Georgia > The heating is broken

The first thing we do is check the coolant. Everything is still fine. On the other side of the road, we buy some bread at a supermarket. We don’t even ask if there is a possibility for breakfast at the hotel. We drive out of Sagarejo, heading toward the David Gareja Monastery. The monastery is carved into the rocks and is located right in the mountain area on the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan. We had understood that the road leading there would be bad. Since we were expecting the worst, the road turns out to be quite manageable. We do have to dodge some large potholes along the way, but that has almost become normal for roads in Georgia. As we approach the border, it’s not clear to us exactly where the monastery is.

Georgia - The David Gareja Monastery lies right on the border with Azerbaijan

We drive up a fairly steep dirt track. There stands a watchtower. At the top, a soldier waits for us, armed and wearing a bulletproof vest. This doesn’t look like the monastery. He gestures that the monastery is further on—it’s the border with Azerbaijan. We quickly turn around. Upon entering the monastery, we immediately notice how beautiful it is. On one side are rooms carved from the rock, and on the other side, walled monastery buildings, a small church, and several courtyards. The monastery is still in use by monks. Narrow stairways lead us to higher levels—absolutely stunning! On the way back, we decide to have breakfast first. We park the Land Rover, make coffee in the back, and eat the bread we bought earlier with the toppings we still had. From this spot, we have a view of the beautiful, green, rolling landscape. The scenery here is very different from northern Georgia, but just as beautiful. From here, we drive toward Tbilisi. The road is little more than a dirt track. Several tracks run alongside each other. We try to choose the best one each time, but going completely without bumps and potholes is impossible. On the left, we drive past border posts with Azerbaijan. Near the town of Rustavi, we reach a paved road again. Rustavi mainly consists of large, dull apartment blocks from the Soviet era. It doesn’t look appealing to live here. In the suburbs of Tbilisi, we mostly encounter this same type of apartment blocks. Practically every balcony has a satellite dish.

Georgia - The Bridge of Peace in Tbilisi is illuminated in the colors of the Georgian flag

In downtown Tbilisi, traffic is heavy. On the boulevard, cars drive in multiple rows. You have to pay close attention to the surrounding traffic as well as the route to follow. The hotel is just outside the old town. Fortunately, we can already place our luggage in the room. We want to get to a garage as quickly as possible because of the coolant leak—we don’t trust it. The hotel owner helps us locate the Land Rover dealer on the map. The dealer is on the northern exit road. We pass many car brands, but can’t find the Land Rover dealer. When we ask, we are alternately sent left and right, which doesn’t help. Meanwhile, the coolant temperature starts rising again. We quickly top it up. In a side street, there is a small garage. The owner is willing to take a look. We drive Brutus into the garage. Immediately, four heads are under our hood. The leak is at the passage into the heating system. Two hoses are disconnected, but they are fine. The problem lies inside the heating system, the mechanic says. “I can fix it, but then the heating won’t work anymore.” That’s a fine solution if we can continue our journey. Within half an hour, the work is done. Hopefully, the problem is now resolved. On the way back, we realize the usefulness of navigation. We are directed left, right, and through U-turns, and end up exactly at the hotel. We would never have found it with a map—there are so many one-way streets in Tbilisi. From the hotel to downtown Tbilisi is about a 20-minute walk. Preparations for tomorrow’s celebration are happening everywhere. Tomorrow is Independence Day. Stages are being built, streets are closed, and grandstands for the parade are set up on central Freedom Square. Even without Independence Day, Tbilisi is a pleasant city. In the old town, there are plenty of cafés with terraces. We settle at one of the terraces for a meal. Only around midnight do we take a taxi back to the hotel. The driver doesn’t need navigation—he knows all the small shortcut routes. Very handy.