Gori, Gerogia

Had mixed emotions today, to visit Gori or not.  My consternation stemmed from the fact that Gori is the birthplace of Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, a.k.a. Uncle Joe, a.k.a. Joseph Stalin, the man who shares the dubious honor (with Chairman Mao) to have been responsible for the deaths of more people than Adolph Hitler.

I did end up going, and it appears to be a town that forgot Stalin.  Walking around town I found more statues of people that were not Stalin, than statues of Stalin, which there were none.  The only exception was the Stalin Museum, where his childhood home (birthplace too) and a single, modest, not visible from the road or park, statue remains (I later found out that Stalin statues are illegal in Georgia, as the President has a pro-western goal).  The museum was built by the Soviets, and has a skeleton crew today, but it is up and limping.   

On the way back from Gori, I was pulled over by one of the many many police cars that line Georgia's streets.  I pull off the highway and into a gas station for the pull over, and before I could get off the bike and remove my helmet, the lead cop is out of the car and checking my licence plate.  He looks up and asks me in Russian, if I speak Russian or Georgian, kinda puzzled, I asked if he spoke English, and once I did, a big sheepish smile came across his face.  He then asked where I was from, and I replied USA.  Everything came into focus for him at that point.  He then explained that he thought someone was using a stolen plate on a stolen motorcycle, so I pulled out my licence and showed him I was from Florida.  Then half laughing, he asked if I rode the bike all the way to Georgia.  We chatted for for another 10 minutes so, and off he went.  I fueled up and jumped back on the highway, I ended up passing him again.  He waved happily as did I.  He was a really nice guy, I liked him. 

Greta in the Plains of Georgia

Stalin's House

Second Most Prolific Killer In World History

Stage Distance: 130 mi (210 km) 

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 23,677 mi (38,189 km) 
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Georgia