No point crossing the border into Azerbaijan at the moment. I've read and been told of numerous issues in Azerbaijan and while I'm not one to worry too much about other peoples experiences, recent reports have suggested its not an easy place to be.
With my Kazakhstan visa not valid until the 13th July I would effectively be stuck in Baku for a week. My mistake in getting the visa dates, but hey I didn't know better at the time - Travel is an education amongst other things. Also I understand the authorities only give 72 hour vehicle permits on entry whatever the entry visa says, so it all makes sense to sit tight for a while and travel to Azerbaijan once I have an exit strategy.
In the meantime living is cheap in Tbilisi. Its a bit of a pain living in a city as a country boy at heart I miss the open space, but it is what it is and I'll move on Monday to a place close to the old town where I can relax and set myself up for the next stage.
Walking around I have found lots of interesting places and investigated a bit of the heritage of the place. Sharp contrasts between rich and poor from new Mercedes to beggars on the street.
"Spare a penny for an iPhone Mr?"..
Crossing the road is like playing "frogger", but waiting for the traffic to stop even with a green crossing light isnt going to happen. Just go for it and dodge the cars/vans/buses/trucks across a 6 lane road.... easy!
So. not much more to tell at the moment. I've looked around and seen the sights. Its a case of sitting it out, checking out the local cafes and browsing the shops. I've hardly spent any money in the last week and don't see that changing much. I need to do a little bit of maintenance on the bike, but will sort that out next week.
One other decision is that I will take the more northern border crossing. It sounds far more interesting than the motorway/main road option further south. I've pore booked a small hotel in Baku for next weekend until Tuesday, when hopefully I can sort out the ferry across the Caspian. (again more horror stories about that trip) - but I'll let you know how my experience went after I've done it.
Hanging around in Tbilisi is a bit of a pain to be honest. If I was sat on a campsite in the country I would be happy to stay put for as long as it takes, but a hotel room in the city isn't my idea of fun. .. Moving on Monday will put me close to the prettier centre of Tbilisi so at least I can wander to a cafe/bar and sit in the afternoon shade.
Chillin'
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