Our big trip

A few thoughts and photos from our travels

  • Day 47 – Wealth in Katara

    12th October: Doha, Qatar As we stepped out into the early afternoon sun, we tried to remain relaxed in the stifling heat. Back into the souq, all was quiet as the afternoon ‘siesta’ was in full swing. The only sounds came from the poor brightly plumaged caged birds. I’d decided that it was about time…

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  • Day 46 – Desert storm

    11th October: Doha, Qatar Today will be a short one. Not long after going to bed last night, I starting feeling nauseous. It wasn’t a false alarm and I’ve been up a fair bit of the night. I’ve been trying to make the best of an enforced rest day by doing more admin and China…

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  • Day 45 – Running the gauntlet

    10th October: Tbilisi Georgia to Doha, Qatar It’s time to leave the Caucasus! Unfortunately, my body seemed to disagree with the concept, and I spent the morning bent double over the toilet. Continuing the same theme, we caught the bus out of the city on George W. Bush Street. I find it bizarre how streets…

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  • Day 44 – Farewell and good luck to the Caucasus

    9th October: Tbilisi, Georgia Our final full day in the Caucasus! We’re both pretty knackered, so today was another easy day with some China planning and admin thrown into the mix. We did find time for a delicious lunch, including buckwheat tea. As our time in Georgia is coming to an end, I want to…

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  • Day 43 – Gori’s place in history

    8th October: Tbilisi, Georgia Waking up for the early train get like a bit of a shock today! Trains call at Gori on their way across the country to either Kutaisi or Batumi and, as far as we could gather, only do so once per day in each direction. Therefore, we were getting the 8:45…

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  • Day 42 – The social fabric of Tbilisi

    7th October: Tbilisi, Georgia On my way back last night I spotted a vegan coffee shop on our street, so that is where we began today! Oat milk latte, Moroccan tea, and cinnamon bun enjoyed, all whilst booking our first train for China. Wandering across the river to Rike Park, the contrast was quite something…

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  • Day 41 – Tbilisoba festival

    6th October: Tbilisi, Georgia We’re still feeling the simultaneous effects of the sleeper train and trying to book things on the road, so today was another slow start. We did book hotels for our first two places outside of Beijing – Datong and Pingyao – though, and we’re getting there with an idea of itinerary.…

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  • Day 40 – After the ‘sleeper’

    5th October: Tbilisi, Georgia After the sleeper train arrived, we spent a couple of hours doing research and planning at the station over tea and sand coffee. Eventually, we made the move to a square near our accommodation to continue in the gloriously crisp morning air. Our accommodation was available early again (it always pays…

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  • Day 39 – Midnight train to Georgia

    4th October: Areni, Armenia to Tbilisi, Georgia Once again, breakfast was eaten with a view! The guesthouse owner’s son had organised a ride back to Yerevan directly from the driveway, with his babushka who was going shopping, and for the same price as the marshrutka. Before we left, we played with the cats and 5…

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  • Day 38 – Caves and canyons

    3rd October – Areni, Armenia The sunshine peaked through the curtains, illuminating the cliffs across the valley. From the breakfast room of the guesthouse, the view was stupendous with the vines and fruit trees in the foreground. Breakfast itself was mainly from that garden, with the highlight being an apricot jam where the fruits were…

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