Georgia

My Georgia travel summary:

Visited: June 2010

Duration of visit: 10 days

Capital city: Tbilisi

Population: 3.72 million (2010)

Georgia travel blog reading time: 9 minutes

• Train ride from Batumi to Tbilisi turned into a brief tea and chat with locals.
• A Tbilisi guest house run by an elderly lady who welcomed international visitors.
• Tbilisi – a city of contrasts and traditions.
• Marshrutka trip on a dumpy, potholed road to Kazbegi and climb to Gergeti Trinity Church.
• Joseph Stalin Museum in the city of Gori.

Georgia experienced a turbulent past after separating from Russia in 1991.

This instability likely contributed to it not being a major tourist destination during my 2010 visit. Economic crises, political instability, and ethnic conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have challenged Georgia’s stability. The country appears pushed to pursue a pro-Western foreign policy at any cost.

I visited Georgia in 2010 as a part of South Caucasus trip, which also combined Armenia and Azerbaijan.

My first contact with Georgia was at the border crossing of Sarpi. I watched a long line of trucks from Turkey queue for customs inspections, while our nearly empty bus overtook them. We stopped right at the border. Officials asked me a few questions in Russian and checked exotic stamps in my passport before welcoming me to Georgia.

I spent a few hours in the Black Sea resort and port city of Batumi. At that time, the city was just a summer resort with no worthwhile places to visit or landmarks. I decided to quickly continue my travelling to Tbilisi by night train.

After buying my ticket, I still had time to explore the area. I tasted my first adjaruli khachapuri – a cheese-filled flatbread with a runny egg. It might not be the most sophisticated food, but it’s incredibly tasty. This famous boat-shaped bread is filled with cheese and topped with a knob of butter.

The night train was comfortable, slow and inexpensive. An enjoyable ride alongside a mixed group of local passengers provided an excellent introduction into Georgian hospitality.

Hot water from the samovar, sheets, a pillow, and a blanket provided all the comfort. Sharing food, struggling to communicate in Russian, and drinking hot tea turned our time into a too-short family gathering.

Trains in this part of the world are the most comfortable and also affordable way to travel. Some infrastructure may be old or basic, but the system established during the Soviet era still worked smoothly.

Part of train travelling is sharing stories, drinks and food. With so much time until the final destination, people become more open and relaxed. It was obvious that the locals were interested in me as much as I was in them. Unfortunately, the communication barrier made it impossible to exchange more than a few basic words.

I didn’t have high expectations for my Georgia travel adventure, but it quickly surprised me. The journey began with the warm hospitality of locals.

Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, is a city of contrasts and deep-rooted traditions. It once lay along the ancient Silk Road, shaped by Turkish influence and a strong Orthodox Christian heritage.

During the Soviet era, Tbilisi tried to find its own voice, but Soviet control constantly suppressed it.

Even in 2010, two decades after independence, the legacy of Russian influence and the risk of conflict are still very much alive in public consciousness.

Tbilisi as the capital city stands out in wealth and opportunities: almost one third of the population lives here.

I settled into a hidden guesthouse in a quiet residential neighborhood near the city center. An old lady who had grown up in Soviet times but somehow learned decent English welcomed travelers into her home. She opened her door to the international community and created a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Simple house with four rooms turned out to be one of those places where I could stay for weeks.

A Spanish banker working in Brussels; a lost Swedish hippy living on government support for years; a Portuguese girl educated abroad and constantly socializing with every man around her; and an experienced Slovenian backpacker with a limited budget and some Russian skills.

For a few days, we acted like a dream team, especially when we headed out to explore Tbilisi’s nightlife together.

Dinner in a restaurant with traditional food was exquisite and inexpensive. The place was full of Georgians who toasted us from nearby tables. The Swedish guy was one of the funniest people I’ve met. Emboldened with vodka, his stories were entertaining in all bars that we visited that night. The Spanish guy was falling in love with the girls.

We were fortunately too tired for a nightclub and returned to the guesthouse, before the presence of alcohol could cause serious damage on behavior.

The contrast of old and new seem to intertwine in Tbilisi at every turn. Historical remains with modern architectural creations, traditional Georgian cuisine with modern fast food. Modern culture more or less harmoniously coexists with Soviet remnants or traditional Georgian heritage.

Here are some of the highlights and main landmarks that I visited around the capital city.

The Meidan is the bustling central square of Old Tbilisi (Dzveli Tbilisi). Classic Georgian architecture with colorful balconies, cobbled streets, sulfur baths, and a blue-tiled mosque filled the old town. Leghvtakhevi Waterfall and the constant crowds kept the area lively from early morning until late at night.

The 20 meters high Monument of Mother Georgia (Kartlis Deda) is visible from almost anywhere in the city. The crowned queen holds some wine in one hand and a sword in the other. It was erected in 1958 to honor 1,500^th anniversary of the city’s existence. Yes, Tbilisi is an old city.

The Bridge of Peace is a modern, bow-shaped pedestrian bridge over the Kura river, constructed of steel and glass. Recently opened in 2010, it has become an important pedestrian crossing in the city. A controversial modern design received a lot of criticism due to its domination over historical old town.

Authentic market, Dezerter Bazaar, is a sprawling marketplace offering everything from fresh meat, colorful spices to a wide range of produce. A purple sausage called churchkhela is a favorite local snack made from nuts, sugar, and grapes.

In Georgia, bread (puri) comes in different shapes and sizes; each region has its own shape. The most traditional ones are made in a cylindrical terracotta oven (tone). The heat rises from the bottom, and they bake the bread by slapping it onto the red-hot side walls.

Bakers press the dough against the warm oven walls, where it cooks to perfection.

These local bakeries warm up their clay oven in the wee hours of the morning and pump out fresh bread tonis puri throughout most of the day.

A marshrutka is a privately-owned bus, usually a van, which leaves the station when it is full and not on a fixed schedule. It stops anywhere along the route where passengers want to get off or get on, as long as seats are available.

Marshrutka trip on a dumpy, potholed road to Kazbegi and climb to Gergeti Trinity Church at a height of 2,200 meters above sea level, was the best trip outside of Tbilisi.

Surrounded by Greater Caucasus, this impressive mountain range is one of the finest examples of harmonic combination between architecture and landscape. The sanctuary was originally built in 14^th century on the place that used to be pagan idols worshiping. Throughout the centuries, the church was the place where the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church were giving mass to the locals in the area.

From the 18^th century until 1990, people mainly used it for storage. It also served as a popular stop for travelers on the road connecting Russia and Georgia. The Soviet system didn’t care too much about it and closed it down.

It took me an hour to climb the hill up the serpentine road and a thorny forest from the town of Stepantsminda. I left my Spanish friend behind and tested my physical preparation at high altitude. Sunny, warm weather and a clear blue sky revealed a stunning view of the valley. Mountain peaks surrounded me with one of the best panoramas in Georgia.

Gori is the birthplace of the Soviet leader and politician Joseph Stalin. As a part of my Georgia travel adventure, I also visited the main landmark of the city, Joseph Stalin Museum. The museum displays many items owned by Stalin, including his furniture, personal belongings, and gifts he received over the years.

Walking around his personal railway carriage, the Greco-Italianate pavilion, and the large palazzo with six halls took me back in time. I learned how the General Secretary of the Communist Party once spread his ideas with an authority that helped him gain absolute power. He controlled the people through the most brutal methods.

Joseph Stalin was one of the most influential and controversial Soviet leaders, known by a vision of a one-party totalitarian state.

He pushed rapid industrialization, enforced agricultural collectivization, and intensified class conflict to consolidate his power. Stalin built an incredibly powerful cult of personality that lasted significantly longer than his lifetime, which ended in 1953.

All the museum guides were serious women. Each one took me through her section and carefully showed me the most important and valuable items on display.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t understand most of Russian explanations, but I was afraid to disclose my lack of knowledge. Two interesting real stories about his life called my attention:

• Stalin’s mother sent him to Tbilisi to become a priest, but he showed much more interest in Karl Marx literature and communist ideas. He joined a local socialist group and became an atheist instead of attending the religious classes.
• Stalin’s son from his first marriage was a soldier in the Red Army during World War II and was imprisoned by the Nazis. They proposed to free him in exchange of prisoners, but Stalin refused. He probably believed that his son was not captured, but surrendered voluntarily. Apparently, he did not show forgiveness even in the circle of his own family.

Georgia has friendly people, is easy to travel in, and has everything it needs to become one of the most attractive places to visit in Eastern Europe in the next decade. Generations of people who grew up under different political and economic systems are searching for a better future in the vibrant capital, Tbilisi.

Kazbegi National Park and the Trinity Church of Gergeti, set high on a mountain peak, offered stunning panoramic views. They made me realize that a longer trek could easily keep me in the country for another week.

If I return to Georgia, I’d love to explore Svanetia region, where ancient pagan and Christian traditions blend into a unique culture.