It was a hot day today. That, and the fellow cyclists I chatted with for hours, made me leave the hostel only at 12:45pm.
I left Tbilisi to the east, then turned northeastish. Unfortunately, that road to Telavi cuts through, ziggzaggs, and winds its way across the Gombori Mountains, located between the valleys of the Mtkvari and Alazani rivers. Temperures peaked at 48°C (in the sun).
The road crosses a pass at an altitude of approx. 1600m – but I didn’t get there, not by bike anyway. I’d brought only small amounts of food and there were only few villages and even less opportunities to buy some. No food, no good. I didn’t feel well at all and after 62km, just when the climb towards the pass started, I couldn’t go much further. I must have been in a pityful state, because a guy with a big SUV stopped and asked if he could be of any help. We managed to squeeze bike and luggage into his car and he dropped me off at a homestay in Telavi. The lady there revived me with a simple but good dinner.
Cycled: 62km
Hitched: 33km
