Ferry from Sochi, Russia to Poti and Batumi Georgia

Image slightly changed from Wikipedia


This is the Website of the Port Sochi with timetable:

http://www.morport-sochi.ru/main.php?nav=lines&lang=en

The ferry to Batumi via Poti goes all year around. Twice a week, but not always on the same weekdays.
Call some days in advance to Sochi:

007 8622 609603

Today they told me a price of approx. USD 60.00

By the way, I am reading a great book on the History of the Black Sea by Charles King:
The Black Sea A History

Here is a link to Amazon

Relax the Caucasus

Me in Borjomi-Kharagauli Nationalpark

Tusheti August 2005 Impressions

5 days in Tusheti via Alwani to Omalo, Chesho, Parsma, Girevi, Dano, Dochu, Shenako, Diklo, Khiso with Max von Klitzing, Zaza Abaloidze, Bidsina Tsadsikidze and Manana.
Thanks to our hosts Gogita and Sopho, Tamazi Zaridze, Kako in Shenako and Nona in Diklo.



View to the Eastern Kakhetian Caucasusrange from Diklo



The Tushetian Alasani



A herdsman



A Tushetian boy on his horse



Our hospitable host Tamazi and his family in Parsma



A bath in the Alasani



Bidsina with puppies

Abroad in Tusheti, will be back Saturday

with lots of new photos and impressions I hope.

Portrait of a Georgian Girl

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Lado Burduli opens the coolest Party place

East of Berlin on 30th of September in Tbilisi, Georgia. It is a Dancefloor and Live Act Party Place for 1500 to 3000 guests in a former bunker-shelter of Stalin and Soviet times. It gets fully renovated now and its name will be "The Tunnel", under the Mountain wich divides Old Tbilisi from the Botanical Garden. There will be a "secret" Testparty too, probably on 16th of September. Lados biggest wish is to meet once Rammstein at "The Tunnel", although he confesses to have probably not sufficent money to pay those Superstars from Berlin. But maybe, somehow, one day ? If you didn't know by now, you do not need a Visa for Georgia anymore, so Partygangsters from Europe and the Rest of the World are kindly invited to unnormal neverending parties in Tbilisi. Even Till, if his knee got better. Contact Lado Burduli for details here

This selfmade Map of Tusheti

I made a couple of days ago from my imagination. The place I like most, because it was the first place I came in 1997 is the so called "Hotel California" - a shepherders base camp near Zowata. Other places are very beautiful too. Just go there and wonder, what kind of place on our tiny world here and there still might be.



I just came back from Tusheti and realized some mistakes in this map:
Chesho/Tschescho is between Dartlo and Parsma.
Diklo is much closer to Shenako, than it seems here, approximatly distance 3 km

The famous Ossetian Musician- Valery Gergiev

gives an Interview to the "emagazine" of Credit Swisse. I didn't know before, that this gifted conductor is an Ossetian, and the founder of the World Orchestra for Peace. What a great Project he found, give the big and small conflicts more music ! Lets find Ossetian-Georgian-Abkhazian Orchestras and let them play to the people in Tskhinvali, Tbilisi and Sukhum. The interviews headline says it all: "I fight against the cultural poorness" Read the interview in German here, get more informations on Ossetia here.

By car from Europe to Georgia

I get very often asked about tipps wich is the best route to go to the Caucasus Countries by car. I drove three times from Berlin to Tbilisi. Here is the best way: Germany- Italy (to one of the Ferry ports: Venice, Ancona or Brindisi)- Greece/Igoumenitsa- Alexandropolis/ Turkey- Bosporus-then direction to Ankara, before Ankara turn north to Samsun- then Trabzon- Georgian border at Sarpi- Batumi- Tbilisi. From Tbilisi you can follow on to Baku or Yerevan. Berlin- Tbilisi is around 3900 km. Normal and relaxed driving needs about a week. If you have more time, then you can visit all the historic spots near the road in Italy, Greece and Turkey. Its also possible to spare Greece by booking a Ferry ticket from Italy directly to Turkey, what gives you more time to relax on these quite luxurious ferries.
Sometimes I get asked about the Northern route around the Black Sea. Its possible to cross Ukraine and Russia to Sochi, then taking the Ferry to Poti or Batumi. Tickets for that ferry can not be bought in Tbilisi as far as I know. The landroute via Abkhazia is still not open for political reasons. Its also not possible to cross the Russian-Georgian Border via Vladikavkaz/Kazbegi.

Please comment on your own experiences making the way to Georgia by car. I am especially interested in any information regarding the Ferry from Sochi to Georgia.

If you plan to sell your car f.e. in Georgia, do not forget to sign your car off in its country of origin for export, otherwise it becomes difficult in Georgia to sell it and declare it at the Tax Department.

To relax in Eastern Georgia Lagodekhi

... like horse bathing in Ninoskhevi Creek. My friends Andreas and Ina Thieme enjoyed their holidays in Georgia a lot.