THE BLACK SEA COAST RIDE

 

 

 

 

 

 

People are always asking how much it costs to make a trip like this. Well, it is kind of hard to say. But I have been surprised at some prices. For example, I paid 20 Lari for a hostel bed in Batumi Georgia last night. That is about $12. And I paid $30 for a hotel room in Turkey with full breakfast. But gas in Turkey is right at $10 per gallon. So I guess the money saving thing to do is sleep more and ride less. I have not figured out the cost of gas here yet, but I think Georgia prices are also $10+ per gallon. On a per liter basis the cost is 4.95 TL.

 

Istanbul does not count on my prices because it is Istanbul, and I did the full tourist there.

Yesterday I rode my last day in Turkey. And my luck finding new friends just kept on coming. I was riding down the road minding my own business headed for Georgia when I saw a single headlight in my mirrors. At a light a guy on a BMW motorcycle with full adventure touring gear pulled up. I asked where he was going in German, and he answered “Mt. Ararat”. So I said let’s ride together and find coffee. About 20 minutes later Josef Wieser and I were having a Nescaffe and a great conversation in German.

New German Friend Josef Wieser

It turns out Josef is also traveling alone on his BMW 1150 with all the Tourtech gear through Turkey. And like me he is a retired guy in what I like to call “early 60’s”, which means under 70 to me. We swapped stories and invited each other to visit. And then we were on our way.

Later I stopped for lunch at a town about 30 Km from the border. As I was turning to leave town another guy on a motorcycle saw me and started talking. I do not speak Turkish, so I asked if he spoke Russian. And he did. I explained that I was going to Georgia and wanted to get to the border. He would have none of it and insisted that I follow him. So I did. Turns out Avni Gulser is a Turk married to a Polish woman. And he speaks Russian.

Avni Gulser at Tea Shop

I agreed to have one Turkish tea with Avni and his friends. He would have kept me there all day, and night, if I had wished. And he said “whatever you need just tell me and I will take care of it.”  I am simply amazed at Turkish hospitality. It is more than anyone could ever expect. And Avni is a perfect example.

I finally left and made the border in about 45 minutes. The crossing was pretty easy. The only glitch was my Irish registration. The customs agent saw my American passport and assumed the bike and plate were American. She finally called a supervisor who figured out  the bike was Irish, and then the computer allowed her to put the plate number in the system. All was well and I was given my Georgian visa stamp and told “Welcome to Georgia”.  

I then discovered that I no longer had any gps maps when I crossed the border. So I rode into Batumi and started asking for directions in Russian for the hostel. I only had to ask 1 civilian and a cab driver for directions before I found the Hostel Batumi Globus. It is a very good deal. Inside parking for the bike and a bed in the 16 bed mixed dorm was the $12 I stated at the beginning. 

But tonight I am in Tbilisi at the home of my friend Derek Welch. I will spend a couple of days here and recharge before setting out for Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea crossing.