Tbilisi - Ushguli, (5/X); 22nd August - From Aqtau

Tbilisi - Ushguli, (5/X); 22nd August

22nd August

As we were only due to cycle about 10km to the town of Ambrolauri I got up around 9am and had coffee and leftover couscous for breakfast.

Small pavilion next to the camp spot in the morning

The night before, a few cars had driven up the track and parked by the pavilion. We were camped about 20 metres from the pavilion, with a bush obscuring the view. As it was late at night, my mind started to consider the worst options as to why they meet he here. They were actually just a group of young people having a small party. I even think they kept the music down as the last car noticed the tent being pitched when driving.

Interestingly, in the morning, the large bottle of beer which had been left by the previous group of visitors was almost finished. And the late night visitors had then left their leftover soft drinks, with their cups, possibly for the next visitors to have.

The campspot was lovely. By the river to wash and clean clothes, a small pavilion to cook dinner, and quiet — apart from the late night arrival there was no one else there in the evening.

We visited this beautiful monastry on the way to Ambralauri

As like Central Asia, memorials to WW2 throughout the country

It was a short journey to the town. We stopped at the tourist information centre who recommended a guest house.

It had been a while since we'd seen a Lada!

The guest house has a beautiful garden with fruits growing including grapes, as well as vegetables like tomatoes and cucumber.

Owner's cellar where he makes his own wine and spirits, from grapes of his garden, as well as pickles his home grown vegetables.

In the evening, the owner invited us down to the wine cellar. The shelves were packed with all the things he had been fermenting or preserving from his garden — potatoe vodka, wine, cognac, jam, compote. He gave us a few generous offerings of red, white and cognac, and we had dinner together.

MayLyn made chicken soup and omelette, which the man complemented with ‘skuzny’ (tasty). We then walked to the park to feed the local dogs the leftover chicken bones, which they very quickly ate.

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