21st May
This morning tents were down, breakfast over and kitchen packed away by 8.15 am so we boarded the truck bound for Tbilisi.
Calypso and crew retraced the journey from Kazbegi through the Georgian Military Highway to Ananuri where we stopped for lunch and explore the Ananuri Fortress for those that wanted to.
Early afternoon we passed the Zhinvali Reservoir on route to Mtskheta, Georgia’s spiritual heart since Christianity was established here in about AD327.
At Mtskheta we visited the grand Svetitskhoveli Cathedral from 11th century. The cathedral has an elongated cross plan, adorned with beautiful stone carvings inside and out. Inside the cathedral Christ’s robe is believed to lie in the nave beneath the square, tower like pillar, which is decorated with colourful frescoes of the conversion of Kartli. The frescoes date from the 16th to the 18th century.
From the cathedral we were able to view the Juari Church, which is to many of the Georgians the holiest of holy churches, the country’s spiritual heart.
Late afternoon we arrived in Tbilisi, a city ten times the size of any other in Georgia. Politically, culturally, economically and socially this is the hub of the country and where Georgians gravitate for action and excitement.
According to evidence settlement in Tbilisi dates back to the 4th century and in the past has been known for its production of weapons, jewellery, leather and silk clothing.
The Calypso crew were delighted to be booked into the GTM Hotel close to the Old Town for two nights......amid range priced hotel with hot and cold showers, soft bed and free wi fi.
For dinner we walked to an Irish bar in the Old Town where we ate a meal then spent most of the evening singing and dancing to a live band that played 60’s and 70’s music.....it was great fun.
Distance travelled: - 169kms
22nd May
It was luxury to be able to sleep in till 9.00am this morning after sleeping in a very comfortable hotel bed.
After showering we wandered down to breakfast then returned to our room to have a Skype session with Alana, Ari and Ava followed by Amanda and Hunter. It was great to catch up with the family and to see the wee ones.
Early afternoon Zarzar, our Georgian guide took a small group of us on a walking tour of Tbilisi. The highlights of this tour included:-
- Sameba Cathedral/Holy Trinity Cathedral Church is the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. It was constructed between 1995 and 2004 and is the third tallest Eastern Orthodox Cathedral in the World. The cathedral consists of nine chapels, has an overall area of 5000 sq metres and has been built with public funds.
- Sulphur Baths are found in the district called Abanotubani, on the south side of the Metekhi Bridge. It is easy to spot with its small domes on ground level. The complex takes up the whole street.
- Narikala Fortress is an ancient fortress (4th century AD) overlooking Tbilisi. Historians assert that Narikala standing on the Silk Road was the most fortified and impregnable of all in Tbilisi. In 1827 the fortress was destrpyed by the earthquake and since then the citadel has not been restored completely. The surviving stone towers of Naikala remain the silent witnesses of the ancient city's history. The fortress territory contains St Nicholas temple dated the 12th century was reconstructed in 1996 in the traditions of the fortress surrounding it. The internal part is decorated with the frescoes showing scenes both from the Bible and history of Gerogia.
- Old Tbilisi with its old style balconies, ancient churches, widing streets and charming shops.
- Freedom Square is located in the cntre of Tbilisi at the eastern end of Rustaveli Avenue. It was the site of the 1907 Tiflis bank robbery, the site of various mass demonstrations including those for Gerogia's independence (from the Soviet Union), the Rose Revolution, and others. In 2005 Freedom Square was the location where U.S. President George W. Bush and Georgian Preseident Mikheil Saakashvili addressed a crowd of around 100,000 people in celebration of the 60th anniversary marking the end of World War II.
In the evening we walked to a truly Georgian restaurant in the Old Town and ate among other things the very popular Georgian dumpling.
23rd May
At 9.00 am this morning seventeen of us met CJ in the foyer of the hotel then caught several taxi’s to the Azerbaijan Embassy to find out what was happening with the issuing of our Azerbaijan visas. We waited thirty minutes outside the embassy before CJ announced that we needed to return to the hotel as we wouldn’t have an answer to the visa issue till late afternoon.
For the rest of the day most of us mulled around the hotel and truck waiting for news and some of the cook groups went shopping for fresh produce for the next few days of bush camping.
At 4.00pm we didn’t hadn’t heard a word but CJ said we would definitely know by 6.00 pm and true to his word he said that our passports had been taken to be processed and the visas would be issued on Wednesday so with that in mind we boarded the truck and headed out of town to our next campsite near Davit Gareja, on the border of Azerbaijan.
On arrival we set up tents and settled in for an evening of reading, playing cards and dice and generally having a relaxing time.
Distance travelled:-56kms
24th May
This morning we went off to explore Davit Gareja, perhaps the most remarkable of all Georgia’s ancient sites.
The area comprises about 15 old monasteries spread over a large remote area, its uniqueness is heightened by a lunar, semi desert landscape which turns green and blooms with flowers in early summer. Neglected during the Soviet era, Davit Gareja has since seen some restoration and is now inhabited by monks.
Two of the key monasteries and most visited are Udabno, which has beautiful frescoes and Lavra, the only inhabited one and the one we visited.
Lavra, the first monastery here was founded by Davit Gareja, one of the 13 ascetic ‘Syrian fathers’ who returned from the Middle East to spread Christianity in Georgia in the 6th century. The Lavra monastery is in three levels with buildings dating from different periods. Davit and his Kakhetian disciples are buried in the 6th century cave Peristsvaleba (Church of the Transformation).
From the monastery we travelled to Sighnaghi, touted as the most beautiful town in Kakhati – the eastern region of Georgia’s wine country. Set on a hill 60 km SE of Telavi the town was developed in the 18th century by King Erekle II in part as a refuge for the areas populace against Lezgin and Persian attacks.
Three quarters of Sighnaghi houses date from 17th – 19th centuries and today it is being developed into a tourism hub with emphasis on wine.
At Sighnaghi we ate lunch then visited a boutique winery, Pheasants Tears where we tasted some of the organic wine that the winery produces and stores in a 250 year old cellar.
Late afternoon we farewelled Sighnaghi and headed to our camps site at Dzveli Shuamta near Televi.
Dinner was prepared by our cook group tonight.....we had traditional Georgian dumplings with ratatouille and salad followed by chocolates and coffee. A great day was had by all.
25th May
It was a surprise to wake to a warm, sunny morning today after the continuous thunder and lightning we tried to sleep through last night......the rain didn’t atop till 5.00 am this morning so the campsite was very damp and slippery.
Jim and Zarzar headed off to the Azerbaijan Embassy in Tbilisi to hopefully collect the passports stamped with Azerbaijan visas.
Late morning Colin walked to the ruins of the old monastery of Dzveli Shuamta while in the afternoon I headed to the convent of Akhali Shuamta. Both stand among beautiful woodlands south west of Telavi.
Dzveli Shuamta dates back to the 5th century and has fallen into disuse. The buildings at the monastery consist of a three naved 5th-6th century basicila, the next is a 7th century tetraconch church with a plan derived from the Jvari Church near Mtskheta, third is another tetraconch church from the same period.
Akhali Shuamta onced served as an orphanage in Soviet times but now is a nunnery.
When we rang the bell a nun came to greet us at the gates of the church and admitted us to the grounds. The church, a brick construction with a cruciform design and unusual high cupola and large crosses inscribed.
The fine 16th century frescoes inside portray Queen Tinatin, her husband, King Levan II and their son Alexander as well biblical scenes. Tinatin later became a nun and is buried at the church.
The rest of the afternoon was spent reading and relaxing at the camp and waiting for news from Jim that our passports have been processed with the Azerbaijan visas.
At 8.00 pm Jim and Zarzar arrived back at camp.......good news, the Azerbaijanese were willing to accept us into their country.....celebrations all around.
Distance travelled:-12kms
26th May
We woke to rain this morning so it was rather miserable eating breakfast under the canopy of the truck and pulling our tents down. However we only had to travel 15 minutes to our homestay in Telavi where we had hot showers before heading out to explore the town and have some lunch.
Telavi is the main administrative centre of Georgia’s eastern province of Kakheti. It is located on the foothills of the Tsiv-Gombori range at 500 – 800 metres above sea level and is the only city in Georgia where four fortification monuments from different historical periods remain relatively intact and because of this many historians, scholars etc consider Telavi as the most medieval city in the country.
The most important heritage monuments preserved within the Telavi city limits include:
- Dzveli Galavani (old walls) – fortress of the first Kakhetian kings (9th-10th centuries AD)
- Church of St Mary (16th century AD)
- Church of the Holy Trinity (6th century AD)
- Fortress Batonis Tsikhe (fortress of Master) built in the 17th century AD. This is the only well preserved medieval royal palaces in Georgia.
On our walk we passed by Batonis Tsikhe, the Master’s Fortress, which was the residence of Kakhetian tzars. The complex comprises the wall, imperial palace, two churches, the bath and a tunnel. The fortress wall is a limestone battlement of 5 m height with towers. Today the fortress hosts a picture gallery and the history and ethnography museum.
In the middle of town stands the monument of St George slaying the Dragon.
Late afternoon we spent time reading and playing dice at our homestay before wandering to dinner.
27th May
A beautiful day has dawned in Telavi so after an 8.30 am breakfast we packed Calypso with all our bags and headed out of town to a campsite tonight between Gremi and the Azerbaijan border.
The first stop on our way was at Gremi (to visit the picturesque brick citadel that stands on a small hill 19 kms from Telavi. Within the citadel is the Church of Archangels which was built in 1565 by King Levan of Kakheti who is buried inside and contains frescoes painted in 1577.
Gremi is famous for brandy making.
We set up camp early afternoon, had lunch then spent the afternoon settling into our peaceful camp site near a river and surrounded by lush green trees.
Dinner tonight was a yummy chicken stew with fresh vegetables.
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Distance travelled:-58kms
28th May
This morning we have an early start as we are heading to the Georgian-Azerbaijan border.
It took Calypso and its crew 1 ½ hours to be processed.....stamped out of Georgia then into Azerbaijan so it was with some relief that we were all able to have lunch in the new country of destination.
The area of Azerbaijan covers 86,000 sq kms, its capital is Baku/Baki and it’s famous for oil, saffron and caviar.
From the border we drove approximately 120 kms to Shaki in northern Azerbaijan on the southern part of the Greater Caucasus Mountain and 325 kms from Baku.
Shaki is situated 700m above sea level surrounded by mountains and forests of oak trees. The area is very picturesque with narrow gorges and green valleys, springs, waterfalls and mineral water springs framed by dense woods and alpine meadows.
In the town of Shaki you’ll see old brick houses, shaded streets, weeping willow trees and canals carrying spring water.
Shaki is long famed as a silk centre and an important stop on the Silk Road. It possess a small silk industry and relies on its agricultural sector, which provides tobacco, grapes, cattle nuts, cereals and milk. Tourism is also an important sector in the Shaki region.
Tonight we are staying in a caravansary, constructed by the Shiek Khans to house caravans as they passed through the Silk Road to and from China. It was part of the biggest caravansary on the Silk Road in the entire Trans Caucasus region.
Once we booked into our rooms Colin, Sally, Richard, Andrea, Denis, Clare, Ben and I walked to the nearby Palace of Shaki Khans. This palace was a summer residence of Shaki Khans and was constructed in 1762 without a single nail and is one of the most marvellous monuments of its epoch. The two storied building is decorated with magnificent frescoes and exquisite stained glasswork.
Late afternoon we returned to the caravansary to have hot showers, dinner then a sleep in a hopefully comfortable bed.
Distance travelled:-164kms
29th May
Our cook group of Sally, Denis, Susan, Sylvia and I had one hour at the Shaki Bazzar/Market this morning buying fresh produce for the next three meals before loading our backpacks onto Calypso. We headed out of town with the rest of the crew bound for a camp site near Qobustan, approximately 60 kms from Baku.
Enroute we stopped at a service station to fill up with diesel and CJ spent less on fuel (20 monat) than the rest of us did (45 monat) on ice creams, chippies etc.
Our campsite near Qobustan is an area where there are mud volcanoes and petroglyphs (simple stone carvings). Rocky hills rise from the semi desert but it wan’t always like this as around 12,000 years ago the Caspian Sea was 80m higher and Stone Age hunters and gatherers settled in caves that were just a short walk from the sea.
After setting up camp we went off and explored the mud volcanoes...some more than others as both Sandra and Jim came back to camp covered in mud after falling into it.
Our evening was peacefully spent looking over the small mud volcanoes and surrounding hills and valleys while sitting around a bonfire.
Distance travelled:-254kms
30th May
This morning we left Qobustan mud volcano are and travelled into Baku, the capital, the largest city and largest port of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region.
The first written evidence for Baku dates back to the first century AD.
It is a city founded upon oil to which it owes its very existence, maintenance and prosperity. The first oil well was mechanically drilled in a suburb of Baku in 1846 with large scale oil exploration starting in 1872 and by the beginning of the 20th century almost half of the worlds production was being extracted in Baku but towards the end of the 20th century much of the off shore petroleum had been exhausted and drilling had extended into the sea off shore.
The urban landscape of Baku is shaped by many communities.....the religion with the largest community of followers is Islam and the city’s notable mosques include Juma, Bibi-Heyat and Muhummad Mosques.
The city has many amenities that offer a wide range of cultural activites. It boasts many museums, has a State Philharmonic Hall and a State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.
On arrival into Baku we took our day packs (packed with all our necessities for the next 24-36 hours) off the truck and booked into the Rigs Hotel where we were to stay for 12 hours before catching a freight ferry at 3.00 am Tuesday morning to cross the Caspian Sea into Turkmenistan.
After a nice hot shower and a change of clothes Colin and I headed out to discover the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following are the highlights of our walking tour:-
- The Old Walls of Baku - encompasses the historical core of Baku. In December 2000, the Old City of Baku, including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower, became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
- The Palace of the Shirvan shahs – a medieval sandstone palace mostly 15th century and painstakingly restored in 2003. The complex contains the main building of the palace, Divanhane, the burial-vaults, the shah's mosque with a minaret, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi's mausoleum, a portal in the east - Murad's gate, a reservoir and the remnants of the bath-house.
- Maidens Tower – built somewhere between the 7th and 12th centuries and may have had several uses e.g. fire beacon, defensive fortification, astronomical observatory or Zoroastrian Temple.
- Baku Philharmonic Hall - is the main concert hall in Azerbaijan built in 1912 at the request of the city elite and designed by the architect Gavril Ter-Mikelov in the Italian Renaissance (exterior) and German Rococo (interior) styles.
- Juma Mosque - The Juma (Friday) mosque hosted for a long time the carpets museum, but is now back to its original use. The building you can see today dates from the early twentieth century, courtesy of an oil baron, but stands over the remains of preceding buildings. Its main attraction is the intricate stone ornamentation.
- Fountain Square – is Baku’s most fashionable area, where you go to see and be seen. The square is surrounded by sophisticated shops and restaurants.
Late afternoon we returned to the hotel to catch up on washing, downloading and naming photos and updating the diary before trying to get a few hours sleep before our early morning wake up call.
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