4 Jul 2013

Tusheti trip



The most remote and probably one of the most beautiful place in Georgia so far? After the last trip to northern part of Kakheti region the answer is easier than before. Definitely Tusheti. It is not only about the picturesque landscape and unspoiled nature there. What made the trip even more amazing? People and luck that we had on the way. Yes, we are lucky Polish bastards. But let’s start from the beginning.....


 
As usual we chose hitchhiking as a mean of transport. Went smooth and easy as usual in Georgia;) First stop we made was to have a look at Alaverdi Monastery. After a short sightseeing  we kept on going, still having a long way ahead. 


Next stop happened, a bit unexpected, already in Pshaveli, in the house of people that took us by their car...yyyy a small correction: some kind of vehicle that used to be a car. Without windows, back seats, partly without floor (I have no idea how to call in English this part of a car underneath your feet...) but still, as for its condition, it managed to take us quite a long way....

 After a small and unexpected coffee/lunch  break we continued our trip to get as far as possible on the way to Omalo. It didn’t go so easy any more. No cars on the horizon. It started getting late, and slowly we started losing hope that we would reach Tusheti that day. Having no better way, we put our tent, getting ready to spend night in the place where our vehicle had left us. But suddenly, out of nothing, we saw a car coming to our direction. So we stopped the guy. He was going to Dartlo. “Why not?”, we said. He agreed to take us. It was the faster tent folding ever. 3 minutes and we were already on the way to Tusheti. Long and bumpy way I have to admit. BTW: we saw a bear somewhere on the top of the mountain;) After more than 3 hours we reached Dartlo. Sleepy and tired as hell. Got off the car and saw and heard nothing. Literally - nothing. Just felt the temperature is not as nice as it was a few hours before....much more chilly. The first thought: “ *****where are we? How the hell we will put the tent when we cannot see anything! *****”. But I forgot it is Georgia so situation solved after a few seconds. Our driver invited us to his place. Actually - hotel, as we realized in the morning.





So we stayed there. In the end two days, exploring Dartlo and the strength of its chacha.





Actually mentioned liquid was the reason why we stayed there one day more than we planned;) As all good things come to an end, the time to say goodbye came soon and we needed to continue our trip.




Next stop – Omalo. Finally we did some hiking, around 20 km. This time we decided that we have to use the tent that I was carrying all this time! As soon as we reached Omalo, we chose the perfect meadow. Put the tent and try to fall asleep to start early in the morning another, this time longer hiking. 

Omalo
Waking up in the middle of nowhere and seeing just overwhelming beauty and flock of sheep around you. Priceless. We started hiking without much hope we will meet some car on the way. Did some kilometres, stopped for a short break, ate something and start joking that just dancing can help us to find some lift from this wilderness. So we started. Believe it or not but again we heard a car coming.There it was: an old pickup. 


Funny way when you seat on the metal frames without anything preventing you from falling into precipice just behind u. Great feeling, especially when you suffer from fear of heights.In the end we survived, seeing breathtaking mountainous landscape, experiencing snow in the end of June and having cognac on the pick of the mountain. Safe and happy we reached civilization. 




Lucky polish bastards. I think our Czech friends – Eva, Libi and Petra, who had been in Tusheti one week before us and had to walk a big part of the distance on foot, can admit how lucky we were.





Alicja
EVS volunteer

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