Georgia

As I biked out of Batumi, I actually wanted to start gently. As it had been such a a very long time since I’d been on a bike, I didn’t want to push it too much, right away.

Of course, that soon turned out to be a miscalculation; The main road became off-road; Off-road became steep and cold; Then finally I finished up somewhere in the Batumi mountains at +- 2000m above sealevel.

Anyway... the downhill was very rewarding, despite my wet feet during some rivercrossings...

my first camping spot.

a well-deserved hot spring

Next destination: Vardzia. The cave-city in Vardzia is one of Georgias highlights to visit. 

From a small cluster of cave dwellings forged under King Giorgi lll in the early 12th century, Vardzia slowly expanded under instruction from his daughter Queen Tamar into the monumental holy city which at its peak housed some 30000 inhabitants.

Everthing a city needs you would find within the mountain; apothecaries, wine cellars, bakeries, chapels and living quarters were carved side-by-side into the rocky cliff face.

cycling out of Vardzia

last km's before Armenia.