Overnight stops (in date order): Tsikhisdziri (x4)
We crossed into Georgia on the first rainy day we had seen in weeks.
Although a change for us, after Arid Anatolia, this is not unusual on this part of the Black Sea coast which is the wettest part of the entire Caucasus region. This accounts for its lush, sub-tropical vegetation.
After completing the border formalities with little fuss, we took a break at a rather flamboyant hotel
on the coast
north of Batumi – Georgia’s second largest city. Despite the unsettled weather, we enjoyed a couple of wonderful sunsets.
Batumi is a boomtown. Its many casinos have earned it the tag of the ‘Las Vegas of the Black Sea’. Its architecture is a vibrant mix of garish modern,
Russian imperial
and Soviet socialist realism from the Stalinist era.
The city celebrates its location in the territory of ancient Colchis; most famous as the destination for Jason and his argonauts.
A very large statue of Medea in the centre of Europe Square
shows the Colchian princess holding aloft the mythical golden fleece.
A cable-car
takes tourists to a lookout with great views over the city.
The ancient Petra
and Gonio fortresses
were controlled consecutively by the Romans, Byzantines and Ottoman Turks