After the arid and unforgettable experience in Turkey, I soon entered a completely different environment—the lush wetlands of Georgia.
From Georgia to Russia
From Greece to Turkey
June 11, 2020
Exhibition- Barcelona
November 22, 2020PART 3
Journey to the unknown
It took me days to reach northwestern Georgia, along the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus mountains, after navigating unpaved and bumpy routes.
My butt hurt while driving all day long for a relatively short mileage, but I was very pleased to see what my 4×4 is capable of.
The region of Svaneti with its stone villages, churches serving as family shrines, tower houses, lush green valleys,
Snow-covered mountains, blooming flowers, and rivers where you could easily set up a campground,
It made me feel like I had arrived in the lands of the Shire, and only the hobbits were missing.
(Shire: The lord of the rings- J. R. R. Tolkien)
You know, now that I think about it… were they really?
The scenery was simply spectacular.
I spent quite some time in the capital city of Tbilisi. The nights were similar to those in Istanbul, and there was also nothing unusual.
All the cities are similar when you sleep in the car. Disturbing and loud.
To avoid the heavy-duty nightlife, I decided to drive 20km north of Tbilisi and spend a few nights in the former capital city, Mtskheta.
Mtskheta is home to the Chamber of Wine, or Gvinis Palata, and is protected under UNESCO.
Nights in this small city were much more suitable for my lifestyle. It felt as if time would run backwards.
Tasteful khinkali and a glass of wine… Life is perfect.
*Khinkali: Basically, Georgian Meat & Pork Soup Dumplings
I had to stay close to Tbilisi city because I decided to get a Russian visa here. A story and a half, my friends, also. I wouldn’t recommend this adventure to anyone. My best advice would be to try to get your visas in your home country.
The French embassy was easy to find, but searching for a Russian embassy was a chapter of its own. It was pointed out on the map, but nowhere to be seen. I eventually found it in the next few days, and it looked nothing like an embassy.
Behind the endless line of people, they were standing… trailers from the 60s- so-called Russian embassy.
I wanted to take a photo so badly, but of course, as elsewhere, a policeman stopped me.
“Then I realized that to live more fully, I had to overcome my fears. So I did it. I shed my fears and embraced my entire life.”
If I remember correctly, I took several photos with my GoPro, which I always keep tucked away in my right pocket. However, I’m not certain if they turned out well. I should definitely check on those one of these days.
To add more fuel to this bizarre event, inside the trailer was an even better scenario.
A lady agent equipped with kilos of gold from three generations back, sitting in a ‘shelter’ that looked like it was going to collapse any minute, made my day.
Everything was possible for 210€. I ordered a visa with double entry, but I wasn’t sure if the trailers would still be available a week later when I needed to pick it up.
To release the stress from the city noise, I decided to check the coast of Batumi. Yeah, I made the right decision. The weather was perfect, so I set up camp on the beach next to the Black Sea.
It was time to do some laundry and all the necessary things before I started a new chapter and headed towards Russia.
When I returned to Tbilisi, the trailers surprisingly still existed, and thankfully, I got my visa. I was ready and prepared for some new adventures.
Since Armenia wasn’t reachable from the Turkish side because of the political conflicts, and I was already in Georgia, I decided to take a week-long trip and see what life was like in the other former Soviet republic. How exacting!
Driving through the Armenian border cost me quite a lot of time and some money as well. In the end, I think nobody knew what we were signing or what we were paying for, but as always, it all ended well. Welcome to Armenia.
Armenia is one of the countries stamped as one of the earliest Christian civilizations.
It is home to the world’s largest freshwater high-altitude lake, situated at 1900 meters above sea level. The lake is famous for its beaches, including Lake Sevan.
By now, you’ve probably figured out my compass’s direction.
One stop in the capital city, Yerevan, and off to Lake Sevan.
“Some beautiful paths can only be found by getting lost.”
This massive lake is much more than a large body of water, and it attracts locals from all over the country.
Camping, barbecuing, and tasting Armenian brandy with locals was a unique and unforgettable experience. Sleeping under the sound of the waves was even better.
I had to return to Georgia and drive through the Caucasus Mountains to enter the Russian Republic. Well, that, my friends, is something worth visiting again.
I couldn’t resist stopping every 15 minutes simply for photography reasons.
The weather conditions were changing instantly, and the landscape was stunning.
It took me a long time to finally reach the border, where I found an endless line of trucks waiting to cross. Once I arrived, I was confronted with a mountain of paperwork required to enter the Republic of Russia with my mobile home.
Officers were very friendly, helpful, and joyful when they saw my Slovenian passport. They referred to my country as a brotherhood.
Are we in Russia already? Here, my friends, is where I need to end this chapter. It’s time for a new one: the Great Republic of Russia.
Infotech:
I started the journey from Slovenia at the beginning of May and arrived in Russia in July.
Equipment: Canon, GoPro, Fuji instax, portable printer, Macintosh;
Mercedesbenz 👉Graz- Austria, Dream team car 👉Martigues- France, ORC 👉Stuttgart- Germany, Mixi caravaning👉Šentjur- Slovenia, 4×4 servis 👉Maribor- Slovenia
How did you enjoy the journey so far? Are you up for some more?
Next stop: Russia
Destination: Mongolia
(For Slovenian readers – Indija Koromandija)