The day started off cloudy again. We awoke a bit later than normal and planned out our day. Since the bus to Davit Gareji didn't depart until 11am, we had time to leisurely stroll into the Old Town and to take care of some business. We first headed to the Envoy Hostel to pay for our tour for tomorrow and to drop off our laundry. On the way back we stopped at our favorite haunt Entrée for some lattes and pastries.

We were excited to visit Davit Gareji. Davit Gareji is a rock-hewn Georgian Orthodox monastery complex located in Kakheti (not too far from where we were yesterday) on the desert-like slopes of Mount Gareja located about 70km from Tbilisi. The complex includes hundreds of cells, churches, chapels and living quarters hollowed out of the rock. Typically 2 parts of the complex are visited – the Lavra which has been restored and is inhabited by monks, and on the hill above it, Udabno which is the location of caves containing beautiful frescos.

We learned that Lavra, the original monastery, was founded by Davit Gareja (hence the name), who was one of the original fathers who returned from the Middle East to spread Christianity to Georgia in the 6th century. The complex grew but was then destroyed by the Mongols, Persians and other conquerors. During Soviet times, the military used the area for exercises and generally didn’t upkeep the monasteries.

Another interesting point is that the site actually sits partially in Azerbaijan and although apparently has become subject to a border dispute between the 2 countries, the tensions are not high and traveling across the border isn’t a problem. We’ll see. We also learned that it can be very hot out here and there is little shelter or places to buy water. Luckily the day wasn’t super hot and overall was kind of cloudy.

Shortly before 11am we headed over to Pushkin Park next to Freedom Square and tried to track down the Davit Gareji (DG) minibus. Soon we were approached by a friendly woman who asked in English if we were looking for the DG bus and then provided us a one page brochure detailing the plan for the day. We would depart at 11 and after stopping for gas (and water) we would get to DG at around 1:30pm. We’d have until 4pm to stay at the site and then we’d head back with a stop for snacks at the Oasis Café and should be back in Tbilisi around 7pm. It also gave some basic information on the Lavra and Udabno sites.

We boarded the minibus (which was completly packed) and started on our way shortly after 11am. The minibus was filled primarily with younger tourists – some from Philippines, China, Poland and the Nordic Countries. The seats were uncomfortable with little legroom, so it was hard to really relax. About 1 hour later (all traveled on good roads) we stopped at the gas station giving us the opportunity to stock up on snacks and water (we had plenty from when we left Tbilisi). Soon we veered off the main road onto a paved, but rougher road. The scenery became increasingly more dramatic and breathtaking -- resembling a lunar landscape punctuated with brown and ochre hills and a few lonely trees. This place must be absolutely stunning in the spring when everything is green. After a little more driving the road quickly deteriorated to dirt and gravel. We stopped for a picture stop and soon after getting back into the car we heard a loud noise coming from the undercarriage of the van as we traversed a major pothole. Assuming the worst, the driver slowed down and checked out the tires. Seemed that everything was ok as he began driving again, albeit at a much slower rate. The slower rate of speed probably had nothing to do with any mechanical issue and was more a function of the very bad road getting very steep, and we steadily climbed higher and higher. Hopefully the bang didn’t impact the brakes!

Finally, shortly before 2pm we arrived at DG (a bit later than expected). It was hard to believe how incredibly remote we felt – seemed like we were a million miles away from everything and we took a moment to enjoy the tranquility of the place. Although we arrived late, we still were told that the bus would return at 4pm sharp – so don’t be late!

The group left the van and started heading up to the Lavra. The path was short and afforded lovely views of the complex on a ridge over the expansive valley below. We wandered around snapping pictures before following directions in our trusty Lonely Planet guidebook on how to get up to the Udabno Caves. This place is clearly not terribly well protected, and signposts, etc are few and far between. We saw no staff, other than a few Georgian soldiers stationed at the border. Thankfully the directions in our guidebook were pretty clear.

Of course the trip to Udabno required quite an uphill hike. Nothing like the Kazbegi death march from a couple days earlier, but still quite strenuous. Again, it would be absolutely brutal on a hot day, so plan appropriately if you are here in summer. We followed the dirt "path" basically straight up the hillside for about 20 minutes. Soon, we encountered a metal fence that represented the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan. We were instructed to follow this fence few a few minutes (mostly flat, but not completely flat) until it became a series of posts. At that point we’d see the caves carved into the cliff to our left. To our right was basically a cliff that dropped off into the wilds of Azerbaijan.

Being eager to visit a new country, we of course gingerly stepped over the fence and entered Azerbaijan. Little did we realize that as we followed the trail and got to the cliff with the Udabno Caves that we would absolutely be in Azerbaijan – no illegal jumping of the border fence necessary. Along the fence we took the opportunity to take some amazing pictures. One of Efren jumping up giving the appearance of being suspended in midair with Azerbaijan in the background was particularly enjoyable.

From the trail it was a short scramble up to most of the caves. Within were some of the most beautiful and well-preserved (for now) fresco’s we’d ever seen. In most places these would be walled off and no touching or photos allowed. Here, there was none of that and we were free to explore as we wished. It made the experience all the more intimate, but it caused us to worry about the future of the site if more tourists arrive here. Climbing up the cliff offered access to several more caves (Cave 42) with even more spectacular frescos. The LP guidebook warned these were “challenging” to get to – Craig opted to wait while Efren scrambled up to take some amazing pictures.

We climbed up to the top where an old watchtower stands (chatted briefly with the very bored, chain-smoking Georgian soldiers stationed there) and then began the long descent back to Lavra. We started to get a bit concerned as it was rapidly approaching 4pm, but we were with several members of the group so we were confident they wouldn’t leave without us (hopefully). At the end of the long climb down we stopped at a mobile coffee car stationed in the rudimentary parking lot (a la Kyiv) and purchased the most expensive Coke in Georgia. Efren had purchased peanuts at the gas station rest stop so we chowed down on those while waiting for the rest of our group to assemble. The vibe of the group, surprisingly, was rather subdued considering it was generally a young-ish group. One straggler kept us waiting until 4:15, but as soon as he arrived we left for our journey back to Tbilisi.

Part of the package was a stop at the Oasis Café located in the largely abandoned town of Udabno (not the same place as the caves). The place is a bit of a backpacker’s mecca located in the middle of nowhere and offers food, lodging and even an art gallery to passing visitors. We were all anxious to get back to Tbilisi so were a bit disappointed when the driver said we’d be staying here for 1 hour. This was his chance to eat, so we wanted him well fed and content for the long drive back. Efren and Craig ordered a few drinks and relaxed while watching the feisty dogs snarled and fought with each other.

Finally it was time to head back home. The trip took a couple of hours and we were back by about 7:30. The hike was pretty tiring and we were definitely wiped out. We grabbed a quick dinner and called it a day. Tomorrow would be our last full day in Georgia, and we had signed up for a tour with Envoy to visit some important churches just outside Tbilisi as well as a trip to the town of Gori, where Stalin was born, to visit the highly recommended Stalin Museum.