Georgia - The Country Not the State

Roxann, Jeanette & I Hanging Out with the Tramp



Most of you like me probably never heard about Georgia much less Azerbaijan before I came here.  Going across the border is like stepping out of Kansas to the land of Oz!!! Two PCV's friends and I went to Tbilisi for 4 days and I found that it wasn't nearly enough time to see everything they had to offer. Georgia is a country where kindness and helpfulness is a rule, not an exception. They are friendly and they help us whenever we asked (and even when we don't ask!!). We stayed in the heart of old town at a guest house where when you walked up to it you wonder why this place was recommended.  But as soon as you walked in you knew right away.  The rooms were clean and comfortable, the inn keeper Irakli was kind and very helpful.  He told us all the places to "must see" and places to dine where the locals eat (cheap and good). The first day we took a two hour walking tour to get our bearings. The guide was very informative and we took a lot of pictures of churches (Georgia is a Christan country), a mosque (one) and a synagogue (one). What I notice at first about Tbilisi was how much construction was going on in improving all the infrastructure of the churches (they have some of the oldest churches Sioni Cathedral named after Mt. Zion in Jersusalem built  sometime between 575 and 639 and founded by Prince Guaram) and monastasteries that were almost destroyed during the Soviet time.  I notice to how clean the city was, they had maintenance personnel everywhere cleaning and sweeping and trash cans all around where people actually used them!

On Sunday, we decided to go to Sameba Cathedral, the third largest church in the world, built in 2004. It took us almost an hour to walk there (it looked closer than it was).  We had to climb about 200 stairs, cross a busy highway and then more stairs (fortunately, we could see the church and just kept walking towards it), but when we finally made it, it was so beautiful, it was well worth the walk. They had service but I hadn't a clue as to what they were saying but it was wonderful just being there.



Stairs



More Stairs

Sameba Cathedral

Me on the Steps

Service



One of the beautiful Paintings on Metal with Precious Gems

After we walked the grounds, we saw the most beautiful black swan (I think this was my first time seeing a black swan!!). They had a pond with both a black and white swans plus numerous ducks.

She was beautiful

He just kept eating

It was rather warm, so we did most of our site seeing either in the morning or early evening. As we hike and walked around the city I kept seeing this huge figure of this women on the hill. We were told she was called "Mother Georgia". In one hand she has a goblet of wine to welcome friendly visitors and in her other hand a sword to defend Georgia against her emenies.

"Mother Georgia"

Another View

Another View

We hiked up to Narikala Fortress where it was first established in the fourth century and then rebuilt in the 17th century.  The view was amazing and I finally got an up close and personal view of "Mother Georgia", she truly was HUGE...

Narikala Fortress

Inside

Some old Relics

"Mother Georgia"

 

Another View

After Hiking up to the fortress we came down the cable car.  That was fun and what a view!!!


Going down the cable car

Tbilisi is known for their Sulfur baths. The domes of the buildings look like mosques, they were built in the 19th century. For 20 gel (about $10.00) you can be scrubed down and have a soap massage but you are naked among many other women, so leave your modesty at the door when you walk in!!  I was scrubed clean, months of dirt cells cleaned off in minutes!! Then a soap suds massage... wow this must be what heaven is like!!!  My skin never felt so good and after the sulfur baths we went out to dinner and I had a class of wine, life is good!!

Sulfer Bath Domes

More of the Sulfer Baths

 

The next day we went to the National museum.  It had three floors of exhibits.  The first floor was the archaeology, history and ethnography of Georgia.  The next floor is how much German influence as well as other cultures had on Georgia and the last floor showed how badly they were treated by the Soviets (that was extremely sad). Georgia is on the silk road and has a variety of cultural influence. But what I really like about Georgia is they are proud of who they are and never ask you to compare them with America which was refreshing!!! They seem to love everyone and are not angry with any country.

Locals Very friendly

Awesome statues

In front of a Church

Me and Spidy Thought the Grandkids would like this one!!!

We had checked out the metro system and it only had two lines, no problem getting around.  The buses are all yellow and clean with air condition (go figure) and honors the speed limit.  So I was pretty sure where to get off to get our marshurutka home. Opps, not so (you think I could have ONE trip without an adventure!!) We had to be at the bus terminal at 8:30 am and we left at 7:45, plenty of time and the metro was not crowded.  We get off at the metro stop and we went out to find the marshurutka and kept asking for the Zaqatala marsh and finally we were told that this bus terminal was only for local area and we need to go to the "OTHER" bus terminal for the International buses which was the opposite way we came.  Darn.. so they sent us on a yellow bus and we asked for more help, several buses later we decided to get back on the metro and try to get off close to where they told us.  We finally found the "International" terminal and of course missed our 8:30 marsh, but wait one was leaving for Qax (the next town after Zaqatala) at 1:00 pm (or so we thought), so we loaded up our stuff and decided to get something to eat before the ride home.  We got back about 11:30 and what "NO MARSHURUTKA", they had left in one hour, not at 1 PM.  Fortunately, they took Jeanette and mine's backpack off and left it with the office but took Roxann's bag by mistake... Now what do we do???  The bus driver kept saying "NO PROBLEM" I leave at 12:30 and we will call bus driver and he will leave your bag at the border. REALLY!!! You would do that?????  The marshurutka was packed because of us (28 people in a minivan for 24), but true to his word, Roxann bag was at the border and we made it back to Zaqatala by 4:30.  Of course, the bus driver told everyone how the "Americans" missed the earlier marshurutka because they went and ate.  Lesson learned, when you have a marshurutka, get on it and don't leave!!

Life Challenge: Opportunities don't often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them...Audrey Hepburn