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latest picture: August 15, 2013

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166  Hidden behind these mountain ridges

lies the "beautiful, wild and mysterious"

mountain region of Svaneti, a valley of about

60 miles’ length. It is situated in the North

along the Abkhazian and Russian border

167  From Zugdidi, the starting point to

Svaneti, we first cross a plain where farmers

especially grow corn. The geographical begin

of the valley starts 4 miles north of Jvari and

ends at Ushguli, about 30 miles after Mestia

168  Our about 60 miles long climb to

Mestia – the main “city” of Svaneti –

starts behind Jvari, firstly along the 15 miles

long Enguri (Jvari) Reservoir, afterwards

through narrow gorges, flanked by heavily

forested steep mountain ridges  .....

 

„Beautiful, wild and mysterious“ – that is how our Lonely Planet travel guide describes the „Svaneti Area“ along the Abkhazian and Russian border. The sun is shining, the sky is blue when we set off to this remote mountain region, lying 87 miles [140km] away. Through many hairpin bends, narrow gorges, flanked by heavily forested steep slopes, we drove deeper and deeper into the alpine world. Soon we arrive at the turquois shining 13 miles [20km] long Patara Enguri (Jvari) Reservoir, passing little sleepy villages. The more we gain on height, the closer snow-covered mountain peaks of the big Caucasus Range are looming above the forest line.

169  ..... right beside the road lovely

waterfalls cascade down the forested hills

170  The turquoise, about 12 miles long

Enguri (Jvari) Reservoir located on an

altitude of about 1’400 ft. belongs to

the many scenic attractions along

the Svaneti route .....

171  ..... at the entrance of the Enguri

river driftwood has accumulated. Police is at

the spot. They are searching for four Russian

tourists who fell into the reservoir with their

car (one week later, they still weren't found)

 

Already in Lengeri, the first stunning „Koshkebi“ – the defensive stone towers – appear. They are Svaneti’s emblem of which still 175 are said to remain. At times of invasions and murderous blood-feuds they served as hideouts to villagers. In Mestia, the main town and center of Svaneti, which comprises an agglomeration of 10 neighborhoods, they are particularly plentiful. Here is also an accumulation of guesthouses. Apart from the main square, which has been lovingly upgraded, Mestia however turns out to be a dusty mountain village with broken streets, but framed by a wonderful mountain scenery.

172  We cross the village of Khaishi along

the narrow river valley while we continue on

many hairpins into the mountains. Here

enters the Khaisura river visible on the photo

into the Enguri river. Short before the village

the 661 ft. high Khudoni dam is planned

173  The Enguri river pushes its way

through a deeply forested gorge. The

foreseen construction of the Khudoni

dam would flood the whole valley and

the village of Khaisha would have

to be relocated

174  A small forest clearance, surrounded

by the silent dark walls of the forest,

becomes our relaxing night camp in

this still (!) untouched mountain region

 

We immediately realize: Here we cannot camp. May be further up the road? Thereby we land at the Hatsvali Chairlift Station 5 miles [8km] further up the road. In this region we set up our camp in an alpine flower meadow and enjoy the colorful butterflies that fly from blossom to blossom, the wild strawberries, raspberries and hazelnut bushes. But especially we are mesmerized by the magnificent high mountain range panorama that presents us in the most stunning evening light. We are on an altitude of 6'119 ft. [1'865m] (43.03054 / 42.73879).

175  The dense forest of the Svaneti

valley is clearing partially

176  Fed by the melting snow, a thin

water stream falls from high up through the

forest slopes down to the Enguri river

177  The first sleepy villages at the foot

of deeply forested mountain slopes come into

sight. The Svaneti valley widens. Here on the

south side of the valley the village of Svipi

 

It is 2am. Emil is tossing and turning in bed. What's the matter? „The starlit skies disappeared. It looks for rain“. He is affraid that our camping terrain could become marshy by heavy rain. From experience I know that he will not sleep for the rest of the night. „Shall we pack up and move to more solid ground, I ask him half-heartedly“. He immediately agrees.

178  The first snow-covered mountain

peak of the Great Caucasus greets from far:

The 17’037 ft. (16’896 ft.? / 16’627 ft.? /

17’064 ft.?) tall Shkhara

179  In the villages of Lenashi-Lengeri

a few miles before Mestia the first

"Koshkebi" appear – the defensive stone

towers that are Svaneti's emblem .....

180  ..... they were designed to house

villagers at times of invasion and

murderous blood-feuds

 

Under windy and freezing conditions we rearrange things to get the drivers seat empty, and in the light of our torch (the LandCruiser light just happens not to function) we drive the few yards to the gravel road at the edge of the woods. Duration of action: Half an hour.

181  The Svan defensive towers are built

from local stone and rock. Most are 65 to

80 ft. tall and have four to five floors that

are connected to each other via internal

wooden staircases

182  Our LandCruiser stands beside one

of the 175 stunning stone defense towers,

called "Koshkebi". That many are said

to still exist in Svaneti

183  Mestia (3’000 people) , the main center

of "Upper Svaneti" – in Georgian called

"Zemo Svaneti" – is located 4’920 ft. above

sea level. It consists of an agglomeration of

around ten neighborhoods with another

population of 12’000

 

At 3am we are back in our warm sleeping bags. At 7:30am we wake up under a glorious blue sky – our hush-hush night operation was in vain. But prevention is better than curing! For breakfast we return to our lovely meadow spot. The snow capped mountain peaks of the Caucasus range around us are cloudless and the glacier that appears like a half moon between the mountains sparkles especially beautifully.

At the Hatsvali chairlift station, 5 miles south of Mestia on an altitude of 6’210 ft.,

we let ourselves enchant by the high mountain panorama with its snow-capped peaks and glaciers engulfed by the morning mist:

184  The high twin peaks

of Mt. Ushba (15’453 ft.)

185  The glacier on the 11'253 ft. high

Dalakora ridge looks like a half moon

186  View towards the Svaneti Range with

the 13'156 ft. high Mt. Lahili south of Mestia

 

For only 3 Lari (GEL) (US$1.85) per person, at 10am we take the first chairlift up to the „Cafe Zuruldi“ platform on 7‘700 ft. altitude with its viewing terrace. What a magic 360° snow covered mountain range panorama! It reminds us to the Fitzroy region in Chile. But we are not only mesmerized by the mountain scenery but also by the alpine flora. We even spot gentians – the first ones since we left Switzerland almost 30 years ago.

187  Our idyllic camping spot on 6’120 ft.

altitude above the Hatsvali Chairlift Station

with the white-capped peaks of the Caucasus

range in the background. Here, on August 1st,

2013, we celebrate our 28th Swiss National

Day far from home between glow worms

and fire flies

188  We just can repeat it all over

again: Nature is a treasure box

189  We discover these delicate white bellflowers between the profusion

of flowering plants

 

We savor every moment. Only the increasing cold at the abating sunrays can drive us away. We return to our idyllic camping spot at the edge of the forest. In the darkness glow worms spark like diamonds on the ground, and in the air jumbo fire flies are shining in a competition – a beautiful natural replacement of our 1st of August bonfire back home. Because today our homeland Switzerland celebrates its National Day 2013.

We can hardly get our eyes off all the beautiful butterflies that fly from blossom to blossom in the flower-strewn alpine meadows of Svaneti

190  Is it a butterfly or a moth?

191  "Is there still room for myself?"

192  Even half withered blossoms

are still tempting

 

We have a hard time to leave this haevenly spot. But we need bread and water. We find bread at an old woman’s tiny shop in Mestia and water at a gasoline station a bit out of town. Only now it catches our eye how really laid back this hamlet still is despite its recent tourist boom.

193  From 7’700 ft. altitude of the viewing

terrace of the "Cafe Zuruldi" in the skiing

and hiking area of Hatsvali, the peaks bet-

ween 13’000 and 17’000 ft. of the Greater

Caucasus- and the Svaneti-Mountain-Ranges

are almost within one's reach .....

194  ..... in 15 minutes and for only

3 Lari (GEL) = $1.85 the Hatsvali chairlift

brings us up to the 360° viewing terrace

of the "Cafe Zuruldi” on an altitude of

7’700 ft. The lift was built by the French

and has a length of 4’800 ft. .....

195  ..... Emil is on a photo safari.

He is especially enthusiastic about the

mountains, but shares now also Liliana's

enthusiasm for flowers. In the back the

7 miles long Lekzhiri Glacier

 

We go for a spin, drive on a miserable road to the airport and cannot imagine that an aircraft has ever landed there; but that's not the case: The Queen Tamar airfield, pic #208 - ultra-modern - has been regularly serviced by Vanilla Sky Airline since 2011. Queen Tamar, by the way, ruled the country of Georgia between 1184 and 1213. Then we continue over the bridge to the other river side and drive past old, partly dilapidated houses on a even worse earth road back towards Mestia again. And what do we see in the middle of it? A camping on a meadow right next to the dusty path with bicycles and tents.

What can we wish more? A blue sky and a glorious alpine landscape wherever we are looking

196  to the East

197  to the North

198  to the Southwest

 

How much more romantic is „our“ isolated spot at the edge of the woods to which we return also this night. We have already jacked-up when a black Mercedes with tinted windows drives past and the driver turns down his window. What might he possibly want? He makes interrogative signs why we have jacked up. It is not his business, we think and do not open our window.

199  Not exactly the scenery of the "Fitzroy"

peaks in Chile, but not less impressive: The

11’500 ft. high peaks of the Dalakora ridge

in the Great Caucasus Mountain Range

200  We do what everybody does: We

make a souvenir picture from the viewing

terrace with the 15’453 ft. high twin peaks

of Mount Ushba in the background

201  Always a stunning sight:

Piling-up magnificent cumulus cloud

formations – stands a weather

change in line?

 

But he doesn't give up. He steps out of his car and ostentatiously starts to phone heatedly, looking again and again to our LandCruiser and gesticulating nervously. We are almost sure that he calls the police. Let him do it, we have nothing to hide! Eventually the cold drives him back into his car. There he waits for at least half an hour. Then suddenly he starts the engine and drives away. Presumably the police has given him the all-clear signal.

202  We never expected to find in alpine

Svaneti a yellow Martagon or Turk's cap

lily (Lilium martagon)

203  Beetle "in the land of Cockaigne" on

cow Parsnip (Heracleum) or chervil

(Anthriscus), which both belong to the same

family of parsley or carrot (Apiaceae)

204  Another beauty of a flower, probably

from the same kind as # 203 (left) but in

pink that makes us a happy day with its

grasshopper

 

Mestia is slowly awakening when after three nights we leave the region of Svaneti. Reaching the main square we see an Austrian motorhome parked, but there is no sign of any movement. Therefore we move on. Together with us, also the sparkling blue skies of the past couple of days move on, and on our way to the Enguri dam with its 891 ft. [271.5m] tall wall – the sixth highest in the world – they change from clouds to short sunny periods. Reaching the dam wall however, it starts to rain. Haevy downpours follow in short intervals.

205  A beautifully elaborated golden altar

cross at the “Museum of History &

Ethnography” in Mestia. Svaneti's isolation

was ideal for safekeeping religious treasures

during the many invasions of Georgia, also

due to the many towers

206  View of Laghami of Mestia “city”.

Svaneti has never been destroyed by

enemy forces and the life of the Svan

population has been little

influenced from outside

207  View towards the center of Mestia.

Ancient Svan people are known for their

tower settlements, own school for sacred

wall painting, creation of special musical

instruments and tradition of woodcarving

 

Nevertheless during the short dry spells I still manage to pick a full bowl of large sweet berries from the bulging blackberry bushes surrounding us. Now we are just missing some whipped cream! Back in Zugdidi, the town at the Abkhazia border, at a little supermarket along the road, I think to have found it. But it turns out to be strawberry yoghurt. But we like it nevertheless. In pouring rain we check into the Hotel Samegrelo for 70 Lari. There we learn that four Russian tourists fell into the dam with their car and that their search is going on already for more than a week.

208  The unusual building of “Queen

Tamar“ airport in Mestia, reachable by

a broken-up, potholed and dusty road, is

already operational since 2010, but until

the end of 2013 hasn’t been served

by regular flights

209  Words of the Greek historian and

ethnographer Strabo about the Svan people:

"They are noteworthy for their courage and

power; they reign over almost everything

around them and control the peaks of the

Caucasus" – view of Mestia from the east

210  When will these trees fall down to

the recently built new road? The first

road accessible by car from Zugdidi to

Svaneti was built in 1934. Prior to that

there were only mountain paths passable

by carriage, horse or on foot

 

Today, August 5th, 2013, is our last possible entry day into Abkhazia. In one of the many currency exchange offices in Zugdidi we change our Georgian Lari into Russian rubels and set off towards the border. As if our LandCruiser would try to prevent us to enter a self declared country where travel advisories are discouraging to visit it, our LandCruiser starts to stutter and does not run on all cylinders anymore. No, it cannot do this to us right now! We do not listen to it and shortly after we reach the exit border of Georgia.

211  Beautiful to look at, but edible?

Mushrooms in the Svaneti forest

212  Also gentian (Gentiana) grow on

these heights – they are the first ones we see

since we left Switzerland almost 30 years ago

213  Busy wasps at their nest, astonishingly

on (and not below) a stone

 

The first thing the border official wants to see is our „Clearance Letter“ from Abkhazia's capital Sukhumi, i.e. the permit (TIP) that allows us to visit the country with our LandCruiser. At the beginning there is some confusion, because the officer is interpreting its wording „clearance letter from July 25th to August 5th, 2013“ the way that today we would have to leave Abkhazia.

214  It almost looks tropical: Along the

Zugdidi-Svaneti-road a small mountain

river meanders through boulders, moss and

plants and ends up in the large Enguri river

215  Such not very trustful suspension

bridges can be seen every now and again.

A vehicle might be too much, but for pedes-

trians and animals it’s still OK to cross

216  The Soviets had a variety of military

installations along the Enguri river (short

before Khaishi). Probably such tunnels and

walls belonged to them too. Partly they are

now covered and flooded by the Enguri

Reservoir, built 1961

 

After some phone calls however the situation clears-up. We are obviously allowed to enter during this time. There are just hardly any travelers who visit this special state with their own car. Without an exit stamp from Georgia – Georgia regards Abkhazia as a Georgian province – we leave the country , taking with us wonderful memories of people, landscapes and cheese tarts.

On August 5th, 2013, we end after 14 days our third visit of Georgia – from Tbilisi to Kazbegi and further to Svaneti – and explore

our 177th country Abkhazia. From there, we return after 8 days on August 13th, to our 4th but very short visit of Georgia

217  The 891 ft. tall dam of the Enguri

Reservoir is the sixth highest in the world.

The length of the crest measures 2’460 ft. and

catches 1.4 billion yd³. The planned Khudoni

dam (661 ft. high, 300 billion yd³), 17 miles

upstream of the Enguri river (before Khaishi

pic.# 172), hasn’t been allowed yet to start

218  The Cathedral in the center of

Poti, Georgia's main port, was modeled

after Istanbul's "Hagia Sofia". Besides

Batumi, ferries to the Ukraine run from here

219  Our ferry "Vilnius Seaways" is berthed

in the port of Poti. It will sail during three

days with us to Ilyichevsk near Odessa in

the Ukraine. There we will set foot on

European soil for the first time again since

more than 14 years. On 1/28/1999 we

left Europe at Gelibolu in Turkey

220  8/14/2013 - 10pm: The first cars drive

into the "Vilnius Seaways". It is 625 ft. long

and 91 ft. wide and weighs 11'700 tons.

Together with three other ferries of the

Lithuanian Shipping Company it made it into

the Guinness Book for World Records

221  Guinness Book of World Record

Certificate of January 1991 for the Lithuanian

Shipping Company for their four "largest rail

ferries in the world" – Klaipeda, Vilnius,

Mukran, and Greifswald. Today the ships

‘Vilnius’ and ‘Greifswald’ sail for the

UkrFerry Company

222  From the deck of the "Vilnius

Seaways" we watch the loading. Fare

Poti - Ilyichevsk (Odessa) in the

Ukraine for the LandCruiser $370

and $125p.P. for a double cabin

with shower. Very comfortable,

very clean and very good food

during the 60 hours’ journey

 

The "Greater"-Middle East trip 2012/13:

Sharjah/Dubai/1st Traveler's Festival/Emirates National Auto Museum - UAE with car Nov. 2012 to Jan. 2013 - part 1

Western UAE - Liwa - United Arab Emirates  with car in January 2013 - part 2

Oman 2013 - Part 1 - February 2013: Musandam Peninsula

Oman 2013 - Part 2 - February 2013: Sohar - Muscat - Rustaq - Nizwa

Oman 2013 - Part 3 - March 2013: Sur - East Coast - Island of Masirah - Dhofar

Oman 2013 - Part 4 - March 2013: Salalah & Surroundings (Dhofar) - Nizwa

Oman 2013 - Part 5 - March 2013: Western Hajar Mountains

Al Ain, Eastcoast & Ras al Khaima - United Arab Emirates with our car in April 2013 - part 3

Iran - Part 1: Ferry Port Bandar Abbas-Shiraz-Persepolis-Pasargad (between Persepolis and Yazd) – May 2013

Iran - Part 2: Pasargad (excl.)-Yazd-Esfahan – May 2013

Iran - Part 3: Esfahan (excl.)-Chelgerd-Hamadan-Sanandaj-Orumiyeh-Turkey Border – May 2013

Turkey: Iran Border-Esendere-Hakkari-Van-Doğubayazıt-Kars-Ardahan-Hopa-Georgia Border – May/June 2013

Georgia - Part 1: Turkey Border-Ajaria-Gori-Tbilisi-Kakheti-Azerbaijan Border – June 2013

Azerbaijan: Georgia Border-Balakən-Şəki-Lahıç-Baku-Xınalıq-Quba-Laza-Baku-Gəncə-Georgia Border – June 2013

Georgia - Part 2a: Azerbaijan Border-Tbilisi-Armenia Border – June/July 2013

Armenia - Part 1: Georgia Border-Haghpat-Dilijan-Sevan-Tatev-Goris-Nagorno Karabakh – July 2013

Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia-Stepanakert-Gandzasar-Martakert-Tigranakert-Tnjri-Shoushi-Armenia – July

Armenia - Part 2: Nagorno Karabakh-Goris-Tatev-Noravank-Khor Virap-Echmiadzin-Yerewan-Geghard-Gyumri-Georgia Border – July 2013

Georgia - Part 2b: Armenia Border-Ninotsminda-Tbilisi-Mtskheta-Kazbegi-Kutaisi-Zugdidi – July 2013

Abkhazia: Georgia-Sukhumi-Tsebelda-Novyy Aton-Lake Ritsa-Gagra-Pitsunda-Georgia – August 2013