Apologies as writing this section was pretty rushed and I have skipped a few parts, was very far behind on posting but it will be edited and added to at some point when I find time. For slightly more regular updates follow my Instagram account oliverspalton.
Wasn't far to Batumi and in this 15km ride I already got a sense of the Georgian's driving I had been warned about this a while back , it was even worse than the Turks, and that's saying something. People give very little space and overtake other cars with little awareness of the surroundings.
I made it in one piece though and onto the much friendlier beach boulevard where I could finally relax. Batumi seemed absurd with grandiose hotels and casinos scattered along the beachfront when just moments ago I was traveling through a fairly deprived area with tin roofs, the first evidence of the concentration of wealth in the country mainly between Batumi and Tbilisi. Sat to enjoy my first taste of the famous Khachapuri a super cheesy and buttery flat bread , I had tried this previously in the UK from my friend Giorgi who would always bring some back whenever he came home from Georgia and was so excited to eat it again.
Later met up for a beer with Sebastian, a French bike traveller who had been cycling for over a year in Japan and around Europe, It was great to exchange experiences and hear about his travels around the world, also super impressed that he is fluent in 10 languages! The next night we joined Jerome, another French cyclist, to watch France play Morocco in the world cup, they were delighted with the result, I was less so Would have loved to spend longer in the city but there was news of a travellers party 2 days ride away so I had to rush off.
Pleased with myself after creating a bamboo flag pole, I've really given up on trying to save weight now. Kobuleti was a nice peaceful beach town and I contemplated sleeping here but I pushed on, meeting some locals who told me I had to take a different route but gifting me with a lemon with their tree.
