The Caucasian Challenge 2013 Around the Black Sea from Finland

[Pata]

First I would like to apologize my spelling. But probably you will find story behind misspelling...

This is a story how we did our trip from Finland around the Black Sea and back.

Here I am, sitting in my living room. Dog is snoring in my legs. Less than 24 hours to start of this trip. Car is fully serviced, packed, sponsor stickers on the sides and our passports do have Russian visas. So we are ready to start our journey, but before that, let's rewind one year backwards to the start of this idea.

It was spring 2012 and I was looking trough the web that what we could do during summer holidays. I ended up on website of The Caucasian Challenge charity rally. On my side decision to go was made under a nano-second. Short sms-message to wife "How about if we go and drive around the Black Sea with Land Rover?" And aswer came back under a minut, "Shure, Why not =)".

So, this was beginning of our planning to participate on this challenge. Year 2012 rally was too soon for us to participate and we made decision to participate on 2013 rally. We did bought a car, Land Rover Defedner 110 with Td5 engine and we equipped that and give it to full inspection and service before we did start our trip.

Day 1 Finland-Estonia-Latvija-Lithuenia



After well slept night alarm went on just before 5 am. Last walk with the dog before been apart one month. Last backpacks in to car and then we start our drive to Helsinki Länsisatama and ferry to take us to Estonia. Passport check and car in to ferry. Our plan was eat brekfast in ferry but it was over-booked. Instead of great sea buffet we ended up eating cheeseburgers from yesterday. I will not eat them ever again...



We did arrive in Tallinna Estonia on time. From there we started to drive towards to city of Pärny where we planned to have lunch. By the time we reach Pärnu our breakfast burges were still thinking in our throat on what direction to go we decided to keep on going to Riga, capitol of Latvia. Border crossing was easy, no-one really does care anymore in EU who is going and where. Just drive trough all passport control and that's it. In Latvia landscapes changed a bit. Everything was flat and covered with fields. Looked like Pohjanmaa in Finland. Also stork birds was common thing to see, nice looking birds. When we reached city of Riga we stopped for quick snack in local burger place. After eating I noticed that diesel filter was leaking a bit. After tightening we were able to get back on the road again.



After a while we reached border between Latvia and Lihtuania. Same thing then before, just drive trough old booths. Roads changed again. Straight lines, boring to drive. In the evening around 6.00 pm we did reach city called Kaunas. I did miss the center sign and after couple of u-turns we did find our way to center of town. We find a nice small hotel and booked room for night. After that we went out to town to get something to eat.

Day 2 Kaunas Lithuania - Katowice Poland

Early morning, because this was longest daily drive to come. Before leaving we have to clear one problem in room price. My question "do you have FREE rooms?" was heard "do you have THREE rooms?" Yes, they did have and it was charged from my creditcard faster then I can say a cat. Luckily everything was ok and we get our money back.

Sun was shining on clear sky, so it would be a hot day. We decided to drink more than day before to avoid dehydration. Car didn't have AC so it was hot on time to time.



From Kaunas we did drive to Poland and again driving straight trough the border. No-one was interested of us going. After border we did keep a small brake. Back to car and turning the key, nothing happened. No click no nothing. I checked the battery and it was ok. I tried to start car again and voila! It was starting perfectly.



I didn't find any fault so I decided to see if this would happen again. (and oh yeas, it did!)

From there we did continue towards to Warsaw, roads were fine and we were eating miles until we missed one turn. We ended up to drive this small sand road for next 20km. Best miles for that day. After a while we get back on the main road and just keep driving to city of Katowice. We arrive to town about 7 pm and it was time to find a hotel.




More to come, stay tuned!

 

[Pata]

Day 3 Katowice Poland - Budapest Hungary

We started day by visiting Auswitch museum and Auswitch-Birkenau Death camp. Horrible place, but worth to see. It realizes horrors of Hitler.



Day was really hot, around +36 to +38C all day. So it was important to remember drink all the time. We did drink around 10l of water during the day and still there was signs of dehydration. From death camp we did head up to Tsekoslovakia. We spend one hour there, just to drive us in to Slovakia. Roads were nice mountain roads under the trees. It was nice to drive in shadow, because it was littlebit cooler that way. Problem in Slovakia was trucks. They overheat in climbing up to mountains and we have to wait to get by them. Our car managed climbing well without any heat problems.

In the evening we arrived in Budapest. Finding our apartment was a bit tricky but we did find it. We also managed to get car in secured park across the street.

 

[apexkw]

very nice trip so far.

 

[Pata]

Day 4 Budapest

Rest day in Budapest. We have been fighting against hot weather. From the morning we went to the big shopping mall to find some charity things. Pens, notebooks, footballs and things like that. We also bought some medical instruments to donate. It was nice to do shopping in aircoditioned shopping mall, temperature outside was +37,3C. City of Budapest is offering free water to the people and there is lots of people with heatstroke and dehydration.

We are waited all day our third member Dennis to arrive in Budapest. It probably was a shock to enter heat of Budapest.

Day 5

Second holiday day in Budapest. Temperature is still very hot. Previous night temperature was +36 and it didn't drop at all. Too hot, it was difficult to sleep. There were no help to keep wet towel or frozen water bottle in bed. It was nice to sit in cold shower but immeditialy when you turn off the water heat strikes again. Day is supposed to be hottest day of this week +38 to +40C.

We decided to go swimming in Sezney spa. Cold pool was best thing of this day +16C water. We sit there probably four hour to cool our selves down. After that we went back to apartment to see if weather cast promised cooler weather. It didn't.

Day 6 Budapest Hungary - Sarajevo Bosnia Hertsegovina





Early morning, we give our apartment away and headed up to hills outside of Budapest to find a starting line. After team introductions and general things we started our trip. First leg was from Budapest to Sarajevo Kosovo. First border crossing to Croatia and from there to Kosovo. Roads were nice and landscapes also.

In the evening we arrived to Sarajevo and this was first night when everybody was together. We went out to town to get something to eat and to get to know each others. We were sitting in a restaurant with couple of guys from Norway and suddently there was a big bang! We did hear glas breaking and people started running away. After a while things cool down and we heard that restaurant next to us was under a bomb attack. Luckily nobody of our group didn't get hurt. We did took a taxi to take us back to hotel. According to taxidriver this was normal in Sarajevo. We stayed at the lounge bar to grab some beers with our group before we went to bed.





Day 7 Sarajevo Bosnia Hertsegovina - Pec Kosovo



Morning did start with breakfast. Slowly everybody gather to breakfast and we did some plans for day. Today's leg was only around 400km and ended in city called Pec. After breakfast we packed our car and started this days leg. Confirmation of direction with local gas station worker and on the road again. We did drive trough Montenegro and landscapes were amazing! Montenegro is one country were I would like to go back.



We drived up to the mountains and it just keep getting better. I let photos to do the talking.









After we reached height of 1800m above the sealevel there was a basketball field. Yes, I wonder who will get the ball in case of a missed basket?



It was a nice day of driving in mountain roads. In the evening we find the city of Pec and we were second team to arrive there. Hotel was small and nice. We went to market and founded a nice restaurant, good pizzas and very tasty local Pejá beer.

More to come, stay tuned!

 

[Pata]

Day 8 Pec Kosovo - Peshkopi Albania

Day eight was so far most interesting. After we left Kosovo roads turned gravel roads. Big holes, sharp rocks and crazy cows to watch out. Some parts were tarmac but not much. Half point of a days leg we switched to old gravel road. Road was build on a side of a mountain and it was narrow.



We managed to fit there with the local bus that was driving trough that route.





We did drive togerher with Team Between Dreams from UK. They were driving this big truck based camper. Some points we tought that they will drop from the road, but they managed to keep truck on the road. Most interesting places were bridges. Some of them were quite bad shape. Defender was easy to drive trough bridges but when you are fitting 8 meter long wery heavy truck on these bridges it is quite nervous breaking.



One point we made a navigation mistake and we did take wrong turn. Road was getting narrow all the time and that point were we would be able to turn truck around was passed some time a go. So no other choice except to keep on going until we find place to turn truck around. After half an hour drive we did find this kind of place were it would be possible to make a U-turn. Sudently out of the bushes came out local gentleman with white trousers and a shirt with tie. He told us that this is a sematary and you don't turn truck here. So again we have to move forward. After couple hundred meters i find a place where it could be possible to turn. I drive Defender straight up the hill pedal on the medal as far as possible. Then we reversed truck same place then Defender. After couple hair raising moments truck was going on right direction. And i rewersed Defender on same path.

One hour drive back and then on the right road. It was allready dark when we reached Peshcopi. Ohter teams were also missing and we tried to phone them. No-one managed to get to end of this leg because bad roads. We decided to drive out of the city and camp night somewhere. After one hour drive trough the city avoiding people, dogs and cows we ended in Hotel Brazil. We did took a rooms from there because it was allready midnight. We asked staff to order us some pizzas because kitchen was already closed.

 

[warthog]

Interesting tour, Im waiting for more. Happy x-mas.

STIG

 

[roverrocks]

Great tour and photos so far. Thanks

 

[takesiteasy]

I am enjoying your trip report and the photos. Fun to see country I am not familiar with. Thanks for posting the report!

 

[Pata]

Day 9 Albania - Macedonia - Greece

We woke up quite early in the morning after good night sleep in Donald Duck sheets. After breakfast we started to clean our car of dust.


photo

After that we started to find our way to Kastoria in Greece. It was an easy day, driving on the highway. We drive trough the Macedonia with team Between dreams. We stopped to buy some watermelons. Cheap and tasted great! When we arrived to border in Greece there was again some paperwork to do. Customs told us to go "Automobile Control". We waited for a while inspector to arrive and we started inspection. Everything went well and after ten minutes we were back on the road again. We drive smaller roads to the city of Kastoria. Nice landscapes and roads to drive. Small searching of hotel and parking place for car. We managed to find good place front of the local Police station to keep car.

In the evening I changed rear brake pads, they were little worn out already when we left from Finland. I had new pads with us so no problem.


19 Kreikka jarruremppa

After that we went to the harbor to have nice dinner in the side of a lake.

Day 10 Kastoria - Kavala Greece

This day was easy. Only 200km drive to the city of Kavala. We drived there quite fast, just three hour drive trough Greece. We did camp in camping site by the sea. And it was hot again. But sea was nice and we did spend all afternoon in the beach cooling down. In the evening we went to center of city to have dinner. When we arrived back whole camping site had changed to big disco. There was some national holiday for some saint and people were partying whole night. So not much sleep.


20 Kreikka leiriytyminen

Day 11 Kastoria Greece - Istambul Turkey

It was a long day a head of us. So after short sleep we started to find some breakfast. No, there wasn't any place open to serve breakfast. We decided to start driving and we planned to find some place to buy breakfast. Morning was nice and cool to drive only +30C. We drive quite fast to border and then our trip started to slow. Border in Greec's side was fast. But Turkeys side wasn't. It was quite interesting to go from booth to booth, show passport, show car documets, show passports again, get a stamp, go to next booth and same things all again. It take around three and half hour to get in Turkey.


21 Turkki Istambul

After border it was easy and exhausting drive to Istambul. Just highway and lots of traffic and crazy drivers. When we arrived to Istambul thing's went even more chaotic. Luckily our hotel was on main buss station of Istambul just outside of center. Still traffic took two hours to cover 10km drive.


Turkki Istambul

In the evening I did catch some kind of fever. Quickly my body temperature went up to +40C. I have never been in hot +28C hotel room under three blanket and feeling cold. Luckily Polar bears, team from Norway had some good stuff to get me back in shape. No memories from party's during the night in parking lot with firework and lots of drumming and dancing. But in the morning I was in good shape again!

 

[Pata]

Day 12 Istambul - Sinop Turkey

We started early to drive our leg in town of Sinop. Day was long and boring. Most of days driving was in the highways. We drive over the mountains and it was nice and cold. In Turkey there is lots of "taps" to offer spring water on side of the road. It is nice to wash your head with cold water.


23 Turkki Sinop Marti Camp

We did camp in Marti Camp site on a shore of Black Sea. Nice and windy place to ease up temperature. Next day was planned to be rest day so we did enjoy long dinner and some local beers in the evening, because there was no fear of early wake-up.

Day 13 Sinop Turkey

Rest day, so there was no need to drive anywhere. We did sleep long and we had a long breakfast. Part of the group planned to do some off road driving it the beach and rest of us went out to town. We visited at local prison where no one has been escaped. And I can believe it. Quite a grim place, but worth to see. We had nice kebabs it town and head back to campsite.

When we went back I did see that Hungarian team had pushed their Suzuki Samurai little bit too far in the Black sea.


Samurai black sea

I decided to go help them because tide was rushing in the shore. They had already braked two towing ropes when they tried to pull up Samurai.


22 Turkki Sinop


Turkki sinop

I winched up Samurai and it started ok. I drove back to camp and started to look where my swimming shorts were. I have them drying on the roofrack so I thought that they probably have dropped when I was rescuing Samurai. I drived back to shore and there it was again. Samurai was already stuck again about 10m from the last place. So we winched it up again and earned free beers for that evening.

In the evening we had nice dinner with whole group. Sabi made traditional Hungarian sausage soup and boy it was good! We went to bed quite early because next day was the longest leg of this trip. (or at least thought so...)

More to come, stay tuned!

 

[Wainiha]

It's been a while. How are you doing?

 

[grogie]

I'm enjoying your trip. We hope to hear more.

 

[Pata]

Day 14 Sinop Turkey to Batumi Georgia

Early wake-up and quickly on the road. Long day a head of us, over 700km on side of a Black Sea. Target was Batumi city in Georgia. Nothing special about todays drive. Just eating miles to reach border before evening. By the afternoon we did reach the border and what a chaos it was on Turkeys side. There ws a huge line of cars waiting to get in Georgia. We stayed in the line around four hours to get out of Turkey.

On Georgian side everything went fast and professionally. After border we stopped to refill diesel and ask direction from the gas station worker. When we arrived to Batumi it was already dark and those led lights... oh boy! everything was decorated with lights.


photo

Feeling was quite surreal after long day in the car. Feeling was like being inside of some game.


24 Georgia Batumi Wild night

After we had found our hotel we went out to town to eat. And it was a crazy city. Our friend Jakob from Germany described Batumi like this: "It is just like LA but in methamfethamine... "

Day 16 Georgia Batumi - Kutaisi

This was one of the best days and routes to drive. Morning whole town looked different. No led lights, just and old soviet style town. Also Jakob hopped in our car for this day. Days drive was short and we decided to take a scenic route trough national park and over mountains. It was amazing, just like you have drive in to the storybook or something.


25 Georgia


26 Georgia

Old trucks were still in use to carry huge logs from the forest to the villages. As we get closer to national park we founded a tourist information center. We went and asked more information about route we have planned. They said that couple weeks before there has been some group, what didn't make it trough. And after that it has been heavy raining. We decided that we go there and try to get trough. If it seems to be impossible then we will turn around.


27 Georgia Huoltoasema

Diesel was available nicely because old Soviet trucks used that. So no problems with that.


kuva

Before we reached national park there was smaller mountain pass. We stopped there to eat. We did found nice place to eat, Mr Otari Jakobsen offered us best Shasliki and Hatsapuri. And of course some Chacha witch is local moonshine.


28 Georgia Mr. Otari Jakobsen


photo


photo
Jakob pouring some Chacha and my wife Inka.

Anfet couple hour of eating and drinkin we were able to get back on the road again. When we were leaving we did ask for guestbook. "Yes, Facebook of course!" said daughter of the family and pick up a laptop. So, now we are friends of an 16 years old girl who lives in country side of Georgia. Funny how the world changes... We continued to drive towards to National park. We reached park and guard checked us in to the park. Naturally we needed to pay so "enviromental taxes". Around 1 dollar so not much. Guard also told that if it is going to rain or it gets dark we have to stop and wait for morning or clear weather.


Georgia


Georgia 1

We started o climb over the mountains. Route was challenging but possible to drive. Muddy and slippery. I will let photos do talking again.


kuva (4)


kuva (3)

When we started to reach a top of the mountain huge cloud came over mountain. Visibility was close to zero and speed was slower than walking speed. After we started to climb down from the mountain weather cleared for a while. And then we did noticed a thunder approaching us fast. And same time it was started to get dark. We had a small negotiation and we decided to get down from the mountain as soon as possible. Because we were still in around 1600m above the sea level inside a thunder cloud. There was lots of threes hit by a lightning from previous storms.

So we started slow and nervous wrecking drive down from the mountain. I was driving first and seeking route. All the time I was thinking that now is not the time to brake a car. It was already dark when we got down from the mountain. Maybe we did take a wrong path some point because we ended up in hotels backyard through the bushes. I think that employes who were having a cigaret brake had something to talk about... =)

We found our way to the guest house were all other teams were waiting us. Locals had told them that it is impossible to drive over the mountains in dark and middle of thunderstorm, so everyone was concerned about us. When we arrived everyone gived us a hug and warm welcome. Nice to know that someone cares about you.

Defender did lost all power again when we arrived to guest house. Similar way than in Poland. After couple hour fault finding we did find a loose battery connection. When you are tired you think everything too complicated. I should have check that first.


kutaisi vika

 

[Rumpig]

Enjoying the read and pics very much, keep it coming

 

[Pata]

Day 16 Georgia Kutaisi-Mestia

After well earned sleep, we keep an car service session. I did fix starter on other Samurai and we managed to find new sparkplug wiring for other Suzuki. We also cleaned diesel lines of Daf truck to keep it going. After that we did hit the road again. Leg of the day was easy, tarmac road with amazing landscapes and crazy cows. We did travel together with BMW from Norway. They had some problems with car so we towed them couple times to find a decent place to fix car. Everyone arrived in Mestia quite early. Norweigians took BMW to service next village and they managed to fix it.


Georgia 2

After everyone arrived we had a nice dinner with some Chacha...


29 Georgia Cha Cha

Day 17 Georgia Mestia -Ambrolauri

We waked up quite early and some had better day then others... amazing what too much Chacha will do... =)

This days route was awesome! I have never see more beautiful place, snow covered mountains, green grass, waterfalls, small villages and nice country road.


30 Armenia


kuva (1)


kuva (2)

My favorite landscape of whole trip!


Dufender Mudhole

Norweigians had a flat tyre and it had to be replaced. Thet had a lot of problems with Kia. They had only 1, 2 or 5th gear to operate. And gearbox did keep really bad noise. We did hope that car will last to Tbilisi where it could be fixed. When we waited guys to change tyre we decided to have a lunch there. No restaurants, so camping food.


31 Armenia


33 armenia

Everyone managed to Ambrolauri in time. Local rating 5 star hotel so water did come from the tap and it was even warm time to time.

EDIT: Dont mind about text under photos. They are wrong...