At least that’s how it feels. We depart from seaside Kvariati for inland Vadzia, a distance of 240 kilomtrers.
Because of the state of the roads, this ends up taking ten hours of driving.
(Have we used this title before? I think so. Anyway, it’s from Tolkien.)
It’s very scenic, but the road is so bad, we often travel at speeds of single digits.
About midway, we come to the village of Khulo and take a break.
We reach the top of the Goderdzi Pass. There is a ski resort up here, with what looks like hundreds of rooms being added. God knows how people get here in the winter.
We finally reach asphalt roads again. This part of southern Georgia looks almost like Wyoming or South Dakota. (Or at least like Wyoming or South Dakota look like in my imagination.)
Another fortress. According to Wikipedia, there are over 100 fortresses in Georgia.
Sight or Insight of the Day
Finally, after ten hours of driving, we reach our goal for the day: Vardzia.
Vardzia is a complex of caves/monastery that dates from the twelfth century.
It sits above the Mtkvari River, the same river that flows through Tbilisi.
It’s too late in the day to visit, so we have dinner in a roadside restaurant.
