Jump to: Early June

Jump to Other Countries: Russia, Azerbaijan

Day 643: Saturday, June 18, 2016

Since I am kind of “stuck” here in Tbilisi until Monday morning I stayed in the hostel most of the day and worked on getting caught up on posting to my blog. Most of the sights I want to see in Tbilisi I want to see with Roy and since he did not arrive here from Yerevan until night I didn’t do any sightseeing today. It was mostly a cloudy day anyway so I was very content with having a quiet day.

Day 644: Sunday, June 19, 2016

Roy and I started the day with a short ride up into the mountains just south of Tbilisi. There was nothing particular to see but it was a nice ride with a few good views of the city from above. We found a Thai restaurant for lunch and both had Phad Thai for the first time in a long time. The noodles sucked but the flavor was authentic enough so it was good.

Roy was tired so we spend the afternoon in the hostel instead of sightseeing. It turned out to be a good thing though as there was a 2 hour rain storm that came through and we would have gotten soaked if we had been out on our bikes.

At night we went out for dinner at an Indian/Thai hole-in-the-wall that I happened by yesterday. The food was really pretty good. Right next door to that was a café and as we were eating we could hear live music coming from inside and the guy was singing American songs and playing his guitar. We really thought he was an American his English was that good. There were a bunch of people sitting out in the street in front of the café and lots of people going in and out; a real happening place. We couldn’t resist and so after eating we went to the café for a beer and music. I asked the singer where he was from and he said “Georgia” to which I replied “Atlanta?” and he said “No, Georgia the country. You know. Where you are right now.”

Day 645: Monday, June 20, 2016

This morning I went to the Azerbaijan consulate and turned in my paperwork for my visa. They told me 5 business days which means next Monday. I certainly hope it does not take that long. I left the hostel 15 minutes ahead of Roy with the plan of meeting him at the consulate and then heading up north to Stepantsminda, Georgia near the Russian border. When Roy showed up I was still standing in a long line outside the consulate so Roy took off ahead of me. Worst case scenario was that we would meet at the guesthouse reserved for the night.

By 12:30pm I was heading out of Tbilisi. I only made one stop along the way at a small monastery at Ananuri and I only did that because it was right along the side of the road and I needed to get off my bike for a break anyway. I snapped some quick pictures, talked for 10 minutes to an American family that is living in Moscow, Russia and there visiting and then was back on the road. I thought if I kept going there was a chance I would catch Roy.

When I got to Stepantsminda and found the hard to find guesthouse I fully expected to find Roy already there. But no such luck. I have no clue how I got past him but somehow I did. Once Roy did arrive we headed to the café in the main “square” to get dinner.   We ended up playing some backgammon. I took the first game, Roy the second, and the tiebreaker came down to one piece each left on the board. Of course Roy rolled the winner to take it 2 games to 1.

The Ananuri Fortress Complex looking south with the lake in the background.

The view looking north from a lookout point between Gudauri and Jvari Pass.

The view looking south from a lookout point between Gudauri and Jvari Pass.

The view from the balcony of my guesthouse. Doesn’t get much better than this.

Jump to Other Countries: More Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran

Day 646: Tuesday, June 21, 2016

We started the day with a trip up to a church perched high above the town on the top of a mountain. The church is called the Gergeti Trinity Church and is apparently the most visited church in Georgia. Before heading up the mountain we decided to go to the store and get a few provisions. We passed a guy with a 4×4 that offered to take us up to the church for 40 Lari ($20 USD). We said “how about 30 Lari?” and he said “no” so we told him we would just walk it (our original plan). Of course he did not want to see us walk away so he yelled at us as we walked away and said he would do it for 30. It turned out to be a good call. We saved a good 1 ½ hours of time and a lot of strain on our bodies. The ride was not without its “thrills” as the road was not really even a road and quite scary at times with the wheels only an inch or 2 from precipices. There is no way we would have made it on our bikes. It is a good thing we left them at the bottom.

Once at the church the views were worth the journey although the church itself was nothing too special. Wanting to do some hiking we did take the trail down. While a hike up we were told would take 2 hours the hike down was only 45 minutes. As we passed people hiking up Roy and I would just look at each other and affirm we made the right decision. And if the people we passed were young we reminisced at what it was like to be a teenager.

After the hike I got on my bike and headed north with Grozny, Chechnya, Russia in my sights while Roy headed back south to Tbilisi. It was only supposed to be a 2 hour trip but after over an hour at the border and other normal stops it took about 3 ½ hours to get there. Once in Grozny I could not find either of the hostels I had marked on my GPS. They just weren’t to be found. I spent 2 hours riding around in 35 degree heat finding a place to stay. Finally I found one of the hostels I had marked but it was just not where Google Maps indicated it would be. Thus I wasted 2 hours and was totally exhausted by the time I got checked in.

I had no food or drink since noon and it was already 8pm by this point. What did I need more, a shower, or food? I went for the shower but once I got into the shower and tried to turn on the water it had stopped. No water. Damn! So I put my clothes back on and went out to find dinner. I had seen a restaurant called “American Steakhouse” so that was a no brainer!

When I was studying the menu that is when I got the call from Roy that I have always been dreading. He said “Dave, I had an accident and the bike has significant damage.” Wow, what a shock. I was begging him to tell me it was a joke but it was not. After a long chat I finally ordered dinner and did not get back to my hostel until nearly 11pm. What an exhausting day.

 As we started hiking down we remembered to look back behind us. This was what we saw.

 A great shot of the Manic Nomads in Stepantsminda, Georgia.

Day 647: Wednesday, June 22, 2016

So I was too far from Tbilisi to make it back in one day so I was resolved to the fact that I would not be able to get back there until Thursday. So I continued with my plan to hit a few more Russian states on a somewhat circuitous route back to Stepantsminda where I had started out yesterday.

The scenery was mostly flat with a straight road so boring riding for sure. However, I did have an interesting day in what I experienced. There were many police/military checkpoints all along my route. I think I must have gone through about 10 in total. Of those 10 I got stopped 6 times where I had to show my documents. There was never any harassment and I really think I was stopped just because they were curious and wanted to talk to me. Each time the “conversation” was fun.   With my route maps on my paniers it makes explaining what I am doing much easier than if I did not have them. They were all amazed at what I was doing as if they could not even imagine such a life experience.

At the third checkpoint that I was stopped at I noticed something was different. Approaching the checkpoint, which I could see from some distance off I noticed 3 large military tanks with crews standing about. The tanks were pointing at the road but also looked as if they have probably never been used. The crews looked bored. Once stopped I was ushered into a trailer where I had to show my documents. Unlike the other checkpoints this one had computers and passport scanners just like a country border. But a check of my documents and I was out of the trailer with no problems only to see about 10 guys surrounding my bike. I walked over and they all had questions to ask. They were totally forgetting about their jobs. After about 5 pictures with various guards I was free to head on down the road.

At the last checkpoint I was stopped at the police did not even ask for my documents but just started talking to me. At the same time a military guy with his machine gun slung over his shoulder and dressed in blue fatigues came walking directly up to me and before I knew it I was holding an ice cream bar. I could not believe my eyes. Since I had not eaten anything all day and it was at the hottest time of the day it was a very, very welcomed gesture. I ate the ice cream bar really fast, partly from hunger and partly because it was melting so fast while the police looked on and looked over my bike. Once I finished most of the guys went back to stopping other cars but a couple guys remained and asked for my passport. I showed it to them and in 30 seconds it was back in my hand and I was free to go again but only after a friendly handshake and wish for safe travels.

I got back to Stepantsminda, Georgia with about an hour of daylight left. I took a much need rest after getting my gear off and finally walked into town about 9pm to get a bite for dinner (my only meal of the day).

Completely rebuilt Grozny.  No sign there was ever a war here.

“Heart of Chechnya” Mosque in the center of Grozny.

Another view of the “Heart of Chechnya” Mosque.

Jump to Other Countries: More Georgia (top), Russia, Azerbaijan

Day 648: Thursday, June 23, 2016

My only goal for today was to get back to Tbilisi and see what if anything I could do to help out Roy. I arrived at his guesthouse around 1pm. He was not here. I figured that meant he was at the police station where his bike is being held pending the investigation. I was dying of hunger so headed to the nearby Wendy’s for lunch.   Upon returning to the guesthouse Roy was here and we had a long chat about what was going to happen going forward and what our strategy would be given his bike is out of commission for a while.

At 4pm I went over to the Azerbaijan consulate to see if my visa was ready and much to my surprise, it was. That was great news as it gives me more flexibility on my schedule.   Later in the evening we went in search of dinner and came across a restaurant with outdoor seating and also had a jazz band with a lounge singer performing. It was an easy decision to eat there.   Both the food and music were good so it turned into a nice end to the day.

Jump to Other Countries: More Georgia, Russia

Day 649: Friday, June 24, 2016

Even though my visa to Azerbaijan was ready I had already told Roy that I was going to stay the day in Tbilisi and I really did want to have the day to enjoy the city and wonderful Zemeli Guesthouse we were staying at. Most of the day was spent working on our computers. Roy of course trying to figure things out with his bike and me catching up on my blog and also getting a donation page up on our website so we could raise funds to help get Roy back on the road as fast as possible.

It was a nice relaxing day of no riding. Given all the riding that we do, a day like this is very welcomed from time to time.

Day 650: Saturday, June 25, 2016

Today I got up with the plan of leaving. Time dragged on and it got pretty late in the morning before I could consider packing up and it was tough to think of leaving. I really was enjoying the guesthouse. In particular they have a courtyard with a hammock and grape vines that grew up and over the courtyard providing perfect shade. It really was a perfect setting to relax.

As time went on I realized I did not need to leave yet. It was also a bit tough to leave because I knew I would be leaving Roy behind and I would miss his company. What is one more day anyway, right? We made the most of it and in the evening we went to a sulfur public bath that the city is famous for going back thousands of years when the city was a key part of the silk road route. At the height of popularity and functionality there were hundreds of these public baths, not dissimilar to the public baths I experienced living in Japan back in the 1970’s in the city.

Now there are just 5 remaining. I thought it would be full of tourists as is the case at hammans in Istanbul but that did not prove to be the case. Everyday folks were there. It was very crowded, not clean, noisy, and in my opinion not a very pleasant feeling. I felt like I was back in high school gym class.

Glad that it was over we went in search of food and found another good spot with bar food and a good live band. I could really get used to Tbilisi. This city has a lot to offer and a place I would highly recommend as a travel destination.

I was really lazy in Tbilisi with taking pictures. This is the only proof I have I was there.

Day 651: Sunday, June 26, 2016

I left Tbilisi this morning. Originally I thought I’d be going back there after a short 2 or 3 day jaunt to Azerbaijan but late last night decided to go all the way through Azerbaijan and into Iran from there instead of going through Armenia. It saves 300 kilometers of riding and lets me see Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.

But before Azerbaijan I still had today in Georgia. In-between Tbilisi and the border with Azerbaijan is Georgia’s main wine region. And to the southwest of that is a barren landscape and desert with mud volcanos. It was my intent to get to the city of Sighnaghi, find a place to stay, drop my bag and then head to the badlands of Georgia and return to Sighnaghi again before dark.

Arriving in Sighnaghi I was delighted with the beauty of this town situated on the top of a mountain ridge with expansive views of 2 valleys, one on either side. It is Sunday and I guess it was a special day or maybe it is the same every Sunday but in the town square there were folk dancing exhibitions and live music happening. There were also booths set up all around the square with wine tasting and other articles of interest. I took more time than expected as I took in the sights for 30 minutes or so.

I still felt I had energy to go to the badlands so I found a place to stay, dropped the bag as planned and headed out. Roy always accuses me of blindly following my GPS and not using enough common sense. I proved that to be the case today. My GPS guided me to a dirt road which I thought was strange as the next town I was going to was significant enough that these 2 places should be connected with a good road. Having some doubt I did stop. I pulled out my phone and checked my Maps.me app which is also an invaluable tool. It also said the route offered by the GPS was the suggested route. So onward I went.

Bad decision. The road went from flat to steep downhill. Not surprising in retrospect as I was on top of a mountain going into a valley. And the dirt road turned to gravel, large rocks, and very uneven surface. I got to one spot where I decided to turn around but it was impossible. The road was too narrow, uneven and pointing downhill already. My bike is way too heavy to push it backwards up a hill, even on pavement let alone a bad dirt road. So I had no choice to go forward. Fortunately a 4 x 4 truck happened along just at this point. Even with the two guys in the truck (they were rather old) it would not have been possible to push my bike backwards without dropping it. They did offer to have me follow them and they would show me the way to pavement as the road did split in 3 different directions. I was grateful for their offer.

I made it down the steepest, most rugged part without falling but I don’t really know how. It was touch and go the whole way. I really thought it was going over. After 10 minutes it leveled off and it became dirt again and I began to relax. Bam! I was down, flat in the dirt. The first thing I saw was my water bottle in the dirt. I heard the engine revving and then automatically shut off. I felt the pain in my left leg. And I realized that I could not get the bike up again by myself, I am in the middle of nowhere and who knows when the next vehicle would come by if any. Panic set in. All this happened in a split second. The next thing I remember I was running down the road chasing after the 4 x 4 that disappeared around the bend apparently thinking I was not longer going to fall now that the road had leveled off. My helmet still on, my leg in pain, and it being hot as hell I continued to run yelling “help” and waving my arms in the air as if my life depending on it. No kidding I chased after that car for 500 meters before he finally saw me and stopped.

We drove back to my bike where it lay in the dust looking like a dead dog in the road. I always hate to see my bike in that condition. With the 3 of us we got the bike back upright and with the kickstand down to hold it there I could take a moment to collect my thoughts. First thing was to check the bike. No damage at all. What a strong bike my Triumph Tiger Explorer XC is. It can really take a beating. Then I grabbed my bottle of water and drank the whole thing without taking a breath. Then my attention drifted to my leg. Damn. The same knee I broke one year ago. Fortunately there was just a small tear in my pant leg and scraps on my knee where the blood was already dried. I washed out the dust with water from another bottle I had. This all happened in the matter of about 3 minutes as my saviors were waiting on me to see that I was alright.

Realizing that all was good I asked them to follow me this time instead of lead me as I made my way the last 2 kilometers to the pavement.   At this point I was only 5 kilometers from where I had started. I made the easy decision that I was done for the day. No badlands. I rode the pavement (yes, there was a way) all the way back to my guesthouse, bought a bottle of wine, and spent the rest of the evening and night working on the bottle of wine, eating the local bread, and watching programs on my tablet.

At the entrance to the town of Sighnaghi, Georgia.

A view from the town of Sighnaghi looking into the valley below.

Sighnaghi church and the expansive valley as a backdrop.

Day 652: Monday, June 27, 2016

Today I crossed the border into Azerbaijan, my 91^st country. It is always exciting to tick another country off my list of yet to be visited countries. Most of the country’s top places to see are in Baku, the capital city but I found one place in the city of Sheki which was on my way between the border and the city I would stay the night in, Mingecevir. The place is a small church which is not what I get excited about but what the heck. It is on the way, pretty much so why not, right?

Well my GPS told me to take a road that turned out not to be the main highway but it was a shorter distance by a few kilometers only I suspect. The road started out paved. After a few kilometers there were patches that were unpaved but it looked just like areas that were maybe under repair. After several kilometers of that the patches became large sections greater than the paved parts. Once I was past the point of no return the pavement disappeared altogether, of course. It was very hot, uncomfortable, and when a car or truck would pass I got blasted with walls of dust. I wanted to be anywhere but there at that time.

Finally at Sheki I stopped at a store for much needed hydration. Then it was onward in search of this church I am already suffering to see. It was in a small village called Kis and was another 10 clicks up the road. As I approached the church, still not visible to me other than a spot on the GPS the pavement turned to cobblestone, the gradual incline turned to steep hill, the flat road turned to a slope on both sides creating a channel in the center of the lane, the lane turned from wide to narrow, and the cobblestone turned from dry to wet. With no way to turn the bike around I was committed at this point. The only path was forward. The water running down the road made for slick cobblestones and with the slope of the road I kept getting forced into the center. My bike was fishtailing almost out of control just like being caught in a jet vortex when flying a plane and I braced myself for a second fall in 2 days. It never came. I finally made it to the church and I was wondering why God would put a place for people to come and worship him in such a dangerous place to get to.

I took 10 minutes looking around the church which really only required 5 minutes in some hope of feeling like it was worth it but there is no way I can go away saying that was the case. On the way down I was cursing my decision while at the same time managing to stay on my bike until I got back to pavement and a flat road.

I then made my way another 3 hours to the beautiful city of Mingecevir where I stayed in a really nice hotel which is a rare treat for me. It only cost $26 for the night including breakfast. The same room in the US would easily cost $150 to $200 per night. It was located right on the banks of a river than flows into a huge lake in the north central part of Azerbaijan. It was a picturesque place and made for a very relaxing evening. I do not want to leave in the morning.

I have crossed hundreds of borders in my days but this is a unique greeting! I got a bit nervous.

The tiny church I should never have visited. What was God thinking?

The staff at my hotel insisted I take a picture of them with my bike.

Day 653: Tuesday, June 28, 2016

It was another scorcher of a day with the temps getting up to 36 degrees. Although I only had a 5 hour trip from Minagchevir to Baku the heat took a toll and I was exhausted by the time I arrived in Baku about 4pm. Of course the hostel I booked was inside the old town which is completely surrounded by a fortress wall so it was hard to get into and then to find the hostel location. It always seems to be the case with hostels.

After a rest I went out for what was to be a short walk but it turned into about 3 hours. I could not believe how beautiful the city of Baku is. It is very modern but with an ancient feel to it as well, at least in the “old town” section of the city. I did not take my camera with me so I will go out tomorrow with my camera and catch some of the city’s landmarks.

After returning to the hostel after dinner I did get my camera and went out just around my hostel and grabbed a couple of shots.

 Along my route I came across a land formation I have never seen before.  Wheat is growing on the slopes.

Baku’s “Old Town” is enclosed in this beautiful fortress wall that looks like it was built just yesterday.

Some sort of tea pot I guess. Always steaming. Saw these numerous times along the road driving to Baku.

Day 654: Wednesday, June 29, 2016

This morning I took a tour of 3 consulates to work on visa issues. For Uzbekistan and Tajikistan my visas will expire too early for comfort so I wanted to see if I could get them reissued or extended. I then wanted to go to the Turkmenistan consulate to apply for the transit visa I will need to get through that country.

At the Tajikistan consulate I got positive information in that I can get an extension once I arrive there so that issue is no longer an issue. Uzbekistan was another story entirely. First of all the guy there was very rude. Second of all he said a completely new application would be required and it would take 8 days to get it. Well there is no way I am waiting in Baku for 8 days so right there that made it clear I was going to have to make it through Uzbekistan by July 23. At least the good thing about that is it also determines what my dates for Turkmenistan must be.

When I got to the Turkmenistan consulate I was told that it was closed until Friday and to come back then. Well that would mean a 2 day wait for something I wasn’t even sure I was going to be able to do there. So that immediately made another decision for me. Instead of going to the western part of Iran before going to Tehran I would now have to go directly to Tehran to apply for the Turkmenistan visa there so I could get it in time to still get through Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan before the Uzbek visa expires.

The afternoon was again really hot so I stayed in with plans to go out in the evening. A young, married Japanese couple came to the hostel in the late afternoon. They are about 30 years old and are taking a year to travel extensively. It was great getting a chance to get to know them and as always I enjoy the opportunity to speak Japanese. A 40 year old guy from Germany was staying there as well so the 4 of us went out tonight and took in some of the local sights.

 These buildings are called the Flame Towers since at night they have moving lights on them to make them look like flames.

Flag Square in Baku as seen from a hilltop overlooking the city.

Baku City in the background.

Day 655: Thursday, June 30, 2016

I left Baku not knowing how far I would get but had my sights on the border with Iran. I was hoping I could make it across the border but had a backup plan to stay on the Azerbaijan side if necessary. There were no hotels showing on my map for the Azerbaijan side so I also had a hotel picked out about 30 kilometers before the border just in case.

The day was really hot and it takes a lot out of me. I am used to riding 8 to even 10 hours a day and was able to do that in many parts of the Americas and in Europe. But here I find that even 5 hours is a hard ride. Several times today I wanted to stop but managed to press on.   When I got to Astara at the border it was 5pm and I had a decision to make.

I considered what might be a worst case scenario of it taking 4 hours to get through immigration and customs which would mean that it would be dark before I could find a hotel. Given that, I made the wise decision to spend the night in Azerbaijan and cross the border in the morning. As luck would have it I had passed a hotel right on the road leading to the border crossing so I stopped there for the night.

The hotel was a short walk away from the Caspian Sea and the town had a really great waterfront park there so I enjoyed a long walk along the coastline and even went down to the black sand beach reminiscent of the big island of Hawaii and stuck my feet into the water. I was surprised at how warm it was although I guess I shouldn’t have been given the weather. From one spot I was able to see an Azerbaijan flag in the foreground marking the border and an Iranian flag in the distance.  Looking at that sight I suddenly felt a deep sense of being a long way from home.

 These buildings are called the Flame Towers since at night they have moving lights on them to make them look like flames.

Flag Square in Baku as seen from a hilltop overlooking the city.

Baku City in the background.

The Caspian Sea in the background. I smell OIL.

I had to pass one of these trucks which meant riding under the overhanging hay.