after travelling 24h at the border

I arrived in Batumi/Gorgia. There is snow here.

At the first bus break I jumped up and down because of happiness in the snow and the good air. There was snow all the way through the montains and along the Karadeniz, the Black Sea coast.

At the night bus I had a conversation with a turkish/german security men. He lives in cologne. After a while he stopped the conversation with the words: We don’t know who else is listening here…. too sad….

Just 50km before the border some uncomfortably arrised. The 2. bus driver turned to a very agressiv way of driving. Also my backpack in his trunk got wet. Not a single accuse. This was just the intro what followed.

I was 5 month in Turkey.

So after 3 month you have to do an online application to get a tourist residence card. What I did. But there was a long waiting list for it. So my appointment was/is in 5 days. It said, when approved, I had to pay something like 165 TL. My appointment wasn’t yet, so I showed the officers my papers, ready to pay the fee.

But…. he incisted I have to pay a penalty of 640 TL for staying to long. No negotiation helped. 3 options. Paying the fee / or getting back to my place to get the residence papers done in 5 days / or paying nothing but not being allowed to enter the country for 5 years….

Not having enough money on me I had to travel some km back to see a bank mashine…..

This is what happens when you travel…..

Staying calm is the best medicine…

Fine now in Batumi. After having some time in the city during the day tomorrow my travel continues in the early eavening by train to Tbilisi.