Turkey > To Batumi in Georgia

Because we couldn’t drive through the mountains yesterday afternoon, we have to backtrack a bit to see the Sumela Monastery. We can only view the monastery from the outside. It is closed until September for renovation work. We set off extra early because today we also want to cross the border into Georgia. First, we drive back to Trabzon and turn into the valley leading to the Sumela Monastery. At the turn-off to the monastery, the road immediately narrows and the rock walls become steeper. What a stunning location. As we enter the Altindere National Park, a man indicates that the monastery is “kapali.” By now, we know that word. He gestures that we can only take photos from outside. We drive all the way to the viewpoint overlooking the monastery. The Sumela Monastery appears to cling to the mountainside.

Turkey - The Sumela Monastery hangs beautifully against the cliff face

The entrance itself is closed, so we cannot get a closer look. Unfortunately. In the village of Maçka, we buy a sandwich at a bakery, stroll through the local market, and have tea at a teahouse. Via Trabzon, we return to the main coastal road. We have already driven the stretch between Trabzon and Of several times. Now we continue toward the Georgian border. At a border town, we eat a döner sandwich, buy water, and use up our remaining Turkish money at a diesel station. At half past two, we arrive at the border. It is chaotic. A customs officer points us to the left, while the actual border is to the right. When we turn left, we end up back in Turkey. As we drive back, we notice a queue that we had missed earlier. Meanwhile, other cars have joined the line. We have no choice but to join at the end. Not much happens. For at least three-quarters of an hour, the line does not move. Then it slowly starts to progress. After about an hour, we reach the officer—now a colleague of the first—but still on Turkish soil.

Turkey - The central square of the seaside resort Batumi

Bit by bit, the first booth comes closer. Here we are supposed to pay 15 Turkish Lira. We don’t have any left. We act confused and hand over our passports. The man looks startled and waves us through. After Turkish customs, we arrive at Georgian customs. One officer points to lane 1, while another wants us in lane 2. As we drive into lane 2, someone behind us shouts, “Wait!” Or maybe not? We continue to the booth. Here we get a stamp in our passports. We expect a luggage check, but we are already in Georgia. The country feels immediately different. The people look different. We no longer see women wearing headscarves, and there are no more mosques in the landscape. The traffic is hectic. Everyone drives as it suits them—overtaking where possible and impossible. At traffic lights, cars cross into the opposite lane, and every small gap is used to get ahead. You have to pay close attention to what everyone is doing. At Batumi’s central square, we have a beer. Because Georgia is one hour ahead, it is already six o’clock. The apartment we booked online is a bit hard to find. When we are nearby, we call the owner, who arrives in ten minutes. The apartment is on the eleventh floor of a newly built complex. To use the elevator, a five-cent coin must be inserted each time—while we don’t even have Georgian currency yet. The owner leaves some coins for us. At the local supermarket, we buy some food and drinks and prepare them in our apartment.