GEORGIA - 300 USD (part1)

This is a short story about Andrew and Tina hitchhiking around Georgia for 2 weeks, and spent only 300 dollars. Living in a tent, hotel and people houses, eating everything, visiting almost everything. No big cities only true spirit landscapes of Georgia! Welcome!

Part 1

       We were standing on the road of eastern Ukraine watching panoramas with heaps and burned grass. There were no cars and no life. Strange to see picture like that in Ukraine. To border with Russia just 140 km.

We crossed the border on a bus in 3 hours and in afternoon appeared somewhere in Russia. Taxi driver gave us a ride and helped to get to the right way. Than we stopped another guy, that told us a story about Russian government that put his wife to the prison. Hour after, Tina and Andrew were standing on a bridge crossing river Don. There were so many mosquitoes that we decided to ask some help from local police. And they did. We were in a trunk of big car, couldn't see anything, just feelings and believe. Luckily again on a road on a sunset we met another hitchhiker, check the map and went for new adventures.

 Around 10 p.m. we got a ride from a local trucker, who was performing in a car for 3 hours telling us unbelievable stories and even acting. Night caught us somewhere near Armavir.

Early morning, road is busy, Georgia is waiting for two ukrainian hitchhikers. 100 km before Piatigorsk we hitched North Osetian trucker full of grain. 20 tons truck moving 10 to 15 km per hour. That was a long ride. Night we spend on border with North Osetia and Kabardino-Balkaria, and met there ukrainian trucker Sasha, that promised to drop us right in Georgia.

Sasha is an experienced trucker. He is around 9 years in this business and was all around Europe, Asia and even middle east.

He told us that Russian police is very corrupt and sometimes you need to pay for nothing. So if you traveling by car be ready to have extra money for bribes. 

On the border, Zemo Larsi, its the only one way to get to Georgia by land, from Russian side. Be patient its open from 8am to 21 pm. There are only cars, no pedestrians. 

Tina and Andrew were standing in a line for 8 hours, listening to crazy trucker stories. Thanx God we met another one ukrainian trucker Vova, he is a friend of Sasha. And when Georgian customs didn't arrested Sasha's truck we luckily jump to Vova's and moved to Cross pass in Caucasus mountains.

(on a picture Vova with his 18 tons truck and Ukrainian flag on a Cross Pass)

We didn't miss a chance to take picture as well. As all truckers say, this road to Cross Pass is a hardest mountain road in Europe for trucker. Hard angles turns and no asphalt, just creeks and strong wind. Its hard to imagine this way in a winter time.

Caucasus range is marvelous. Deep creeks with 500 m drops and tiny rivers somewhere down in a valley. Eagles and wind. Real music of Georgian mountains.

Tina and Andrew took a breath of a new adventure, jumped into a truck and went down with a sun. We asked Vova to drop us somewhere on the road, not in a town. He didn't want but we insisted.

Tent, juice and strong dream...

GAMARJOBAT SAKARTVELO-HELLO GEORGIA!

to be continued....

SUMMARY
Ukraine to Georgia - 2,5 day hitchhiking
5 USD - bus to border
5 USD - food and water
0 USD - visa to Georgia

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