Batumi to Sameba Jikheti - 92km

We set off from Batumi very late as we were trying to sort out our Azerbaijan visa. The cycling was easy, we were on the main road for a long time and have quickly learnt that Georgian drivers are crazy and there are no rules on the road, so that adds a little extra spice to the day. We turned away from the Black Sea rather unceremoniously considering we had been following it for the last three weeks! In land we met with the most idyllic rural scene and I saw my first pig since leaving home. We passed a field that was a little like animal farm, horses, cows, goats, sheep and pigs all living harmoniously together, but the pigs having a rather more stately waddle.

This area was true rural Georgia and the poverty was striking after the relative modernity of Batumi. One thing I have noticed after Turkey is that the attitude to hygiene is slightly different. We passed through very rural areas in Turkey and the loos were bad but there was always somewhere to wash your hands with soap. I stopped to go to the loo in one little village and asked for a loo and she led me through the market to an outhouse. I walked in and closed the door and I was in pitch black and was suffocated by the smell...I made the executive decision not to go and held my breathe for a polite length of time and then went out and thanked the lady for showing me to such a lovely place! I have learnt not to ask now.

We carried on cycling and time passed by quickly, so quickly we found ourselves in a bit of a pickle as to where to stay that night. Camping seemed to out of the question as there were people everywhere and there was not a hotel or guesthouse to speak of. We carried on with our eyes pealed and we saw a sign to a Monastery, the Sameba-Jikheti Monastery. We weren't sure whether it was still in use but we turned off and started climbing in the hope that we would find somewhere to camp.

The hill turned out to be enormous. Humphrey raced on to check that it was OK, and I plodded on behind until I heard some music up ahead, thinking I was near the top I left Whinnie and carried on to find a bus full of children dancing to some very loud music. They said that the monastery was still a long way off! But the teacher sent five little boys to pick my bike up and push it for me, I protested but not too much and enjoyed the freedom of walking up a hill.

They didn't go all the way up unfortunately but I managed to cycle alot of the rest. It was dusk by the time I saw Humphrey talking to one of the Sisters from the Monastery. She led us in and we said that we just wanted somewhere to camp. She gave me a headscarf and an overskirt to cover my legs and after talking to the Father said that we could stay there! The evening service was due to start but she said we should have some food and join later.

The Monastery is set on the top of a small mountain thickly covered in forest. It is a small and basic Monastery with very few buildings that we could see to start with. Ioana, the Sister, led us to the dining hall and I was taken aback by the scene, it was getting dark and the whole place is lit by candle light so the windows glow with the light inside. Through the window I could see a large group of men, perhaps 14 all eating a huge feast. I felt like I was walking in on the last supper, and lo and behold the mural behind the men was of the last supper. The nuns laid out the most beautiful feast for us as well; chicken, roast potatoes, cucumber with coriander, honey, bread, cakes and tea. It was just what we needed. Whilst we were eating a thunder storm began, it was just drizzling but the flashes of lightening were huge! It all added to the beautiful atmosphere of the Monastery. We finished our meal and it was dark outside, so my eyes took a little while to adjust, I kept seeing these little dashes of light and thought I was dizzy. On closer and longer inspection, this involved me staring into space for a long time, I realised that there were actually hundreds of fireflies everywhere. It was glorious, the lightening, the drizzle and the fireflies combined to make the most eerie atmosphere.

We went through into the service, again the Church was all lit by candles. For those that don't know Icons play a very important role in the Orthodox Church so to see the gold paintings of the Virgin Mary and Saint George lit by candle light was quite beautiful. The whole service was sung, or chanted, with one of the Nuns speaking the words of the bible in Georgian very fast. I felt very privileged to be there, the Nuns have prayers twice a day and only they attend, so it is a private service so I felt very lucky to witness it.

After the service it was straight to bed, Humphrey was in a room on his own and I shared with Ioana, the only Nun who spoke English and who was nominally in charge of us. Each of the Nuns have their own private little hut to live and hers was down a path in what felt like a secret garden. I could make out the rose bushes all along the path. She has a balcony at the back completely surrounded by trees so private and serves as her bathroom. Ioana's room was lovely and cosy, it was completely covered in icons and pictures of Fathers, and she had the most beautiful silk bed spread which she said she had found in the Monastery! She also had tucked away a computer and mobile phone, so well connected.

I had a sponge bath on the balcony outside which felt very surreal and then lights out. I thought we would go to sleep, but Ioana took the opportunity to ask alot of questions. We had a discussion long into the night about faith in the West and in Georgia and we spoke of each others faith and dreams, hers is to come to England, although her main dream is to become closer to God. It was very intense, a conversation I have never had with some one who feels so close to God themselves. It was certainly a learning experience, although it was very difficult trying to explain to her why I was travelling! All this in the pitch black with only the faint glow if lightening flashes through the window.

There were morning prayers at 0430 which are signalled by the slow funereal toll of the bells. Ioana before the bells, dressed and was out the door before I had even opened my eyes. She said don't go out because of the dog, it will bite! I lay there debating whether to get up and go, but due to my bad experiencese with dogs so far I decided to heed her advice which I am glad I did when I met Bebe a vicious little sheep dog. All the Nuns carry sticks to fend her off when she is out of her pen!

Ioana took us on a tour of the Monastery afterwards, the Father has been very industrious and three more chapels have been built and he is building a new accomodation block for the Nuns although this won't be ready for a long time.

It was then time for the Sunday service, to which people from the surrounding villages attend. I stayed for the whole 2 hour service although most didn't as it is acceptable to wander in and out as you please and there are no pews to sit on so none of the embarassment of shuffling past people. The Orthodox Church is very physical in their worshipping, they make the sign of the cross often and whenever they pass an icon it is made, they kiss the icons and they light many candles in front of all the different icons. It was fascinating to watch, especially when the Father walked around with the incense. We attended the lunch after the service with all the congregation, men and women sit separately and Humphrey had the honour of sitting opposite the Father. Another delicious meal and the food kept on coming, so delicious. One of the women spoke very good english and asked me whether I was Christian and I said yes, and then she said I think Catholic yes? I said no, Protestant. At which point there was alot of murmuring among the women and I could hear them all saying the word Protestant under their breath, I was wishing that my Grandmother had managed to convert me, it would have made it alot easier!!!

After long goodbyes, and alot of photos, the Nuns getting out their mobile phones to take photos, we left the Monastery absolutely speechless at how lucky we were to experience Georgian Orthodoxy at such close quarters.