Week 8

Day 50.

Saturday 17th August 2019

Trabzon to Rize.

Bit of a leisurely start as breakfast at the Hotel Demigrand didn’t start until 7.30 - it was a really good breakfast. Usually breakfast consists of feta, bread, tomatoes and cucumbers- so it was lovely to eat something different. We decided that we needed to find a pharmacy to treat what we are referring to as the pressure sores, (they are not pressure sores- we are exaggerating). on our bums! Pharmacies in Turkey are mostly closed. After visiting 5 we finally found one that was open. Anyway - it didn't have anything we really needed - unless we were prepared to apply a crepe bandage to our bums!

We headed out of town - it was busy. The Hoppa buses - which people stand by the road and flag down - are a nightmare. The drivers simply don’t look - randomly stopping and pulling out. I have been swerving around them for days - one nearly got us today - just managed to stop in time. We headed along the coast meeting a young Getmam guy cycling to Shanghai. Had a chat then headed off. The sea was rough - it was nice to see the waves breaking - reminded me of a day out to Bridlington. Anyway - it started to rain - then it poured. The rain was bouncing off the road making it difficult to see. We took shelter and found tea. 6 cups of free tea later it was still raining but it had eased a bit so we headed for the nearest town. Finally found somewhere to do some washing (it was getting desperate) and good to give our bums a rest! Onto Hopa tomorrow- hopefully to get a new GPS!

Day 51

Sunday 18th August 2019

Rize to Hopa

A short day’s riding today as we are picking up a new GPS in Hopa in the morning - so the spot watchers will be able to follow us again. We took advantage and had a leisurely breakfast in Rize and set off a bite later! Met a lovely Australian couple bike packing in Greece and Turkey - 2 months into their trip. It was great to compare notes and share common experiences- being chased by dogs, interesting campsites. The Towns along this section of the Black Sea are more interspersed and very much working towns as opposed to holiday destinations. It’s interesting to see the contrast and perhaps conflict between the old and new as Turkey develops. The scenery was more dramatic with high mountains dropping dramatically into the sea. The sea was rough with waves breaking along the coast. We had a few more terrifying tunnels but have the technique of Raz waving a light behind us sorted. We were also very excited to find a restaurant that served cappuccino- not just Nescafé (which seems to be considered a treat) or Turkish coffee (which we both like and certainly gives you a buzz)! We had 2 each with 2 pieces of Turkish Delight - luxury. The wind was behind us and the miles went quickly. We arrived in Hopa in time for a bit of kit sorting and an early dinner at a local restaurant. Tomorrow will be our last day in Turkey. It has offered everything and has been amazing.

Day 52.

Monday 19th August 2019

Hopa to Kvenchiabti in Georgia.

Set off in search of a new GPS which we thought was being delivered to Hopa. It wasn’t a new GPS but we were pleased to get some spare bike parts.

Continued to travel up the coast through yet more tunnels to the Georgia border.Georgia has a different feel. We were immediately struck by the number of casinos and the amount of alcohol on sale. The country also has that former communist state feel to it in a similar way to Albania with crumbling concrete tower blocks and its own culture still struggling to emerge. We did however see some lovely countryside travelling through a national park and through farm land watching the swallows swoop. We also had a bit of cross country on the bike with potholes and muddy roads. We finally came into the town where we thought there was a hotel.

Following Google Maps we ended up the wrong side of railway tracks (literally) and were pulled over by the police. There was about 6 of them crammed into a truck. They told us the hotel didn’t exist and gave us an escort to the main road. We travelled 5 miles back and found a place with blasting music, and a shared bathroom but it did have food and it was somewhere to stay. A very noisy night with dogs barking, stray dogs (being scared off with a taser) music playing and people talking late into the night.

Day 53.

Tuesday 20th August 2019

Kvenchiabti to Vertkvichala

Bad hotel to Wild campsite (in the middle of nowhere). Set off from the bad hotel with sleep deprivation and a breakfast of stale bread and cheese. The power had gone out in the middle of the night and the water was running out so there was not much on offer. I fed the hungry dogs most of the food. We headed back the way we had come in search of coffee.

This was rural Georgia with stalls at the side of the road selling clay pots and small towns with a smattering of houses but not much else. We stopped at a service station and had some fast food which consisted of bread with a salty cheese and a coffee. It was busy with minibuses stopping and people piling out to eat. We headed off again picking up the main road stopping at a small cafe where we met a lovely guy from Sweden who had been bike packing for 4 months raising money for cancer (Cycle against cancer). He was heading to Tehran. We past crumbing railway yards and decided to pick up the main road across the plains. It was faster with the backdrop of the mountains and the wind behind us.

More bread and cheese from a fruit stall with rotting fruit before we started a long climb up through a valley - big cliffs, river running through - Beautiful but busy. It was starting to get late so we stopped to eat - everything cane with a walnut paste (which was nice), to look at accommodation options. The nearest town was over 20 miles away and up a big climb. We pushed on and decided to wild camp near the river. The local stalls had water pipes from the river so we had access to water. We set up camp away from the road but we could still hear the traffic thundering by. It was however quieter than the previous night so we knew we would get some sleep.

Day 54.

Wednesday 21st August 2019

Vertkvichala to Tbilisi

Wild campsite (in the middle of nowhere) to Tbilisi. Woke early with the sound of traffic still thundering by. We packed up the camp - drank ice tea and ate some fruit and nuts and headed off in search of coffee. We immediately hit a hard and steep climb up the valley which had carried on from the night before. The going was tough with no hard shoulder, gravel and the lorries thundering by - and there was nowhere to stop.

Finally stopped at a cafe (I use the term loosely) where we were served the worst coffee ever (instant, weak, full of sugar) and stale cake. Otter was also on the menu. The toilets rated 2. No door just a series of cubicles - squat. We saw a tunnel ahead - a guy stopped up waving a flag. It looked narrow with nowhere for the lorries to pass. Finally after much conversation none of which we could understand he arranged for us to have an escort through it. It is just as well as we wouldn’t have been able to get though in one piece with all the traffic.

A bit of down hill and a cafe stop (more bread and cheese) and we hit the main road to Tbilisi. The wind had shifted and - the sun was hot (35 degrees) and it was a massive headwind across the plains to the point where it was difficult to move forward. We carried on climbing slowly. There were very few places to stop - we found a fruit market with puppies and rotting fruit and finally like a mirage we saw a service station. We ordered real food - it was weighed and served to us cold! and the coffee machine was broken - but we restocked and carried on. We were heading to Tbilisi- a long day nearly 100 miles. We crossed the plains with the mountains in the background- the countryside is spectacular. We reached the outskirts of Tbilisi out of water and food. It was getting dark so with the lights on we headed to the centre. It was a fast approach - a bit like coming into Las Vegas with adverts for casinos and night spots - but we finally found our hotel. A few days off (longer than we wanted cause of flights) and then to India for the next part of the journey. We have cycled nearly 3900 miles- across Europe and Asia - South East Asia next!

Day 55 and Day 56

Thursday and Friday 22nd and 23rd August 2019

Tbilisi

End of Stage 2 & the beginnings of a new chapter - Stage 3 India!

We have had a few days to reflect.... We’ve been cycling for 54 days now and here are a few interesting facts and figures...... 3980 - Miles

73.5 miles a-day average (2 days off)!

14020 - to go!

307,901 - feet climbed

12 - countries

2 - continents

6 - punctures

2 - new tyres

1 - broken chain

4 - chased by dogs

Too many tunnels

1 - broken tent

2 - sore bottoms

Numerous cheese and tomato sandwiches

Too many sleepless nights

£11553 - in donations

8 - dedicated days

7 - parcels in customs

1265 - followers on Facebook

641 - followers on twitter

449 - followers on Instagram

We really want to thank you for your daily support. I can’t tell you what a difference it makes. And also your incredible generosity, each donation and message gives us such a boost.

We fly to Mumbai on Monday morning for the start of stage 3. With excitement and anticipation... !