November 12
After two weeks in Georgia, it was time to head to Turkey. Batumi was only 20 kilometers away from the Turkish border, so I decided to walk there. The first part of the route was less pleasant than I imagined; the road seemed more intended for trucks than pedestrians. However, there were also stretches along the beach where I took a break and swam.
Numerous constructions were underway, with plans for large hotels along the coast.
Border Crossing
At the border, there were queues and a bit of pushing. On the Georgian side, everything went smoothly; the officer stamped my passport for exit. On the Turkish side, they didn't seem to like my passport. The officer claimed my passport was damaged and invalid. She instructed me to wait on the side while her colleague filled out a form. Eventually, he handed me the paper, stating only that my entry was denied. I tried to get more information, but the officer just said, "Passport problem. Go back to Georgia."
A few minutes later, I rejoined the line, attempting to discuss the issue. I explained that my passport had been accepted everywhere until now, but it was futile – "Go back to Georgia."
I turned around. A police officer directed me to cross the road and join the people entering Georgia. The Georgian guard looked at my passport, surprised, and asked, "Why isn't there a Turkish stamp?" I showed him the form, and he allowed me to enter, putting a new entry stamp.
Return to Tbilisi
I discovered on the Internet that the only French consulate in Georgia was in Tbilisi. It was far, but I decided to go there. I secured an appointment for the following morning at 10:00.
As a coincidence, a marshrutka was waiting at the border with a sign indicating Tbilisi. I settled in and waited for over two hours before we finally departed. The journey was long and indirect. We arrived in Tbilisi in the middle of the night, around 03:30. I took a taxi to a hotel and reached my room by 04:00.
November 13
Consulate
I arrived at the consulate a little after 10:00. The night was short. I had to leave my bag and phone at the entrance of the consulate, though I wasn't sure why.
I explained my problem to a lady, stating that my passport was slightly damaged. She retorted that it wasn't "slightly damaged" but completely unusable. To her surprise, I informed her that I had crossed more than a dozen borders with this torn passport. Admittedly, there were remarks and suggestions to change it, but it had always been accepted... until yesterday.
She suggested two options:
- Request a new passport, which would take a month to receive.
- Apply for a laissez-passer document, allowing me to return to France.
To get the laissez-passer, I needed to buy a flight ticket to France and provide them with a passport photo (and, of course, pay). I replied that I didn't particularly want to stay a month in Georgia, and I don't live in France either. They clarified that the consulate couldn't provide a laissez-passer for another country (but that it might be easier to travel from France to Germany).
Decision
I left the consulate and sat on a bench by the roadside with all my belongings. I wasn't fond of the options offered by the consulate and considered two alternatives:
- Retrying my luck at the Turkish border.
- Taking a direct flight to Munich.
I checked available flights. There was one in the afternoon from Kutaisi, but I feared missing it. So, I bought a ticket for the flight on Wednesday, which was two days later.
This was the second time during my journey that I sought advice from a consulate... and it was the second time I decided to disregard their advice. It's starting to become a habit.
My reasoning was as follows:
- Returning to Germany seems feasible even with this passport. I believed I would be allowed entry, even without an emergency passport.
- Going to Munich allows me to retrieve my ID card that I had unfortunately forgotten.
- This ID card is sufficient for travel to Turkey, Cyprus, and many European countries. It would simplify the journey as I still have many borders to cross.
- I wanted to retrieve my winter coat, which would be useful since my journey is longer than planned.
- It allows me to bring back some souvenirs from Georgia without having to carry them everywhere.
- I can resume the trip from Cyprus, a place I wanted to visit. However, arriving in Cyprus by boat might have posed issues due to Cyprus's complicated political situation.
In short, the plan seemed solid to me… but I don't see why I have to justify it like this. I do as I want. :)
November 14
I had to spend another day in Tbilisi, so I checked a list of available tours. At noon, I joined an alternative free walking tour starting at Fabrika, a former Soviet sewing factory transformed into a hub with cafes, bars, and a youth hostel.
In our group of 6 plus the guide, we saw parts of Tbilisi that are off the beaten path. The tour somehow evolved into a culinary exploration - I was happy to taste pyshka (a type of donut), a tarragon lemonade (which I liked!), and feijoas. Why did no one tell me about feijoas before this trip? They were so delicious.
By the end of the tour, almost everyone in the group decided to have lunch together.
In the group, there was a Finnish woman. She came to Georgia for a few weeks to marry an Iranian. They couldn't marry in Iran for religious reasons or in Finland due to visa issues. Her husband worked as a tour guide in Iran, so I took his contact details, potentially useful if I ever decided to visit Tehran.
Speaking of Iran, we decided to go to an Iranian restaurant to have saffron tea. Delicious!
Later, we discussed going for a wine tasting, but before that, we took a break in a tramway carriage turned into a bar. There was an Indonesian woman in the group stressing about a visa issue. She was supposed to go to Dubai the next day but hadn't received her visa yet. She decided to take a local stress remedy recommended by many Georgians: chacha. In solidarity, the Canadian guy and I also had a drink.
Next, we reached a wine shop hosting a wine tasting. We tried 3 or 4 wines. You might be shocked to learn they also offered a kind of chacha. It seems that in Georgia, everything has to end up with chacha. I'm not complaining.
As we traveled by plane, we didn't want to buy a bottle to take home, but we also didn't want to leave the place without buying anything. Therefore, we decided to purchase a bottle and drink it on a bench. We grabbed some cups from a nearby store, but the bottle was quickly emptied.
Then, we found another wine store. It was the first time I entered a wine shop to taste wine and buy a bottle… while still having a glass from the previous store.
It was also an opportunity to share a churchkhela, something some of the group hadn't tasted before.
I've probably done 20 or 30 free walking tours in recent years, but this one was the most memorable. We stayed together (including the tour guide!) until 8pm.
November 15
I took a direct flight back to Munich without any hassle. The German border officer didn’t really inspect my passport; she just scanned it and said, “Willkommen!”
End of chapter 1.