Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Mestia

2,037 bytes removed, 12:37, 4 February 2021
Sleeping
'''Mestia''' is a city small town in [[Georgia]], the Svaneti region capital of the [[GeorgiaSvaneti]]region.
Mestia is not a large town and can be walked out of easily. It has the major [[Svaneti]] road running through it. It also has a road that splits off to the north toward the border with [[Russia]] (closed now for many years) and a trekking trail to the Lekhziri glacier.
Hitching to Mestia is an ordeal! Start early. Give yourself a lot of time because even with a ride the road conditions make the drive a long and bumpy one. There are two ways to get into Svaneti - the western approach beginning in Zugdidi and the eastern approach most likely beginning in Kutaisi. The western approach into the higher elevations of Svaneti is the more traveled by cars. It is supposedly the better cared-for road (even though you wouldn't believe it when you ride on it). == Hitchhiking out ==
==Mestia can easily be walked out of to get onto the [[Svaneti]] road. If you watch the road markers you can make sure you are heading the right direction. The Western Approach==markers are skinny white poles with two square blue plaques declaring the kilometer distances to the ends of the road. If the number facing you is around 140 then you are heading to [[Ushguli]] and [[Lentekhi]]. If it is around 65 then you are heading to [[Zugdidi]].[[File:spotmestia.jpg|400px|thumb|left|The petrol station at the end of Mestia towards Zugdidi. Traffic could be better, surroundings almost not]]
This More traffic seems to leave Mestia for [[Zugdidi]] in the mornings than the evenings. People making day trips into [[Zugdidi]] leave early to traverse the mountain road travels through Zugdidi, Jvari, Khaishi, Dizi, and a slew of small villages make it back up before you get to the administrative capital of Upper Svaneti region - Mestiadark.
Zugdidi is a large town by Georgian standards. When heading to Mestia you will need On the way to walk north out of town[[Ushguli]] there are some other settlements, past the mashrudtka station that is west of the city square and near the medieval-looking tower. After walking the gauntlet of taxi and mashrudtka drivers you need to keep walking for another kilometer or so through it's not a residential areatotally deserted road. The road will dead-end and you will turn left and walk on and over an overpass until you see However the road sign for Mestia (136 km) pointing you traffic is lower than to the right (north again). This west, it is the road that travels all the way through Svaneti and back down possible to Kutaisihitch there within half a day. Once you start walking north on this road, any place to begin hitching Road is as good as the nextpoor and only jeeps or SUVs can cross.
The traffic that travels this road makes it a little difficult to catch a ride. Many of the cars are stuffed with people because going between cities and villages in Svaneti is a whole day's outing. As with most places in Georgia, a little knowledge of Russian or Georgian is helpful, but not necessary. If breaking the ride up into segments is necessary, the larger towns on the road are Jvari, Khaishi and Mestia. == Sleeping ==
The road between Zugdidi inhabitants of Mestia have become accustomed to the tourism economy and Khaishi staying in local people's homes for free is mostly paved with numerous rough sectionsnot common (the traditional Georgian hospitality of the lowlands does not exist here). The road north of Khaishi Homestays are expensive, at least 15-20 lari/night. Camping is much more rough with some sections still being constructed. Even with possible outside the road in such poor conditions, all kinds centre of vehicles still make the trip. Carsvillage, SUVs, vans, lumber trucks and marshrudtkas all slowly crawl along. The traffic gets naturally thinner as but ensure you climb higher into the mountainshave proper cold weather gear if camping in winter.
==The Eastern Approach==
This approach travels through the cities of Tskaltubo, Lentekhi, ....== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
More information needed{{nomadwiki}}
==Hitching In==
Hitching into Mestia can be done from the southwest or the southeast. One end of the [[{{IsIn|Svaneti]] road begins in [[Zugdidi]] to the southwest. The other end begins in to the southeast. The approach from [[Zugdidi]] is the more traveled because the road is supposedly in better condition. From either direction, as long as you stay on this main [[Svaneti]] road you will reach Mestia. The [[Svaneti]] road is a total of 198 kilometers. From [[Zugdidi]] to Mestia is 136 kilometers. From to Mestia it is 62 kilometers. ==Hitching Out==}}
Mestia can easily be walked out of to get onto the [[Svaneti]] road. If you watch the road markers you can make sure you are heading the right direction. The markers are skinny white poles with two square blue plaques declaring the kilometer distances to the ends of the road. If the number facing you is around 140 then you are heading to [[Ushguli]]. If it is around 65 then you are heading to [[Zugdidi]].
 
More traffic seems to leave Mestia for [[Zugdidi]] in the mornings than the evenings. People making day trips into [[Zugdidi]] leave early to traverse the mountain road and make it back up before dark.
 
No information for hitching to [[Ushguli]] is available at the time of writing.
 
 
 
{{IsIn|Svaneti}}
[[Category:Georgia]]
3,631
edits

Navigation menu