Mag ik u voorstellen ‘Trien Travels’ uw on the road reisadviesbureau. Mocht ik u nog niet overtuigd hebben naar Roemenië of Turkije af te zakken. Dan probeer ik u nu de Heilige Drievuldigheid aan te smeren.
Georgië, Azerbeidzjan en Armenië, daar waar in een ver verleden priesters met kerk, klooster of moskee de meest idyllische plaatsen van de Kaukasus inpalmden, waar aan de voet van duizelingwekkend besneeuwde bergtoppen schapen van grasmaaiertje spelen, waar wijngaarden jou lekker en goedkoop dronken maken, waar verbazingwekkende canyons en woestijnachtige heuvellandschappen meedingen naar de eerste plaats in Moeders Mooiste, de nieuwe reeks op uw Trien Travels reiskanaal.
Daar waar je in een prachtige caravanserai je knorrende maag lekker het zwijgen oplegt, waar de matroesjka in jou zich thuisvoelt bij vergane Sovjetglorie, waar je stalen ros halt houdt bij het opduiken van Middeleeuwse verdedigingstorens uit al even gedateerde bergdorpen, waar het in hun hoofdsteden een mooie mikmak is van ultra-modern met UNESCO-oud.
Daar waar ik u adviseer: komt dat zien! Breng bergschoen, mountainbike of neus voor cultuur mee. En wandel, fiets of snuif bergen op in deze Heilige Drievuldigheid waar Kaukasus heer en meester is.
Goeie reis!
**
Check gerust mijn nieuwe friends of the road of andere foto’s op instagram.
#Georgia
On the road to Batumi #Georgia
My first stop in #Georgia was the coastal city Batumi. Lots of Russian tourists and fancy shops and buildings made a big contrast with dilapidated Sovjet apartment blocks and poor surroundings of the city
It was late afternoon in the little mountain village Riketi when the sun appeared. I quickly dried all my completely wet gear (tent, backpack…). A man (Gela), who spoke little English, came to me and offered a night stay with his family. An hour later I was having a lovely dinner with a super sweet family in this house. The lady in the middle of the picture is the great grandmother Jolie, she’s 85 and is the sweetest elderly lady of #Georgia
The next morning Maia (Gela’s wife) showed me the school were she was teaching English. She brought me to the class where the Georgian teacher wants a computer. She asked me if I can give via my ‘company’ (UNICEF or WWF she meant) a computer. That day is was constantly thinking how I could raise money for a computer for them. Does anybody have some good connections with computer companies? #Georgia
On the road to Kutaisi… Although I’m not fond of churches, I liked the ones in Georgia and Armenia a lot #Georgia
Graveyards, graveyards, graveyards. There are so many. Often with a small terrace with tiny iron table and stool next to the grave. O, and don’t forget the emptied bottle of chacha #Georgia
In Belgium I don’t go often to a market. But on my road to Taiwan, I can’t pass one without buying fresh veggies or fruit. In Kutaisi the market was in this beautiful building #Georgia
Although it doesn’t look very attractive, Churchkhela, the Georgian ‘Snickers’, is really good. It’s made by repeatedly dipping a long string of nuts in concentrated fresh grape juice. Delicious and nutritious food for the road #Georgia
My friend of the road in lovely Svaneti mountainous region #Georgia
Another friend of the road… Hervé, a super friendly French guy living in the UK. I met him in a guesthouse on my way to Latpari Pass (2623m). The next day I encountered him again on the ‘road’, it was so steep I had to push my bike for a couple of kilometers. And there he was again, giving me a hand by helping to push my bike 😉 Later that day I met him again in Mestia #Georgia
I didn’t complain about the scenery though #Svaneti #Georgia
This is so #Georgia! Village road with shabby lada and piglets walking around
Old Sovjet style is anywhere #Georgia
It was in Kashuri that I couldn’t find a good camping spot. So I knocked at the door (actually gate) of the house where super sympathetic Tengo and his mother and sister are living. Tengo is a very sweet and welcoming guy. He and his sister are making hundreds of chairs to pay their studies. That evening his sister came over to my tent with French toasts, tea and pears. The following morning the mother of the house offered me tea and katchapuri, a typical Georgian yummy dish #Georgia
In Tengo’s tiny but cosy and dusty work place #Georgia
I started my little bikepacking adventure (lightweight mountainbiking) in Tusheti region, cycling up to Abano Pass (2852m) #Georgia
Just like Svaneti region, Tusheti is a winner in overwhelming scenery too #Georgia
Street workers on the way up to Omalo #Tusheti #Georgia
Before starting my bikehiking/bikepacking/Tusheti adventure I met these fellows lying in the sun, watching their sheep and horses. I verified with them if my planned direction was right. They said it wasn’t possible with my bicycle. I knew it would be though… Once again I actually didn’t listen to locals -oops- The man on the right offered me some candies for the road. Super sweet #Georgia
And it was though. After a lot of pushing and carrying luggage, I got this in return. Cycling on mountain ridges and being surrounded by 3000 meter friends #Georgia
It wasn’t time to camp yet, but I couldn’t pass this perfect spot without pitching my tent. Sleeping alone on 3000 meter and completely surrounded with these giants felt like magic. Stars were touching the mountain peaks, the milky way was keeping an eye on me and I was watching them and got a sore neck in return #Georgia
The next day, up there, I was lost. But suddenly, from far below, I saw a single track going up, the place to be! I had no water anymore and was enormously thirsty. After licking rhyme of tiny plants, finding snow was a true gift. I couldn’t stop eating from it and filled my bottles with snow as much as possible #Georgia
Licking rhyme of tiny plants was just a delight #Georgia
Cycling along villages like Parsma feels like flying with a time machine into the Middle Ages. The villages in Tusheti national park are 7 to 8 months cut off from the world by snow. That’s why villagers are leaving them in October, going to big cities and coming back to their summer house/hostel/work in May-June next year #Georgia
Bye bye Tusheti, you were so good to me. Back to normal life, back to Tbilisi, the capital of #Georgia
I love the curly Georgian alphabet #Georgia
Cows, sheep, pigs and farmers, always coloring Georgians village roads #Georgia
Leaving the country and getting a handful of mandarins. Just to remember Georgians generosity #Georgia
#Azerbaijan
I took a mashrutka (minibus) to Car, a mountain village in Azerbaijan. The final stop was Car. A lady (Hawa) was carrying a lot of stuff and she invited me to her place. I helped carrying her bags. What I didn’t know was that her house was 1,5 hour walking into the mountains. But the road was just lovely, along a wild river, up and down and over… When we arrived at her house, she started cooking some food. And offered me pasta, egg, cheese, bread, tea and biscuits. So we had lunch together with her husband (Borja) and brother in law (Sasha). When I returned Borja accompanied me for the first half hour because otherwise I would be lost in the wood. Hawa gave me a bag full of chestnuts and nuts for the road. A bag I couldn’t refuse #Azerbaijan
Cow skull holded by Borja on the way back to Car #Azerbaijan
Walking in the caravanserai of Sheki. A caravanserai was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day’s journey #Azerbaijan
It was in Sheki I met sweet and funny Aylan (left). She was guiding Salwa and Nadhem from the Emirates through Azerbaijan. Aylan speaks at least five languages and is super enthousiastic. She invited me to have lunch with them in the beautiful caravanserai where we met a second time. We spend a really cosy and tasteful afternoon #Azerbaijan
I broke a spoke and the guy on the left, fixed it in 1,2,3 without even using the special tool for straightening a wheel. The moment I wanted to pay, I couldn’t. Azeri generosity! #Azerbaijan
Pomegranate heaven is in Azerbaijan. They are extremely cheap (€ 0,4/kg), amazingly delicious and they roll ‘en masse’ into your cycling panniers #Azerbaijan
They make all kinds of food with pomegranate. The red circles were a kind of candies. Like we know in Belgium the long wired candy ‘Katja’ #Azerbaijan
On the road to mountain village Lahıc #Azerbaijan
It was hot and sunny #Azerbaijan
I was glad to see asphalt turned into dirt road. Street and mountains blending better. And I feel more one with nature #Azerbaijan
Lahıc is a notable place in Azerbaijan, with its authentic handicrafts traditions, particularly related to copper. The village’s carpet and rug crafts are also well known in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus #Azerbaijan
A vendor told me that the circular sheep skin would be a perfect cover for my saddle 🙂 #Lahıc #Azerbaijan
Icelandic feeling in #Azerbaijan
I ran out of water. Farid (right) helped me with taking water out of the well in their garden. The boys were good fun and liked cycling my bike too #Azerbaijan
Unfortunately, because of a lack of time (visa expiry of entering Iran) I couldn’t cycle the way up to Xınalıq. I had to take a local bus from Baku to Quba and from there on a shared taxi to the (what Azeri people say) highest village of Europe (2350m). Damn, that hurt #Azerbaijan
On the road to #Xınalıq #Azerbaijan
Xınalıq is an ancient Caucasian village going back to the Caucasian Albanian period. It is located high up in the mountains of Quba Rayon #Azerbaijan
It’s amazing to see, the more I’m cycling to the east, the more relaxed, friendly and polite children are. This sweetie pie was sweeping the snow with a paint roll. How cute is that #Xınalıq #Azerbaijan
#Xınalıq #Azerbaijan
In the surroundings of #Xınalıq #Azerbaijan
In Xınalıq I stayed in a very nice homestay from Rustam and his wife Vusale where their little boy, Izzet (12), spoke some English #Azerbaijan
Long distance busses have their fixed stop where you can have a snack and stretch your legs #Azerbaijan
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Some call it little Dubai, I call it just beautiful #Baku #Azerbaijan
When I’m thinking of the three Caucasian countries, I also think of clotheslines with clothes hanging out to dry #Baku #Azerbaijan
In December 2000, the Old City of Baku, became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO #Azerbaijan
Inner city of #Baku by night #Azerbaijan
The impressive Heydar Aliyev Center is a cultural centre in Baku. It’s designed by Zaha Hadid. The center is named after Heydar Aliyev, the leader of Soviet-era Azerbaijan from 1969 to 1982, and president of Azerbaijan from October 1993 to October 2003 #Azerbaijan
#Heydar Aliyev Center #Baku #Azerbaijan
#Armenia
Entering Armenia was faced with very poor villages and towns. Old Sovjet copper mines which were still in use #Armenia
There was a sign I couldn’t pass the road to Vanadzor. I saw drivers neglecting the sign, so did I. After 20 kilometer everybody I was passing by made a stop sign. It was not possible, they were working on the road. I had to return. They were making a tunnel. I begged if I couldn’t pass. After some phone calls, I could. I was riding further and further and suddenly I saw what was going on. They were really making a tunnel, and I really couldn’t pass. But these two strong men helped me crossing the tunnel and opened the iron fence for me #Armenia
Looking back to the tunnel I came from. And workers waved me goodbye #Armenia
The first part of the road to Sevan Lake (part 1). I was very excited to see all the snow and was already fantasizing how it would be to camp in the snow #Armenia
#Armenia
The first part of the road to Sevan Lake (part 2). I skipt the main road to cycle to the Sevan Pass (2114m) #Armenia
In Armenia they call it autumn, in Belgium we call this kind of weather… winter. At 5 pm I stopped cycling, I arrived on Sevan Pass, it was -4,5°C and the view on lake Sevan was just stunning. By the way you know it’s freezing cold when you can hold a pot with boiling water with both bare hands and enjoy the warmth of it. Meanwhile the water in your drink bottle is frozen 😉 #Armenia
Although being a vegetarian, I couldn’t resist stopping to take this picture. Along lake Sevan there were so many foodstalls with dried or fresh fish. The vendors were waiting in the freezing cold till somebody passed by to buy some fish. The man from this shop in particular offered me dried fish for the road. Once again, I had to refuse a kind offer and got an incomprehensible look in return #Armenia
I am so glad to see Lake Sevan this time of the year. With it’s 1400 sq km, at an altitude of 1900 m it is one of the highest altitude lakes of the world. Surrounded by snow capped mountain peaks it felt like cycling in a fairytale #Armenia
Fresh and dried fish from lake #Sevan #Armenia
Sovjet statues are watching me #Armenia
Lake Sevan #Armenia
#Armenia
Did I told you already that it is cold in Armenia? Every day, because of the cold, I lie horizontally from 6 pm to 9 am. Luckily I have a warm, down sleeping bag #Armenia
Survival of the fittest #Armenia
So Caucasian #Armenia
The road to Noravank was steep but lovely #Armenia
No Armenia posts without showing a monastery or church. They’re always located on the most magical places, high in the mountains with beautiful views of the surrounding area. Here you see 13th-century Noravank with its two-storey church that has a narrow stone-made staircase at the facade. When you want to go downstairs you feel like a monkey using hand and feet #Armenia
A detail of #Noravank #Armenia
There are not only lakes and snow in Armenia. There are canyons and churches too. After cycling some days in white landscapes, the road to Noravank church complex became completely different #Armenia
Not only cows in Georgia and Azerbaijan #Armenia
It was around 3 pm when I arrived in the small mountain village of Lusashogh. It was -4ºC and this little boy was cycling around without gloves or jacket. He hadn’t cold at all. He liked his bell and used it a lot 🙂 I offered him a ride on my bicycle, which he liked too. He called his mom and instantly the whole family came outside and was watching their little boy riding a heavy loaded touring bike #Armenia
In real he’s enormously impressive. Mount Ararat, the snow-capped and dormant compound volcano. Next to him, his little brother #Armenia
I don’t like churches that much. But in Armenia it’s worth cycling to them. The scenery is always stunning. Here is Khor Virap situated not far from the impressive mount Ararat #Armenia
For Lada’s in Armenia there is life after death #Armenia
Wedding shoot at the foot of the Mother of Armenia statue #Armenia
Not far from Yerevan, there is Geghard, a medieval monastery being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site #Armenia
Just another day in #Armenia
I’m in a rush to reach the border with Iran (due to my visa entry date) so I took lots of main roads to be fast. But yesterday, although the scenery was just great, I was really fed up with them. I decided to take side roads, linking small and poor mountain villages. I landed into this… ‘Streets’ covered in snow and no single car passing by. Just the sound of my breath and some lost birds. It was just lovely #Armenia
Breakfast with a view #Armenia
One of many things I really love about biketouring is searching for the ideal camping spot. Armenia is one big wild camping paradise and locals won’t bother you with curiosity #Armenia
trien trapt 
Prachtige foto’s!!
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Dank je wel Lien 😊
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Prachtig Trien! Je weet meteen wat gedaan wanneer je terug bent, de TrienTravels klanten staan al in de rij 🙂
XXXXX
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Uiteraard Falderalderietje zie jij dit al voor je, want mijn job bij JaJa is mooi ingenomen 😉 Veeeeel plezier en veeeeeele groetjes daar. Liefs, Trien xx
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xxx
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Mooi mooi mooi… geniet ervan!!! Je bent altijd al een toffe, overtuigende reisgids geweest hé! Wel opletten als de matroesjka in jou zich vermengt met lekkere, goedkope wijngaarden dat je niet begint te paaldansen 😉
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🙂 Geen vrees. Ondertussen in Iran waar wijngaarden en daarbij horende alcohol net iets moeilijker te vinden is 😉 Bedankt Kaatje xx
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Ik had u moeten volgen met de camper 🙂 dikke bees XX
Yvi
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Ik ben nog altijd niet van de aardbol verdwenen. Dus het kan nog steeds 😉 xx
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Licking the rhyme … unbelievable! Blijf verder gulzig genieten en vreselijk mooi schrijven. xxx
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🙂 Ik ben volop bezig Inge 😉 en dikke merci xx
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verschrikkelijk mooie proza met bangelijk mooie foto’s. Je maakt ons allemaal stik jaloers, Trien!
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Oei sorry Peter, dat was niet echt mijn bedoeling. Dikke merci voor de te felle complimentjes -bloos bloos-
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dat wordt dan een boekenreeks, tv-programma x
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😂 😘😘 Wil je misschien n kookboek Roadfood stylen Debke 😉
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