Georgian country car overloaded with fresh harvested corn
A few hours after my last post, I was contacted by the Azerbaijan embassy and was given my 22 day tourist visa. This has changed my itinerary yet again! I am now 10 km from the Azerbaijan border in the Georgian city of Ladodekhi, spending my last few Georgian Lari before cycling into Azerbaijan. With the right weather and visas in order I am now planning on shooting the shoots and making it to Kashgar, China before winter sets in! I still plan on going to Japan and all the other countries but from what I have heard the best weather for cycling Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan is in September, so the only plan now is to make that window.
Let the quantity and size of the watermelons reflect the heat of the central Georgian valleys
I just finished an epic farewell feast of 12 Khinkali’s and a full liter of Georgian tap beer for less than $4. The weather in central Georgia has been really hot, and the last few days I have been pedaling through a strong, dry head wind. Camping has once again been fantastic but the early sunrise makes sleep a short-lived process. The friendliness and hospitable Georgians have really brightened my spirits on hard days, and I am sad to leave such a wonderful country. I open my arms and heart to Azerbaijan and am ready to become accustomed yet again to the Muslim culture. Will write again soon! From Azerbaijan it is off to the Kazakhstan!
Georgian farewell meal!
Khinkali, the Georgian equivalent to Chinese Shao long Bao
Last trip with Baba 
Hi Julian,
I continue to enjoy hearing about your adventures. Hope you get to and over the passes in time. I also don’t remember Japan and Korea as being particularly great places to travel in the winter. When I was there with the Marine Corps fifty years ago, we had two feet of snow at the base of Mt. Fuji and our trucks and howitzers stuck in a foot of mud on Korean roads.
Good biking,
Chuck
Beautiful pictures from Georgia brother! And that bread with the cheese and egg! Oh man, I hope you are stockpiling some recipes for when we all visit together, that looked like something to serve at the dumpling and po-dang food cart. That storm sounded treacherous! Glad you were able to peddle through it and are able to get around despite the map being only in Georgian (classic).
Thinking about you often. The family is in the process of planning our trip over to Japan.
Love and miss you,
Lucy