vomit on the side of the road. Luckily this only happened once.

    📌 We arrived in Tbilisi and thankfully we had booked some really nice quiet, clean accommodation that let us check in early. We soon had delivery Maccas, and did that come and nuggets go down and absolute treat! This was accompanied by some supernatural and was the perfect do nothing morning.

    📌 We figured we eventually should leave the room, we went and found some Kombucha at a cafe to try and get our bodies back on track and we went looking for souvenirs. The day ended with some delicious Mexican and some fond memories of Georgia and Tbilisi.    Read more

  • TravelerBrisbane to Manchester
    Day 49–51

    Telavi: Khaketi Wine Region

    April 16 in Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    📌 Another gotrip got us from Kazbegi to Telavi through some beautiful countryside of mountains, lakes and spring trees. The ride was 5 hours but we were welcomed to another lovely guesthouse in the small town of Telavi. We were keen to try some of the wine from the oldest wine makers in the world.

    📌 We organized a driver name Mamuka who was from the area thanks to a tripadvisor forum and he drove us around for the day for 50$. Bargain! We started at a winery that he knew, being off season it was very quiet, so essentially we were getting a private tour and private tasting. They're very generous, a tasting includes essentially free pour wine once a glass is finished, plus cheese and biscuits. They showed us how they make the wine in these large terracotta pots known as Qveri which are buried in the ground for months. We then went to a larger more industrial winery/warehouse which was equally as good due to their nice garden, sitting amongst the vines on a 25 degree day was perfect.

    📌 We attempted to visit a third winery I had seen on Google but as we got there the owner was extremely pushy speaking Russian to our driver, once we left after he starts shouting kangaroo at us, the driver tells us that he was drunk. We ended up at Mamauka's recommendation, a winery run by an 80 year old man known as Shota. We were shown around the Qveri area and we were seated out on the balcony overlooking the mountains, us, mamuka and Shota, basically it felt like we were at a friend's house. The afternoon went on and Shota asked us to toast and with each toast you had to skull your wine. We were winning him over with our Australian drinking ways and he started saying "Steven" and pointing to my glass to finish and get more. Everyone was having a good time and then came out the local spirit known as ChaCha, soon shots were being had and stories about the Soviet union were being told. Eventually we had to leave as we were way to drunk and Shota somehow had to keep hosting some Russians. This was the most authentic experience we had to far.

    📌 The day ended with us back at the guesthouse where we were given more wine by the hosts and we sat on the balcony drunkenly talking to some Georgian people our age and Mamuka who had stuck around as he coincidentally was good friends with host of the property. The night finished with some trips to the bathroom vomiting (both of us) and some very dizzy sleeping.    Read more

  • TravelerBrisbane to Manchester
    Day 47–49

    Kazbegi; The mountains near Russia

    April 14 in Georgia ⋅ 🌫 0 °C

    📌 We travelled to Kazbegi/Stepansminda with a gotrip driver (super convenient) named Vano who was Russian but was able to use hand signals and understand when we wished to stop. We drove a couple of hours through beautiful landscapes of snowy mountains on some sketchy roads. There were tunnels through mountains pitch black or avalanches that had closed off parts of the road. This was a main highway between Russia and Georgia also, so there were heaps of trucks from Russia and central Asia.

    📌 We arrived in Kazbegi, a quiet town with many trucks waiting to cross the border, surrounded by huge mountains on both sides. The accommodation was a really nice guesthouse that we basically had to ourselves.

    📌 We started day 1 with lunch at a local place, it was basically a little shack with a guy bringing us home made wine and delicious khinkali dumplings. We then walked into the square where a taxi driver soon approached and asked us in broken English where to go, we suggested some waterfalls nearby and off we went. As per standard he was a crazy driver but he was nice and he kept pointing at things saying "it's nice, it's nice". The waterfalls were beautiful, it was nice to be in rugged nature. Interestingly, the falls were not far from the Russian border so trucks lined the side of the road as only 50 or so can pass per day and some trucks can line the road for days.

    📌 Day 2 was our full day and the weather was perfect, the day started with a hike to the UNESCO Trinity Church up high on the mountain. The hike was tough but worth it, we admired the views then started the hike to the glacier behind the church. This gave us an even better view but unfortunately we couldn't go too far along the 10km track as snow would have stopped us. The views were incredible and we even ran into a aussie guy from Richmond.

    📌 Day 2 continued with a adventure, we went back down from the church around lunch, found out taxi friend in his beaten up x-trail and asked to visit one of the highest villages in Europe, Juta. He was keen and enthusiastic and we drove off through some awesome valleys, so far, no problem. We started ascending up a very sketchy road and at times a narrow one where old mate driver was saying "no problem, no problem", despite being basically on the edge of a crumbling dirt road. At one point we got out and walked whilst he went over snow half covering the road. Eventually we made it to an impassable spot, despite him thinking he could make it, we translated walking is better from here and he says "walking is nice". We made our way a few kms up the road but eventually got stopped by an avalanche over the road near the town. We ventured back to a happy taxi driver who was enthusiastic to show us more spots on the way back down plus a nearby waterfall. Our near death adventure was one not to forget, the driver was a reflection of Georgian drivers and his car just made it even more hilarious.

    📌 Overall, Kazbegi was incredible, a very unique place in the world and very friendly people.    Read more

  • TravelerBrisbane to Manchester
    Day 43–47

    Tbilisi

    April 10 in Georgia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    📌 Arriving in a new country is always a little difficult, knowing how to get to the accommodation, having no internet, having no local currency. As we got off in Tbilisi at 2.30am, the esim was average so we had to get a local Sim and fend off the taxi drivers. It was a smooth ride to the accommodation as Georgia actually has a reliable rideshare app unlike Turkey.

    📌 We were staying in a trendy neighbourhood with some cool coffee shops, bars and a former Soviet industrial building converted to a hostel and courtyard of bars/restaurants. The city was also full of trendy restaurants, wine bars and shops. Some say Tbilisi is the Berlin of eastern Europe.

    📌 We started our intro to Georgia with a free walking tour, we were shown old Soviet buildings, old Tbilisi town which was not destroyed by the Soviets and learnt a great deal of history. It was evident that Georgians do not like Russia and they are very angry that Russia still occupies 20% of Georgian territory. It was also fascinating how Georgia has only been independent since 1991 and they had a revolution in 2003.

    📌 The food in Tbilisi was incredible, some of the well known Georgian food we have tried so far includes; Khinkali (dumplings), Khachapuri (cheese filled bread), Chkmeruli (garlic sauce chicken) plus many others. Of course, good food needs to be consumed with good wine, and Georgia has been found to have been making wine since 4000 BC using clay pots in the ground, potentially the first wine makers in the world. It tastes delicious and is super cheap, approx 3-4$ a glass.

    📌 A couple of other highlights included the cable car over the city, a converted market to a food hall of different bars and restaurants, an outdoor wine courtyard of bars and restaurants, and the old architecture and the monument celebrating Georgia over time. Another nice surprise was the national museum which showed the importance of this area in human evolution. The first humans potentially migrated to Europe from Africa through this area and thus many fossils have been evident here.    Read more

  • TravelerBrisbane to Manchester
    Day 42–44

    Ankara

    April 9 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    📌 Last stop in Turkey, the capital city. A short bus trip of a few hours was refreshing and a smooth check in to a neat hostel. We had one night booked here and we basically had 2 full days as the flight was booked for almost midnight on the 10th.

    📌 Ankara doesn't appear to have a whole lot of attractions, it appears similar to Canberra, a capital due to location more then anything. As a result there are less tourists and prices are cheap.

    📌 Day 1 involved me getting back on the Turkish doner kebabs which was a good choice. We were super full from those, so we decided a wine bar and a late dinner was ideal. Where we were staying was quite busy and had plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants. Italian for dinner in a small restaurant playing old school jazz and blues. The ravioli was delicious. We finished the night watching the MAFS finale with some chocolate.

    📌 Day 2 was an interesting start, it was the holiday for the end of Ramadan, hence the place was a ghost town. The city got busier as it was lunch time and the shops started to open. Lucky it was a day for not much, organizing some work and accomodations in the UK, visiting the tomb of Atarturk and having a slow coffee. We were able to hang out in the hostel and sort out a few things also which was handy. Off to Georgia next, which we were both keen for.    Read more

  • TravelerBrisbane to Manchester
    Day 39–42

    Cappadocia

    April 6 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    📌 Arriving at 11am in Cappadocia after the overnight bus, we checked into a hotel and went for a wander, obviously being a super popular tourist destination it was more expensive and touristy restaurants. Cappadocia is famous for a few particular dishes such as meat cooked in terracotta pots.

    📌 We enjoyed a unique dinner in a local Turkish restaurant where you could sit on the ground next to the fire. We enjoyed some dips and bread with hot wine and stuffed eggplant. Of course tea was consumed at the end.

    📌 The main highlight arrived on the morning of day 2, the air balloon ride. We got up at around 4.30am and arrived at the balloon field around 5.30. It was about 3 degrees so it was freezing but all the balloons were getting ready and it was exciting. We were waiting around for a bit and then we were told to wait 30 minutes, they weren't sure if flying was going to happen due to some temperature or wind issues (potentially not windy enough). We got the greenlight at about 6.30 and about 20 people got into our basket including a lovely Kenyan family.

    📌 We were up in the air for about 45 minutes with about 100 balloons, it was amazing! The journey was so smooth and we went up, down and around the rock valleys, it was such a clear day we could see the huge mountains in the background. It was a great time limit too, not too short or not too long. When we touched down the cars and crew speed to the area and run over to grab the basket, it's all quite chaotic but fun and in the end they prevented us from landing on our side. We finished with champagne type juice and a certificate.

    📌 We spent the rest of our days wandering around Cappadocia, quite a small place but gee we were glad we went up the first morning because the next two mornings were cancelled. It was nice to not do much but wander, we went through the canyons on walks which involved a dog following us inevitably. We went inside the rock dwellings and explored a few viewpoints. Overall Cappadocia was a very unique place and the balloon was incredible, a bucket list item.    Read more

  • TravelerBrisbane to Manchester
    Day 37–39

    Antalya

    April 4 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    📌 Our last coastal area, Antayla is a much larger city and driving through here was another fun experience, more crazy drivers losing their mind or almost crashing. One moment was essentially a one way road (thanks google maps) with cars and trucks coming the other way, and a truck tailgating us whilst flashing his lights because we weren't going fast enough. A good laugh now but a stressful time then 😂

    📌 We wandered around old town, which being right next to the ocean was charming. This was a very touristy location however, as there were many British pubs and clubs.

    📌 The main highlight of Antayla was on day two where we explored a nearby very well preserved city of Aspendos. This stadium was huge and there was hardly anybody there, I can't imagine what it would have been like in its prime. We then went on to visit some waterfalls, one with beautiful blue water and another that ran directly into the ocean.

    📌 We dropped the car off in preparation for the bus to Cappadocia and then realised we hadn't actually booked the bus for the next day. We assumed this would be fine as most of the buses so far were half empty, well we were wrong and the buses were all booked as it was the weekend. We managed to find an overnight bus which meant we left at midnight instead of 8am the next day, when we eventually got on the bus after poor communication and it arriving at 1am, we were quite ready to sleep. So, in the end this turned out to be a good decision as sleeping part of the 9 hour journey made it go a lot quicker.    Read more

  • TravelerBrisbane to Manchester
    Day 36–37

    Kas

    April 3 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    📌 We continued our coastal roadtrip onto Kas, this was an interesting drive through the windy roads and it really showed the questionable driving of the Turkish. They don't really use lanes very well and happily tailgate you, possibly the worst/ most aggressive driving I've seen outside of Asia.

    📌 Our first impressions of Kas were it was a smaller more wealthy town on a very steep hill. The houses and hotels were well kept, the port was lovely and the water was crystal blue.

    📌 We had a great accommodation with a great view, which was a nice change from some previous ones. We wandered up and down the steep hills and decided to get a few drinks from the local bottleo. It was a lovely view over the water watching the sunset, we even saw a sea turtle swimming around.

    📌 We had some Italian for dinner at a place making fresh pasta, it appears Italian is our go-to when we don't feel like Turkish meat and salad, which is getting a little tiring. We met a dog at the restaurant who Chloe named Mila 2, and she loved the pats. She started following us home when we left and we had to walk away fast so she would loose us, it was heartbreaking. The next thing would happen the next day with a German Shepherd, the street dogs really crave love 😔    Read more

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