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God . The fortress served to protect the monastery and I was told its one of the best preserved in the country . The acoustics were incredible , and I was blown away at how back in 1200AD they were able to move the stone so high to create the arches and domes .
A short trip further to the south I went to see Haghpat Monastery Complex also built in the 10th century . This site was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site back in 1996 , described as a " masterpiece of religious architecture and a major centre of learning in the Middle Ages .
The monastery stood atop a hill , the views into the valley spectacular . The distinct difference between the two was lack of seating and the uneven uncovered flooring , which it ’ s actually not , as the dead were buried in the monasteries and then around the grounds . It ’ s difficult to walk through there without stepping on a grave , I did try , but failed .
Following the monastery , we took the opportunity to share a lunch at a local family ’ s home . Everything produced fresh , grown or raised by the family . Daily living for these people is polar opposite to how most of us in the West live . They have very little , and want for nothing , while in the West we have everything and want more , getting into deep debt to ' be happy ' then cry poor when groceries go up in price at the supermarket .
Finally , the day had come to start the tour , it was time to meet up with the others a mix of Irish , American , Georgian and the Brit . We all couldn ’ t wait to head off on the bikes and get this adventure started . Unfortunately , it poured rain all night and it was forecast to continue all day and the following day . It didn ’ t stop us we were all pumped and hanging to get out of the city and out of the traffic .
Leaving Tbilisi in the wet , moving through the traffic we headed south past Rustavi an industrial city , then proceeded off road through the green desert in the Kvemo Kartli region , where Shepherds with their sheep grazed . The desert is likened to Mongolia , with its arid naked hills . We arrived at the David Gareji monastery which borders Azerbaijan , a rock-hewn Georgian Orthodox monastery complex located in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia , on the half-desert slopes of Mount Gareja on the edge of Iori Plateau , some sixty to seventy kilometres southeast of Georgia ' s capital Tbilisi . The complex includes hundreds of cells , churches , chapels , refectories and living quarters hollowed out of the rock face .
We proceeded to Udabno for lunch , a beef and potato stew to warm our insides as it was becoming cold riding on the planes .
The Georgian drivers were mad . They passed at inopportune moments , leap frogging each other along the motorway . We hugged
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