GEORGIA COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - Mestia & Chalaadi Glacier Hike

[@richardsicard8890]

Love your vlogs, and Tonka. I’d find it really difficult to leave the dog though.

[@TheGapDecaders]

Thank you! It was sooo difficult - we looking into taking him but it's really hard administratively to take a dog from Georgia to EU, he was too big for the truck and ultimately, we didn't think it would be right to coop him up. But yeah, not easy and we both cried when we left. But some other overlanders who were up the river said there was another truck in the same spot and they were feeding him, so that made us feel a bit better.

[@neilkendall9621]

Another excellent blog wonderful seanary cannot wait for the next 🐾🐾

[@TheGapDecaders]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@Colorado4x4Van]

Excellent!

[@TheGapDecaders]

Thank you!

[@m.j.333]

It’s so sad no one else that I’ve seen has mentioned dogs starving. Did you see a lot of that or was it rare? Everyone else seems to imply the dogs are well cared for by the locals and tourists.

[@TheGapDecaders]

We've seen quite a bit in Greece, Turkey and Georgia, much less in Armenia. In the cities the dogs are well fed, indeed some overweight! But rurally, there are a lot of very thin dogs who crave company and food. We wondered how they manage in the winter. I think the whole community dog thing is a bit of a cop out - no-one really takes responsibility. If the dog is lucky it will be treated by a charity - de-wormed and stopped from breeding, but that's about it. It's been one of the hardest parts of our trip to be honest.

[@peterfinch3548]

A great insight into everyday life. Thanks for sharing with us. Interesting to know what food costs. Shame about the lack of gin though. What about the cost of diesel? Still crazy expensive in the UK but showing signs of decreasing gradually. The glacier hike looked great. Did the dog we saw near the ice cave accompany you all of the way? I guess trying to negotiate all of the rocks and stones must have been tricky though. We never attempt a hike without at least one walking pole each. I was wondering whether you have any or just don't feel the need? Maybe it is our age!

[@TheGapDecaders]

Thanks Peter, the lack of gin was a real shame, but we stocked up in the Turkish duty free at the border as we left! Diesel was around £1.30 a litre, double what is was in Georgia a year ago :( The dog came about halfway back and then decided to head back to the glacier - he knows where lunch gets eaten! I have poles but didn't take them for that hike - the rocks were so large I wasn't sure how helpful they would be. I have them for the next hike - vid coming next week :)

[@stupidmonkeykev]

All good stuff :)

[@TheGapDecaders]

Thanks Kev :)

[@agetyrrell]

Still looks amazing guys. Quick question - its getting more difficult to get LPG/gas over here in the UK. How does it work over there for you & your gas appliances and refilling? Easy to find and cheap?

[@TheGapDecaders]

Hi Adrian LPG at the pump is common here, and they will also refill your gas bottles - if they are German, Turkish, Georgian or Armenian. They don't have the fittings to refill UK bottles. We has Gaslow in our last van but made the decision not to fit into the truck as our heating and hot water uses diesel and our fridge runs on 12v. We only use gas for cooking and in 6 months have used maybe 20kgs - we swapped from a gas kettle to an electric once we had enough soler every day to power it!

[@askthechicken]

Oh but the dog….. 😔

[@TheGapDecaders]

I know, that was sooo hard. If there was any way we could have taken him, we would have :(