The Return Trip

It has been hot here in Tbilisi.  It almost saps all your energy and ability to think.  As a consequence we didn't write a word on Saturday even though we got out for a five plus mile walk in the heat.  We were totally wiped out by the time we returned.

Now it is Sunday and time to reflect a little more on our trip to Tusheti.  We will start with a few more photos of the folks who ran the guest house.

This is Natia, we think she is the owner of the Shina.  Note the fleece: mornings are quite chilly in Omalo!

These lovely women are the cooks and probably do whatever else is needed along with cleaning.  They were charming and we enjoyed their company.  

The guest house, as most in this part of the country do, sold socks and slippers made in the village using wool from the sheep in this region.  Only one of the socks or slippers was displayed which prevents someone from walking off with the pair without paying for them.  Marty got some socks and fingerless mittens.

This is a shot of the Omalo towers from the previous day as the sun was starting to get lower in the sky.

As we headed out of the village we were treated to a lovely scene.  There were some clouds in the sky and scattered showers which really just enhanced the landscape.

If you look closely you can see the horses being led across the field.  There is a larger guest house in the lower village where they were most likely being led for use on a day trek.

The road is dusty, we might have mentioned that before, and so even just getting into and out of the car would be nearly impossible without getting some dust on you.

It does seem that there are villages on every mountainside when you start looking around.  And around each of these are the ruins of old stone houses and towers.

On the way down we were soon following a small river along which we spotted campers; an idyllic spot to be sure.

The camp site you see was occupied by four or five monks we had first encountered on our way to Omalo when we all had stopped to take in the views from the pass.

The road is not smooth.   When one averages the sped over the 72 kilometers, it is less than 10 miles per hour.  But even that speed felt way too fast as we were bouncing and bumping along.

There are many landslides in along this road and consequently there are bulldozers just parked conveniently here and there.

This dozer obviously has a small problem with one of the tracks.

David had forgotten to turn in our room key at the Shina.  Here by this bulldozer we flagged down an Omala-bound SUV and asked the driver to deliver the key back to Natia.  When we got down to Talavi and had phone coverage again we called her and found that the key had indeed been given back to her.  She was very happy to get it; she had no duplicate!

The pass was engulfed in fast moving clouds.  That didn't stop us from stopping for a few photos though.  Below Marty grins back at David with the flying clouds around her.

There have been many deaths along this road.  A combination of things including speed, bad driving, and the inevitable natural disaster such as falling rocks and landslides.  At places where there is room often there will be memorials, this one is more extensive with a picnic table as well.

Again we came by construction sites where they were working to stabilize some of the more precarious parts of the road.  Later, near the bottom, we met a large cement truck heading up.  We wondered how such a large truck could even turn around up there for the return journey.

Near the end of our journey we spotted a large "honey" operation where Marty wanted to stop and get some local honey.  It afforded us the opportunity to take a break.

With such a large operation the bee owner does not leave his hives so camps out right by the river which becomes his refrigerator!

Here Dato chats with the honey man.  The cost for a bottle of honey (1/2 liter) was 10 GEL - or less than $4.50...and the honey is wonderful.

After Telavi we decided to stop for lunch, to finish up some of the food we'd brought along.  Dato knew of a stop-off, so we swung in.  One side of the road was rather littered with discarded plastic bottles, so we drove across the road and found some picnic tables with less clutter.

Finally, about 4:30 pm, we arrived back in Tbilisi.  Dato's car really seemed to stand out, covered with dust as it was.  Our apartment felt relatively cool, compared with the 95F-plus heat in the city.  Weather forecasts don't offer much relief; it is supposed to top 100F for the next few days!