Auto-touring eastern Georgia with my parents

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Bryan Keith

On my parents’ first day in Georgia we went to the tourist information office in the National Museum in Tbilisi to pick up some maps.  As we were getting ready to leave, a woman walked across the foyer smiling at us, gushing, “oh my gosh, oh my gosh!”  It was Emily who my parents knew from previous travels in Spain.

DSCN0138 by bryandkeith on flickr
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Friends in Georgia

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Bryan Keith

Georgia.  My first new country since entering Greece last December.  Finally getting somewhere, I guess.  Thankfully that’s not the goal.  Several people — Snežana, Kris and Kristen, fellow cycle tourists — had all warned me that Georgians were the worst drivers in the world.  “But have any of them cycled in India?”, I wondered.  It can’t be that bad.  Yeah, right.  Imagine the chaos and insanity of India’s roads at high speeds, very high speeds.  It seems Georgian drivers have a death wish and no regard for anyone on the road, including themselves.  It’s awful, the worst drivers in the world.

Not all the roads are bad.  Some big highways have 4 lanes and shoulders — no problem.  Some little highways are littered with rocks, potholes, and cows, forcing low speeds — no problem.  Some country lanes have almost no traffic at all — truly wonderful riding.  However, I felt it was a bit of a miracle to survive some stretches of the busy two-lane roads.  The coastal road between Batumi and Sarpi was nasty, and a ~30 km stretch west of Gori was probably the most dangerous cycling I’ve ever done.

DSCN1628 by bryandkeith on flickr
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Secret agents, closed border, military pursuit, saved by a coincidence

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Bryan Keith

One more tour through Artvin and a quick rest with Ferda in Olimpos.  That was the last of my plans for Turkey.  I estimated three days from Kemalpaşa to Meydancık, not realizing just how big the climbs were.  Aren’t I used to these mountains by now?  Day 1 was a tiring 900m steeply up from sea level.  Day 2 — 1700m, and day 3 — 1800m.  Seriously?!  That kind of itinerary is possible, but not for me, not on a heavy touring bike, not so quickly.

It certainly felt like the tropics here by bryandkeith on flickr
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Cycling in Trabzon?

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Bryan Keith

When cycling started to get popular in England and France in the late 19th century, people were stuck in the cities.  Transportation to the countryside was expensive, but the bicycle offered a relatively cheap alternative.  There was an extensive network of back roads beckoning the cyclist to explore.

I see a parallel in Turkey today.  There’s an incredible network of deserted back roads, deserted partly because cars and petrol are rather expensive.  People don’t travel around in private cars like in North America.

DSCN1076 by bryandkeith on flickr

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Cycling the Eastern Black Sea Mountains

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Bryan Keith

Doğu Karadeniz Dağları.  The Eastern Black Sea Mountains.  Spectacular.  Unbelievable.  In order to get my mind around the magnitude and magnificence of these mountains I try to compare them to other places I’ve been.  Maybe Kaua’i.  The climb up Waimea Canyon is lush, green, full of good views if you’re lucky enough to get it without the clouds.  The same description describes the climbs here from the seaside, but at 1200m Waimea Canyon is small.  Also Kaua’i has perhaps 3 or 4 four roads that climb similarly.  Here there are dozens if not hundreds.

Another phenomenal campsite in the Eastern Black Sea Mountains; of course I couldn't see a thing when I put my tent here by bryandkeith on flickr
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Posted in Bicycle touring, Turkey | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments