Cycling Georgia: Humidity and Heartbreak

I was hungover for only the second time on this trip, so a day of chilling at the hostel was all I could really manage. I did make it out for a coffee and some food with Vitaly and tried khinkali, Georgian dumplings. They’re filled with meat, which I’ve had to accept is going to keep appearing the further east I go, but they were actually pretty good — like a stew caught inside pastry.

Today was a rubbish day. I was out for food with Sergen and Talgat when I received news from Demi that, after having stomach pain, she’d been diagnosed with appendicitis and would need surgery immediately. Because of the recovery time, it meant she wouldn’t be able to come to Tbilisi. It was heartbreaking — we only had certain windows when she could visit, and after our lovely week in Durrës, Albania, I had been really looking forward to seeing her again at the end of the Turkey/Georgia leg. The news completely destroyed my mood and my ability to get up and go.

I set off in the afternoon, cycling out of Batumi and into the countryside, straight into the humidity. I struggled to push the pedals round — my head still wasn’t in the game after the news from home. I found a decent campsite and spent the evening with a frog for company. I only put up my mesh tent, as I’d been doing in Turkey, but that turned out to be a mistake. Rain rolled in at some ungodly hour, so I had to run around half-asleep putting the outer tent up.

I had a better day riding and started to get back into the groove a little. Luckily, I’ve got plenty of time before I need to be in Tbilisi, so I’ve dropped the mileage right down to 50–60 km a day. I had a feeling there might be a good spot by the river, so I headed over some train tracks and down a lane. At first, I couldn’t see where to go, but then a local spotted me and cycled alongside until he pointed out the gate I needed. It led to a perfect spot between the trees, with cows drinking from the river. A man was fishing nearby, so I chatted with him a little before settling into a relaxing Sunday. I put some lentils on to soak, but at one point a cow nudged them and I had to run over to chase it away.

There’s been plenty of livestock on or near the road, but today was especially busy — cows, pigs, and horses forming all sorts of blockades. Eventually I found a great spot after asking two kids, who’d clearly been swimming, if I could go through the gate they’d just come out of. The river had a strong current, so I swam against it for a while before joining some locals who were running and jumping into the deep water. Later in the evening, a group of guys turned up and started a BBQ. It didn’t take long before we got chatting, and I had a few drinks with them. A few of them broke out into a traditional Georgian dance routine, and I made a meagre attempt to copy. Late at night, they decided to drive back to Kutaisi, where they’d come from, so I headed back to my tent and called it a night.

Slow start today. I met a fellow cyclist picking plums from a roadside tree, so we rode together briefly before parting ways. Not long after, a boy ran after me offering water, which turned into a full meal, birthday cake for his grandma, and a generous serving of chacha. Later I climbed a hill and found a beautiful camping spot overlooking the hills and mountains.

 Biggest climbing day in Georgia so far — down to a place called Chiatura, then back up again. I was really struggling for motivation and felt a bit ill. I stopped at a Turkish roadside restaurant for dinner, but the food wasn’t great and didn’t help matters. I only had a short ride afterwards before finding a river to camp beside. I only put up the mesh tent again, and sure enough, at 3 a.m. a thunderstorm rolled in, so I had to scramble around in the dark putting on the outer sheet.

 After a horrid night’s sleep, my only goal was to get to Gori. I checked into a guesthouse that looked like it hadn’t changed since the 1970s, run by a woman with the aura of a mafia boss. I went out for food, but Gori really didn’t have much to offer. Everything seemed shut, and the only thing I could find was a kebab and some chips.

The final ride into Tbilisi was much better, and I managed the 80 km at my usual pace. I checked into the Airbnb, enjoyed a long shower, and then met up with Mike, who happened to be in the city too, we got a few pints and chatted about our respective journeys to Tblisi after splitting in Turkey. Later, it was time to grab a Bolt to the airport to pick up my Dad who was flying over in place of Demi. We had a beer and a bite to eat, and planned the coming week.