ARMENIA 🇦🇲 379kms. 30 July 26

BATUMI GEORGIA 🇬🇪  TO  GYUMRI ARMENIA 🇦🇲 

Skipped the complimentary breakfast and headed south east for three and a half hours to Vardzia Cavetown and explored the dwellings and left there after 3pm for Armenia. 
Entered the same town on the same road when I crossed into Georgia  and the same thing happened again, within two minutes  the cops pulled me over and gave me a breathalyzer test. I still had the mouthpiece in my pocket from the last time and showed it to them and voiced my disappointment in their profiling. They asked for my passport etc but then just left. 
Anyhow I got to the border at 5pm and the Georgian customs officer was a jackass and I had to explain to him I can't  magically make all the paperwork  he wants suddenly appear and to wait and I will get them. Then crossed to the Armenian Cutoms and Immigration and they were so nice and friendly and helpful was unreal and welcomed me to Armenia with smiles, what a difference it makes, what a pleasure. The customs gal gave me a TIP for the bike and dealt with all the paperwork and PoA and had some questions and was profession and had no hassles. Left the border at 7pm and then stopped and got insurance and a Sim card and rode another 44 kmsa to Gyumri and found a guesthouse for $21. Showered and then walked into city centre and it's  a small plaza with lots of traffic and people milling around and no coffee shops to be found. So had to revert to a beer or two to hydrate. They have coffee machines on every second corner but I can't  bring myself to buying a coffee from it. 

Location of Vardzia

The 40,000 m2 cliff of Vardzia is located 300 kilometers away from Tbilisi, in the historical Meskheti province that is now a part of the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region.

Vardzia has been granted Immovable Cultural Monument of National Significance status.

History of Vardzia

It was mainly built during the 12th century and is associated with the reign of two monarchs – Giorgi III and his daughter, Queen Tamar. Vardzia, at that time, was the center of the country’s political, cultural, and religious life and has preserved traces of the developed civilization that existed centuries ago. 

Structure of Vardzia Cave

Vardzia is a fortress city carved into a cliff, 900 meters long, and divided into floors throughout its height, which are connected through tunnels. 900 years ago, this cliff city had a modern city infrastructure, including a plumbing system. 

Endless wars and earthquakes over centuries caused significant damage to the unique structure. 

The Dormition of the Virgin Church is still located in the heart of the complex, painted with frescos. In its heyday, Vardzia had 28 wine cellars that housed 235 Qvevris. At the moment only several of them remained. In total, modern Vardzia has 242 caves partially or totally preserved.


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