For many travellers, crossing the Caucasus is currently one of the trickiest parts of the overland route from Europe to Central Asia.
The first option leads south through Iran, which is said to have boundless hospitality and incredible landscapes as well as an unpredictable legal system. The second option would cross the Azerbaijani borders, which are currently closed for entry on land. Accordingly, this route involves importing the vehicle using an agency, flying to Baku and taking a ferry across the Caspian Sea, which can significantly drain even the most solid travel budgets and is likely to give travellers a headache, even the most experienced ones.
So this year, like many other travellers, I opted for the third route: A transit through Russia. But it really doesn't seem to be a particularly good time for that at the moment. The German Foreign Office has issued a travel warning for Russia and besides, the transit from Georgia to Kazakhstan leads across the republics of Chechnya and Dagestan. While the first is known for its mafia, the latter is also regularly troubled. This set off the alarm bells ringing in my solo-traveller's head.
The guard at the Russian embassy in Yerevan probably felt the same way when he saw my visa application, discouraging my plans very quickly. Travelling alone by car on this route through Russia didn't seem like a particularly good idea to him.
I took his advice. Apart from my dog Vedi, I found some company. Together with two cyclists, Elayis from France and Edgar from Spain, I set off on my onward journey to Central Asia.
This text was published in August in the German-speaking newspaper Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. Take a look and stay tuned for more upcoming information from Russia and Kazakhstan!
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