Hiking in the snow!

 03-07-2022

It's our last real day in Batumi and we do it proud! I go to breakfast and bring back some bread and cheese.  it was a zoo down there and I won't be sorry to leave all these crazy Israelis!  We're downstairs to meet Geno at ten, with all the million men who are heading back home today.  Ammar spots him as he's driving up and we charge down the stairs so he doesn't have to stop for more than a minute!

Today we're going to the Mtirala National Park for some real live Nature and I can't wait!  Geno knows all the beautiful places to stop for photos and after all the ess curves and rising altitude, we are finally there.  And there's snow on the ground!  Real snow!  Lots of snow!  Last month they had two meters' worth here and it's mostly still here!  There are spooky suspension bridges and one crossing that I can't even describe.  The video will have to tell the story.

We will follow the Chakvistskali River for most of the day. And every bit of it is gorgeous!

The guys wait so patiently while I take yet another dozen photos!

My original plan was to hike to the watefall in the park, and possibly, to the lake.  It's about 2 kilometers to the falls and 700 meters to the lake. Nowhere does it mention the change in elevation, and then, of course, there's the snow!  Our wonderful escort says he'll show us the path and then we can decide.

Yea, hiking in the snow in sneakers...the lake is the better choice and even that is a significant achievement! But Oh My God it is all so beautiful!!  Early on Geno finds me a hiking stick and that helps, and Ammar wants to hold my hand for fear I'll fall!  He's so cute!  Actually, there is one point where I start to go down and he catches me!  Now he's really freaked out!

The video will explain all. For some odd reason Blogger
chooses to put the video at the bottom of the post!!

giddy much?!

low calorie lunch!

someone's been here!

my faithful walking stick

We get to the lake and it doesn't match my definition of a lake!  But it's a great photo op and we can say we did it!!  Now we just have to get back.  As always the return trip seems shorter, even though we know it's not.  Maybe I don't stop quite so often for photos?

The elevation of the  is is more than 1700 meters above MSL, or about 5,500 feet!  No wonder I got out of breath!!  The tourist info says that it is always foggy and that's why they call it weeping mountain!  It wasn't foggy today!  It was gorgeous and I even take off my jacket!

Back at the car we buy a bottle of water and Geno asks why we did that!  He has water for us!  Such a lovely man! It's too early to go to the fish market so we decide to go see the church that we missed yesterday, Sameba Church, or The Holy Trinity Church of Batumi.  It is located on Trinity Mountain, outside Batumi, and affords a gorgeous view of the city and harbor.  Lots more one-lane, twisty roads where someone has to back up to a wide space if you meet another car!

turns out it's a concert hall

Geno's flat is on the second floor, close to shopping and the train station where we met.

Ladies have to wear skirts and scarves, both of which are provided, and there are no photo allowed inside. The couple of shots of the mosaics outside give an idea of how beautiful the inside ones are.  Lots of gold tiles and a dark-haired, dark-eyed Jesus. 

And time for the fish market!  We finally convince Geno to eat with us!  Shrimp, salmon, Georgian salad with walnuts, a glass of wine for me and I'm not sure what's in Geno's bottle! Even with three of us we still can't finish everything!  But we come a lot closer!

Someone needed a little beauty among the ...

Geno apparently likes Blue Wave better than Fishlandia.  I have to
admit, they were spot-on today!  Delicious!

Handy little nook for hand washing after handling all that fish!

The kitchen is across the alley from the dining room

Some things don't change from country to country.

Yes, we'll humor you!

Back to the Wyndham with many thanks for a splendid day!  We'll meet out front tomorrow at seven for our train at 7:50.  Lots of time!

I'm ready for a nap! We've walked three miles and climbed 41 flights of stairs!! No wonder I'm beat! Ammar wants to burn through the last of his credits (I still don't quite get how he keeps playing without giving them any more money!)

After a while I check my email.  Good thing - there's been a landslide and the train to Tbilisi isn't running. We have to notify British House that we don't know when we'll get there (or how) and tell Geno that seven isn't going to work now!  And find another means of travel. First we have to find Geno's number again.  We can't call directly from our room, so Ammar has been using the phone at the front desk.  He thinks the paper with Geno's number is up here;  but I can't find it.  He eventually locates it mixed in with the cash and goes back down to talk to him.  In the mean time I've downloaded the Metro Georgia app and think we're home free until I see that all the buses leaving at noon for the next four or five days are completely full.  It's too late to worry about it tonight.  Geno is coming at eleven and he'll help us figure it out.  There are supposed to be lots of buses to Tbilisi, so maybe they just don't show up on the app.  Worst comes tto worst, we'll take the Midnight Train to Georgia! (There really is one!)  Something will work out.  Something always does!

And I just got a reply to my Facebook messenger post - the trains will definitely not be running tomorrow.

I'm going to finish this and go to sleep.  Today was superb until about 7:30 and tomorrow is another day!