The reason for that adventure was that I wanted to spend some time outside of civilization. To heal my
mind. It took me two weeks to prepare that.
Finally on the way, early afternoon we arrived the cave near a village in western Georgia. A spring with
good water is close, cave is good, but not perfect, too open. My friend who brought me there, left and
now I am alone. Unpacked to make the cave to my home for the next days. Last week I have not slept
much and now I do. The village is about 15 minutes away, I can see it.
Next morning maybe I will explore the terrain a bit, up on the top is an old church and maybe more
caves. But I am lazy, just sitting in the sun, and writing diary.
Day one. Still dont want to move, tired. Happy to be here and alone. Slept most of the day. In afternoon
I found another small cave very close, moved into it. More protected from wind and rain, and not easy
to see. Calm and satisfied to take the timeout.
Idea is to stay 2 weeks, but I will see. Enough food I brought with me.
I know I am a bit crazy, but it is good that way. I know how to heal myself. If I am always around
people, there is no time to think, to come down, to grieve.
For me it is normal to be alone in the night, even if I sleep outside. Before my accident last summer,
where I stayed nearly 2 weeks alone outside, I was never imaging I would do that and survive.
It is getting dark, tarot temperance and last judgement. Chosen for undefinite future
Temperance —keywords include:Harmony — Balance — Health— Recovery— Healing
Judgement — Rebirth — Inner Calling — Absolution— Renewal — Hope — Redemption
Now its wednesday, I was exploring the neighbourhood, back to my cave I have seen on the other side
of the canyon some cows. The village is close, in afternoon were people there too, to look after the
cows. Of course they could see my cave.
I was not sure, that is good.
They came over, we spoke. One hour later they came back with khinkali and wine. Two of their friends
came too. We spoke, drunk and laughed a lot. Next day again they came with food, this time we were
sitting next the spring down in the canyon.
And like always the people just adopt me. How I can go away from a country like that.
Somewhere between I felt sad, and I was gone to my cave early to sleep.
Next morning both boys from first day dropped by to take care, that I am fine and have everything,
always they brought me food, water and what else I needed.
Both of them invited me to their family houses, but I answered, how you want to explain where you
found me, can you imagine the faces, when you will say my name and that I am living in a cave right
now.
My american friend called and came to visit me, and for the next day we made plans to explore the
area together.
That evening the village boys brought some visitor, and I felt uncomfortable, but they said, nothing will
happen, dont worry. And the night was peaceful.
Next morning I was gone to meet my friend and we hiked til afternoon. Back to the village on the way
to my cave again encounter with the strange visitor from day before and I made some trouble in front
of people on the street, to protect me.
And again the night was safe, but next morning the younger boy came and I moved into one of the old
houses near the village, to be more safe, too many people knew already that I am alone up there.
Not that I am afraid, but it was a good place. I could sit in the sun, just going in, when people were
close. Nobody has seen me.
The older one of the boys came for coffee, and tried to convince me to go to another village, which we
did next day. And from there I was going back to Tbilisi, to start a job.
Next time I want to spend more time in a cave but more far away from villages. To make legends.
Tarot cards that time
hanged man keywords: Sacrifice — Passivity— Acceptance— Patience— Inner harmony
interpretation of Death are:Ending of a cycle — Loss— Sadness— Psychological transformation
I was on my way, like always alone.
Barefoot.
Normally no problem, good orientation, never lost.
This time was different, I met six soldiers in the forest. And they didn’t let me continue my way. Put
me in the car, and brought me to the capital city for interrogation.
I was dressed like the muslim women in this country, spoke their language, was alone with a backpack,
near the border.
My passport not with me, and if I tell, I am german, nobody is believing this.
They checked my backpack, found for me normal stuff, like knife, laptop, good phone, map, medicine,
and an arabic book. This was not good.
They thought, I am a muslim terrorist on my way to cross the
border and do some attentat there.
They hit me, because I got angry, I didn’t wanted that they touch my stuff.
They held me for four days.
And I thought they will not let me go, or they will deport me. I could not tell them the whole truth, but
what I told them, it sounded so fantastic, they could not believe it.
But they checked, and it was the
truth. They realised, that I am very clever, and that I have the trust of the people in my place, they
asked me to work with or for them. I denied this.
How could I do this, sell the people to the police.
Finally they brought me back to the place where they caught me. My host in the town has not given my
passport to the police.
I was so afraid these days, could not call anyone, was alone, no clue what will happen with me.
I know it is strange, I am always walking alone, but it was never a problem with wolves and bears, only with
people.
When they caught me, and brought me back outside the village, nobody could see what will
happen there, I got very aggressive.
My temperament is now like this from the people here, and it doesn’t matter to me, how many they were. I attacked them, after they hit me. And told them in their language, go to hell. In the military police station they treated me normal, but after they knew I can
speak a lot of languages, and the people trust me, they tried to convince to work for them. One day I was sure, they will let me go next day, and it was true, next day I was free.
Strange, can I sometimes see the future?
Serious problem came yet, the wahabis started again to tell that I am a spy, and they forced a lot of
people to tell me, go away, you can not live in this place anymore, if I don’t leave, they will force you,
they will hit you.
O God, why, never asked, who is this person, what is he doing, where is he going, what is his name.
I didn’t know where to go, I could speak only the language of this place. I called
Germany, just to hear, that nobody is thinking this, it is just, because I don’t behave
good.
I decided to go to the desert. It tooks me two days on foot, after normal
transport. Cutted my foot. I could stay a few days in a place, where I was comfortable, we worked
together in the daytime. I felt safe again. But I knew, I can not
stay for ever.
And now I know why people think I am a spy. I don’t behave like a woman, I am walking with a hurted
leg or foot about 50 kilometer with backpack. I learned in less than one year one of the most difficult
world languages. I have tattoos, muscles like a soldier, aggressive against men. And my brain is
working like a computer, always collecting informations, putting together. My orientation in the
wilderness is unbelievable good. One time on one place, and I will find the place, the way years later
without any problem, and I know a lot of people.
Calls from my valley, where I am gone, how I am?
A lot of stuff I learn and learned only by watching and listening. Photographic memories.
After one week, ten days in peace I decided to leave this place, because I needed to find a safe place
where I can bring my stuff, books, clothes and so on.
I think the problem started with the man, which my brothers had chosen for me, he has worked a spy
for the government. And nobody here understands, that I rather would die, then to sell my soul to the
devil, to work for the police, or any kind of government.
Someone brought me on horse back to the next village.
Going to city, but on the place where I could stay normally my friend was drunken since weeks, I could
not stay.
Checking for jobs. Six weeks on the move, no place to settle.
Finally I found a room in the town near my valley, and I have to learn the language of the country.
Now I am on the way to the valley in mountains where I am happy, new road, because every other road everybody would know that I go to there. One night in capitol city, next in small village in a new valley, got some transport to the last village in this place, found a summerplace where I spent the night, and next day they gave me half of the road transport by horse. I crossed the pass, and took the wrong turn, felt down, got a little bit damaged, not bad, but had to spend the night there. I met no bear.
Next morning I tried to follow the river to get out of the place, but could not go very far, not possible, had to turn back again, til the place where I slept first night, and slept one more night in this place, I have to reach the pass, it doesn’t matter how long it takes, I don’t want to die here. No food since two days but enough water.
If I reach the pass, I have to decide if I continue the way to reach the valley or if I go back to the place where I already know that there are people.
On the way to the pass, there was bad weather, with snow, I slept on the way up. Next day I reached the pass and slept there. Two days without water. Now I have to decide where to go, on the other side far away I saw sheep. And the pass doesn’t look like it should, I have no idea where I am. I found a path down and followed it, slept on the way. Next day down to the river, and followed the river, acording the map there should be a path. Found wild garlic, something to eat.
Slept on the hang, bond with some rope. Now again near the river, I dry everything, and tomorrow I will go back to the path back to the village, there must some way out. I don’t feel panic, I know that I will survive, it was already very dangerous, but my destiny is not to die in my mountains.
I am completely strange I sit here in the sun, write some diary, everybody else would panic, why I am like this. I have not met a bear, wolves or some wild people, maybe is just a legend.
I have to be on the fourth of july in town, and I will be, it doesn’t matter how long it takes. If I would die here, nobody would know it, it would seem that I just disappear. Nobody would know where I am and where to look for me.
Again I slept near the river, I have no idea why I can not continue the way back along the river, I came this way. I dried again everything, and tried again to go up along the river in direction west. From the place where I slept one night, I tried to go down, it was the wrong decision, it was near falling down, the backpack and the sleeping bag are quite heavy. With some rope I safed the backpack and could escape this damned situation and I could save the backpack too. Now I found a good sleeping place, repaired the stuff, and write diary, I still have about one week more to get out of this situation, already 9 days on the move, without food. But with water. Most time I think that Michael has some trust in me, and second, that I have a job to do, and third that ….., but it is not my destiny.
I will not die here, I will go out, okay I lost weight, but I am still alive.
If I am in town than I will buy for 5 lari chocolate, and my favorite vine, and all this ugly bad food, what I normally not buy.
Near the path back to the village, I was so finished day 11, but thanks to God there came some people, they gave me some food, and next day I was going in 14 hours back to the shepherds place. I slept one night there, and they brought me like a princess down to the road on horse, 3 men and a boy. And I ate a lot, like I thought I could reach the transport in time, everything is okay, just lost weight and learned a lot, next time I will be better prepared.
In one week in town, I got my weight back and now I am in village. I had some health problems, treated by traditional healer, and now I am resting.
First I will say about a few words about me. I am half indonesian, half german and I live since 3 years in Georgia, Caucasus. Most time I spend in wild mountains or in semi-desert area.
In spring 2013 I was trekking with an estonian friend in the semi-desert area of Shiraki and Samukhi, and since then I wanted to go from there all the way to David Gareji on foot. The problem was to find someone, who was crazy enough to join me for that.
Finally in november 2013 I met an australian boy, who was interested in this. We asked for the permission to go there, it is near the border to Azerbaijan, even the locals need a permission. We got it for three weeks, and started together with a turkish boy from David Gareji heading east to Vashlovani.
First day we reached David Gareji, transport by marshrutka, hitchhiking and on foot. Slept in an empty farm near the monastery. Next day back to the village Udabno, to buy some food and to ask for the way. Nobody could really tell us, because nobody was doing that before. But I knew that we just have to go east. Both days it was very windy, but not cold. We walked that second day about 10 kilometer crossing some hills, and found shelter in an azeri shepherds place. Just two men were there, both could not speak georgian, it was good to have a turkish friend with us, who could communicate with them.
And next morning we continued our way east, this time we were a bit lazy, maybe after 4 kilometer we reached some farm,where an azeri family was spending the winter. They invited us to stay, and it was good, our turkish friend was not used to trek. The turkish boy left me and my australian alone, to go back to Tbilisi. And in afternoon the australian was bitten by the dogs near the farm, he was not using his stick to go out. It didnt seem bad, I was giving him medical assistance and repaired his trousers. We slept in the farm and moved the next day on our road maybe 12 kilometer.
The road was easy to find, but we tried to avoid meetings with dogs. I checked his wounds, but it seemed to be okay. In late afternoon we met some azeri man, who invited us to stay in his place because to the next farm it would be to far to reach before darkness. It was a great place, mixed georgians with azeri. And the wine was damned good.
Another day on the road, we knew we have to find a bridge to cross the Iori river. Were lucky to meet some cowboy, who brought us there and to his farm on the other side of the river. Still early we decided to continue. Slept in an empty farmhouse. Next morning we followed the road, found a big bridge, which we crossed.
But than we could see farms with dogs, and no people around. We decided to follow the paths into a small forest. It took us three or four hours to get out of that. The bushes were mean with big thorns, we could not see the direction, the paths were not used so much, just disappeared between.
Finally we reached the road again, and I could see that our destination for that day is not far anymore. We were already near the Dali lake, Chachuna. Somewhere here should be the mud volcanoes, which I wanted to see. Heading to the first border patrol point near the lake. We got some invitation to stay in the hotel near the lake for free, nice place, I didnt know that it was there.
Next day we were on the way to the mud volcanoes, not on our direction, but I wanted to see that. It is not easy to find, if you dont know where they are. It was a bit strange, I thought it is more impressive. Back to the border patrol and spent the night in the empty farm near the lake.
Every morning and evening I checked my friends wounds and it was okay. Next morning we wanted to cross into the next area, but on our way to the second border patrol station, my friend was feeling bad, and we checked, it looked not good at all. At the border police we asked that they call some car, it was better to go to see a doctor.
In towns hospital he got some vaccination shots, we slept in that hospital, I think never ever I want to be in need of that. My friend was heading back to Tbilisi next morning, because he needed to get more injection at exact days.
I decided to continue alone, I had the permission, it was my idea, I had to do that.
Luckily got a ride down to the lake to the border patrol, slept one more night in the farmhouse and again on the road heading east. Fast I reached the border patrol, from where we were gone by car back to town two days ago. Still early, just going more. I was complete alone, near the river, which was the border to Azerbaijan.
This day I walked about 25 kilometers to reach the first border patrol place in Kesaman area.
I slept near the fire under the sky, one of the soldiers could speak english well.
Next morning got a ride to the big border patrol place. It was good, very cold in morning.
I checked the farms there, and slept there. Border patrol brought me even wood for the oven.
Morning I continued the road heading Samukhi. It was hot in daytime, but no problem to reach the border patrol near Panditshara Canyon, and I stayed for a night again in an empty farm. Nice sunrise that day. And on the road east again.
Near the border patrol picked up by car, funny I jumped out there and almost everybody was greeting me with my name. Just the new major didnt know me. They said I can not continue, but thanks to the letter which I got together with the permission, I could finally go the way I wanted. Slept in an shepherds place nearby, where I knew the people already. And next morning to the last border patrol point to go out of the restricted area.
It was around noon, and I could leave my stuff there, and was heading to Mijnis Kure. To see that place and my final destination.
I did it, I finished it, it was great.
Fast walk it is possible to do it in one week from David Gareji to Mijnis Kure, but better if there is more time.