(1) Lot of variety packed in the small country. Wine regions. Mountain regions. Cities. Etc.
(2) Food!
What I did not like …
Our guide was not very experienced and I would rate her as probably one of the worst guides I have come across (Just as a professional guide, please note. She was a very friendly and nice person).
Location in the World map …
Some interesting tidbits about Georgia …
Georgia has Black Sea on the West and Caspian Sea on the East.
“Georgians” == “Kartvelians” (Another name for people from Georgia).
Georgia has around 10 “regions”.
Georgia has two Autonomous Republics (“Autonomous breakaway regions that govern themselves”): Abkhazia & South Ossetia (Georgians call it Samchablo (OR) Samkhret Oseti). It is much more difficult for Georgians to get into these 2 Republics than for people from these 2 Republics to get into Georgia
Abkhazia: Abkhazia is a sovereign state that is recognized by most countries as an autonomous republic of Georgia. It lies in the South Caucasus on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. While Georgia does not have too much control over Abkhazia, the Georgian government and most United Nations member states consider Abkhazia legally part of Georgia, whose constitution designates the area as the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia. It is a big reason for Georgia-Russia tensions.
South Ossetia: South Ossetia, officially the Republic of South Ossetia, is another sovereign state and disputed territory in the South Caucasus. It is also a reason for Russia-Georgia tensions.
Georgia is quite protected from the cold of the North and the heat of the South by the Caucasus Mountains.
Georgia claims to have the oldest and finest Wine making history … Goes back to BC!
Krubera Cave is the second-deepest-known cave on Earth after the Veryovkina Cave. It is located in the Arabika Massif of the Gagra Range of the Western Caucasus, in the Gagra district of Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia. It is around 2 kilometers deep.
Georgians love “Strength” Sports: Wrestling, Weightlifting, Judo Etc.
Josef Stalin was originally from Georgia.
Georgian Flag: One central red cross on white background and 4 smaller red crosses in the 4 quadrants.
Georgia is a developing country and is ranked 70th in the Human Development Index.
Georgia adopted Christianity in the 4th Century.
WEST: Black Sea. NORTH & NORTH-EAST: Russia. SOUTH: Turkey and Armenia. SOUTH-EAST: Azerbaijan
The unified Kingdom of Georgia reached its Golden Age during the reign of King David the Builder and Queen Tamar the Great in the 12th and early 13th centuries.
Independence from Soviet Union: 1991 (Declared == April 9th. Finalized == December 25th).
Currency is Georgian Lari. 1 GEL == 31.73 INR (Approximately)
My Experiences
My initial impressions:
(1) Appears (At least the winegrowing region) to be warmer than Azerbaijan.
(2) “English” is tough to come by 🙂
A lady and her husband runs a Guesthouse/Bed&Breakfast in the Kakheti wine region of Georgia called “Lago”. Lunch was at her place … She had an amazing set of ceramic dishes on display. Business seems to be good, as she was expanding her facilities and some construction was going on.This lady and her husband runs a Guesthouse/Bed&Breakfast in the Kakheti wine region of Georgia called “Lago”. Lunch was at her place … She had an amazing set of ceramic dishes on display. Business seems to be good, as she was expanding her facilities and some construction was going on.Wines … At Khareba Winery.Wines … At Khareba Winery.Wines … At Khareba Winery.Wines … At Khareba Winery.This is one serious group of travelers, with the Khareba Winery guide, Maria. For the 1st time in my adult life, I am with a group of people where I am the LEAST travelled! From left, 97, 55, 93 & 136.Khareba Winery guide, Maria, explaining away …The beautiful Khareba Winery … Khareba Winery, in the Kakheti winegrowing region of Georgia: It has 15 long tunnels, cut into the rocks, 2 of them being the main ones, for a total length of 7.7km! This is one of the World’s longest Wine Tunnels. Inside the tunnels, it was a natural low temperature of 10-12C. There are Georgian as well as English tours. There were a few Indian families from UAE, visiting for the Eid weekend. Maria was our guide for the Wine Tunnel Tour and the Wine Tasting.Khareba Winery, in the Kakheti winegrowing region of Georgia: It has 15 long tunnels, cut into the rocks, 2 of them being the main ones, for a total length of 7.7km! This is one of the World’s longest Wine Tunnels. Inside the tunnels, it was a natural low temperature of 10-12C. There are Georgian as well as English tours. There were a few Indian families from UAE, visiting for the Eid weekend. Maria was our guide for the Wine Tunnel Tour and the Wine Tasting.Kakheti wine region in Georgia … View from the Akhasheni Wine Resort.Beautiful view of the Caucasus Mountains …Kakheti wine region in Georgia … View from the Akhasheni Wine Resort.Akhasheni Wine Resort … IMHO, it is a “work in progress”. Because it is a little far from the nearest town, there is not much else to do other than getting drunk 🙂 Also, the service was quite poor, mainly to do with language issues, I guess.Outdoor seating area … Akhasheni Wine Resort, Kakheti, Georgia.Liked this napkin-holder … Akhasheni Wine Resort, Kakheti, Georgia.
Map of the Kakheti region … Georgia.Yeah, right! Wonder if the driver ever successfully collected this fine 🙂Sighnaghi, Georgia: During the walk along the wall of the Old Town. It was not very well maintained and I did not understand why the town allows modern buildings (which do not conform to the existing architectural patterns) to spoil the look. Frankly, have seen way better Old Towns.Memorial to the Georgian soldiers who died during WWII. Sighanaghi, Georgia.Saw some beautiful trees in Georgia 🙂Tsinandali Manor, Tsinandali, Georgia. An ancestral estate of Garsevan Chavchavadze. The garden is quite extensive. There were not many tourists when we were there. The ticket price includes wine tasting as well. “Georgia” == “Wine” 😀 No photos were allowed inside.Tsinandali Manor, Tsinandali, Georgia. An ancestral estate of Garsevan Chavchavadze. The garden is quite extensive. There were not many tourists when we were there. The ticket price includes wine tasting as well. “Georgia” == “Wine” 😀 No photos were allowed inside.Paintings at Telavi History Museum. The lady in this painting collected original art pieces during her various travels and finally donated it all to the town of Telavi. The painting on Lower-Left is famous as this is the original (!) and duplicate is at Louvre. It depicts Ludovic XVII, who died soon after he was freed after being held hostage, at the age of 10. The young 3-year old boy in the other painting died young and his Father painted him to keep him immortal.Paintings at Telavi History Museum. The lady in this painting collected original art pieces during her various travels and finally donated it all to the town of Telavi. The painting on Lower-Left is famous as this is the original (!) and duplicate is at Louvre. It depicts Ludovic XVII, who died soon after he was freed after being held hostage, at the age of 10. The young 3-year old boy in the other painting died young and his Father painted him to keep him immortal.Does it not look like the Indian language Malayalam? 🙂And of course, everyone 😘 USA … 😀🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️Today’s beer … Georgia. I think my Beer Belly has started to show, after 3+ weeks of this. Tbilisi, Georgia.Equestrian Statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali …Meteki Church, Tbilisi, Georgia.The Cable Car to get you to Narikala Fortress area. Nothing much remains of the original Fortress, after the Mongols, Persians, Soviets Etc.
Bought a couple of colorful Wall Hangings from this guy … He gave an Oscar-worthy performance to show that he was “making a loss” on the sale. Move over Mathew McConaughey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Will Smith, Joaquin Phoenix Etc.Hop-On, Hop-Off … For those tourists who hate walking.A bow shaped glass and steel pedestrian bridge, built in 2010. It was brought to Georgia from Italy in 200+ pieces.Picture taken while in the Cable Car … Kura River.The Cable Car to get you to Narikala Fortress area. Nothing much remains of the original Fortress, after the Mongols, Persians, Soviets Etc.“Mother of Georgia” Statue: Since the statue is on top of a hill and face outward, I could not find a spot to take a picture from the front.
View of the Abanotubani area of Tbilisi, which is where most of the famous Sulphur Baths are …Graffiti Artists do not spare trash cans either 🙂View of Old Town Tbilisi from the Narikala Fortress walls …Tried to take an “artistic photo” from Narikala fortress walls, but that eyesore iron pillar 🙂 (There was a partition as well and I could not get close to the bells).A nice view of Old Town. You can see Kura River, Meteki Church Etc.Georgians love their drinks 🍻😀Rezo Gabriadze Clock Tower. He was a theater and film director, among many other things. He had this unique tower built in 2010.Ethno Tsiskvili Restaurant, Tblisi, Georgia: Performances during dinner … Pretty much 90% of the people there looked like tourists. The river Kura which is right next to it looked to have very strong flows. The rains? 🤔View of Stepantsminda town in Kazbegi region of Georgia … The slight bluriness in the photo is probably due to my shaky frozen fingers 🥶😀On the way to Gudauri … The drive to Kazbegi region of Georgia … There were several viewpoints on the way. Overall, it was a cloudy day I would say. In some parts, the road was quite bad, with huge potholes. We were amazed to see the many Armenian/Georgian/Russian trucks that were stuck in this region (a few more kilometers and we have the Georgia-Russia border).During the 1hr traffic jam in Kazbegi region. These people were feeding the (stray?) dogs in the region.After the partially disappointing weather yesterday, (looks like) the Weather Gods have decided to go easy on me today 🙂 (As of now, it looks awesome 😳 Weather is fickle here)Makes sense! I am totally with you 💪. “Never” what??? Never: Steal. Never: Hurt anyone. Never: Litter. Never: Give up. Never: Commit sins. Never: Waste …Another view of Metekhi Church and the statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali … From across River Kura.Tbilisi city center area has underground shops (along the underpasses).Liberty Square or Freedom Square, Tbilisi, Georgia.Loved this tiny car … During a walk through central Tbilisi.Stalin Museum, Gori, Georgia: They have preserved the small house where Stalin lived as child. The small house has a bigger modern structure protecting it.View of Kura River and the countryside from Uplistshike rock city …Georgia is teeming with (Stray?) dogs … They do have a tag on their ears (Sterilized?).A horse chilling near the “Friendship Monument” … Liked the contrast of the Brown color against the snowy Caucasus Mountains backdrop.“No:5 Sulphur Bath House” Experience, Tbilisi, Georgia: The Abanotubani region of Tbilisi is the Sulphur Baths area. As the legend goes, King Vakhtang Gorgasali found Sulphur Baths accidently and decided to built a city around it. “Tbilisi” == “Warm Place”. Around 10-12 Sulphur Bathhouses are operational nowadays. There are Private Sulphur Bath rooms or Public/Common Sulphur Bath halls. I had read that locals exclusively use the Public/Common ones. I wanted to get a feel for the local routine and hence wanted to try this. I went to “No:5 Sulphur Bath House”, which seemed to be the most popular one. I had also read that since this is not a touristy place, one should not expect much English and should expect staff to be a bit gruff. I personally felt the staff was fine, despite the slight language barriers. As you enter, at the 1st counter, there is an old lady who takes the “Entrance Fee” (Very nominal 10 GEL). Then you go down some stairs and enter the “Men’s Area”. There were some heavy dudes sitting around a table, eating from a big bowl of some beef dish and lots of bread. One of the dudes, who seemed to be the leader, took 10 GEL for “Kisi Scrub” and another 10 GEL for “Massage” and 3 GEL for “Towel”. They gave me a white bedsheet as a towel. (Ever tried to dry yourself with a polyester-like “Bedsheet”?). One of the dudes got up and told me in broken English, by 1st pointing to himself and then to me, “I massage”. The Sulphur Bath area, though okay, would not win any awards for cleanliness. I had to shower first. There are hot and cold water options and the showers are pretty basic. Keep in mind, it is not a tourist bath house. After the shower, I entered the 1st Sulphur Bath I saw (In my swimwear). It was 40C freaking degrees! (At least). The first time, I jumped in, I jumped out in the same flow 🙂 Then I got used to it. I sat in it for 20 minutes, while I got myself cooked nicely. I started feeling light-headed, due to the Sulphur smell (And dehydration?). Then my massager dude came with a bucket and other stuff. He asked me to lie down on one of the several Marble slabs (In my swimwear). He gave an exfoliating rub, with a Kisi (A kind of rough scrubber). Then he applied soap. Then came the massage. He used some kind of wooden roller-like thing. I immediately knew what his part-time job was. Road construction worker! He treated my body like how an Asphalt road is treated by the Road Roller. He rolled me into a Chappati/Tortilla/Pancake shape. That I managed to escape without a serious spinal injury is a miracle. Finally, he washed off all the soap and dead skin particles with bucket(s) of water. It was all over in around 15-20 minutes. I finished off with a final 10 minutes in the Sulphur Bath. Wanted to tip the massager, later, before I left, but he was nowhere to be found.
Sighnaghi, Georgia: During the walk along the wall of the Old Town. It was not very well maintained and I did not understand why the town allows modern buildings (which do not conform to the existing architectural patterns) to spoil the look. Frankly, have seen way better Old Towns.View of Sighanaghi town … Weather was not great, as you can see.Dinner at a Georgian house. Part-1. Clockwise, from Top-Left: Simone, in traditional attire, welcoming us with a song. Simone” Wall of Fame. Currency notes gifted by his guests and some photos from earlier in his life. Father and Son. Three generations live in the property and they have been entertaining tourists since 2006. Oh so cute 11-month-old Lemi, Simone’s Grandson 😘.Dinner at a Georgian house. Part-2. Clockwise, from Top-Left: This was the dining building, within Simone’s property. Simone’s Father had built it. Pork slabs being aged. Simone has also brewed a 55% (So he claims) Vodka like drink using Walnuts, among other ingredients. We had a go at it … Tasted like Bacon.Dinner at a Georgian house. Part-3. Clockwise, from Top-Left: The dining table, set up for us. That long bread is a Georgian village classic, it seems. Grape-based fizzy drink … Basically, a fruit-based Cola. Good for Sugar intake 😀. Kachapuri … Sounds like an Indian dish 🙂 Cheese-filled pancake. A Georgian staple. Later on, the 4-year-old Kato came back, dressed as a Princess. She clearly liked attention. Homemade flaky pastry, made by Simone’s wife, with a kind of fruit…Batonis Tsikhe Architectural Complex, Telavi, Georgia: The palace is from the 17th Century. Lot of Persian influence as the King had spent some time as a hostage in Persia.
Liked this tree a lot …View of Telavi town and the Caucasus Mountains in the background.
Tsinandali Manor, Tsinandali, Georgia. An ancestral estate of Garsevan Chavchavadze. The garden is quite extensive. There were not many tourists when we were there. The ticket price includes wine tasting as well. “Georgia” == “Wine” 😀 No photos were allowed inside.Bodbe Monastery, Georgia: It is believed that St. Nino, who converted Georgia to Christianity around 4th Century, is buried here. People were very respectful at what they believe to be the Tomb. Met more Indian tourists from UAE. They told me that Indians do not need VISA for Georgia and that they were able to come due to the Eid break. Since the Monastery is on a hill, the views were nice.The “love” Georgians have for Russia is quite evident through the graffiti all over Tbilisi 😀 With 2 troublesome provinces, where Georgia does not have much control, that is not surprising. People have not forgotten 2008. Quite a few Russian refugees have come in due to the Ukraine conflict as well.During the drive from Kakheti Wine Region (East) to the capital, Tbilisi, through the countryside. The road was quite smooth, but single-lane, like in most of Kerala 😀 The driver (Chico) stopped at a roadside stall and bought a big bag of local cheese (In that town, there were many such stalls) and by putting that bag over my red bag, managed to get all the smelly juices over my bag 🤦♂️ I will be smelling like Cheese, today 😀And of course, everyone 😘 USA … 😀🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Apartment buildings has a Soviet look about them … Of course, Georgia was a part of USSR and so not that surprising.Local bus … Tbilisi, Georgia.Hmmm … That’s around 20% cheaper than in India.Kura river area, near Old Town Tbilisi, is filled with roadside stalls and it is not easy to use pedestrian walkways.Approaching Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.Police station. On the way from Kakheti wine region to Tbilisi, Georgia.Ethno Tsiskvili Restaurant, Tblisi, Georgia: Performances during dinner … Pretty much 90% of the people there looked like tourists. The river Kura which is right next to it looked to have very strong flows. The rains? 🤔LOL 🙂Gergeti Holy Trinity Church: As my friends clearly know, I do not like Cold weather 😀 Am more of a “tropical weather, shorts & sandals” kind of guy. This church, surrounded by beautiful mountains, had such wind chill, I was 🥶🥶🥶 My fingers went numb while trying to take photos. Near the Mountain Resorts area (Gudauri), Georgia. By the by, outside of countries like UAE, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, Georgia is now the foreign country where I have seen the most Indian tourists. My hotel in Gudauri has many Indian families from Middle-East. I had no idea Georgia is so popular among folks living in Middle-East.
The BadAss 4×4 Nissan vehicle they used to take us up to Gergeti Holy Trinity Church. The driver was a 6.5ft bearded dude who matched well with the vehicle. The tires were huge and climbing on to the vehicle was like climbing on a Camel or an Elephant 😀It was a rainy and cloudy day in the Gudauri region of the Caucusus Mountains, Georgia. We faced a 1hr traffic block (by local police), not sure why, because traffic always flowed in the opposite direction.Food at Ethno Tsiskvili Restaurant, Tbilisi, Georgia: Chicken, with Spinach and Taragon. Mushroom with Cheese: Soko Ketsze. Chicken in Garlic: Shkmeruli.The Hotel we stayed in Tbilisi (Georgia) had these actual (so they claim) photos of Tbilisi during the early 20th Century time period.Old Town, Tbilisi, Georgia. There were many small streets lined with cafes and restaurants. We took a brief break in one of them. That was where I had that lukewarm Beer 😀After the partially disappointing weather yesterday, (looks like) the Weather Gods have decided to go easy on me today 🙂 (As of now, it looks awesome 😳 Weather is fickle here)Ananuri Complex: A former residence of Georgian Dukes. From 16th Century. The Jinvali reservoir’s water level was quite low.“Friendship Monument”, Gudauri, Georgia: Supposed to showcase the “Friendship” between Russia and Georgia (I see no love lost between Georgia and Russia). Yesterday, when we tried to visit this monument, it was raining and very cloudy and teeming with tourists. Luckily, this morning it was excellent weather and there were no tourist crowds and we had the place to ourselves. I had left my sunglasses in the van and it was very bright (Sunlight on Snow).Stalin Museum, Gori, Georgia: Gori is Joseph Stalin’s birthplace. This Museum had all things “Stalin”. The museum offered a guided tour. The guide spoke with a very thick accent (Was she a Russian?). Apparently, Joseph Stalin was proud of his Georgian heritage and always identified himself as one. An American journalist had taken a photo of him (in his final years) without makeup, showing his smallpox scars (from childhood). When we were shown a painting of Stalin from his younger days, one of the tourists shouted “He looked handsome”. The museum also had the bulletproof train carriage Stalin had used.Uplistsikhe, Georgia: Rock-based complex dating from Iron Age. It had tunnels, a Church, storage areas, graves, an apothecary Etc. All carved from rocks. The views were very nice and the weather when we were there was fantastic. We visited this complex after lunch at a nearby eatery which was run by a 75-year-old man and his wife. We had specifically requested for Georgian dishes other than Khinkali and Kachapuri as we had enough of it over the past 1 week. They had ancestral land right next to Uplistsikhe and used that to build an eatery. Their grownup kids live and work in Tbilisi.View of Kura River and the countryside from Uplistshike rock city …An eatery which was run by a 75-year-old man and his wife. We had specifically requested for Georgian dishes other than Khinkali and Kachapuri as we had enough of it over the past 1 week. They had ancestral land right next to Uplistsikhe and used that to build an eatery. Their grownup kids live and work in Tbilisi.Georgians ❤️ Graffiti!Tbilisi Metro: Very basic and archaic Metro. Very deep stations, like in Moscow, St.Petersburg, Baku Etc! Tbilisi Metro is underground near city center and over-ground elsewhere. Obviously, I looked to be the only tourist, among a sea of locals. Did see a couple of Indian-looking youngsters (Students? Could be from other South Asian countries). Lots of locals use the Metro. Don’t be misled by my photo. It was taken at the last stop 🙂 The trains were crowded. When a train was at the platform for a few minutes and the “doors about to close” announcement was being made, saw one lady come sprinting from the escalator area and she actually passed several open doors of the train and kept chasing that “perfect compartment” (I guess), when the doors suddenly closed on her! Without missing a beat, she acted like she was just doing some routine warmup and was not looking to actually board the train 🙂Zion Cathedral, Tbilisi, Georgia. Lot of these churches do not allow photos inside, though this one did. Nowadays 99.9% people take photos with phone (with no flash),Georgian Lari (GEL) currency notes. 1 GEL == 32.75 INR.
Police Station … Looked intimidating. Saw cop cars quite frequently.
