Our itinerary has been restructured somewhat. Now we are going to Jaani at Zura Topuridze’s epic revival Gurian Vineyards. Along the way we stop at a famous bridge.
Walking to the Bridge. I decide to stay up topThe Steep Stairs and the guys at the bottomSome on the bridgeJulie took this photo from the riverside
There were a number of roadside stalls there to cater from the tourists. We did not need anything and moved on, although there were some nice people there. We continue on to Zura Topuridze’s winery. What was the first thing we saw:
He grows, picks, dries and sells tobaccoAncient machine for cutting dried tobaccoAndrew and Besu trying the local product
Zura Topuridze had lots of ancient toys to show to us. The following are just a couple.
Note the ancient baby cradles
We were shown a room that will eventually be a restaurant and museumJulie took pictures of the women making khachapuri
Our Host’s HonoursWe are to have another lunch feastVine leaves et alOn the Plate
We are joined at lunch by two local musicians. After a while one starts playing a unique local musical instrument called a gudastviri or a Georgian Bagpipe. Quite amazing really.
Playing the gudastviriOur host, and the musicians, propose many toasts with this ritual drinkingJulie and Patrick (from Janet Walters)Hugh and Jan (from Janet Walters)Bryn contirubtes Aussie music to the celebrations with his version of a didgeriedooThe finished product from the kitchenBryn having a go – needs a bit more practiceMore music and dance. Note the usual large collection of food still on the table
It was a truly memorable and emotional day. Sadly we had to say goodbye to our Hosts and return to Batumi. There is time for Julie to have a massage but that is initially screwed up to.
We go out later for another dinner in Batumi.
Private room out the backThe Gardens
So it is back to the Hotel for another night. We won’t say anything about somebody walking in their sleep and getting locked out of the room.
During the night we had lost power, yet another utility failure. Around 8:00 AM, the power is recovered. Amazingly (not), the Internet is now working – I had tried to get them to do a router restart yesterday but they would not listen.
So it is time to leave the mountain areas.
We do our last drive in the “3 miles of bad road” in Besu’s bus. The drive after that is uneventful other than we start seeing more Pigs on the road after having been mostly Cows. We stop at the same restaurant for lunch than we had been two days before. Because we had not ordered in advance, we just got a lot of stuff that we liked, including the beef ribs. Only at the end the interloper ordered two serves of corn bread, ate one piece and then left the rest behind.
We drive further West, all the way to the Black Sea. We drive though a number of beach towns that remind of the wonderful (NOT) places like Atlantic City, Seaside Oregon, Venice Beach – Los Angeles. When we get to Batumi, a largish seaside beach town, we discover that Andrew, upset at the standard of accommodation so far, has updated us to a really nice Hotel.
Checking InThe Lobby – slightly more upmarket than Grand Hotel
Although we get there later in the afternoon, there is still time for Hugh and I to get a massage. Julie organises me for 90 minutes. When I get to the massage place, Que? who are you, all the masseurs are busy? I mentioned that the booking had been organised by the front desk. After a few phone calls it is agreed that I could have a massage. It was quite good with major focus on my legs which were, to tell the truth, the most serious difficulty after that long climb in Vardzia. 90 minutes passes by quickly. I shower and go up to the room and meet Julie who has been prancing around town. We get a phone call from the Massage area to say that she had missed her massage appointment, still never realising that I was it until Julie went down and explained it directly. “Ah, your husband!”
We are to go out to a seafood restaurant on the Sea. It was not until we left that we realised Andrew was not coming, he does not like fish and seafood.
What is this vehicle? Behind the bus for two nights in a row.
Besu drives us to the coast and after a few strange turns pulls into a carpark near the restaurant.
From this photo I can see why it is called the Black SeaAnother spread with curried fish at the forefrontTrout and flounder equivalentSalmonThe Troops in a somber moodThe Group. Besu the driver on the left followed by Dan the photographer, obscuring Mariam the guide.
All in all, the fish was quite over cooked. For example, the salmon – a beautiful piece of fish, but totally dry and to Julie quite tough. Unnecessary.
We drive back to the beautiful hotel. Andrew is just finishing in its restaurant albeit as we arrive there is a bevy of screaming young kids around. Tomorrow is a another day.
Today we are to have a “Breathtaking day trip to Ushguli, a series of 4 villages standing at 2100 meters above sea level and inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage list as the oldest inhabited village in Europe”. We have hired two of the Hotel’s 4WD and drivers for the trip.
The weather appears to be forbodingThe Road ahead does not look too good either
First we have to negotiate the first 30 minutes on the crap road we entered from last night. The 4WDs did not do much better than Besu from yesterday. Then we get on the real road which, while an improvement, was not exactly a super highway. Once we start going well up the hills into the mountains, the road deteriorates to the same standard as we started, or worse, with lots of pot holes, mud slides, running water, narrow roads etc.
Photo stop. Note the road which is in good condition compared to most of the journey
After bouncing around for 2 1/2 hours, we finally reach our village at the top. Julie wanted me to take photos of how dangerous the roads were but I could not do it.
A local highlightArriving at the village
The total trip was supposed to take 3 hours but was in fact 4 1/2, a large part because of photo stops demanded by our interloper.
The Lunch LayoutAn interesting dish amongst the usual spreadA Map of SvanetiSoup – needed saltCheersGeorgian PizzaMeat Inside, quite goodMashed potatoesThe Table when we were finished. As usual way too much foodTowards the high mountain, obscured by cloudsIn the villageIn the villageThe Road ahead – yukDitto
One thing I forgot to mention about the roads was the animals on them. Early in the trip it was mostly cows but as we got further West, there were more and more pigs. Also there were dogs and goats, few sheep. They all were unafraid of the cars and would slowly move aside if at all, mostly the drivers had to find a way through them.
Any way, we finally get to the bottom, another 2.5 hours and out on the open road. We then have the drive back through the initial bad road. My estimate is that this trip in all took about 3 3/4 hours, forgetting the planned stop. This was because of the absence of photo stops on the way back.
As it was, we stopped at another guest house and restaurant not too far from the Grand Hotel.
Arriving at the guest houseAnother typical spread
That was it, we get back in the 4WDs and take the short, but still slow journey to the Grand Hotel for the night. The Internet had stopped working in the morning and was still not fixed. Another utility failure. We will not have very good memories of the Svaneti area.
So what does all this have to do with the Headline of this post? By my calculations we had 6 hours driving on crappy and dangerous roads. At 11 kilometers per hour average speed, this would mean 66 kilometers or just about 40 miles. Probably not many of you remember the late 50s when Duane Eddy and his twangy guitar had a few instrumental hits e.g. Rebel Rouser. Well, one of his hits was “40 Miles of Bad Road” and I reckon that what today was all about.
Today we are headed to the Svaneti region. First stop is a large market which we individually wander through.
The guys headed into the marketJust outside the market with Hugh
Blurred but nice spices
Wow, grainsCheesesChickens as far as the eye can seeFruitsA variety of spicesThe exterior of the old market
We get back on the bus and proceed to another town where we have lunch. One of the better meals on the trip.
Cheezy Glop – went well with the casseroleThe Beef Ribs, a very good dish
We then start driving up into the hills. The weather is damp with some rain. The quality of the roads is slowly deteriorating.
Looking down the hillsHugh at a major hydroelectric damn. Hydro electricity is one of Georgia’s major exports
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.
The guys preparing for the long and muddy walk down the hillThe Grand? Hotel at a distance
Note that the Hotel’s 4WD was used to bring our suitcases down the hill.
Here is proof
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.
One highlight, the Pork and then the beef casserole.The Guys
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.
Our tour blurb plus entry ticket.Outside the castle
Vineyard within the castle
We meet our guide and it is indicated that there will be a lot of climbing and walking so I opt out of the tour part. The following photos are taken on the tour by Julie so I cannot offer much commentary again. In the mean time I sit on a rock outside the gift shop. The nice lady there offers me a chair which I gratefully accept.
The Group heading off with the guide
Jan and Janet
Eventually, Mariam suggests that the troops are coming soon and I should go into our restaurant. It is a modern place and I order a coke. It is actually quite a long wait until they arrive but all is OK. Lunch time.
Beans in breadFruit. JV loves itThe lunch group
We then depart in the bus to go to a Kvevri maker.
This looks promisingThe Kvevri maker in actionOutside the kiln
The kiln is basically a room inside the building. They put in the Kvevri, build a fire and stack bricks to the ceiling to close in the heat. We then go down the road some more before another pub establishment.
What? Not more food!
Chicken and PorkFruit for JV
We then drive down the road to a bigger town, Kutaisi, to a large hotel going through a major restoration process.
Our roomThe ancient back courtyardDinner is in a huge ballroom. The area you see with the table et all is not even a quarter of the roomChicken soup
Sausages and the spreadDessert
There was a reasonable amount of wine which was good. Off to bed.
