part III Cycling in Armenia ,Georgia, Adjaria

day XII:August,13   ~130 km
though I asked the receptionist both woman and the owner gentleman to be able to leave before 6 a.m. despite of the terrible dog bulk I could not find anybody but the the locked gate. I had to take the luggage down to ease the burden on my aching lung. I pushed my luggage under the gate . But the bike I had to lift over the fence, which caused lots of pains. With all this I lost half an hour. So it was half light as the frontier official had to waken by the frontier guard to get my visa for Armenia.
I crossed the border soon after changing money and cycled on. According this board I was on the Armenian silk road which I studied at the water spring. In the mean time the sun rised. I saw lots of tombs along the roads during my tour, This was an Armenian tomb.
Such bicycle tour requires contunious concentration. You have to watch the road, road damages, traffic, shards of glass, dogs....Not by last you would like to see at least shortly the landscape, people - if admiring yet not possible at all. I stopped to take off a jacket , because it became warmer. Unluckely I did not fix the rubber spider over my luggage. The result was quick, my rear derailleur turned over and the aluminium holder of it was broken.
My bike was lying on the road with the luggage on. I did not have time to take a photo, because an on the Hungarian-Ukrainian boder in 1991 bought ,which was that time 8 years old Lada stopped.The man beside the driver got out, then told the driver. The problem is big ! Then Manvel Adreasian got out of the car. too. He calmed me down, we are going to solve it. First we have to drive to our job which is 50 km from us. (They are guarding a railway bridge for a wage of 125 $ for a month.)
After a minute my lamed bike was lying in the car. I was crouching between doubts and my lifeless bicycle in the car.. Who can weld two pieces of aluminim here together?
Or have I to go by train to Yerevan?
We were discussing all options. After they were taking the job over , Manvel was driving 120 km with me. During driving he called lots of "masters". But this master made a miracle !!! Manvel assembled the rear derailleur. After huge hesitation of Manvel I gave him some $, he did not want to let me pay for the kebap. That required again a long "fight". It is typical for him: as we were searching for a repair shop with a welder I saw lots of people along the road selling fruits I wanted to stop, but the bicycle was more important. He did not forget it. I cycled only some km, when his car stopped by my side. He passed my a plastic bag full with peaches.
He wanted to give me his phone number in case I will have again problem in Armenia.
His sincere helpfulness, which I faced during our long riding , for he stopped at everybody standing with luggage at the road and gave him/her a lift, was moving.

   

  my savers,the thinner one is Manvel !     with Manvel standing relieved          after the Russian poet named village:Lermontov
I stayed this night in a small family motel, built at least not quite by the road.

day XIII.  August, 14.   ~100 km

The relationship between the cyclists and the dogs is not "cloudless". Also during this tour dogs chased me. Now a tragic story happend.I was going downhill in the early moring from a slope. From on the left hill standing house three big black dogs were running downhill attacking me. I was not worried , because I was rolling at 40 km/h . I thought I increase my speed. A large black car type Volga were just about to overtake me. As I looked back to the squeak, I saw the first dog was hit by the car. I do not know what happend to him, but the car stopped. He overtook me first on the next slope after the town Vanadzor.
A slow going hourseback rider in the town Vanadzor , where I got into making a family photo.. On the slope I had a snack break in a parking lot. After persistent attempts at the end of my rest the lorry Zil s engine started finally. The second and the third picture of the round view. A new board of the silk road. Climbing of half of the pass I got away by this tunnel.



  on the way to Lake Sevan  competing with the train     Lake Sevan at 1900 m hight !! graceful girl statue on the shore of Sevan Lake

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     Lake Sevan               beach on Lake Sevan                       monastery Sevan 

According to the speed measuring police men I had to cycle 2 more km to the folk to Sevan monastery. In the Caucasus you do not need to take those figuers seriously. After I cycled about eight km, they gave the speed measuring up and stopped by me showing the way. But by then I was standing in front of the board and I view the monastery first half a km earlier. View.

                     ;

     Sevan church and monastery               altar      stone carving                 believers  painter attrackting buyers

        

     Sevan monastrery and church        carved gate                   Sevan monastery       Sevan monastery 



Republic square, which was the largest in the Soviet Union.

           

     Republic square with government s, palace             Foreign Ministry building                       snack bar by the road, which is worse condition than those in Georgia 



                 

     Armenian plateau on about 1500 m              123 km to the Georgian border                       after 2 km "desert" blessed shade on the high plateau

The National Gallery in one of the buildings on Republic s square Razvan s bank, and its bridge. On the roads before the capitals such casinos waiting for their "victims".

day XIV.  August, 15.   ~140 km

                

     monotoneous Armenian plateau               similar stone cutting workshops I saw before from a distance                    blessed shade on the plateau

Stone cutting workshop New atempt .It was not successful, so the large disc. comming again. Monument. After 15 km wasteland a village and snack place in prospect.


   

     a local man is interested in my bike           backery and shops in the shade                    I observed the Caucasian life from here during my snack time    filling station   

First two green millitary jets were flying over me very low. After two other ones in convoy. Then I decided , when I am hearing the next one , I am going to throw my bike to the side and taking a photo. Success! Millitary aircraft. I was just thinking about it : such a small country has air force of that size ! This is not a good sign for the area.
As I arrived home I heard about the dellivery of the Azeri soldier (murder). I was lucky that it did not happen during my tour in Armenia. Though the people in the countyside are not interested in politics that much to be influenced.
I saw irrigation systems in Georgia, Turkey and also here in Armenia. Irrigation chanel. 15 km old town sign in Russian language of Gyumri. Blocks of flats remained from te Soviet times .


                     

    4090 m high peak of  Aragats about 25 km from the road           Museum of Applied Arts in Gyumri                    Armenian plateau   on a smaller mountain pass

Gyumri is the second largest town in Armenia on 1530 m hight. Statue park of those Armenians ,who fought for their freedom. At the end of the pedestrian walk you find the central square of the town . Cathedral of Virgin Mary s seven wounds was at the other end.
St.Mariam s statue in the downtown, building on the corner. This brick is used all over in Armenia. Statue of Charles Aznavour . In the suburb I saw ski runners training . Will she be the champion of the future ? 131 km before the border and the mountain pass she left deserted. Resting. I thought being on the pass top, but the "roller coster" continued. I was cycling uphill and downhill it was getting dark. The motel in 12 km as the taxi drivers predicted was not yet in sight. I found it finally.

day XV. and XVI. August 16th -17th ~70 km

I tough I found the genuine Armenian face. It turned out she had moved from Moldavia together with other waitress,who was of Ukrainian nationality. They got job in a huge weawing mill . This was closed down after the collapse of Soviet Union.
I planned to leave at 6 a.m. next morning. But after my diarrhea I did not feel well, so I stayed in bed .This was good for my lung, too. I could eat almost nothing. So next morning I was worrying in the wind and cold, how will I I get to the border? The building of the inn from the slope and before sun rise. The plateau.


  

     on a small pass top       mountain in a cloud            village on the plateau                  cows crossing the road    

km stand at the Armenian-Georgian border
Mara Lake is already in Georgia. I saw a new , nice looking bus stop. I though to find a shelter from the sun and I can eat here. I occupied it quickly. After my meal I had a short sleep. Then I wanted to take a photo, but the lens did not open. I though I need to buy batteries again. In the next days I tried in several shops in vain , because my camera broke down. My last picture was the Mara Lake. I made some photos with my mobile phone. My next surprise was the flat rear tire. In the town Ninotsminda I went to the vulcanizer. After an hour of waiting he repaired it free of charge. During waiting I tried to buy tubes in vain. I had then choice of three hotels in Akhakalaki. I did not want to risk to go to the next village in 40 km not to get any accommodation.So I stayed here though it was early afternoon yet..
The first one was really cheap.But because of the " girls" I could not expect a calm night. It quickly turned out , there is absolutly no water. In the noble hotel I could not take my bike in and it was much over my budget.so I took the third one,where my bike was locked in the garage of the house.

day XVII.  August,18th. ~Akhalkalaki-Aspindza-Akhaltsikhe-Adigeni-Goderdzis-pass (2025 m ) 140 km

This morning started also with a dog chasing me, luckily downhill. My bar bag fell down fortunately after the chase.So I could stop and rearrange my bag. At the start this morning the bag did not snapsed in properly.
Now I know, that there were several accommodations in Aspindza, in addition the whole way was a downhill ride. That one I did know either. This was a beautiful rocky gorge. At the end I took some photos with my mobile phone. Now I regeret to have made so few photos . But the Khertvisi fortress. had me stopped to take a photo and relax. The gorge became broader, but the fortress looked fine in the valley of the Mtkvari river ,where the mountains did not look any more so wild compared the rock walls of the gorge.
Sometimes I heard a noice like thunder. I hoped I will get away from the shower. But the reason soon was revealed : exercise ground for armoured wehicles ended my worries.
After a short while I had sunshine again,which went over to a heat without step between. In the valley it is certainly warner any way. But over my last pass Goderdzis real white, not too thick clouds were. I tried again to buy proper batteries for my camera. My atempts were in vain, the objective of it did not open. I cycled by an attractive fortress on the slope. Here I took off all my unnecessary cloths. I cycled along pine tree alley then couriously poplars stood along the roady.I thought those poplars ment the memory of the Hungarian Plain for the prisoners of war...
I got in the village Adigeni. In a restaurant, which had a huge hall, I had a nice meal alone..
I did not suppose that after 300 m the asphalt will disappear and 25 km long I have fight uphill amoung rocks and balanced on gravel. About four km before the pass top a dog attacked me from the right. Then behind me he sneakingly ran to the left and bit. I had a luck, because he did not catch my foot , he bit in the Hungarian flag,which was on the luggage about 10 cm from my left foot . This photo I made at home..
In the mean time dark clouds were gathering , I endeavoured to get "fast" to the pass top. On my last two km I climbed through a moutain village. The news went quickly around amoung the young guys.,who were loudly supporting me with some English words. But suddenly I was facing a cordon of young guys .I did not have even force in me to shout to them.. Fortunately a car passed by and the driver commanded them to let me through. Suddenly the last pass top Goderdzis pass stood in front of me on 2025 m hight in the fog.
In the shop I asked where can I get accommodation on the way downhill. The girl recommended me a motel on the pass top. Though the circumstances were like in the middle ages in the wooden shed . The water was running all the time from a black plastic tube. So I had running water. Latrina was on the slope about 50 m lower. But I found a very friendly plumber team, who was working on the heating and water system in the near by hotel .They were from Kobuleti (Black Sea). They invited me to the table for supper. We were talking for hours by a can of white wine,which they bought on the way to this pass. Everybody told his own short strories about his life, family. The toasts were quickly following each other about the Georgian-Hungarian friendship, members of the families, success of my tour..... They promiced me to get up half past six in the morning, starting their job early. I am really sorry I did not make any photos in the twilight. We had a real warm atmosphere.

day XVIII  August, 19th ~ 130 km Goderdzis pass 2025 m- Khulo-Shuakhevi-Batumi,Sarpi

Complete silence were in the morning, only the oldest member of the team was ready to work. So I could take a photo only about him.
At night it was a slight rain and in the moring again dense fog. So I had to wobble downhill on the slippery stones and through huge muds. Later I noticed to have lost the bolt of my luggage holder. For I had no chance to find such a small bolt on the "road", along which huge road construction machines were standing , I hooked the rubber spider in the hole. I with right hoped it will last to my car.
In the settlement of Khulo a new mosque surprised me. This is a link about it from the internet : www.flickr.com because I had to use the mobile phone memory economically.
The sun came out again, causing immediatelly a big heat. I had my snack in the gorge and enjoyed the marvellous view. The sky showed more and more mixed picture with the often dark clouds. My cardiac arrhythmia signalized the approaching storm. Despite of it I descending on the road, because about 20 km after the pass the asphalt came here and there back. Asphalt covered the road after some km more almost continuoesly.
What is the destiny of a biker ? Not only uphill you have to climb winding slopes, but also downhill ride has often uphill sections. That is annoying , because you have to climb back again.
It was this time the same, the long descendent from 2025 m down to 0 was not always a downhill ride.There were 200-3000 m sections with partially 15-20 % gradients. Of course such sections were often without asphalt!
Reaching the suburbs of Batumi the storm situation looked seriously. So I tried to pedal faster. Three km before the border the earlier slight rain became stronger and the wind rose. The last one was a serious sign of a comming storm. I gave all my last energy!
I arrived to the car park in front of the cafes . I quickly threw my bicycle in the car. I followed it rapidly. In the next 15 minutes I did not get out, because it was pouring with rain.
During waiting I realized that my car has not disappeard, there is no harm on it....
The final km stand added the in Svanetia left out 35 km the result of my tour was :1980 km..
In that there is not climbes of challange BIGs in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria. To the result I have to add that I lost 6 kg during my bicycle tour.

Looking the falling rain drops I made a quick summery in my mind.
Though I did not find the exact spots of the former labour camps, contacting many people and seeing my sites , I formed a picture about the beautiful sceneries , tough conditions and the helpfull Caucasian people.
What more concete I could have hoped 65-67 years after those labour camps were closed?
My thoughts turned to my true mate, the Caprine trecking bicycle. I can be grateful to the Caprine team, which did not give me to my special request lighter wheels for this tour. This would have had simply disastrous consequences.
All due respect to the manufacturer, because even a good mountain bike would not have made this tour through without problems.
I definetelly recommend fellow cyclists to strengthen the bolts f.e. luggage holder(double srew nuts, spring washers).
I have had over 3000 km in the tyres, but I see no sign of wear!
I can deffinetelly recommend this bicycle with the standard fitting even for such extreme road conditions!

I wish nice tour experiences to the current and in future owners of Caprine bicycles !

in the hope of an random meeting on a country road or on a mountain pass...
or on the way from Budapest to Berlin in 2013...

András

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