We were sad to leave Balaklava, but on the following day this feeling disappeared. We got to another great place in Crimea - Mangup Kale. It takes a good hour to climb the plateau, but the route is simply marvellous! Not only were we alone on the trail, but it also led through "the Ukrainian jungle": moss and ivy-covered trees, mossy rocks, birds singing amazingly in the thicket – it all creates an unforgettable atmosphere. Once you reach the peak you are welcomed by the remarkable smell of the meadows full of chirping crickets, and singing birds! Mangup-Kale was a cave town located at the altitude of 583 metres above mean sea level. First used for strategic and residential purposes in 6th-7th centuries, the cave town truly flourished in the 13th century, when it became the capital of Principality of Theodoro. Because of the steep walls, the fortress on the Mangup Plateau was almost impossible to capture. The only way to do it was to starve the city into submission. That goal was achieved by the Turks in 1475 – they cut off the food supplies for half a year. The last inhabitants of the town – Karaites (an early Christian movement) – still lived there about 200 years ago! Nowadays, the so-called "Indeytsy" dwell there – they are people who escape from civilisation, living in Mangup all year round. In summer, they are accompanied by "seasonal rebels". The residents claim that the place emanates positive energy. It sure does – we fully recharged our batteries during a marvellous, unforgettable, 3.5 hour walk. The sun, light breeze, absolute silence broken only by rustling grass, chirping crickets and unbelievable singing of the birds. Various rock forms, caves, beautiful panoramas of the area... You walk and give your imagination free rein. Only the unexpected ticket inspection reminded us that we were not alone.

On the way back it started raining. Fortunately, we had waterproof jackets. We were a bit cold and hungry, so we both decided to stop at a local Tatar restaurant. The soup did not have much taste, but the shashlik ordered afterwards was finger-licking good. We were wondering what to do next: staying there for another night was a poor idea, but cycling in the rain would not be wise either – I finished my treatment for bladder inflammation just 2 days before. Eventually I packed us up because, as the head of the trip said, we would "leave at 6 pm latest, unless it rains". With waterproof jackets at hand, we hopped on the bikes at 5.30 pm. The road was great – almost dry and almost flat.