Cayeli to Batumi - 110km

We were on the road by ten and made very good time to Hopa, the last major town in Turkey. This had been our stop for the night, but we decided to push on to the border and try and cross it that night. The border crossing was extraordinary, as we approached the language, money, people all get a little hazy and mixed and things become alot grottier. We cycled past a long, long line of lorries all waiting to cross, and I felt quite smug to be feeling the wind in my hair (through my helmet) as I whizzed past them.

We arrived at the first border post amid a mass of confusion which I now think is a permanent feature although we were a little surprised. We then found ourselves in the middle of a quite few angry words and gestures being passed between a truck and a car driver over a what seemed like a tiny scratch on the truck, punches were thrown and an Eastenders type brawl ensued, during which we slipped past to the last point in Turkey and into no man's land. We made it to what looked like the place to get stamped into Georgia, but it was a complete free for all, there were no signs or white lines to stand behind while you wait for the person in front. I was cheek by jowel with a fat sweaty Turk and a toothless Georgian, with only Whinnie for protection.

We made it though and as we cycled off into Georgia we looked back and saw the last mosque clinging to the side of the mountains, and then Georgia stating it's faith also with a massive Cross perched on the side of the road for no apparent reason! We raced to Batumi as it was getting dark, and found the grottiest, cockroach infested place to stay there. The chap seemed quite shocked that we both wanted showers after a day cycling and he reached for his screw driver and started poking around in the shower. He couldn't get it to work, so he sent us to another room. It was an electric shower and the worrying thing was that when you turned it on, the overhead light dimmed, I kept my flipflops on in the shower!

Batumi is a crazy place to arrive in after Turkey. I hadn't realised how accustomed to the conservatism I had got, and it was a shock to see men and women kissing in the streets and the women wearing very skimpy clothes, but it was also a welcome relief! Batumi is in the middle of a massive regeneration and they seem to be doing it all at once, so one whole area is a building site but you can still walk around it using planks of wood as bridges no health and safety here. There is a huge boulevard on the sea front and the most prominent feature is the dancing fountains. There is a huge fountain lit up and loud speakers pump out varying types of music to which the fountains dance, we were treated to a little bit of Carmen and then Chicago on our first night.

We had a rest day and the highlight was eating my supper in front of the fountains, it was music from Fantasia that evening! I also tried my first Khachapuri that day, a calory injection, it is bread stuffed with cheese, topped with a runny egg and in case your arteries are still alive, they load a massive knob of butter on top just to finish them off. I had two, one for supper and one for breakfast the next morning.