Friday, 26 June, 2015

Today we are headed to the Svaneti region. First stop is a large market which we individually wander through.

We get back on the bus and proceed to another town where we have lunch. One of the better meals on the trip.

We then start driving up into the hills. The weather is damp with some rain. The quality of the roads is slowly deteriorating.

The journey continues with the last 30 kilometers to our destination an absolute nightmare. Driver Besu did a great job handling potholes, road washouts, streams, landslides, etc. It took a long time. Finally, when we reach our destinaton, he is unable to proceed any further down to the hotel.

Note that the Hotel’s 4WD was used to bring our suitcases down the hill.

We all go over to the second building, no photo but not super fantastic, up dicey stairs to a second floor. We then discover that the Grand? had over booked and there was a dearth of rooms. After quite a long time of negotiations, decisions have been made. Poor Janet and Bryn are up another floor, which is the eaves room where if they are not careful they will bump their head in the night. Further, it is a rickety ladder, rather than stairs. Finally, they need to share a bathroom and shower with Andrew and Dan. I donate to them my bathrobe from the English spa which I am told that they both use. Our room is in the original building, right next to the kitchen and the dining room and is not too bad, considering.

As we are relaxing and settling in, there is a knock at the door. It is Andrew suggesting that there are (lots of) drinks on before dinner. A good thing at last. Dinner is more of the same.

After retiring, it was difficult sleeping as there seemed to be a party on in the kitchen that lasted until nearly 4:00 AM. Then in the night we discovered that the Internet had stopped working, the first of our “utility failures”. An end to an interesting but slightly disappointing day.

I suppose it is unfair of me to criticise the Hotel because compared to the many guest houses we saw, it was truly grand. However, compared to the Grand in Mildura or Burnley etc. it was not special.