Today was a driving day, covering the trip from Akhaltsikhe to Batumi, a distance of about 325km and a good five hours of pure driving. This was also the day with the worst weather during the whole trip, with rain throughout the whole day.

About an hour out of Akhaltsikhe we had our first and only sightseeing stop for the day. Though sightseeing might be the wrong word here, as the real attraction of Borjomi are the springs of mineral water. The waters – well – does not look too special … it is rather the quiet unique taste, that makes it famous throughout the former Soviet Union, as well as in Eastern Europe. 

We of course had a chance a sample the water right from a water fountain in Borjomi’s Central Park. I found the water much too salty … I typically drink water, that is low in sodium, so Borjomi with its about 1.5 grams of salt per liter (yes, that is grams, not milligrams) was just too much. By now it was raining heavily and we made it back to the bus and continued the journey towards Batumi.