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Two people, Tom and Jo, travelling from Australia to Germany. In their car "Hans". As environmentally friendly and socially responsible as we can. Read more Brisbane Queensland, Australia
  • Going home
    Day 219

    Heading West in Georgia

    October 15, 2019 in Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Georgia has so much to offer that we decide to leave the Kazbegi region after a few days, even though we loved it.
    You can't go West through the mountains as South Ossetia has been claimed by the Russians, hence we drive on the Georgian Military Highway almost all the way down South first, before we can finally turn West.
    We spend a couple of days looking at cultural highlights, like the cave city in Uplistsikhe, the Ateni Sioni church (which currently is under restoration), the Mzvoreti monastery (that we hike up to) and then join the Kudlik family again to make our ways up to the mountains once more. This time Svaneti. But before we tackle the pass to go up, we spend one more day around Kutaisi, exploring the Prometheus Cave and the Okatse Canyon and testing some more natural wine.
    Oh, life is beautiful!    Read more

  • Going home
    2
    Day 217

    Kazbegi region

    October 13, 2019 in Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    The prospect of rain drove us out of the Truso valley and towards Stepantsminda (formerly Kazbegi). It sits beautifully nestled between the high Caucasus mountains and is home to one of the most photographed icons of Georgia: the Gergeti Trinity Church.
    We spend the rainy day getting information about hikes and Mountainbiking in the area and having an extended lunch at the Rooms Hotel (a top notch address in the area, famous for its views of Mt Kazbek and the church). The Kudlik family is still with us and afterwards we make our way to the grassy meadow just underneath the church. The new road makes driving up there super easy and we're happy with the spot. The cold and humid climate drives us into the caravan for the rest of the day. Playing Uno and drinking wine, we have a great time and are thankful for the Kudliks' hospitality in these conditions.
    Thankfully, the weather clears up the next day and Tom and I head for a hike towards the glacier and Mt Kazbek. About half way up we're joined by a cute dog who decides to accompany us all the way up to the hut and almost back down. Unfortunately her stamina crumbled halfway down the mountain and we have to make do with the other strays that decided to call our campspot home for the few days we're there. Not too bad either.
    It's Sunday, and the church draws a constant line of visitors. Three of them decided to have a picnic close to us. Turns out two of them (plus their baby) are from Munich, too, and we have a nice chat for some time.
    Further chats at held with fellow overlanders parking close by: a Belgian couple travelling with two dogs, a couple from Berlin travelling with two dogs as well, and a German family travelling with one dog in a T3. So lovely to meet same-spirited humans all around!
    The next day, after a lazy morning, Martin, Lenny, Tom and I go Mountainbiking in the beautiful Sno valley. A lot of swearing on my part later (I hate riding uphill) Tom and I reach Juta, another beautiful mountain village. Unfortunately, I'm in no condition to hike up to get even better views after the ride, but the Kudlik family did it the next day (by car) and reported the best mountain feeling ever. Oh well, next time. While the Kudliks spend another night up in the mountains, we slowly make our way down the Georgian Military Highway to start heading West.    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 215

    Mountainbiking in Truso valley

    October 11, 2019 in Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    I don't think there is any landscape that's as intriguing to Tom and me as mountains in combination with water. When several people recommended to drive into a gorge close to Stepantsminda (formerly Kazbegi) it was a done deal. Instead of heading to the semidesert down southeast, we take the Georgian Military Highway (an ancient passage through the Caucasus, first properly engineered as a road by the Russians in the 19th century) and make our way up through spectacular mountain scenery. The road is dotted with old churches and fortress ruins and watchtowers are a prominent sign of its conflict heavy history. The road through the gorge leading to the Truso valley ends with a military checkpoint as well. Civilians can't go further up as the Russian border is close.
    However, you can still enjoy wonderful views from the parts you can reach without getting in trouble. The Kudliks and we reach the furthest drivable spot next to the mineral heavy river quite late, having enjoyed the beautiful light of an early disappearing sun along the way. Autumn is beautiful here!
    After a cold night, Tom and I get up early and get ready to take our mountain bikes for a spin. We can still get about 4kms further down into the valley, just not with the car. It's not a technical Mountainbike ride but exploratory enough to be lots of fun. We drive through sparcely populated villages, visit an active monastery and finally climb some old ruins next to the checkpoint.
    On the way back we take a different route. We had spotted a mineral lake and follow animal trails on the other side of the river. This certainly feels a bit more like real mountain biking and the lake itself is a highlight as well. Due to its high level of carbon dioxide it actually bubbles. Unfortunately you're not allowed to swim in it but it tastes exactly like mineral water.
    The last bit of the track is the most fun. It leads along a steep ridge (causing me to push my bike a few times), down to the bridge close to our car. What a fun adventure.
    The Kudliks are yet to explore the area so Tom and I relax and take our time to pack up, every now and then having a chat to curious tourists. The valley became quite busy with hikers just before lunch and we can only imagine how many people must enjoy this area in summer. You probably guessed, we're happy to be here during the shoulder season and intend to make the most of the surrounding areas before it gets too cold.    Read more

  • Going home
    2
    Day 212

    Meeting friends along the way

    October 8, 2019 in Georgia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    You might complain about social media and the time it takes away from every day Life as much as you want, but it is good for one thing: keeping people connected.
    I hadn't even realized that I had posted our location in Georgia, when I got a message from Kilian, a good friend from Munich, mentioning he is traveling in Georgia as well.
    What a coincidence! As we had no other plans, we decided to meet up at the club Oasis in Udabno, a super fun and quirky place in the middle of nowhere! Dogs and cats around everywhere, the opportunity to camp in their backyard, nice cottages and good beer, wine and food. You really don't need anything else. And the company made last night simply perfect! So thank you Social Media for your power to connect in real life. Cause nothing beats a meeting of friends!    Read more

  • Going home
    2
    Day 212

    Fabrika Hostel

    October 8, 2019 in Georgia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We didn't stay here, but it's well worth a visit! An old sewing factory turned into a social hub, with co-working space, a hostel, several bars and restaurants and a few shops. Really hip

  • Going home
    3
    Day 209

    Tbilisi

    October 5, 2019 in Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Tbilisi is a city I just didn't want to miss on this journey. I had heard so many good things about it and on top of it the annual city festival "Tbilisoba" happened on a weekend when we were around. A chance not be missed.
    Short version: we staid in a beautiful Airbnb in Old Town, met lots of friends, got to see some of the city festival and most of its sights and even attended a DJ event.
    If you're keen on the details, you'll have to read on 😉.
    Due to our earlier experiences with staying in the car in a city (you just really wish for a shower and a toilet), we chose to get an Airbnb for the weekend and leave Hans parked somewhere safe. And we couldn't have decided better despite of our difficulties of getting to our Airbnb department. Of course, I had chosen one in the old town (formerly the Jewish quarter), but I hadn't anticipated that this would also be the main location of the festival with many of the anyways small alleys closed to traffic. We made it there eventually and then enjoyed the beautiful setup and great location for the next few days. Everything was in walking distance!
    And we had quite a programme lined up: after settling in we met up with Micha and Sonja, the German overlanding couple we had last met just before crossing the Mongolian border. Small world 😊 we had dinner with them in a small family run restaurant, that looked like they had simply converted their living room. Grandpa acted as the entertainer, singing Karaoke (and quite well so) for the whole evening. Afterwards, we walked together through some of the festivities to have a look at the overlander friendly hostel they were staying at. Tom and I had to reach a different destination: I had booked tickets to a DJ event (Worakl with the Tbilisi symphony orchestra) that happened in a warehouse about 2kms from the hostel. So we said "goodbye and till next time" around 11pm and made our way to the event. Anyone who knows us is going to doubt this, but we staid until 2.20am and really enjoyed the electronic music. Quite a contrast to our normal travelling life but all the more fun because of it. As our cab driver also wasn't allowed to enter the narrow streets, we ended up walking another 2kms through Tbilisi's sights at night, passing remnants of the festival, still going parties and -our lifesaver- a shop that still sold our favourite pirogis filled with potatoes. Nothing beats a late night snack!
    The next day we joined a free city walking tour. Moto-Tom was in the city, too, so he came along as well. Our guide Anya knew lots of interesting places and stories and the time passed super quickly. Afterwards we enjoyed some people watching on the main square and then headed back to the apartment.
    Years ago I had met Kristina, a local woman working for an incoming tour agency, in India and we had made plans to meet up. Tom and I enjoyed her and her partner's company exchanging stories and tipps at a cute teahouse before heading to the festival once again. It was the last evening but sadly we missed the main act, a music and light performance, as its timing had been changed just a few hours prior to the start.
    The next day we had to move out of the apartment. We took Hans to have a service done and then moved to the hostel as we wanted to stay another night. Still so much to explore! In the afternoon we finally met up with the Kudliks who we had last seen in Kazachstan on Tom's birthday. We enjoyed our reunion so much that a short meeting turned into four bottels of wine in a fabulous rooftop bar.
    How lovely it is to have friends on the road...
    Tbilisi will stay a highlight of this trip for sure!    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 207

    Georgia - Abano Pass

    October 3, 2019 in Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    After we managed to cross the border to Georgia the number of possible destinations were endless.
    When looking for a spot to take the Mountain Bikes for a spin I read about a region called Tusheti, which lies in the far north of Georgia, close to the Caucasus. It comprises a few scattered remote villages with Omalo at its center and high mountains with hiking trails all around. Sounds perfect!
    The trick, however is to even get there in the first place. What separates Tusheti from the rest of Georgia is the infamous Abano Pass. Listed as one of the most dangerous roads in the world and the highest unpaved road in Europe it made us question our choice for a few minutes. Nevertheless, the weather was supposed to be untypically warm and dry the next few days and Hans is still in great shape so why not at least try it, right? And boy were we in for a treat!!

    The road took us up 2000m of elevation, climbing more switchbacks we could count through the most beautiful autumn scenery you can imagine, with leaf colours changing from green to yellow to a firery red just before we left the forest. After a 4h drive we reached the top of the pass at nearly 2800m. While the drive was really doable in the perfect conditions we had, we can imagine how dangerous it must be when it’s wet (the numerous crosses marking deadly accidents were sad evidence!)
    Tusheti was no less spectacular. As we arrived off season we had the whole valley almost to ourselves. The tourist information provided us with info about hiking trails, but first we took a closer look at the old villages with their ancient stone buildings nestled into the valleys.

    Oh and the 4x4 driving fun didn’t stop at the pass. Moving around in the valley felt like being on a 4WD practice course!

    On the second day we did a lovely ridge walk of approximately 5h with amazing views over the snow covered peaks of the Caucasus, followed by a short hike on the third day. Since the weather was supposed to change for the worse on Friday we made our way back towards the pass on day three to conquer the Abano Pass once more early Friday morning. You better know how to engine break otherwise you’re due for new break pads afterwards.

    I have a feeling that our hunch to drive to Tusheti might have brought us to one of the most beautiful parts of Georgia!    Read more

  • Going home
    Day 204

    Azerbaijan to Georgia in the Northwest

    September 30, 2019 in Azerbaijan ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After just two days in Azerbaijan (way too short!), we're crossing the border to Georgia. Our camp was just 10kms away and we reach it bright and early at 10am. There are a few cars in front of us but nothing too bad.
    Once we are at the control area (customs and passport control happens in one building), an officer takes our passports, another one quickly looks around Hans and we're motioned to get some luggage x-raid. What to take? Surely, we're not going to take everything... In the end, Tom takes our dirty laundry, a bag full of groceries and his backpack, but probably no one would have noticed if we hadn't taken anything (though the lady at the X-ray did ask "is that all?", upon which Tom answered we travel in a camper van, that it was a bit difficult and left.) Luckily, no one bothers about the car nor our belongings anymore. Instead we queue to have our paperwork checked. Tom and the car are first and there seems to be a problem. At first, we can't really figure out what happened but then they tell us that we haven't paid the road tax yet. You're supposed to pay it on arrival in Azerbaijan. We had assumed road and bridge tax (40$!) are the same, but no. A friendly and very well English speaking officer helps us out. We can pay it at the counter now, and everything is sorted. Those were costly two days in Azerbaijan... Happy that it's done, we continue to the Georgian side. I need to walk through the pedestrian/passenger passport control and am through in no time. Tom, however, is stuck due to our Australian registration. The officer just doesn't want to accept that this is the only official piece of paper we have! Realising the trouble we're in, I ask Tom to check whether we can look up the registration on the Queensland department of transportation website. Luckily, our internet connection is still working and Tom is able to find it after some time. Last problem: the registration we have with us has an expiration date on it. And while we had paid for it to be prolonged, neither of us has received or saved the new document. Jeez... Something we need to rectify asap! In the meantime the border officer grew tired of waiting and finally tells Tom it's ok and waves him through. Sigh. Deep breaths. And on we go. The compulsory insurance can be bought at a booth just 3kms away and soon thereafter we also find a shop to buy a simcard and an ATM. Everything sorted for now.
    Later, we meet a Dutch couple (labopstop.nl). I had seen their car at the border going the other direction and was wondering what happened. Well, as they didn't have paperwork for their small trailer (in the Netherlands you don't need it), they were refused entry to Azerbaijan. And that's when we really realised just how precarious our situation had been. With all those digitalised border crossings ahead of us, we better get our paperwork in better shape!    Read more

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