Since I tried to do all the administrative stuff in, one evening and the bags needed to be packed too I did not get much sleep last night. However I managed toi get up at eight and after breakfast it was time to say goodbye to my fellow cyclists and our wonderful hosts. Its never easy and even though I had a lot of practice the last months, I probably will never get used to it. We kept it short, there is not much to be said, it was written in our faces anyway.
The clouds threatened with showers but eventually not a drop fell on my head. Later in the afternoon the sun pierced the clouds. It actually was perfect weather, 17°, no wind and a moderate sun.
Once I got out of the city I headed for small roads and landed on a dirt track leading through the plane. The earth was dry and hard, no real bumps in the road, just waves. On the fields there were huge sheep herds, some cows, a couple of horses and a few dogs usually close to the shepherds. I loved this scenery and me and wolter flying through it.
Then I faced the mountains again back on the main road which went around the first hills and then dived into the valley. Along the river most of the trees were in bloom now, mountains covered in forests turned from braun-black-gray to green and sometimes a breeze would blow some flower perfume into my nose.
Crossing the border in Sadakhlo to Armenia was very quick. This is the first country I needed a visa on this trip. Next to the passport control was a seperate booth where I got the visa for 21 days by filling out a form and paying 3000 dram within minutes.
Right after the border I stocked up, then rode another couple of kilometres into the country before getting a spot for the night.
The first impressions I got from the people were very friendly, the officers at the border were cracking jokes about my dudish facial hear, alomst every single car was greeting by a friendly short honk or by waving out of the window, even people far away from the street on the hillsides would shout and wave with both arms. Since there was not much traffic the drivers appeared respectful, except when they were about to passt other cars or if two cars crossed on my hight. Then they honk a bit differently and to avoid commotion or worse I had to get of the road. but by now I have accepted that I won't change the mentality that bicycles are like pedestrians, so with my mirror I do these manoeuvres very routinely and relaxed, instead of getting obset.
The clouds threatened with showers but eventually not a drop fell on my head. Later in the afternoon the sun pierced the clouds. It actually was perfect weather, 17°, no wind and a moderate sun.
Once I got out of the city I headed for small roads and landed on a dirt track leading through the plane. The earth was dry and hard, no real bumps in the road, just waves. On the fields there were huge sheep herds, some cows, a couple of horses and a few dogs usually close to the shepherds. I loved this scenery and me and wolter flying through it.
Then I faced the mountains again back on the main road which went around the first hills and then dived into the valley. Along the river most of the trees were in bloom now, mountains covered in forests turned from braun-black-gray to green and sometimes a breeze would blow some flower perfume into my nose.
Crossing the border in Sadakhlo to Armenia was very quick. This is the first country I needed a visa on this trip. Next to the passport control was a seperate booth where I got the visa for 21 days by filling out a form and paying 3000 dram within minutes.
Right after the border I stocked up, then rode another couple of kilometres into the country before getting a spot for the night.
The first impressions I got from the people were very friendly, the officers at the border were cracking jokes about my dudish facial hear, alomst every single car was greeting by a friendly short honk or by waving out of the window, even people far away from the street on the hillsides would shout and wave with both arms. Since there was not much traffic the drivers appeared respectful, except when they were about to passt other cars or if two cars crossed on my hight. Then they honk a bit differently and to avoid commotion or worse I had to get of the road. but by now I have accepted that I won't change the mentality that bicycles are like pedestrians, so with my mirror I do these manoeuvres very routinely and relaxed, instead of getting obset.
