The ride from Yusufeli to our bush camp just up from the Georgian border was full of contrasts: pine forests, open mountains, tall cliffs with rocks pushed up into strange shapes. I arrived after 105 km to discover that before being able to put up the tents the group had had to chase away a large herd of cows. The cows all returned about 10.30 pm when we were all trying to get to sleep. There was half an hour of frantic shouting from the herdsman and campers as we tried to stop the cows marauding though the tents. The other highlight was watching the young men of the local encampment on their way home from work, galloping across the open plains on young horses carrying a razor sharp scythe in their hands which they had been using to cut down the fresh grass. We also got our first rain, thunder storm really with a glorious display of lightening on the horizon and heavy rain: less fun if you were still on the road though. We were also really high 2500 meters, it got really cold at night, don’t remember signing up for rain and cold as well as everything else. The stars though at night were breathtaking.
The next day was the first border crossing from Turkey to Georgia. Mike got miles of glorious downhill after yesterday’s climbing and everyone had a smile on their faces at the border. I took the bus to the border to meet my tour guide/driver to take me to Tbilisi to pick up the kids. The crossing went off without a hitch with no visa required and no searches done. My guide was lovely a young law student, Tamara who told me a huge amount about the country. We stopped in Bonjormi a popular spa town with an international trade in the local spring water which tastes of heavy sodium, an acquired taste. The roads from the border were atrocious and no better than farm tracks. Mike was also shocked by the state of some of the villages which he said were worse that some parts of Africa. The kids arrived at 10.30 pm, it was so great to see them.
The next day (18th August) the kids and I went to see the museum of the most famous person of the city of Gori, 60 km out of Tbilisi: Joseph Stalin. The house where he was born, his school books and poems are preserved in a magnificent park and museum. You can also visit his private bullet proof train which was built in the 1930’s and has a full conference room, various bedrooms and a bathroom complete with a full bath. We couldn’t read much of the labels but there was no doubt that he was very highly regarded by the locals which for us was a bit incongruous. On the way back we stopped off at a 9th century village created out of a sandstone hillside. It was a really extensive development with some quite ornate carvings above temple doors.
It was a day of contrasts: an ancient village, a notorious dictator’s birthplace, abject poverty in the countryside and then modern Tbilisi just down the road from the hotel. When the Soviets left in 1991 they just left. The main employer in the area, the decision makers for everything from what to grow to what to teach the children just left and some areas have never recovered. Factories which employed 10’s for thousands of people making tractors or planes shut down, and so far very little has been brought to the countryside to replace it. They are living at below subsistence level selling eggs and watermelon to earn a living. The houses are in appalling conditions and we could understand why so many were moving into Tbilisi.
Tbilisi was by contract becoming quite a modern city with masses new buildings and huge efforts to attract visitors with every second building plot containing the skeleton of a new hotel. In the main square the gold statue of St George on top of a huge column had only been in place for 15 days. The streets have been made safer at night so it safe to wander around and the police have stated to be paid a living wage reducing the need to issue you with spot fines. The old part was however very run down and unlike Prague where the old city has been beautifully restored here it is badly neglected.
The river runs through the centre and just down the road from our hotel there was a wonderful clutch of restaurants and galleries which felt just like Covent Garden though you wouldn’t be able to go for a Sulphur bath immediately after eating in London. Hans said he had been once, you shower in sulphur water, then get scrubbed with a loofa and then bath in warm sulphur water: you stink for days.
The kids and I spent all the next day, Sunday visiting churches, ranging from the oldest to the newest. The oldest one just outside Tbilisi where Christianity in Georgia started was beautiful and overlooked two rivers and some lovely mountains. Our guide pointed out the now dismantled Soviet base in the valley below and told us the mountain used to open up so airplanes could land, it wasn’t working now, not sure we believed him. Some had beautiful frescos while others were quite plain. As it was Sunday there were always lots of people inside and out. Most brought fruit and lit candles. There were no seats and there did not seem to be a minister conducting a service. People just stood around, kissed the building or artifact inside and read from a devotional book, all the while a choir was singing behind some curtains. Our guide was not too helpful limiting his remarks sometimes to “its church”, “its hotel”. The newest, largest church had just been finished in Tbilisi itself, the plaster inside almost still wet and waiting for the appointment of the fresco painter.
We then headed off to meet Mike after his cycle into Tbilisi at the usual Tour D’Afrique hotel, on the outside of town, off a motorway with no facilities for miles. 4 rooms were available for showers and loos but the campsite was on the stoney back garden among broken down cars. We waited for ages but eventually Mike arrived after a 10km convoy lead by the local police, which unfortunately didn’t prevent Rachel getting knocked off her bike by a driver who saw what he’d done and scarpered.
Mike was exhausted but happy to join us touring Georgia. We travelled up to Kasbegi the highest point in the country past a lovely reservoir for the city’s drinking water which was also a popular swimming spot. It was overlooked by an almost fairy tale pretty fortress and church. We then drove off into the mountains with beautiful views and hairy climbs. On the way we were shown the most amazing sight half a mountain side covered in shimmering yellow cream rock. When we got closer the guide explained this was a spring heavily laden with iron which caused these strange deposits. We spend ages climbing up the streams of water and taking photographs. The water is meant to be good for you but it was like drinking warm blood. We eventually got to Kasbegi to be told we could take a hike for 1.5 hours up a steep incline to the top of the mountain. We all said no thanks and headed back down to lunch.
The next day was the first border crossing from Turkey to Georgia. Mike got miles of glorious downhill after yesterday’s climbing and everyone had a smile on their faces at the border. I took the bus to the border to meet my tour guide/driver to take me to Tbilisi to pick up the kids. The crossing went off without a hitch with no visa required and no searches done. My guide was lovely a young law student, Tamara who told me a huge amount about the country. We stopped in Bonjormi a popular spa town with an international trade in the local spring water which tastes of heavy sodium, an acquired taste. The roads from the border were atrocious and no better than farm tracks. Mike was also shocked by the state of some of the villages which he said were worse that some parts of Africa. The kids arrived at 10.30 pm, it was so great to see them.
The next day (18th August) the kids and I went to see the museum of the most famous person of the city of Gori, 60 km out of Tbilisi: Joseph Stalin. The house where he was born, his school books and poems are preserved in a magnificent park and museum. You can also visit his private bullet proof train which was built in the 1930’s and has a full conference room, various bedrooms and a bathroom complete with a full bath. We couldn’t read much of the labels but there was no doubt that he was very highly regarded by the locals which for us was a bit incongruous. On the way back we stopped off at a 9th century village created out of a sandstone hillside. It was a really extensive development with some quite ornate carvings above temple doors.
It was a day of contrasts: an ancient village, a notorious dictator’s birthplace, abject poverty in the countryside and then modern Tbilisi just down the road from the hotel. When the Soviets left in 1991 they just left. The main employer in the area, the decision makers for everything from what to grow to what to teach the children just left and some areas have never recovered. Factories which employed 10’s for thousands of people making tractors or planes shut down, and so far very little has been brought to the countryside to replace it. They are living at below subsistence level selling eggs and watermelon to earn a living. The houses are in appalling conditions and we could understand why so many were moving into Tbilisi.
Tbilisi was by contract becoming quite a modern city with masses new buildings and huge efforts to attract visitors with every second building plot containing the skeleton of a new hotel. In the main square the gold statue of St George on top of a huge column had only been in place for 15 days. The streets have been made safer at night so it safe to wander around and the police have stated to be paid a living wage reducing the need to issue you with spot fines. The old part was however very run down and unlike Prague where the old city has been beautifully restored here it is badly neglected.
The river runs through the centre and just down the road from our hotel there was a wonderful clutch of restaurants and galleries which felt just like Covent Garden though you wouldn’t be able to go for a Sulphur bath immediately after eating in London. Hans said he had been once, you shower in sulphur water, then get scrubbed with a loofa and then bath in warm sulphur water: you stink for days.
The kids and I spent all the next day, Sunday visiting churches, ranging from the oldest to the newest. The oldest one just outside Tbilisi where Christianity in Georgia started was beautiful and overlooked two rivers and some lovely mountains. Our guide pointed out the now dismantled Soviet base in the valley below and told us the mountain used to open up so airplanes could land, it wasn’t working now, not sure we believed him. Some had beautiful frescos while others were quite plain. As it was Sunday there were always lots of people inside and out. Most brought fruit and lit candles. There were no seats and there did not seem to be a minister conducting a service. People just stood around, kissed the building or artifact inside and read from a devotional book, all the while a choir was singing behind some curtains. Our guide was not too helpful limiting his remarks sometimes to “its church”, “its hotel”. The newest, largest church had just been finished in Tbilisi itself, the plaster inside almost still wet and waiting for the appointment of the fresco painter.
We then headed off to meet Mike after his cycle into Tbilisi at the usual Tour D’Afrique hotel, on the outside of town, off a motorway with no facilities for miles. 4 rooms were available for showers and loos but the campsite was on the stoney back garden among broken down cars. We waited for ages but eventually Mike arrived after a 10km convoy lead by the local police, which unfortunately didn’t prevent Rachel getting knocked off her bike by a driver who saw what he’d done and scarpered.
Mike was exhausted but happy to join us touring Georgia. We travelled up to Kasbegi the highest point in the country past a lovely reservoir for the city’s drinking water which was also a popular swimming spot. It was overlooked by an almost fairy tale pretty fortress and church. We then drove off into the mountains with beautiful views and hairy climbs. On the way we were shown the most amazing sight half a mountain side covered in shimmering yellow cream rock. When we got closer the guide explained this was a spring heavily laden with iron which caused these strange deposits. We spend ages climbing up the streams of water and taking photographs. The water is meant to be good for you but it was like drinking warm blood. We eventually got to Kasbegi to be told we could take a hike for 1.5 hours up a steep incline to the top of the mountain. We all said no thanks and headed back down to lunch.
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