We arrived in Tbilisi from Mestia around midnight after a 3-hour car ride and six-hour train trip. After some much-needed rest, we set out exploring the city on foot, passing through commercial streets, the eclectic garage sale-style Dry Bridge Market, and Liberty Square, the center of the city. Tbilisi, a city of 1.5 million residents, was founded in 479 and became Georgia’s capital in 1122. The area has been inhabited by humans since the 4th millennium B.C. Tbilisi has much European charm, but also relics of the Soviet past. The city is changing as tourism brings income and sleek glass buildings replace crumbling edifices. We found it modern and cosmopolitan, contrasting with the relative poverty and isolation of the country’s more rural areas, although they are changing, too. We had tasty meals at G. Vino, a Georgian wine bar. Georgia’s famous wines are different than most: the entire grape, stem, and leaves are fermented together underground in clay jars called kvevri, an 8,000-year-old tradition. The wine has an exceptionally rich, opaque color and bold taste, with a slightly thicker consistency than the wines we are used to in the United States. The most popular variety is Saperavi, produced largely in Eastern Georgia’s Kakheti region. We moved to another guesthouse for our last three nights. Located in Tbilisi’s old city, the Soviet-style building was in quite poor shape, with crooked staircases and a deteriorated façade; fortunately, our room was comfortable and the family was very hospitable, offering us fresh fruit in the mornings. We took a day trip to Mtskheta, the coronation city and burial site for Georgian kings until the end of the kingdom in the 19th, where we saw the incredible Svetiskhoveli Cathedral, built between 1010-1029. We also rode up to the Jvari Monastery (586-605 A.D.), the site where St. Nino in the 4th century introduced Christianity to Georgia by erecting a large wooden cross, fragments of which remain in the church. We spent our last two days in Tbilisi largely inside, as Alexa followed my lead and got sick. Although it was disappointing that we were sick for a cumulative week in Georgia, we had a great time doing what we could, and hope to return to finish our trek in Svaneti, visit the Kazbegi mountainous region, and see the Kakheti wine region. We made it through our entire 7 ½ month trip sick for only a few days. From Tbilisi, we flew to Istanbul for our last three nights of our journey. We arrived to our Airbnb room overlooking the Bosphorus, where we woke up to a spectacular view of both Europe and Asia, a fitting end to the trip.
0 Comments
From Kutaisi, we took a marshrutka (shared van) 5 hours north to Mestia, the largest town in the Svaneti region, set among the stunning Caucasus Mountains. Svaneti is inhabited by the Svans, a distinct group in Georgia with its own language, dress, and traditions. The UNESCO-recognized Svan towers dot the landscape. 5-story structures mostly built between the 9th-12th centuries, the incredible towers served as dwellings and defensive posts against invaders in this remote region. We took in some Svaneti history at the excellent Museum of History and Ethnography – a must-see collection of material culture and history. For dinner, we had a light meal of eggplant with walnut paste, bread, and vegetable soup at Sunseti Restaurant. The next morning, we set out for our 4-day trek from Mestia to Ushguli, Europe’s highest permanently occupied settlement. The winding dirt and gravel trails took us over mountains, through pastures, across rivers, into valleys, and finally to the village of Zhabeshi, where we spent our first night. Locals run simple guesthouses with one shared bathroom for all guests, enormous meals, and livestock neighbors. We enjoyed our stay, and were fascinated to see how these villages, some of the poorest and most remote in Europe, are developing as tourism in Georgia and the Svaneti region increases. The second day took us on a steep hike over a mountain ridge where the brand-new ski lift signaled the arrival of the Tetnuldi ski resort. The sharp peak of Tetnuldi Mountain reaches 15,938 feet. The glaciers on the mountain supply part of the network of streams and rivers of clean water that sustains lkife in the region. We continued down through the forest on the other side of the mountain, passing rivers and wildflowers, then arriving in Adishi, where we spent the night. At our guesthouse in Adishi, we met backpackers from Belgium, China, Lebanon, Italy, Israel, and elsewhere, a testament to Georgia’s growing popularity. The country of 3.7 million had an estimated 3.5 million tourist visits in 2017, contributing 18% of GDP. Only 42,645 of those arrivals were Americans. Our guesthouse hosts cooked an enormous meal for the 18 guests (again, sharing one bathroom, so we took our showers early before most arrived). We enjoyed meeting people from around the world and trying the local white wine. Unfortunately, our trek was cut short when I woke up sick at 2am. I caught a terrible stomach virus, and Alexa took great care of me for the next two days as I was mostly confined to bed and had no appetite. We were disappointed to miss the rest of the hike, but are grateful for the two great days we had, and are looking forward to returning to Georgia to finish! We took a taxi to Zugdidi to catch the train to Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, and are now back on track.
|
Email subscribe:
Archives
September 2018
|