December 23rd, 2006 | categorizilation: all categories,Georgia
I have arrived in Europe. Well, the most Europe-like city I have encountered so far on this trip. Cobbled streets (look nice but are rotten for cycling or driving on), stone buildings…
But tomorrow it is goodbye T’Bilisi. I head west once again towards the Black Sea to the coast town of Bat’umi.
Sorry for the lack of photos of people…I still haven’t plucked up the courage to ask people if I can take their photo.
Will you be spending Christmas in Tbilisi or cycling the meadows of Georgia?
I'm in Kunming. I've managed to find something called a "backpackers hostel" and have just had my first proper conversation since Istanbul..quite a nice Xmas present.
Merry Christmas
Just re-read your blog…it's the meadows for you then.
If want resort action then the town of Kobuleti (just north of Batumi) is a much better bet than Batumi itself. I think you're a little late in the season to find yourself a nice Russian bride though.
Hi Rob,
Great to see that you are in more comfortable surroundings. I hope that you will have a Merry Christmas wherever you happen to be on Monday.
I liked the gas price sign with the "regular" and "normal" choices. Perhaps "normal" isn't gasoline related though. If you look at the picture the price seems to spell out the word "joy". Is there some sort of message there? Maybe it is an early Christmas miracle…..
Take care.
Hey Rob, wishing you the best. You are definitely doing something worth doing, we are all jealous…
Tom G.
Hi Rob
forgot to say, wish you are having a great x-mas, i will be in the pool with a mate of mine. It's been scorching hot in Perth it looks like we are having a proper summer down here this year 
Satoshi
hey Rob merry christmas… I hope you are havinga good day.
I have found a most intriguing site that you should check out… good times. It will make you smile. Good boyish fun. explosions and what not. Enjoy
Love rach
check out http://www.eepybird.com experiment 137
Hey Rob,
Merry Christmas! Mum and Dad say hi – Mum remembers your Gondolier days.
Can't open your e-mail because of the Japanese text I think; any possibility of re-sending it? Maybe I should just do the 23-min download instead…
Glad there were no jumpy snipers about; was a bit freaky to read your rellies' warnings eh.
Lee
Mate
Merry Christmas. Dunno if you are aware but in the interest of interesting websites I see on slashdot that some dude has made a jetpack that actually works http://www.jet-man.com So on my Christmas wish list for next year. Better than those stupid springy feet everyone is into.
Respek
brilliant idea use cigarettes as a kind of double glazing, insulation replacement product, when summer comes round you can smoke the lot! Double bonus what will they think of next Bacon socks?
hi Rob, Hope you had a good european christmas, ours was cold, grey and wet but nevermind. Hope things are continuing to go ok, when will you be going through turkey? I might be able to fix you up with a place to stay somewhere outside of ankara, let me know if that looks like it will be on your route.
Hope Georgia treats you well
see you soon-ish!!
ailsax
Bro
i'm off to campbell island until Feb 20th.
have a blast until then.
it's awesome to hear how you are doing… Love it.
Sorry we missed you in Tbilisi. Wish you all the best in your ride. Give us a call in Azerbaijan if you need anything.
p.s. never mind about re-sending – got it sorted now.
Hi Ailsa!!
Hi Calvin!!
Hey Rob, happy new year! Hope you had a good Christmas. Come across any strange or horrible bugs and insects on your journeys? Do they have any wild animals or any thing like that over there? From your photos, it looks like you have been mainly fortunate with the weather, apart from all that sticky mud!
Happy new year Rob
I was on a six day backpackers tour to the south west of Western Australia. Things were going ok until i got bed bugs at Kalgoorlie YHA . The drunk staff didn’t do much about it and a swiss guy and i had to hotwash and hot tumble dry everything we had which was our new years day – we didn’t sleep at all that night!! I see you have been invited to stay at peoples homes quite a few times and I think that’s awesome they are not just offeirng you a place to sleep in and sharing some family meal with you but also risking getting their guest bedroom infested in bedbugs or flea or whatever a foreign tourist like you may be carrying (i am not saying you do but you know what i mean). It’s nice and hot in this part of the world buyt the water of the southern ocean was a bit too chilly for an enjoyable swim but i did it anyway he he he. Keep posting!
By the way, could you tell how the hell to pronounce the capital of Georgia?
Rob,
Happy New year mate! Hope 2007 brings you continued progress and safe passage through to your final destination!! Keep up the good work mate.
Hi Rob,
Looks like you’ve finally arrived in the West. I guess you can call it that. The streets look a lot like the cobbled streets we saw in Italy, so you may not have seen the last of them.
Ride on bro!
Hi Rob, I wanted to write on the note pad section here, it's pretty exciting, don't really have much to say but am quite aware that your site is famous or something so it's nice to be in on it and write super extremely long sentences that people will only really glance over and not really read in great detailanyways, happy 2007, and it's nice to see that you are still here and posting stuff, happy 2007 brother, respect!
Steve
BULK REPLY:
Hamada, I see on your website that you have had some good times with other travellers recently. I seethe in envy. As for the medows of Georgia…well, just look at the recent photos and you'll see there's no frolicking to be had! Safe riding to ya!
Chris J, your powers of observation are amazing. A joyful new year to you!
Tom G, thanks for the encouragement! All the best for your endevours there in Oita in the new year.
Satoshi, the only pool I've seen here in Turkey was a big puddle that you'd have more success ice skating on rather than swimming in! Enjoy the warm weather there in Oz! And keep away from dodgy hostels with bed bugs. Not that you can avoid any form of bugs in Oz. What a place!
Rach, I am way ahead of you. Not only have I seen that site, but I have done the coke fountain experiment. Great fun. Thanks for the link though, and keep taking cool pics.
Lee, cheers.
Calvin, don't you go trying that at home now.
Carl, Mmmmmmmmmm, bacon. Don't get much of that around here.
Ailsa, will take you up on the outside of Ankara place. It looks like I'll be going that way…
Malcolm, there you go chasing chicks again.
Aunty Jenny, I had plenty of warnings of wolves when I was in Georgia. Like, the family I stayed with over New Years were shocked to hear that I was staying in my tent in the mountains. They were convinced that I would be eaten by wolves. However, when I asked about wolves here in Turkey, they laughed and said there are no wolves. Just shows that national fears run deep and are often unjustified.
Cheers Tres.
Joeru, Tiblisi.
Murdo, thanks a lot.
Jim, my western experience ended when I left T'Bilisi. Back to undeveloped country. Mind you, Turkey is proving to be a very forward place. How is the Oil Free and Happy endeavour going anyway?
Steve, you're an inspiration and a success.
