Batumi

Posted on June 16, 2011 by todd

Lazy day.

Sent a parcel home with some souvenirs. Set me back 80 lari (a bit more than 30 Euros). Went to Natia’s café for a capuccino and got a bottle of Alazani Valley wine as present!

Later Roland and Thomas from Germany and Ulrich from Switzerland checked into the hostel. Went out for dinner and beer. They’re all extremely well-traveled and we swapped travel stories and experiences all night.

For example, all of us noticed that Germany and Germans have a very good reputation all over the world. None of us had any bad experiences related to our heritage. It is quite remarkable that, despite WWI and WWII being caused by Germany, relatively few people seem to have hard feelings against Germany. Apparently ‘we’ have worked hard over the last 70 years to gain this status.

As an example: From the moment the ‘Heroes of Odessa’ crew learned that I’m German I had a new nickname: ‘Deutschland’, and got double portions of food.

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Machakhela Valley & Batumi

Posted on June 15, 2011 by todd

After saying Good Bye to Zoltán and later Bori, I jumped on the bike for a little ride to the countryside. Left Batumi to the south but soon turned east and rode up in a valley parallel to the Turkish border. Came to a sign showing a rough map of the next valley and a few sights: some historical arch bridges, two fortresses, and an ethnographical museum.

Steep, forrested slopes left and right, but for most of the time the track didn’t climb much, only the last few kilometers were somewhat steep at times. Cows roaming around freely. Saw some of the bridges, but couldn’t find the fortresses.

In what seemed to be the village before the last one, Kokoleti, I stopped and was approached by an older guy. We quickly found the lowest common denominator for communication: Russian. He was curious about my destination. I learned that the place Kokoleti was named after the family living there and I had to admit that I didn’t know them and had no intention of visiting them. I also learned that Kokoleti was just 2 kilometers away, but further up in the mountains, and the track leading there looked like hard work. Furthermore he told me that the ethnographical museum was visible from where we were. Unfortunately, it was on the opposite side of the river, and a bit higher up than we already were.

So I turned around to go back to Batumi. Not much later another guy stopped me. We didn’t find a common language but I understood that he wanted to try my bike! He was too short and neither managed to reach the pedals from the seat nor to ignore the seat and cycle in a standing position. I’m not sure he has ever used a bicycle before.

Returned to Batumi and after a quick shower went to the ‘Espresso Bar Sinatra’ just around the corner from the hostel. Met Natia there, the owner, who’d returned from her studies in Tübingen a month ago and speaks German fluently. She was happy to be able to practice her German and invited me to a glass of wine, which soon turned into a bottle. The best wine I’ve ever tasted, as far as I can remember. From the Alazani Valley, whereever that is. Delicious.
Edit: The Alazani Valley is ‘the center of the Georgian wine industry’, according to Wikipedia, and it’s located in the east of the country. The Alazani river forms part of the Border to Azerbaijan.

Today is one of two total lunar eclipses in 2011, and Georgia is in the part of the world from where it is completely visible. There’s no clouds in the sky and visibility is indeed perfect.

Cycled: 78km

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Batumi

Posted on June 14, 2011 by todd

Georgia, land of massive mountains, wonderful wines, horrible wars. Kindergarten of Christianity (Georgia was one of the first countries to adopt Christianity as state religion, in 337 AD, second only to Armenia). Country of birth of Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili, commonly known as Joseph Stalin.

Georgia, one of the main destinations of this trip. As mentioned yesterday, seeing the mountains in Batumi’s backyard made me nervous about my mode of transport. Then again, of course, the passes and valleys that roads and tracks go along are not as high as the peaks. I have only a faint idea of the quality of road surfaces here. I’ve been lured into trusting maps before; that’s not going to happen again. I’ll expect the worst and I’ll be full of joy if conditions turn out to be better. I’m looking forward to traveling here.

Georgia, land of unrivaled hospitality. Zoltán and I were sitting in the hostel chatting with Lasha and Nino, working here, and Bori, another Hungarian guest. I don’t know how it happened but all of a sudden there were salad and cheese on the table, and Lasha went to get vodka and beer. Not long thereafter we were having a supra, a traditional Georgian festive drinking ceremony. At one point two friends of Nino’s and Lasha’s joined us, Anna and Kati, who, eventually, turned out to be complete strangers who’d just walked past our open door and were invited like friends. They even sang and danced for us.

Georgia, land of chaotic traffic and hot-blooded men (and women). A guy just crashed his car into a brimmed marshrutka (mini-bus) right outside our window. People almost started a fight over this in the street, but helped the guy leave before the police arrived.

Georgia!

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Varna – Batumi

Posted on June 13, 2011 by todd

My contact at the shipping agency had told me to be at the ferry terminal in Beloslav at 10am on Friday, June 10. Beloslav is about 25km from Varna, at the south-western shore of Lake Varna.

Had a strong head wind but managed to be there on time. Was then sent to passport control, to the ship, to the agent, to customs, and finally back to the ship where I had to wait for another 30 minutes. Paid my fare (but got no receipt or ticket) and got permission to board at noon. Even got some lunch.

Cycled: 27km

With me in the cabin were Zoltán, a Hungarian Romanian, and Alex, a Georgian French. Zoltán speaks English, but Alex doesn’t. Apart from French and Georgian, Alex speaks some Russian. Zoltán understands some French, due to its similarity to Romanian. I do, too, and I speak a tiny bit of Russian. So communication between the three of us was a weird mix of at least two languages.

Everyone else on the ship was either crew or truck driver.

Waiting for departure. Watched trucks and rail cars being loaded ’til we could watch no more. We were not allowed to leave the ship. By 11pm the ferry hadn’t moved so much as a centimeter.

We finally departed on Saturday morning at 8am, after almost 22 hours of waiting.

The journey was uneventful. We anxiously watched our progress on my phone’s GPS, but at 20kph there is not much progress to report within a few hours.

The most exciting sight, besides the three meals we got each day, were the dolphins that accompanied the ship.

Today, on the third day of the journey, about 35km from Batumi we were able to identify the first buildings of the city at the horizon. And the mountains behind it. Holy crap, those are mountains! And that’s only the seaside end of the Lesser Caucasus. How mighty must the Greater Caucasus be?! I started to have some doubts about bringing a bicycle to this country.

We moored in Batumi around 6pm. Immigration and customs, we were told, would take about two to three hours, but in fact it was pretty much hassle-free. My passport was checked and I got a neat stamp that permits me to stay in Georgia for up to 360 days. We left the ‘Geroite na Odessa’ (‘Heroes of Odessa’) after almost 82 hours and touched Georgian soil at approx. 8pm Georgian time. Another passport check, and Zoltán and I walked towards the city center just around the corner.

Sailed: ~1150km

Checked into the Batumi Hostel, identifiable only by a tiny label made of duct tape on a nondescript door.

Batumi is a very nice little city of about 120.000 people. Located very close to the border with Turkey (about 20km), it is the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara within Georgia. Again I’m awestruck by the architecture in the old town (where the hostel is conveniently located).

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Varna

Posted on June 6, 2011 by todd

Contacted the ferry operator. It turned out the ship leaves on Friday, June 10th, not tomorrow, and goes to Batumi instead of Poti. While the different port of call is not really a problem, the change of date is unfortunate.

The boat trip takes 2.5 days. The distance is about 1150km, roughly the same as what I’ve cycled from Budapest.

So, I guess I’ll have a lot of time to finish my todo list, and to relax for a few more days.

Had dinner with Ari and Elad, two Israeli guys. One is 70 and has some unfinished business to take care of here, the other is 27 and is going to open a yoghurt bar in the city center.

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Popovo – Varna

Posted on June 5, 2011 by todd

I made it to Varna. In time for the ferry to Georgia.

Left early but the road was hilly and hard work. I’d just had a short break in the shade of a tree and was moving again when a refreshing drizzle started that became a full-blown shower within seconds. No place to hide and too warm for rain gear, and too late anyway as I was soaking wet within the minute. Dirt, sun creme and sweat washed into my eyes, visibility was 3 meters tops. Not really the best conditions for cycling.

Another heavy shower later.

Climbed what should have been the last hill before Varna. Varna in the distance in front of the blue Black Sea. A ray of sunshine poking through the clouds illuminating the white-washed city. Well. Nope. Grey suburbs in the faaar distance. No Black Sea. No romance. More hills. Prostitution on the road side.

Finally arrived in the city and stopped at the curb to look at the map. Was approached by a woman who helped me find a lovely hotel right in the city center.

Had a stroll around the city center. Varna is nice, I really like it. It’s a mix of old and new architecture (I prefer the old, semi-desolate houses), lots of people on the streets, the main pedestrian zone ends directly at the Black Sea.

Cycled: 154km

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Pleven – Popovo

Posted on June 4, 2011 by todd

Left early-ish. Roads were mostly very good and the countryside wasn’t too hilly. Had a bit of a tail wind and did more than 30kph easily at times. Using the road I was riding on from Pleven wasn’t permitted for either cyclists nor horse-drawn carriages. But not even the police seemed to care when I rode past. Traffic was OK. Temperatures peaked at over 40°C (in the sun) again.

At Byala I retreated to smaller roads with less traffic (and lower quality at times). There’s a ‘lateroman’ fortress called ‘Kovachevsko Kale’ near the road, of which only (restored) foundations are visible.

I’m now in Popovo, about 160km from Varna, a sleepy town of about 15000 inhabitants.

Music in Bulgaria (the contemporary pop I’ve heard so far) has a Turkish/Near East-ish touch to it.

I’ve been asked why I do this trip.
Why do I do trips like this one in general? Because I’m interested in other cultures, other countries, other people. Because I want to see how people live in non-western societies. Because I’m curious. Because I can. ;)
Why do I do this trip? Because I want to see the Georgian and Armenian medieval towers and churches.

Cycled: 148km

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Oryachovo – Pleven

Posted on June 3, 2011 by todd

Something’s wrong with my cycling motivation. Left too late and called it a day too early, despite the tailwind. In Pleven, just 84km from Oryachovo.

The Romanian countryside on the left bank of the Danube is pretty flat. On the right bank a hill rises like a dyke (though quite a bit higher) and behind that it’s slow-rolling hills.

Two days and 330km left to Varna. :(

Cycled: 84km

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Vidin – Oryachovo

Posted on June 2, 2011 by todd

Got up at 7.30am or so because it was too hot in the tent already. The site we’d picked was indeed great. Secluded, private beach, nice view at the bridge that is being built across the Danube.

We all had breakfast and a quick swim in the Danube and left at 11am. I took the ferry across the river to Calafat, Romania, while the Funny Five continued their ride on the Bulgarian side. I’d have liked to cycle with them, but reaching the next ferry in Varna has highest priority for now. The Romanian road cuts off a bend of the Danube and my hope is to save some time here.

Border formalities were hassle-free.

For some reason the phone/GPS died shortly after the crossing and I wasn’t able to revive it for the time being, so I was unable to (re-)visit degree confluence 44°N, 23°E near Calafat.

So I rode directly to Bechet, from where another ferry brought me back to Bulgaria. Staying near the town of Oryachovo, which is located on a hill-side facing the Danube.

The Romanians are very friendly. Kids high-fived me, elders sitting in the shade in front of their houses greeted, and girls waved when I rode past.

Cycled: 109km

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Donji Milanovac – Vidin

Posted on June 1, 2011 by todd

From here the Danube is forced to turn north due to some hills. It continues to form the Iron Gate Gorges. I turned south instead to cut off that bend. First the road followed a number of small streams to a high plateau, then descended to Negotin, the last city in Serbia before the Bulgarian border.

In the center of Negotin I met 5 other cyclists traveling on Eurovelo 6. Frank & Franka (going to Indonesia), Sabine & Vincent (going to the Black Sea), and Piet (going to Iran). Joined them for lunch and for the rest of the ride to Vidin in Bulgaria. They’re a fun bunch to cycle with.

Piet went across the border first because he didn’t have a Serbian entry stamp in his passport. The grim-looking and unfriendly lady who checked our passports noticed this fact immediately but let him through eventually. On the Bulgarian side the officers where much friendlier and they even stamped our passports just for the fun of it (Bulgaria is a EU member).

Bregovo, on the Bulgarian side of the border crossing, is a pretty run-down village. We missed the turn-off to the Eurovelo6 along the Danube and cycled straight on to Vidin.

Shopped for food in Vidin and then started looking for a suitable camp site at the Danube. Got stopped by the police and our passports checked. They probably tried to tell us that camping wasn’t possible/allowed here but we continued anyway and found a place after nightfall. Cooked some fine dinner, had a quick swim in the Danube and went to bed after midnight.

Fun Fact about Bulgaria: The meaning of nodding and shaking one’s head is reversed, that is, Bulgarians shake their head in agreement and nod in disagreement.

Top speed: 63kph
Cycled: 115km

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Veliko Gradište – Donji Milanovac

Posted on May 31, 2011 by todd

Not a successful day.

The ride along the Danube was nice. Traffic was low, almost negligible, the road was often in the shade and in relatively good condition. Did a little detour on an old part of the road through a beautiful valley.

The countryside is now almost mountainous and much more interesting. It is called the ‘Iron Gates’ Gorge and here the Danube marks the border between the Carpathian Mountains and the Balkans. I was riding on the southern bank of the river while Romania begins on the northern one.

Unfortunately, the head wind prevented me from setting new speed and distance records. Most of this road is also identical with the Eurovelo 6, a cycling trail that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Black Sea.

So I ended up in Donji Milanovac, a pretty touristy and comparatively expensive town.

From here the Danube makes a short detour to the north, where the Iron Gates Gorge continues, while I had hoped to continue uphill to Negotin and Bulgaria. But it was too late to attempt the crossing today.

Cycled: 79km

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Pančevo – Veliko Gradište

Posted on May 30, 2011 by todd

This night my right shoulder was aching and I didn’t sleep well. I’m getting old. Fortunately the pain was gone in the morning.

The plan for today was to leave between 8 and 9am and go as far as possible.

Well. I spent the morning with Kača and her brother, sister and grandma, having breakfast and lunch. Then went to town to get some postcards and met Tijana for a few minutes.

I finally left at half past 1pm!

This was day four and the last day of crossing the Pannonian Plain which extends from Budapest to Belgrade. Being entirely flat, it was convenient to cycle at first (with a nice tail wind) but soon got a bit boring due the lack of any interesting visual features.

It is mostly being used for agriculture, I’d guess 98%, and there’s loads of pestizides being sprayed onto the fields everywhere. Both commercial sized and backyard style ones. You also see people with hand-operated pumps spray chemicals against grass and stuff onto pavement and along their houses’ front walls.

The villages and towns on the plain have some very beautiful old houses – which are mostly in various states of decay. On the other hand, there are many newly built houses, huge ones, in a somewhat mediterranean style, with columns and sculptures and stuff. And they are unfinished or uninhabited. It’s a total mystery to me.

Cycled east from Pančevo, then crossed the Danube. Met a guy from Germany, riding his bike from Greece to Würzburg.

The first hills appeared near Smederevo, just south of the Danube. Had some of the sandwiches for lunch which Kača’s mum had prepared for me near that city.

Cycled east towards the Danube. Even though it is now hillier, the countryside is still used heavily for agriculture. Didn’t want to camp and asked for a hotel. The guy took a screwdriver and scratched a map into the rusty surface of the water tank his tractor was pulling (or was it pestizides?). He directed me to Veliko Gradište, which is somewhat off my route but I found a cheap and simple place to sleep here. The hotel is for sale, by the way. Contact me if you’re interested, I’ll give you the details. :)

Cycled: 115km (about 10 of which were ‘wasted’ by backtracking to Veliko Gradište)

A bit less than 700km to Varna.

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Pančevo, day 2

Posted on May 29, 2011 by todd

Got myself a little cold on Friday in the bloody wind and subsequently didn’t sleep so well. On top of that, my left shoulder was aching all day.

Tijana, a friend of Kača’s, is friends with Nina, Serbia’s contestant at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. Her song, Čardoban (Magical), is the one that came in the orange-yellow(?) retro look.

Kača’s sister was to meet Nina, and I asked if I could join them, too. How cool is it to meet an ESC star?! :)

Nina (her real name is Danica Radojičić) had been singing with her bands for a while when the ESC song’s writer, Kristina Kovač, discovered her on youtube and approached her regarding the ESC.

She was rehearsing with her band Legal Sex Department tonight (in Belgrade) and we could watch/listen for a while, take some pictures, chat a little and got autographs.

Heard that a pro-Mladic demonstration in Belgrade’s down town had gone wrong and folks were demolishing shop windows.

Later we (Kača, Tijana, Miloš and me) went to let the queues dance at some billard place. They also got me a fare-well present (some local specialties that I’ll try to send home)! So sweet! :)

Tomorrow I’ll continue on my quest to eventually reach the Caucasus. I’ll be in a bit of a hurry now to reach the next ferry from Varna, but I had a great time here in Pančevo and the extended stay was worth every minute. I’ll be parting with a sad eye.

Fun fact about Serbia: A new law in effect since about 2 weeks or so forces bars to close at 2am, even on weekends. How retarded is that?

Nina!

Nina!

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Pančevo

Posted on May 28, 2011 by todd

Lazy day. Heat. Heavy rain.

Watching the Champion’s League finals. Maybe going to Belgrade later tonight.

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Zrenjanin – Pančevo

Posted on May 27, 2011 by todd

Had breakfast next to elder folks who were switching back and forth between German and Hungarian with every other sentence they spoke. Interesting.

Read on the Internet that there have been violent clashes between anti-government demonstrators and the police in Georgia. Hrmpf. It’s less than two weeks before I’ll arrive in Poti, Georgia.

Had a stroll around Zrenjanin’s center and left the town at noon. Had lunch in Ečka. Have been asked for directions again today, the third time since Budapest.

The headwind today was strong and horrible. Horrible! Met a Dutch couple cycling from Novi Sad to Bulgaria.

When I finally arrived in Pančevo I was welcomed by my friend Mia’s aunt and her family. Later Mia’s cousin and her friends took me to Belgrade and showed me around.

Belgrade is a fascinating and beautiful city. Its looks remind me of East Berlin back in the 1980’s. Of course, it also has all the western modern stuff, cars, shops, clothing etc. and is extremely lively and vibrant. I love it.

Kača’s friends invited me to watch the Champion’s League finals tomorrow, so I’ll probably stay another day.

Cycled: 76km

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