Wrap Up

Again a lack of blogging from me. In summary:

Thursday completed the Long March - albeit they had partially truncated it given the weather to skip the highest elevation. That knocked the KM down from 75 to 65 - but given the extra mileage done on day 1 that seemed fair! The route still took us over the back of the Southern Caucasus - hence a lot of up and down - and for me 14 hours of tough going.

Friday - was the rest day - and started in glorious sunshine. A short walk from camp and and enormous vista of the Vardzia gorge opened up. The the storms and clouds rolled in and my knackered body allowed me to sleep though much of the afternoon and night.

Saturday- a short run down the 10km switchback road into Vardzia and a finish line at the site of the cave city. Given the slowest few in the field started an hour earlier, myself and 3 others crossed the line hand in hand as the very final finishers. Beer, food, and a walk up to the cave city.

Then all done. My 10th 250 km multi day completed. Feels like a good number to finish on..

Many Ukrainian, EU and Georgian flags flying above Tbilisi. A clamouring to come in the front door as the UK skulks out the back. Never mind they still seem to like us, or the Premier League.

Today I have tried khachapuri (good) and ojakhuri (interesting). The waiter (Liverpool FC) asked me how the oligarchs were feeling in London. A hint of sarcasm. The restaurant was called The Alcoholic- which was either a mistranslation or an invite.

The architecture is a mix of dusty old with modernist statements. An example of the latter is The Peace Bridge, whose form “symbolises the transition from past to future”. It also looks like a huge sanitary towel, leading some to call it the Always Ultra.*

I was going to describe the city as edgy, reinforced by buskers playing Radiohead. But the sax player has just started September by Earth, Wind & Fire. So I’ll settle with eclectic.

I have checked, packed and repacked my kit for the week, and crushed salt and vinegar crisps down to a nutritious 1500 calorie powder. Now time to cut out the templates for my foot taping. Strange world.

*any genuine insights are courtesy of Tim Burford and the Bradt Georgia guide. 

In Tbilisi. The trip over smooth - in retrospect.

But not at 6-15 am after my taxi had been stuck on a closed M25 for 90 mins due to a “police incident” and with my chances of catching the flight evaporating.

Suddenly the road opened- announced by a cavalcade of motorbikes and police cars on the opposite carriageway. Thanks to my taxi driver who hit the gas and the airline agent who ushered me through the queues at Heathrow.

The transfer at Düsseldorf was not a thing of Germanic precision. The flustered lady at boarding announcing the gate was B52 (the other side of the airport) and not C52 (where we were standing) - sending a group of passengers on a victory lap of the terminal. It was C52 after all.

The biggest dangers in Georgia are passive smoking and driving. Which my freewheeling transfer into town at the hands of Tony (supporter of Arsenal and Dynamo Tbilisi) confirmed.

The hotel overlooks Freedom Square. Dominated by a tall column topped by a golden St George and Dragon (hopefully an omen for an Englishman) . It replaced the inevitable statue of Lenin (on Lenin Square) . Hard not to think of what is happening to the NW over the Black Sea, given that history, and the the 2008 war by Russia on Georgia. Shadows.

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Tomorrow I fly to Tbilisi in Georgia. Fingers crossed the chaos of UK airports can be negotiated, as I am not sure back up plans will be that easy.

This event has crept up on me, and truth to tell I feel under-cooked. I am not sure ambling the fields of Kent will prepare me for the Southern Caucasus.

At least I will be wearing the St Georges Cross on my arm, which may help endear me to the Georgians if I go astray.

Just read about the Georgian shepherd dog, which is described as strong-boned, muscular, and athletic, with a large head and powerful legs, and a distrust of strangers. Great.

I am however looking forward to google not directing me to Atlanta, Georgia.      

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As part of the event in Georgia, I will once again be raising funds for the Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) in Cambodia, an excellent cause – and donations can be made through this Global Giving site: https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/csc-georgia2022-dg/ 

CSC aims to improve the quality of life for disabled Cambodian children and adults by providing free rehabilitation surgery. Integral to this mission is a program of training local surgeons and health workers, focusing on the development of sustainable health services. More in: http://csc.org/ 

Funding is especially required to help with a new facility that will allow CSC to continue providing surgical assistance to Cambodia's most vulnerable populations at no charge, whilst empowering the next generation of Cambodian healthcare professionals to lead complex reconstructive surgery. 

Many Thanks

Georgia (Georgia)

I am determined to complete this series of blogs without making the obvious reference to Having Georgia on My Mind. 

Heading east across the Black Sea may not seem the most sensible thing to be doing at this time. Not least because my training has been scant.

Hopefully I will be able to last the whole day through (the whole day through).

Sustained by calories and tunes on the ipod. Just old sweets & song.

I am also hoping that the concept of muscle memory can be triggered by keeping Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind) 

Georgia, Georgia
The whole day through (the whole day through)
Just old sweets & song
Keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind)