STATUE OF KING VAKHTANG GORGASALI OVERLOOKING TBILISI, THE CITY HE FOUNDED




SOME FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS ABOUT GEORGIA


OUR EXPECTATIONS
Before visiting Georgia, the only other country we had visited in "central Asia" was Uzbekistan. That trip did not go too well, as the country is interesting, but is pretty backward and sanitary conditions are not very good. Most people we know (myself included) came back from that trip sick. Alisa was concerned that Georgia would be the same as Uzbekistan. During the last few years, Georgia has become a very popular destination for Israelis, and we have quite a few friends who have visited. They all recommended we visit, so we did, and were pleasantly suprised. It's more like an underdeveloped European country than an underdeveloped Asian country. It certainly wasn't Uzbekistan! If you are interested in our Uzbekistan trip (2008), you can check it out by clicking here.


 
the symbol of the lari, the georgian currency


ABOUT THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA
The Republic of Georgia is geographically located in what is loosely known as "central Asia". However, some definitions of the borders of Europe include Georgia, and some don't. In any case, the Georgians consider themselves European, rather than Asians. Georgia is bordered by Russia to the north, Turkey, Armenia, and Ajerbaizan to the south, and to the west, the Black Sea. It has a population of less than 5 million, and has a long and checkered history of warfare and occupation by several of the regional powers, from Rome, to the Ottomans, the Russians, the Persians (Iran) and lastly by the Soviet Union. It had a short run of independence which started in 1917, until it was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1921. That occupation lasted for exactly 70 years until the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. After that, there was a period of several years of instability, including localized warfare and partial occupation of parts of the country. Things settled down in 2008, and since then Georgia has prospered and developed, although the Georgians still consider Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be under occupation (by the Russians of course).




the georgian letter "ghani" used online as love or heart

ABOUT THE PEOPLE
The people of Georgia are really friendly, religious (Orthodox Christianity) and family oriented. We found them to be very favorably inclined to Israel, and the Jewish people in general. The 2 countries have excellent ties, and there are still Jews living freely in Georgia. We visited 4 different synagogues, 2 of them in Tbilisi, the capital,  are still operating on a regular basis.The spoken language is Georgian, (more about that below), and as in many countries of the former Soviet Union, the older people still speak Russian, and the younger people are starting to speak English (at least in the bigger cities).


ABOUT THE KITCHEN AND FOOD
The food of Georgia is pretty simple and basic. The 2 most popular dishes are made of dough and cheese or meat. One is "khachapuri", which is bread, either fried or baked, filled or covered with salty cheese (called solguni). There may be other additions, like beans, or eggs. The other is the khinkali, a dumpling, generally stuffed with meat, although sometimes filled with cheese or other things. The agricultural scene looks pretty simple, and I think most of the food is organic. The cows roam freely on the roads, and the chickens are definitely free roaming. I enjoyed the food.  My stomach felt good the whole trip, and I didn't gain much weight!

georgian recipes

more on
khatchapouri

10 "must try"
georgian dishes

DRIVING IN GEORGIA
If you are thinking of driving in Georgia, my advice is to think again. The drivers are insane. Nobody signals, passing is done anywhere and everywhere, and the accepted means of communicaiton between drivers is the polite honk. Our driver was very talented. The only thing we ran into was a cow, and we ony hit her in the head. She showed no ill effects, but our right side mirror was badly damaged. If you do drive on your own, you will find that the gasoline prices are much lower than in Europe or even in the USA. If you don't do the driving, taxis are very cheap.


THE LANGUAGE AND ALPHABET
If you are into learning the language of the country you are visiting, forget about that in Georgia. Spoken Georgian is like no other language you are likely to hear. It belongs to its own ancient linguistic group and is used only in Georgia (or by Georgians away from home). It includes rare sounds, foreign to any other western language, and has its own unique  33-letter alphabet thought to be based on the sort of Aramaic spoken in the time of Jesus. Alisa speaks 6 languages but even she didn't get far in Georgian. We learned a few basic phrases and even they were difficult. The bar below shows the Georgian alphabet.

english - georgian dictionary with pronunciation

all about
georgian scripts




WHERE WE
DIDN'T GO
There were 2 main areas we didn't visit. One is the far western area bordering the Black Sea. The main resort here is Batumi, the "Pearl of the Black Sea". The other area is the high Caucasus, known as the Svanetti, with its main town of Mestia and Ushguli, the highest village in Europe at over 2100 meters. It's a long bone-jarring drive to Mestia and Ushguli, and we just didn't want to do it. As for Batumi, there are direct flights from Israel, and we can hop over anytime we want for a weekend visit.



 



I organized our trip with a local Georgian tourism company called "Colour Tour Georgia". I checked out 3 other companies, and 3 private drivers or guides. I liked what Colour had to offer. I got prompt email answers and the prices were competitive with the others (better than most). My contact in the office was Tamara, who helped immensely in designing an itinerary which suited us.  Our guide was Nodar, and our driver was Tamaz. Both did their jobs excellently and we enjoyed our time with them very much. 

Below is the general itinerary.

3 nights in Tbilisi
 Arrival at night, and the one day tour of Tbilisi and a one day tour of Mskheta
2 nights in Telavi
 Visited the attractions in Kakheti, the main wine growing region of Georgia
1 night in Kazbegi
 Drove the Georgian Military Way, attractions along the way, and the Trinity Bergeti Church
2 nights in Borjomi
 Visited Gori, tthe Uplistsikhe Cave City, the Borjomi area attrations, and the Borjomi Park
1 night in Kutaisi
 Visited area attractions including Vardzia cave City, and the Sataplia Nature Reserve
1 night in Tbilisi
 Last night in Tbilisi for flight home the following morning



Below is a map of Georgia, showing most of the places we visited and next to the little blue squares, even some of the specific attractions we visited. It's a map which shows all of Georgia's provinces as well as its neighbors. The areas of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are the areas considered by the Georgians to be occupied by the Russians.











BREAKFAST ROOM
ARTWORK 		Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia and is by far its largest city. It is mostly modern, and has a definite European flavor. We spent about 3 days here in total, 2 and a half at the beginning and another half day at the end. We stayed at the "No 12 Boutique Hotel", located right in the middle of the old town. We stayed here twice, 3 nights at the beginning, and 1 night at the end.


This was our favorite hotel during this trip to Georgia. It is perfectly located on a side street in the center of the old town, and it’s close to many stores and restaurants. We stayed in 2 different rooms and we found the rooms to be excellently designed. There was a place for the luggage, with shelves and places to put personal items. Also, in the bathroom, the shower was excellent and there was counter space for our toiletries (this is something missing from too many hotels!) This is a small hotel with only 12 rooms – hence the name. In general, the hotel is lovely, and really beautifully decorated.

NO 12 BOUTIQUE HOTEL


THE PUBLIC AREA AT NO 12 BOUTIQUE HOTEL 		There is one drawback at this hotel. Several of the rooms (at least 2) on the ground floor are below ground level and only have tiny covered useless windows near the ceiling. On one of our stays, we were in one of these rooms. The room was a bit dark, but because of the overall good design, we didn’t really mind it. On the second stay, we stayed in room 12, which is also on the ground floor, but has normal windows and the room is very large. Breakfast was the best we had at any hotel in Georgia, and the lady in charge of the breakfast room made fresh croissants every morning.




We had 2 full days at the beginning in Tbilisi. On one of those days, we toured Tbilisi, and on the other we drove to Mtskheti and toured there and in the afternoon, returned for some more time in Tbilisi. Here's a quick summary of the sights we visited in Tbilisi.

SAMEBA CATHEDRAL 		Sameba Cathedral is quite new. It  was built in 2004 to make a symbol for the new and independent Georgia. It is beautiful, both inside and out, and has splendid views of the city. It is also known as the Holy Trinity Cathedral.
SAMEBA CATHEDRAL
If Sameba is the newest church in Tbilisi, Sioni Cathedral qualifies as being the oldest. It is located right in the middle of the old town and was first built in the 7th century.  here is a site with some fantastic pictures.

Matekhi Church is located right on the river, and is another very old church with lots of history.  Its most prominant feature is the statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, who is considered to be the founder of Tbilisi. The picture at the top of this page shows this statue. It has a lovely view of the city.  



MOTHER
GEORGIA
Narikala Fortress was one of the most impresive places we visited in Tbilisi. It has several building and points of interest and overlooks the city the way a fortress should. Also, one of the most fun ways to get up to is by taking the "aerial tramway", which we did. I think that the most impressive feature on Narikala is the statue of "Mother Georgia", pictured to the right. Mother Georgia is holding traditional Georgian symbols in her 2 hands - a bowl for wine, and a sword to conquer enemies. For a good frontal shot of this impressive lady, click on this link. I think this is one impressive looking statue! 

THE VIEW of
NARIKALA


The Georgian National Museum was a nice museum to visit in the center of Tbilisi. It gives a pretty comprehensive view of Georgian history from ancient times, to the Soviet occupation. All the exhibits have explanations in both Georgian and English. Of particular interest is the top floor with the history of the Soviet occupation.
ONE HOUSE AT THE
ETHNO MUSEUM 


Open Air Ethnographic Museum, as its name implies is an open air museum, more like a small park, with houses and other structures taken from all over the country and restored to be part of the site. It's fun, but don't go when we did - in the late afternoon on a hot day. It requires lots of walking.





OUR FIRST
CHATCHPOURI 		We ate at several restaurants in Tbilisi. Most of them are pretty similar to each other, and serve the standard Georgian specialtlies, and not much else. In that category would be Maspindzelo (where we ate our first Chatchpouri),  Friends House (with live music) and Stelzenhaus. I could write the exact same words for each of these. Something a little different would be Cafe Kala, Vinoground, and Tsiskvili.

MENU AT CAFE KALA 		Cafe Kala is located in the Shardin area of the old town (Erekle II Street), where many restaurants are located. It is advertised as the oldest restaurant in Tbilisi, and  had a warm and friendly atmosphere. What we liked here was that they had dishes on the menu we didn't see in any other restaurants. We had a light meal of bouillabaisse, French fries and beer. The fries were the best of the trip, and the bouillabaisse was surprisingly good, even if it wasn’t really bouillabaisse.
CAFE KALA

As for Vinoground, it's a wine cellar, also located on Erekle II Street. If you descend a few steps from the street, you find a large wine cellar with an entertaining host (Arthur) who explains about Georgian wine, and pours glasses of wine until you find one you like. Then you take full glasses of wine to drink upstairs on the street. If you want food, they have an arrangement with a nearby restaurant to provide the food. All the wine is on sale by the bottle as well. 

AT CAFE KALA
ON EREKLE STREET


THE WATERFALL
AT TSISKVILI
Tsiskvili is far more than a restaurant. It’s an experience. There is an impressive waterfall in the middle of the restaurant, it has an inclined elevator to transport customers from one floor to the next, it has non-stop entertainment starting at 8 PM, and it’s located right on the river so it has romantic views, and it even serves decent food! According to the web site, there are 3 different restaurants in the group, one is called "Beer Square", one is in Tskneti, a town about 20 KM west of Tbilisi, and the main restaurant is called "Ethno-Tsiskvili", and that's the one we are talking about here.

THE RIVER VIEW
AT TSISKVILI

INCLINED LIFT
AT TSISKVLI 		It’s located in Tbilisi, about 10 or 15 KM north of the center. The taxi ride cost us less than 4 Euros. The place is run like a military operation, with staff waiting to assist at every turn. The entertainment (dance, music, band,) was fun, the food was good, if not exceptional, and the service was slow, particularly at the end of the evening. It took us quite a while to get a bill. The few negatives here are negligible compared to the overall experience. I expected the prices to be much higher than normal restaurants in Tbilisi, but I was surprised. The prices were higher, but not by too much.


DANCERS
AT TSISKVILI







WITH OUR DRIVER
TAMAZ AT JVARI 		Mtskheta was founded in the 5th century B.C and is one of the oldest cities in Georgia. It was the capital of the East Georgian Kingdom of Kartli in the 3rd to 5th centuries A.D. It is so full of historic monuments, that pretty much the whole city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Read about it here. As it is only 20 or so KM north of Tbilisi, we visited as a day trip during our stay in Tbilisi. We visited only a few of its many historic sites, and they are described below.



JVARI
MONASTERY

SVETITSKHOVELI CATHEDRAL 		Jvari is a monastery located on a cliff above Mtskheta. Here's some history about the monastery. The main thing here is the view. There were a lot of visitors here as it's not far off the main road.

The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is a huge site including complete walls, the church itself, several smaller structures and ruins and a huge inner courtyard enclosed by the walls. After visiting the site, don't miss the craft and souvenir market located just outside.
SVETITSKHOVELI
CATHEDRAL

SHIO-MGVIME
MONASTERY 		Shio-Mgvime Monastery  is quite different from the 2 above. It is about 10 KM outside of  Mtskheta and is  far more quiet and relaxing. There were very few visitors here and we were able to stroll around  and relax.  No market, no souvenirs, no restaurant - a very quiet site up in the mountains which was founded by a monk called Shio in the 6th century. "Shio Mgvime" means "the cave of Shio". 

Here's a site with more information on the historical sites of Mtskheta.







DAVID GAREJA
MONASTERY
Kakheti is the easternmost province of Georgia and is the most important wine growing region of the country.  The southern part of the province, which borders on Azerbaizan is mostly mountainous desert and is quite beautiful.  We drove through this part of the region to get  to the David Gareja Monastery, one of the most significant landmarks in Georgia.

It’s a long long ride from Tbilisi to get to this isolated monastery, but if you don’t have to do the driving yourself, it’s well worth the ride. The area is hauntingly beautiful, and is only a few kilometers from the border with Azerbaizan. The monastery itself is amazing.  If you are in the Kakheti region, this is a must place to see.
travel with pedro on david gareja

the hitchhikers handbook on david gareja




KAKHETI BAKERY 		On the way from the Gareja Monastery to Signaghi, we stopped for brunch near the village of Badiauri. What's brunch here? Hot bread straight from the oven, grapes, salty sheep cheese and chacha to wash it down! We stopped at a tiny bakery, one of many on this particular stretch of road. There were a couple of women baking and selling cheese as well. We picked grapes off the vine, and sat with at a small picnic table near the bakery with Nodar and Tamaz. It was one of the most entertaining lunches we had while in Georgia.
BRUNCH AT THE BAKERY





TRADITIONAL
WINE MAKING
AT OKRO IN SIGNAGHI 		The 2 main cities of Kakheti are Signaghi (also known as the City of Love), and Telavi. We visited both, but stayed for 2 nights right near Telavi. In Signaghi, we visited the Okro's Natural Winery and Restaurant, where we got a lesson in traditional Georgian wine making and then had lunch. Owner, John Okro speaks perfect English as he spent several years in England, and is very proud of the traditional Georgian wine making tradition. I was a little put off by John’s denigrating comments about wine made with other methods outside of Georgia, but this didn’t detract from the overall ambiance and welcoming atmosphere.
more about
signaghi

a lovely site about an interesting winery:
pheasant's tears

the hungry nomad
on signaghi

photo essay on signaghi visit

AT OKRO WINERY 		After the lecture by John, we went to the top floor, and had a wine tasting conducted by John’s wife (I think). The views of Signaghi and the surrounding countryside are spectacular. After the tasting, we had a light lunch. I don't remember what we had for lunch, but I do remember the wines, and the fantastic views in every direction. There are lots of wineries to visit in this area.
THE VIEW FROM
OKRO RESTAURANT


BODBE CONVENT

We also visited the Bodbe Convent which is located just outside of Signaghi. This site holds the relics and grave of St. Nino, one of the most important historical religious figures in Georgian Christianity. Despite many tourists, the site is a beautiful place to visit. It has an incredible view of the Alazani Valley and the snow-capped Caucasus mountains.



THE VIEW
AT SCHUCHMANN 		In Kakheti, we stayed 2 nights at the Schuchmann Wine Chateau, which is located in the tiny village of Kisiskhevi, a few KM away from Telavi. The hotel is beautiful and was built almost 10 years ago, although it looks like it was built yesterday. It has an excellent restaurant, and provides its guests with a free wine tour and tasting in the hotel's winery. There is also a “wine spa” and lovely views in every direction.

OUR ROOM
AT SCHUCHMANN 		That said, we were amazed at the deficiencies we found here. There are 2 floors, but no elevator. Lack of an elevator is not unusual in Georgia, but here, there are also no phones in the rooms – not even an in-house only phone. For every problem, (and there were a few), you have to walk down, and back up those 2 flights of stairs to get to the front desk, if you are on the second floor, like we were.
THE WINERY
AT SCHUCHMANN



3 TIERED SALAD
AT SCHUCHMANN 		There is no safe, no fridge or mini-bar, no shelf space in the bathroom for toiletries, the blackout curtains don’t black out the light, and the TV spoke only in Russian. There were no practical and useful drawers to put clothes in. (There was a dresser with some drawers, but it was clearly designed by someone who has no idea what hotel guests need.) Also, to get to the front desk or restaurant, you have to walk outside of the building, despite the fact that the rooms, the restaurant and the reception area are all in the same building. In addition, in our “deluxe” double room, it was impossible to lock the balcony door. We were told twice that it had been fixed, but it just wasn’t. This is one of the hightest rated hotels in the area, but we probably wouldn't stay here again.



WINE TASTING
AT SCHUCHMANN




Here are other places we visited in Kakheti:

AT TSINANDALI
Tsinandali Palace is a palace, a museum, beautiful gardens and even a winery. It was the home of 19th-century aristocratic poet Alexander Chavchavadze and is like nothing else we saw in Georgia.  It's built in a 19th-century style of classical architecture. Admission includes a short (maybe 30 minutes) guided tour and an optional wine tasting for an additional fee. It is a beautiful place and we saw a wedding party there for wedding pictures.
AT TSINANDALI


Gremi Fortress is located near the village of Gremi between Telavi and Kvareli. It's a historic building from the 16th century. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside there is an audio-visual presentation and a walk and a climb is possible inside and up to the top. I climbed all the way up and enjoyed the lovely views.
WEDDING PARTY
AT TSINANDALI

alAverdi cathedral 		Alaverdi Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was first built in the 11th century as the small church of St. George. Later it was rebuilt as a great Cathedral by Kakhetian King "Kvirike the Great". We strolled the impressive site, but couldn't go inside the church as there was a mass going on. (It was Sunday and we aren't orthodox Christians.)

khareba wine tunnels
Khareba Wine Tunnels in Kvareli is a must visit whether you like wine of not.  Khareba is one of the biggest wineries in Georgia. Their facility in Kvarelli is huge and beautiful and impressive. The operation is well oiled and runs very smoothly. They provide a tour of their wine tunnels which are several KM long, and then a tasting, for those who pay for it. They explain the traditional methods of Georgian wine making, although about half of their wine today is described as “European style”. The guide spoke clear English. The grounds are beautiful and there is a restaurant as well, and of course a wide selection of wines to buy if you are so inclined.
khareba wine tunnels










From our hotel in Telavi, we took the long drive to Kazbegi. To do this, we had to drive into the center of Tbilisi, and then north on the Georgian Military Highway. There is a bypass road which runs around and to the north of Tbilisi, but the road was closed (for a few months) for construction works, or repairs. In any case, the Georgian Military Highway is a beautiful ride. It runs north and south along the Aragvi River, and along the way, there is lots to see.


THE VIEW
AT ANANURI
BLOG ABOUT A VISIT TO ANANOURI

travel with pedro on the geor gian military highway
 There is a dam and a hydro-electric power plant, there are several small villages, there is the Ananouri Fortress, and the Gudauri Ski Resort. The Ananouri Fortress is A UNESCO World Heritage site, unlike any other we have been to. There is no entrance fee, no explanatory plaques, no roped off sections, no guard rails, no tours. People were climbing over everything and our guide felt it necessary to lecture a group who were taking pictures in a clearly dangerous spot.


HERE WE ARE AT GUDAURI 		The Gudauri Ski Resort is obviously a ski resort only in winter. The rest of the time, it's a beautiful spot in the mountains, with a very unusual monument nearby. It is the "Russian Georgian Friendship Monument". Knowing how the Georgians feel about the Russians, the whole idea of such a monument is almost comical.  It was built in 1983 to celebrate the bicentennial of the Treaty of Georgievsk and the "ongoing friendship" between Georgia and Soviet Russia. It's a surprise to me that the Georgians didn't tear it down in 1991.




RUSSIAN - GEORGIAN
FRIENDSHIP MONUMENT 		Despite these wonderful attractions along the way, the highlight of the ride was a tiny little restaurant we visited near the village of Passanouri. Our guide, Nodar wasn't really familiar with the place, but we stopped here for lunch. There were several other tourists who stopped here, and they didn't speak Georgian, so Nodar became the translator for everybody. All the cooks were women and they kept busy making the restaurant specialties - chatchpouri and khinkali.


RESTAURANT
IN PASSANOURI

It was fascinating watching them make the food - everything completely by hand. We enjoyed our visit here so much, we stopped by the next morning in the other direction and had a snack and coffee. Here we met a group of 8 lovely Moslim women from Dubai who were touring the area. They explained that their husbands were back in Tbilisi probably at the casino. Again, Nodar was the translator, although we chatted with them in English and Arabic. They knew we were from Israel. It was a very nice moment.




TRINITY CHURCH
FROM THE TOWN OF STEPINTSMINDA 		The main destination in this area is the town of Stepintsminda, formerly known as Kazbegi. Here is the Gergeti Trinity Church, perched high on a mountaintop, and attracting tourists from all over the world, and providing livelihood for the entire town. It was built in the 14th century, but not much is known about its history. The only way to get up to the church is by hiking, or taking one of the many 4 wheel drive vehicles driven by the local drivers. The ride is a real experience as the road barely exists. Once on top, the views are amazing and the church complex is fascinating. Here's a site with some amazing pictures of this incredible church.

THE "PARKING LOT"
AT TRINITY CHURCH

GETTING CLOSE
TO GERGETI TRINITY CHURCH

MONKS OVERSEEING
ROOF TARRING
AT TRINITY CHURCH
While in Stepintsminda we stayed at the Stepintsminda Hotel which is a simple but adequate hotel right in the center of town and with the river in its backyard. We paid for 1 night in advance, and the lady at the desk spoke only Russian (and I assume Georgian). Breakfast was very weak - there wasn't even ready made coffee.




The only restaurant we ate at here was called Khevi, and it was surprisingly good. It is also located right in the center,  and we enjoyed our dinner here. I should add that there's not much of a center here - a few hotels, a few restaurants, a taxi stand and several money changers. To the right a picture  of the quail dish Alisa ordered (and enjoyed) at Khevi.

QUAIL AT KHEVI










UPLISTSIKHE
CAVE CITY
We left Stepintsminda in the morning and it was really, really foggy. We could barely see the road at the higher altitudes. We were on our way to Borjomi. On the way we stopped in Gori and the Uplistsikhe Cave City (located near Gori). This was a fascinating place to visit. It is an ancient cave city which was prominent around 1000 B.C. It has several levels and entails some climbing up and down. It's all made of sandstone and the strong winds on the top cause the sand to swirl all about. I had to hold on to my hat and shield my eyes from the sand.



STALIN MUSEUM
IN GORI 		In Gori, we visited the Stalin Museum, which was "entertaining". This is the most popular attraction in Gori (maybe the only one). From our conversations with Georgians, I don’t think the fact that Joseph Stalin was a Georgian is a point of national pride. That’s what makes this museum somewhat of a riddle. Does it exist to commemorate Stalin, display his excesses, or (most likely) just to attract tourists? In any case, the material is presented in a fairly impartial and objective manner. His life and legacy are displayed, with many pictures and artifacts. It makes for an interesting visit.

ALISA WITH
UNCLE JOE

In Gori we ate at the Sports Cafe. This restaurant is located right in the center of Gori and just around the corner from the Stalin Museum. Here we had our usual meal of chatzpouri, khinkhali and chicken barbeque. We also had a tasty dish of spicy roasted potatoes. The only problem here was that many items on the menu were not available. On the other hand, everything was cheap and tasty.




IN BORJOMI PARK
WITH TAMAZ AND NODAR 		After Gori, we continued to Borjomi, a pleasant little town located right next to a nature reserve. Borjomi is best known for its naturally carbonated spring water which is sold all over Georgia (and outside of Georgia). It is supposed to have theraputic powers, and we really liked it. It has a strong carbonization and is quite salty, and it kept our stomachs feeling good.


In Borjomi, we stayed for 2 nights at the Victoria Panorama Guest House, which though called a guest house, was definitely a hotel. We liked this place. It was a pleasant surprise. It’s a fairly new hotel and is located in a very “down-to-earth” neighborhood, but just 5-minutes walk from the center of Borjomi. The room was large and the hotel had all the facilities we needed - air conditioner, TV, fridge and strong WiFi. There were great views from the room, and surprisingly, the desk is open 24 hours a day. Breakfast was fine, and the tomatoes we ate were growing right outside the hotel.

OUR ROOM
IN BORJOMI




In Borjomi, we visited the local park, called "Borjomi Central Park" which has freely flowing Borjomi water on tap, and visited 3 other sites in the area. Here they are below:

Khertvisi Fortress is one of the oldest fortresses in Georgia. Its history isn't too clear. It's been rebuilt several times and it hasn't been restored. There's not much to see. We trudged up the hill and looked at it from below, and continued on our way. It's located on the way to the Vardzia cave City which is far more impressive. Here's a site with some good pictures.


VARDZIA CAVE CITY 		Vardzia Cave City is a special place, located about 100 KM south of Borjomi. This is truly an amazing cave city, with 13 floors, hidden tunnels and 6000 living units. You can hike up from the valley floor, or pay a few Lari for a ride on the shuttle bus which goes up and down all day. Most people go up on the shuttle (or walk) and hike through the cave dwellings and then descend through a tunnel in the mountain. We got there at lunch time, after a long ride and it was hot. So, I went up on the shuttle, had a look around and then came back down. a site with great pictures of vardzia

hanna travels: blog on a visit to vardzia with great pictures

pilot guides on vardzia


At Vardzia, we enjoyed lunch more than the cave city. At the foot of the mountain is a restaurant, called "Cafe Vardzia". It's located right on the river and has a lovely ambiance, and has several different fish dishes on the menu. As I said above, we enjoyed lunch.
CAFE VARDZIA
ON THE WATER
RABATI FORTRESS

Rabati Fortress, located in the town of Akhaltsikhe, is last in this list for a reason. It was the most beautiful site we visited. It has lots of history, and is the most significant restoration project done in Georgia in the last 10 years.  It's located about halfway between Borjomi and Vardzia, so we visited it on the way.  Check out facts and lots of pictures of this absolutely gorgeous site here and here. It's a beautiful site with several levels and structures and the only word I can find to describe it is "stunning". My pictures to the left and right.
RABATI FORTRESS




BORJOMI
SYNAGOGUE 		One other thing we did in Borjomi was to visit the local synagogue. We actually visited 4 different synagogues in Georgia, but this one left the most lasting impression. A call was made by a neighbor to the caretaker, named Shimon Levi, and he came to open the synagogue. He spoke simple Hebrew and explained that he was one of four Jews remaining in the city. (I think that's what he explained.) The synagogue was well maintained, and he said that there were services now and then when a tourist group of Jews came through who expressed an interest.










From Borjomi, we drove to Kutaisi, the second biggest city in Georgia. It may be the country's second city, but it has less than 20% of the population of Tbilisi, and there's a big difference between the European atmosphere in Tbilisi as opposed to that of Kutaisi, which is quite backward in comparison.

PICKLED VEGETABLES
AT KHASHURI MARKET


ALISA WITH FRIEND 		On the way to Kutaisi, we made several interesting stops. We visited the food market in the town of Khashuri, where Alisa made friends with the local vendors. We stopped in the town of Zestoni, which is like one big truck stop, with coffee shops along the road one after the other. This is the center of the country and the main road from Tbilisi to the country's second city, Kutaisi.  We stopped at road side stands and bought corn and nazuki, a mildly sweet variety of Georgian bread. The nazuki is sold (and probably made) at many roadside stands near the village of Surami (I think).  Here's the recipe. It was a very entertaining ride.



KHASHURI MARKET OVERVIEW




GELATI GUEST HOUSE 		In Kutaisi, we stayed at the Gelati Guest House, which turned out to be a huge surprise. It turned out that the owners of this guest house lived in Israel for several years, and were very happy to speak Hebrew with us. Lucy, the lady of the house, also speaks very good English. We were only there for 1 night, but Lucy made us feel at home. In the morning, she made us a fabulous Georgian – Israeli breakfast for us. The house itself is remarkable. It’s huge, and the interior is beautifully painted and decorated. There is even a small conference room on the second floor. The room was large and everything worked properly. 
GELATI GUEST HOUSE




In or near Kutaisi, we visited the following places:


BAGRATI
CATHEDRAL 		Bagrati Cathedral, located not far from the center of town is an 11th century cathedral which has suffered significant damage and deterioration over the centuries. In 1994, together with Gelati Cathedral (described below) was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and extensive restoration work was begun. Unfortunately, these works were not seen favorably by UNESCO, which described them as threatening the integrity and authenticity of the site. The restoration was also seen as being too modern. Read about the controversy here and here.  These are articles from 2011 and 2012. I couldn't find thing more current .


Gelati Cathedral is located high above the city of Kutaisi, and has lovely views of the area. It is a collection of churches built in the 12th and 13th centuries. The inside of the main chapel is quite beautiful with lovely frescoes. Gelati was an important spiritual center in Georgia, and today is best known as the burial place of one is best known leaders, David the Builder.  There is extensive restoration work going on.

INSIDE GELATI
CATHEDRAL

MOTSAMETA 		Motsameta Monastery is also high up above Kutaisi wiith incredible cliff hugging views. It requires a 10-15 minute walk uphill to get to it, and maybe that's why there weren't many visitors while we were there. I found it to be the one of most interesting and appealing of the churches and monasteries we visited in Georgia. It was also peaceful and quiet.





DINOSAUR WITH COWS AT SATAPLIA RESERVE
(THE COWS ARE REAL!) 		Sataplia Nature Reserve was the last place we visited in the Kutaisi area before we took the long ride back to Tbilisi. This nature reserve is like a 3-ring circus. Dinosaur footprints were found here a few years ago and to house and display them, a walk-through pavilion was built. The wooded park itself is lovely to stroll through and there are dinosaur models with explanations throughout the park. There is also a cavern with stalagmites and stalactites. Last but not least is a glass bottomed observation deck at the end of the visit. This was one of the more impressive places we visited in Georgia, as it was really well developed and well maintained. Here is a site with a great collection of pictures of Sataplia.

GLASS OBSERVATION DECK AT SATAPLIA







A GEORGIAN DICTIONARY INCLUDING AUDIO

8 REASONS TO VISIT GEORGIA

25 REASONS TO VISIT GEORGIA

A FEW MORE REASONS TO VISIT GEORGIA

A VISIT TO KAKHETI, GEORGIA'S WINE REGION

A VISIT TO SVANETTI IN THE HIGH CAUCASUS

THE NEXT BIG FOOD AND WINE DESTINATION

ABOUT GEORGIA

EURASIA TRAVEL - GEORGIA







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