30th of May, 2022.
Before starting hitchhiking again, I sit by the road and have my biscuits with the rest of the butter and jam I had it from the hotel yesterday.
In front of a gas station a few cars pass by but nobody stops.
Two guys in a cool and old model Land Rover tell me they will leave to Zugdidi in about one hour. One hour is a long time so I tell them I will remain here, trying my chances, and if by the time they are finally leaving I am still here, then they can take me.
In a few minutes a fancy white car with a couple stops. Rania and Rami are from Jordan but are spending some days on holidays here in Georgia. Soon enough we get all engaged in a conversation and they even tell me that, in the morning, Rami told Rania that he would like if there was somebody on the road, asking for a lift, so they could have someone to chat. Ha!
Rania tells me Rami like to have someone to talk to. And we talk a lot. After I tell them most of my trips, Rania starts to listen to something on her earphones and me and Rami carry on talking. I like his perspective about their religion: Islam. Even though he is a very religious man, he is also a reasonable man, which allows him to do what he believes is right even when following the Koran. And I also like his / theirs posture towards the education of their children. They have four. I wish that more parents were so attentive to their children education and life learning as they are.
I just wish that Rami could trust more on people and believe more that the world is a much safer place than the news show to him. He tells me that I am brave for doing what I am doing because he wouldn’t and couldn’t. He is afraid of people, afraid of camping too. I try to explain to him that, based on my experience, people are much better than we think. And also if you are a positive person, you most likely will attract only good things. Rania agrees with me the whole time.
It is a long trip back through the mountains. Of course the views are amazing but it is extremely hot! After so many months leaving under cold weather, I forgot how terrible it is the hot weather. It is 35 Celsius Degrees! And even though I am drinking plenty of water, I start to feel that my migraine will make me a visit.
Rania and Rami drop me off a bit after Zugdidi, when they have to turn to Bautmi, their next destination. They give me another bottle of water. Thanks, Loki! And Rania give me a bag full of this dry food they have a lot here in Georgia. When she gave them to me she said that this food does not need to be refrigerate and so on, and she is right! Plus it last long and after eating only a bit you fill like you are done. I am so happy she also gave me an apple! Yay!
After they leave I feel that my head is really bad. I consider to lay down for one hour or two, in a shadowy place, until it passes so then I could carry on my way to Tbilisi. But because of the timing, I decide I should proceed.
Not long after I start, Gaga stop his car and tells me he is going to Tbilisi. He is a young man, is all dressed in black and has tattoos all over his right arm and hand. I am a bit doubtful about him, and I think it is only because of his sunglasses and the fact that we didn’t actually talk, but I decide to go with him anyway. Lucky me!
Even though Gaga does not speak English, during the drive I feel more and more comfortable with him. It is not a long drive but the roads are shitty in many parts so it takes longer than it should.
When we are about to arrive in Mtskheta, Gaga tells me he will drive me there but he also offer me to come and stay with him, in his house in Tbilisi, mostly because of the weather, which seems quite bad and turning into a storm.
Because we are almost in Mtskheta and I know how hard can be to get here tomorrow from Tbilisi, I refuse at first. Once we get in Mtskheta, it is dark already and my head is killing me. I cannot think properly and I really don’t know what to do. We cannot see or find a place where I can camp, so Gaga offer for me to come and stay with him again. This time I accept.
He lives alone in a nice apartment even though the building looks a bit abandoned. He shows me the room where I am staying and ask me if I want to take a shower. I tell him I only will try to throw up (my stomach is all messed up by now) and then go to bed. Gaga is very understanding and tells me he will take a shower and then go out.
After over an year without taking medication for my migraine, I give up an take one codeine and one paracetamol pill. Soon enough the migraine is gone and I can finally have some rest.
In the middle of the night I wake up starving so I eat my apple. I also heard Gaga talking with someone and for some time I though he had a friend with him. I get a bit scared. Could I be that wrong about him? When we were in the car and it got dark, he took off his sunglasses and by looking into his eyes I was sure he was a good person. Was I wrong?