Crossing Into Georgia

I got up at 6:00 a.m., hoping to leave early. The day before, I realized Georgia is an hour ahead, so I didn’t leave until 7:30 a.m.

The road to Vladikavkaz went smoothly, riding parallel to the natural border between Russia and Georgia. The morning air was crisp and cold, and I stopped to fill up with petrol before leaving the city, knowing gas would be more expensive on the Georgian side. The last 30 km to the border passed quickly, although the checkpoint itself was under construction. I waited about half an hour before reaching passport control.

While waiting, I spoke with the officer in charge of collecting import papers. The passport check was standard, and my bags were barely inspected — the officer seemed more interested in the details of my journey than in my motorcycle. Crossing into Georgia, the process was simple: they stamped my passport, and no one checked my luggage.

After crossing, I bought a SIM card for 43 lari and grabbed a quick bite. I had applied for motorcycle insurance at the previous gas station, saving time and money. The road had heavy truck traffic, and several sections were under construction. I was surprised to see lines of trucks stretching for 30 km across multiple zones. Driving here seemed even more chaotic than in Russia.

The Friendship Monument

A short way down the hill, I spotted one of the region’s most recognizable landmarks perched on a cliff above the Gudauri valley: the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument. Built in 1983, the structure is a large semicircular terrace made of stone and concrete. Its open arches overlook the mountains with a sweeping mural inside it. The mural, painted in bold Soviet colors, depicts scenes of shared history, legends, trade, and cultural connection between the two nations. A genuine reminder of a political era now long gone, yet still physically present on the landscape.

Standing there, its massive concrete form contrasts sharply with the wild openness around it, as if someone dropped a piece of architecture onto the spine of the mountains. It’s a strange spot, but also beautiful, offering one of the best overlooks on the Georgian Military Highway.

The Mountains — A View From the Military Highway

The scenery around the monument is all soft ridges and endless horizons. The mountains here are part of the Greater Caucasus, a vast chain that stretches between the Black Sea and the Caspian. In this region, the peaks rise in long, smooth folds, layered one after another like waves.

From the vantage point near the Friendship Monument, the landscape feels almost borderless. The road snakes along the slopes in wide, gentle curves. All the distant villages appear as small clusters of white buildings tucked into the shelter of the mountains. It’s the kind of scenery that makes you slow down without even meaning to — not because the road demands it, but because the view does.

Arrival in Tbilisi

My GPS estimated 1 hour and 30 minutes to the capital, but the mountainous terrain made it almost three hours. Thankfully, I descended the hill before nightfall. During the descent, I noticed my front brakes beginning to fail, which made the ride tense. I arrived at Irina and Yura’s “Eden” bike post around 7:00 p.m. local time. Since it was late, she served me some of the borsch she had prepared. Dinner was quiet, and I went to rest after 11:00 p.m.