This is the second of seven parts detailing a cycle tour around Georgia & Armenia in August and September 2024. The mountain and valley scenery was spectacular, the towns were charming and the roads were quiet and great for riding. The route planned was a mixture of gravel and paved roads. The road runs through the valley and is gently rolling with some impressive views of the gorge; but it is also used by quite a few big trucks. Vardzia, a monastery complex dating from the 12th century, is an incredible site. It is essentially a town which was constructed from hundreds of caves built into the side of the mountain. The climb out of the gorge was spectacular. It was on an excellent gravel road with a very consistent gradient of around 6%. There were great views looking down into the valley as well across to the caves at Vardzia. From the top of the climb I continued on a newly paved road to the village of Okami. The scenery for the remainder of the ride was superb, with open views as far as the eye could see. The route passed through farmland, where the harvest was taking place, with high mountain peaks towering in the distance. Ninotsminda is not the most charming town, it is mostly newly built concrete houses without too much historic interest. The majority of the population in Ninotsminda are Armenian, and it certainly had a different look and feel to the other Georgian towns I had visited.
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