This was a tough day on the bike. I started and ended the day in the rain. The heavy rains took its toll on the countryside. Heavy winds and rains pounded me from sunup to sundown. A day that should’ve ended around 3pm, stretched until 8 that evening due to the road being washed out by a flooding river. I was about an hour from the Black Sea when I was stopped by traffic police and told the road was closed for at least two days or until the river went down and they could clear the mudslide that covered the road. I had to backtrack about 6 hrs through the very punishing storm I just came through. I’m wiped out.
Photos of the Ani Ruins – highlight of the day and the only time the rain let up.
The mountain steppe herders erect small stone huts and fencing to wait out the tough winters.
The photo above is looking up into one of the temples. The masonry has been polished smooth and there were two different types/colors of stone used to create the effect. Spectacular masonry work.
One of the rare self photos you’ll see me post
Chad Rothacher 