Enough heat for now. We're leaving for the mountains where we belong to!
The stunning beauty of Georgia also includes it's wild diversity in close quarters - two hours only to go from tropical heat at the black sea coast to regions, where you'd meet snow in july. That's where we're goin.
The roads are difficult. Some new sections give you the feeling to be safe, speeding up for higher gear. Around the corner, you'll find half of the road torn down by rock slides and your driver cabine finds itself flying. But anyway, the fresh air is worth every struggle!!
📍Enguri Dam, Potskho Etseri
I begin to recognize spots on the way, memories flashing in from about 10 years ago. That makes me check my google drive stock of old pictures. Found this one, same lake, different vehicle:
Further up, we slowly get to see the unique christian practice of Georgia. Monuments, little resting spots, chapels.
Our goal for today will be around Mest'ia. It is a pretty touristic hotspot for any mountain activities, such as skiing in winter, climbing and river rafting in summer. But it is also a place of history.
The svan towers
Built during the golden georgian age (9th-12th century), those towers were used as defensive dwellings. They are either freestanding or attached to residential houses. You'll find several towers in one village in this region and some are made up for visits. Probably the most known village for those towers is Ushguli.
And this is exactly where we're going tomorrow.
It is the official highest village in Europe and owns many of the svan towers. It stands on the Unesco World Heritage List. When i visited Ushguli around ten years ago, it was a sleepy little place with only few citizens, mostly old people. They were poor and did not yet find earnings in tourism. I am extremly curious, how the last years changed the situation, since Georgia found it's way into tourism more and more recently.
However, Ushguli is a magical place. If you own a 4wd car, you might be able to access the Shkhara glacier for a stunning, spectacular hike!
Ten years ago, we failed trying it with that old Mercedes and three drunk russians on top😄 The road up to Ushguli depends on the season and the weather. At the moment, it is wet but probably doable. So wish us good luck 🌟
For tonight, we are enjoying the majestic mountains around us, on that remote and beautifully quiet place we found.
We might lose any connection to civilisation (such as internet), so we'll let you know our further steps in Ushguli, as soon as possible.
Good night 👋🏼
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