from Sheki in Azerbaijan to Telawi in Georgia - Caucasian summer 2024 - 4
Tbilisi
from Tbilisi via Mzcheta and Gergeti to Gudauri
from Gudauri via Gori to Kutaissi
from Kutaissi to Batumi
from Batumi via Borjomi to Achalziche
excursion to Vardzia
from Achalziche in Georgia to Yerevan in Armenia
excursion to Etschmiadsin
excursion to Garni and Geghard
from Yerevan to Goris including visits to Chor Virap and Noravank
excursions to Chndsoresk and Tatev
from Goris to Sewan
from Sewan via Dilijan to Haghpat
from Haghpat in Armenia to Tbilisi in Georgia
Tbilisi and back home
19.07.2024 - from Sheki in Azerbaijan to Telawi in Georgia
Breakfast only starts at 8:30am, so I go for a little walk beforehand. We're away from the actual city center, close to the castle grounds. So, I go there even though I know that we will return after breakfast to visit the old palace [↗].
Breakfast is quite simple; you even have to order coffee for an extra charge if you don't want the tea. We leave the hotel at 9:30am but are still a little early for the palace.
Unfortunately, it's forbidden to take photos inside, which is a shame as it has beautifully painted walls and windows. The only reason for the restriction is that they want to sell postcards on top of the entrance fee.
Near the palace is a pottery school with some nice exhibits outside and demonstrations inside. I skip that to see how they make those stained-glass windows. This demonstration is a little out of the way, and as the main building is being renovated (as are several others on the site), they have set up a small pavilion for the demonstration. In the stores here you can buy appropriate windows and other things like a lamp, but they are not cheap. The lamp, which is the size of a handball, was on sale for >2100 Euro.
We leave the castle grounds and drive for two hours towards the border with Georgia. On the way there, there are quite a few trucks with license plates not only from Azerbaijan, but also from Georgia and, above all, Turkey. The queue of trucks is at least 2 km long, but we're lucky and pass by.
The guards are not really prepared that someone on foot wants to cross the border. On foot, because our bus is not allowed to drive in Georgia, so we get a new one after the border. I'm the first in the queue and the official has a few problems with his computer. But in the end, it's only a matter of 5 minutes or so. Then we have to carry our luggage 900 meters uphill on a not very well-maintained path. Fun fact: The guard at the last checkpoint in Azerbaijan doesn't have a key to open the door, he actually has to loosen a few screws with a screwdriver 😉.
Immigration to Georgia is fast and easy. They don't even scan the luggage. Even the ATM inside the building is working flawlessly.
Before we go to Telawi we drive to Sighnaghi [↗]. After a few misunderstandings between the driver and tour guide, we first drive to Bodbe Monastery [↗]. There are two churches, the old one is from the 9th century, a second one is still under construction. The building itself is finished, but most of the decorations are still missing. In both churches, it is not allowed to take pictures. This is especially a pity for the old church, which is beautifully decorated with ancient frescoes.
We have 3 hours in Sighnaghi itself and don't want to leave until 7pm so that we can have dinner here. The group splits up immediately and I also go my own way. Interestingly, I always meet the same 3 people with whom I later have dinner.
Sighnaghi is a nice town, but very touristy. Apart from the city wall, there is no particular highlight, but it has a nice flair and many open-air restaurants with beautiful views.
We're at the hotel in Telawi [↗] at 8:30pm and I just do my usual homework (saving photos and making notes for this travelogue) and then surf a bit on the internet.
