The Most Random Encounter

"Five months of washing my clothes like this? I must have lost my mind...." The cold water in our hotel's common bathroom was numbing my hands and I could barely feel the small scentless complimentary bar of soap. "I can't wait for the day when I'll have a washing machine again, at least more than two pairs of underwear and socks," I think to myself as I finish up my daily routine...

We had only walked 10 km from Maho's house but it was raining hard and we had no will to continue that day. In general, will was becoming our biggest problem. We found a cheap hotel in the center of Zestaponi and spent the day sleeping and watching Georgian television - not very entertaining at all! I was nervous and felt that I was wasting another day. All I could think about was the hundreds of things I would rather have been doing at the moment...

The next day was grey but dry so we crossed our 25 km and reached a 13 century monastery called Ubisa. After reading our letter a silent black-bearded monk simply showed us to a small empty room with two metal cots in a building adjacent to the church. Again tired, we went to sleep early, around 5 p.m. and again I was miserable...I tossed and turned all day and night thinking of the things I was missing out on...going out with my friends, talking with my father, playing with my little nephews - simple things like going to the movies or enjoying a good book in a familiar bed...Time had stood still for Tim and I those five months we walked and towards the end of our trip I had an unbearable desire to make it flow again...I knew I had to see this 'project' through and I knew I would do nothing else till I did, but it was difficult...

We had been warned many times about Rikohti pass - a tunnel through a mountain peak around 2000 m above sea level, and we knew we should find a place to sleep in one of the small villages before it. Tim and I slowly made our way from the monastery and we were solemn. I hadn't sung a single song since Kutaisi - a method I had been using all along to keep myself cheerful, and Tim and I rarely talked anymore...all we could do was focus on putting one foot in front of the other...our hearts were as gloomy as the grey winter weather....

"Hey!!!! Salut!!" I turn back and see Tim waving down a couple on a tandem bike! Right away I notice the French flag on the back and I know something special was about to happen. I head back and introduce myself to Benjamin and Caroline, a French couple who had rode their bike from Strasbourg on their way to Nepal! We began swapping stories and explaining to each other what we were doing and where we were headed when I notice two more bicycles heading from the opposite direction. Another couple, Americans, riding their bikes from China!!! There we were the six of us on a small road in the middle of nowhere hugging and listening to each others amazing stories. Call it what you will, but this meeting was more than 'random'....

Sam and Erin, the American couple told us about their journey through Pakistan, Mongolia, Kazakstan and other exotic destinations and Ben and Caroline told us of their amazing trek through Italy, the Balkans, Turkey and now Georgia. "We must spend some time together," Tim began excitedly, "there is a reason for this guys. Can you fucking believe that all of us met like this in the middle of Georgia?!" Tim was wise and he was right. I knew, there would be some purpose in our meeting, and luckily the French couple knew as well. Unfortunately, Erin wanted to hurry and make it to Batumi by New Year's, so Sam and she departed shortly..."They rode their bikes from China and they're in a hurry?" I thought to myself, "They should have taken a plane!" Ben and Caroline joined Tim and I for lunch in a small restaurant along the road and decided to find a place to sleep with us...and as we ate our Ostri soup together I realized Tim and I were smiling...perhaps for the first time in a week...and the purpose of our encounter was becoming clearer...