Black Sea

Trip Start Mar 21, 2005

278

354

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Georgia Batumi, Georgia
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The Black Sea came into view as the marshrutka descended to the shoreline. Orange groves and eucalyptus trees grew here, the landscape was more green. Still above in the hills, the deciduous forests were covered in snow. The relative warmth was short-lived, however, as another storm arrived, covering Batumi and its palm trees in snow.

Before the storm, I was able to visit the Black Sea coast, covered in black rounded pebbles. Nearby at Gonio was a two thousand year-old Roman fortress, though it had been used for many years after that, as its location was highly strategic, guarding a thin strip of flat land between the mountains of Adjara and the Black Sea. Because of its regular use, the fortress was in excellent condition, with an orange grove inside. Ruins of ancient buildings were inside, including terracotta plumbing.

I walked the walls for a while (not too long) and when I returned, the front gate was locked

Gonio Fort

. The man who sold me a ticket had booze on his breath and I'm guessing that when the wedding party left, he decided to close shop. Since the place was deserted, I had no choice but to find a good rock. Two aimed hits later, the huge lock was apart, and I was on my way back to Batumi. I hope the Romans had a better system.

Despite the wind and snow Batumi was a good town to walk, w�th many colorful buildings down quaint streets and a feeling that the architecture was more European. Usually it's a summer resort for Armenians and Georgians; seeing it in the winter gave me a quick view of the slow off-season before entering Turkey, a quick ride away along the Black Sea.