1974
Friday, 12th April
We had difficulty starting the van as it had been raining most of the night and it was still raining and very cold. We reached the Iran customs at about 10 a.m. and waited about an hour to be cleared. We gave a letter and a card to someone there to post as we hadn't found anywhere. We went on to the border where there was a deal to do. It was all very relaxed and no one was in any hurry so we decided that would be the best way to be and we finally got through at 3.30 p.m. just beat a bus load of British there so we were lucky. We gave a couple a lift all the way to Kabul as someone had stolen their passports. We stopped in the grounds of a hotel for the night and went into Herat for kebabs and bread which were good and cheap. While we were in there it hailed and they collected hailstones in the sun canopy for eating. We had a hot shower, the water came from a strange charcoal burning geyser contraption. The Afghans then played music in the hotel (under the influence of hash) and we played cards (Old Maid), exchanged card tricks and recorded some of their music. It rained, thundered and hailed all day and there was mud everywhere.
Saturday, 13th April
This was the first really hot day we had. We drove through interesting and monotonous scenery of scrub and desert land with a few odd mountains. The road was very good concrete and on some bends there are bollards down the middle of the road instead of white lines to break your axles instead of the law. We saw a great deal of mini wirlwinds in the heat of the day which were very strange. We stopped for a brew in a very small village which seemed to consist of shops only. We went through a large number of toll gates which continued right through Afghanistan. We reached Kandahar at about 5.30p.m. and stayed in the "garden" of a hotel. There seemed to be an abundance of freaky people at the hotel just out there for the 'rides'. Neil wasn't feeling very well so we only had soup and bread and went to bed early.
Sunday, 14th April
The day started with hot weather again. We left Kandahar a bit late at 11 a.m. after buying oranges and bread in the town. The bread is very similar to Iran bread which you buy by the sheet. Our Italian friends had to lend us some money as we couldn't get to the bank. It got a bit cooler and very hazy. We reached Kabul before 6 p.m. and found an hotel. We ate out at Sigis which was quite nice in a way but very British with western music and freaky people. We went to bed early. An American/German couple who are going to Kashmir asked if they could have a lift to Peshawar.
Windmill in Afghanistan
Monday, 15th April
We went in search of a tourist office and got thoroughly fed up as we couldn't find it. We also got very fed up with the number of shoe-shine boys determined to shine Neil's shoes, belt or anything else made of leather he happened to be wearing. It was very hot. We changed some money and came back. It started to rain and was very windy. It hailed and thundered. We sat inside the hotel and played cards for a while. Cooked some egg and chips. Our Italian friends asked us if we would like to go to the bazaar which we did and it was quite an experience. Neil didn't feel well so we started walking back. While we rested on the way a Pakistani gentleman approached us and we chatted and had tea with him. We took a taxi back to the hotel and he insisted on sharing it with us. He chatted for a while before he left but was rather persistent and suggested I left Neil and go and eat with him. I refused. Neil went to bed and I played patience in the hotel and came to bed at 9 p.m. Neil didn't sleep much, having to get up to the loo about every two hours. was the first place we had seen for a long time with loos that actually worked!
2025
Sunday 22nd June
We took a taxi early in the morning to Batumi train station, we were taking the last train of our adventure. We were checked onto the train at the door with tickets and passports and we were ticked off on a list. The train was packed and a Russian speaking lady sat next to me. Here was a good chance for me to practice my very rusty Russian. I then realised this could mean over 7 hours of tortured conversation. Luckily we fell asleep and the journey flew by. At Tbilisi station we were met by expectant taxi drivers but why pay an exorbitant price for a taxi when we could make a complete mess (or not) of getting the metro? It transpired that we managed to buy tickets, get on the right train and get off at the right stop with no problem at all. We are staying in a comfortable apartment next to Liberty Square.
In the evening we were taken by taxi to an area high above the city where Nino, George and their children Luka and Noah live. We got to know Nino’s family back in the 1990s when they came to England to work as University researchers and lecturers. Nino was just a child then but now she is a successful businesswoman. She and George started a business locating and using old Georgian designs to decorate tableware. They now have 11 shops and hope that soon they will be selling in the UK. The name of their brand is Blutabla. They live in a beautiful house which they had built and moved in a year ago. There garden is beautiful too, full of walnut trees. It was such a lovely evening with beautiful Georgian food, wine and reminiscences.
Monday 23rd June
We spent the day exploring Tbilisi, we visited George and Nino’s shop which was in a huge modern shopping centre. We also visited the Catholic cathedral and the Orthodox cathedral. In the afternoon we went to the botanical gardens which were a little disappointing as so many of the paths were considered too dangerous to pass. We went to get some money from inside a building, we had to open the door with our bank card. Afterwards we couldn’t open the door and wondered if we would have to spend the night there. Eventually we noticed a small button at the side of the door, phew!!!
Tuesday 24th June
Today we went on a 10 hour tour. We had to meet in front of a metro station. There was a woman standing there with a lemon in her hand. She was actually begging but disguising it as selling a lemon. In the time we were there she did remarkably well with most people stopping to give her something (by the time we left she still had the lemon). We visited the cave city of Uplistsikhe followed by a traditional Georgian meal. In the afternoon we visited Stalin’s museum in Gori. He started building it before he died (I wonder if Mr Putin has started to build his?!!!). We then went to Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli cathedral. We were with a lovely group of people but it was a very long day. We are now relaxing on our last night in this apartment with a bottle of excellent Georgian wine.
Stalin’s birth place and where lived until he was 4
Stalin’s Railway Carriage
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