The ladies of the tourist information in Mestia had said the road to Ushguli would take about 2 hours to drive, then on to Lentehki another 5 hours, and 2 hours from there to Kutaisi... we've decided not to listen to Georgian travel time estimates.

The drive to Ushguli, a very remote village in Svaneti, took about 4 hours, but it was an incredibly beautiful drive. On arriving in Ushguli we drove around to the handful of guesthouses and found one that a) spoke English and b) gave a good price and included food! very important that! Staying in the aptly named Shxara Guesthouse to hike to the Shkara Glacier... not bad. The family were lovely, particularly Jana who cooked up a storm for dinners and breakfasts, and Salome, who translated for us!

This a town really trapped in the mists of time. Cows, pigs, dogs, goats and sheep walk unhindered through the town. Old Soviet trucks bound up and down the narrow and cobbled streets. The houses are built from whatever is available. As we walked around a herder came down the mountain on horseback, with his girlfriend (I presume) sat in front... It is idyllic, picturesque, but it must be an incredibly hard life. There was snow on the hillside and the rain storms in the afternoon and evening were fierce. Everything is still done by hand, or labour intensive at least - milking, making cheese, grinding flour, ploughing with cattle drawn machinery...

We met some travelling friends again, Greg and Maria, who we'd met in Mestia, had spotted our car... not difficult... and we headed to the glacier together. A log days walk, but rewarded by the site of the Shkara Glacier and stunning mountain views. Russia was only 4km away...

The drive to Lentehki was demanding, for Fintan at least! We did it mostly in low 4WD 2nd gear! Driving through untouched mountains and meadows. Well, that was what it seemed like, util we came across an abandoned mine workings... with what looked suspiciously like toxic waste in rusting out barrels! We quickly moved on and continued to Lentehki where we received a police escort to the petrl station and the road out. Not for anything bad! Just because they took pity on us! We couldn't find an open petrol station and kept driving passed them looking lost and pathetic! They took us to an old man by the side of the street who filled up Greg and Maria's vehicle from a bucket! Never seen that before!

Arriving at Kutaisi we found a hostel and a brewery! Well deserved beers for the guys who'd been driving all day, and for Maria and I for putting up with them!

There are more photos in the Ushguli/Lentekhi album!