Georgia, Day Twelve

To the Sea

Today we left the mountains and headed to the Black Sea. The roads down were rough and rugged, but not so precarious as those going up. And it was only two hours getting down, because we didn’t have to creep so slowly.

Leaving tower country

A herd of horses going by. Besides the ubiquitous cows along and in the roads and in dark tunnels, we saw pigs foraging in the village roadsides, donkeys grazing loose, and a farmer with a big load of loose hay in a wooden wagon pulled by a white ox. These people are ready for The Crash. Do you know how to train an ox to pull a cart? Nor do I. 

After the rough roads 

Toward the bottom, we stopped at the Enguri dam, deep in a gorge with the river we had been following. But we were much higher, on roads cut into the mountain sides. 

Behold roads along the mountains following the river gorge.

We did NOT do that tour.

Those metal plates you see in the picture foreground are typical of the bridge coverings. That’s it. Not fun.

A blue-green pool by a cave along the way. 

Then we saw the Black Sea. The terrain was now not so dry. Palms, banana trees, and succulents were interspersed with the corn and potato patches. The cows still roamed. The houses were still mostly dreary post-Soviet unkempt, but a few were bigger and well-kept, even with an occasional lawn and landscaping. The roadside market stands offered beach toys and sun hats instead of the melons and bags of hazelnuts we saw coming down. 

Then we found our hotel, the one Five Star of the trip. I will show pictures when I get them, but it was a process to get in, including not being on the gatekeeper’s list. But all is OK. And we have a room - one we can walk around in, and an iron! End of wrinkles. 

Refreshed, then upstairs to the bar for drinks and the view. Many interesting drinks, but I just had a milkshake. Empty stomach and alcohol don’t go well.