Georgia 2023

21 June 2023. Wednesday.

And once again — gamarjoba, Georgia! Friendly, welcoming, green! With picturesque hills, elegant little houses — “villas” — and warm rain. It sent me off with rain, and it welcomed me back the same way, but I was ready this time. Finally pulled out the rain cover for my backpack — it came in handy! As did the raincoat. All it took was the plane (“Amangali”) giving a little wing wobble on the approach for me to see and recognise once again the emerald landscape of this garden country.
Kutaisi Airport is completely transparent, like an aquarium — as if it were a sign of openness. The shuttle bus, for 20 GEL (1 lari = 171 tenge), took me to Makhinjauri in two hours, to the same TJ Guest House where I stayed last time, two years ago. Nostalgia. In the dark and rain I got lost, not immediately finding the right little serpentine road climbing steeply into the hills. And Café “Veranda” stands closed, half dismantled. Ah, what a shame! But they say it will open again.

In the evening (“late-evening”), I drank some delicious grape compote in the kitchen-veranda and listened to the guests’ conversations. Tomorrow I’m off to Batumi. Need to sleep — two hours’ time difference from home.

22 June 2023. Thursday. Batumi.

Went swimming first thing in the morning. Cloudy. The sea was grey-lead-coloured, murky, noisy! Big waves, deep water. But what a smell!…
The shore is covered with flat, rounded pebbles, like big buttons. The water is fresh and invigorating, but it’s warm on the shore. Behind me they are building “Veranda”.)

Found another café by the shore, a little farther away; prices are normal! You can eat for around 20 GEL. I had a big khachapuri and fresh lemonade. Delicious!
Got to Batumi by marshrutka, for 70 tetri. You have to catch it with your hand, wave it down so it stops. Got a city map, a guidebook, and a transport card for the bus (they give them out free at the office at 55 Gorgasali Street.
Bought some fruit — blackberries, peaches, and my favourite honey-sweet apricots. Very tasty, absolutely gorgeous! And cheaper than at home.
Walked around a lot. Went into the Batumi Art Museum — several dozen paintings by local artists, but still interesting! There are beautiful marble statues too — so smooth! Entrance was 6 lari.
Endless parks and promenade areas. Old eucalyptus trees, bamboo thickets, flowers, curvy statues — beautiful!
It’s such a pleasure to walk around here, if only I had company…

And the weather is “lucky” again — cold as hell! Overcast, and on the shore the wind drives huge, powerful waves. I only went in for a couple of minutes — a wave washed over me, and I hurried back to shore. It can literally knock you off your feet. Had lunch in a café beyond the promenade — “tree mushroom” with sour cream, French fries and fruit tea — 40 lari. By the shore in Makhinjauri it’s cheaper and more filling.

Took the bus back; at 7:30 pm it was absolutely packed. All the clasps on my little shoulder bag had opened — yikes. I had my suspicions about one guy who kept rubbing up against the passengers. Good thing nothing was missing.
In the evening I had dinner again at the morning café, to the roar of (the surf and) music. And rain — it poured again. Shashlik — pork, not bad, but no sauces, though they did give me a lemon. Had dinner with two shaggy freeloaders — dogs sitting there, looking into my mouth, waiting for their share. Of course I treated them.)
My flip-flops squeak terribly when they get wet. As I walked up to the guesthouse, all the local dogs started barking at one another.
By the way, my room suddenly turns out to have an entire bear skin on the wall.

23 June 2023. Friday. Okatse and Martvili Canyons. And hot springs.

At 9 a.m. I set off on the excursion; the minibus picked me up right at the turn to Amagleba. The driver-guide was pleasant, sociable, and a good storyteller! There were six tourists: Dasha and Diana from Latvia, Natalia from Belarus, another guy, Max, with Yulia (probably his aunt or grandmother), and me. We drove with the breeze, along the coast to Poti (a port city), past tea plantations, then turned towards Kutaisi. Georgia — a garden country! The weather was wonderful!

On the way to Okatse Canyon (separate entrance fee, 17.25), we walked 2 km through a forest-park area. Middle-earth in the flesh! Moss-covered thick trunks, gnarled roots… as if we had suddenly found ourselves in Fangorn Forest. “The main thing is not to leave the trail!” Metal walkways hang over the abyss, in places 140 m deep. But what views all around! Mesmerising… Part of the way back we travelled by off-road vehicle, along a steep, rocky serpentine road. And cows often stand right on the highways; drivers skilfully dodge around them. The cows don’t even move.
Then lunch at a café. I ordered fried trout with bazhe walnut sauce and Natakhtari lemonade. Delicious! Spent 34 lari. And on the way back from Okatse I even dozed off for a bit.
Next they took us to Martvili Canyon (everything is close by there). An amazing place! A shady, overgrown gorge with a raging, rapid-filled stream at the bottom. A magical place. The water thunders its way along the bottom beneath a dense canopy of mossy branches. You keep expecting a dragon to fly in there for a drink, or dryads to emerge from the forest.

They didn’t take us out on the boats because the current was too strong after the recent rains. Well, we were impressed enough anyway.
On the way back I bought myself a “Sakartvelo” (“Georgia”) cap for 20 lari. My Emirati one can have a rest).
At the end we also went to some hot springs, between Koni and Senaki. Sulphur-hydrogen water, 70°C, pours down a cliff towards the Tekhuri River, a mountain river.

We sat there under the cliff, warming ourselves beneath the hot streams, like little monkeys in winter baths in natural hot pools. You can’t stay in for long, but about 15 minutes is good)) We really warmed up.
The hot water forms white deposits beneath the cliff, almost making a grotto.
We got back at 8:20 p.m. Went swimming at dusk, and hardly even got cold.
The sunset over the sea was beautiful, bronze and steel. Sat on the unfinished “Veranda”, to the music of the sea. A light rain was falling.

24 June, Saturday. Batumi. Scooters and roaming around.

Finally clear and sunny! The weather is cheering me up. In the morning I headed to Batumi and rented a scooter — Jet (about 20 lari an hour). Convenient! Rode all the way to the farthest end of the promenade, by the runway. Swam and sunbathed. The stones were hot from the sun — bliss. Watching the planes, I bought a cup of cherries for 10 GEL, outrageously expensive. Rode back with the wind in my face; in places the scooter goes 20, even 25 km/h. Had mullet for lunch on the Makhinjauri waterfront. Lots of bread, tasty! The fish was small.

I wanted to go to Ureki after lunch, but, as usual, I got lost. Had to go to Batumi, drag my backpack to the old bus station (the marshrutkas leave from there, not from Batumi Central). In the end I only left at 8 p.m., for 7 lari. And dinner at the canteen cost just 8 lari.
We passed Kobuleti with its longest street in Europe. And Ureki really does have a sandy magnetic beach. And very cheap fruit! It got colder in the evening.

25 June 2023. Sunday. Magnetiti and Kutaisi.

Magnetiti Beach in Ureki — the best! Black sand, shallow water, lively little waves rolling in. Warm, lovely! But the wind is fresh. Even lying on the sand, I got pretty badly sunburned.
Guria is the region, the homeland of Shevarshidze. And Guesthouse MAKA is on Guria Street, 53. A big, solid house, and the hostess is very welcoming.
The fruit really is cheap. About 1.5 kg of cherries and apricots (my favourite honey-sweet ones) cost only 8 lari altogether! And peaches are just 4 lari a kilo. Interestingly, they even sell mangoes and avocados here.
I ate my fill of fruit. Sitting by the sea in the morning, eating a peach — that’s what a holiday is).

For once, there were lots of swimmers. Vendors walk along the shore. You can hear the drawn-out cry: “A-BA-BULKI! (=loaf) BULKIII!…” And also: “Hot corn!”
At Café “Sunset” I tried Adjarian khachapuri (ate the whole thing, completely stuffed myself) and feijoa compote. Delicious, almost too delicious.
At lunchtime I headed back. Goodbye, Dear Black Sea!
In the case of Ureki, the best way to get there is by catching a passing marshrutka. I should have caught one from Batumi and simply got off on the highway; it’s not far from there.
Got to Kutaisi for 15 lari. Heat, I completely overheated (just imagine! In Batumi I was freezing). Taxi to the hotel — another 10 lari. Better to take the buses, but all the routes are in Georgian, so you have to check them on Yandex in advance.
For 40 lari — a real hotel, in the old town. Hilly, steep, narrow cobbled streets, like in Istanbul. I had time for a walk: saw the Colchis Fountain with its golden ensemble of hooved animals, the central park, and the white pedestrian bridge. There are lots of metal statues around, on the themes of cinema and theatre. Took the cable car up to Bessarion Gabashvili Culture and Recreation Park for 1 lari. The elevation difference is about 50 m, the cable car is only about 300 m long. Lots of entertainment for children in the park. Even a carousel with horses straight out of a picture.

Climbed up to Bagrati Cathedral, restored throughout the 20th century. Behind it are high fortress walls. The view over the city from there is wonderful. What a panorama! Although climbing around the ruins is unsafe, nobody forbids it, strangely enough. Admired the city panorama to percussion music. And on the White Bridge, someone was actually playing a musical box.

26 June 2023. Monday. Kutaisi and Prometheus Cave.

In the morning I walked to the Red Bridge, the one just north of Rustaveli. The Georgian cuisine café is styled like a cave. Nice in the heat. Apparently I’m having a cave-themed day today).
Ordered kalakuri khinkali (with coriander) and pomegranate juice — delicious.
People write online that khinkali can’t cost more than a lari apiece, but here they were 1.25. Tasty and filling, but you don’t always manage to eat them properly: the broth spills out and your hands end up covered in it.
Right there I caught Marshrutka No. 30 and went to Tskaltubo, for only 2 lari. It’s 12–14 km from Kutaisi. From there marshrutka No. 42 goes to the cave on demand, for 3 lari, but there were no other passengers. The driver took me alone in his Mercedes. There — 5 lari, back — 10. The cave excursion itself, including the boat ride, costs 40 lari (23 + 17.25). The cave is impressive! A real underground ensemble of stalactites and halls, passages and descents. You feel like a dwarf in an underground kingdom. The underground walk lasted more than half an hour, and we floated along the river for about five minutes. But the impressions are vivid! In places the ceilings are low; they even handed out helmets. It’s chilly inside the cave, while outside it’s scorching.

On the way back I walked around Tskaltubo, in the park with its healing springs. The park is enormous, taking up half of Tskaltubo. And there are hardly any people. Lots of larches, as well as palms and oaks. I saw fabulous, majestic trees with dark, gnarled, moss-covered branches. Rested under them on a bench.

In Kutaisi I moved to another hostel — a very lovely place! Very cheap, cosy, curtains between the beds. And breakfast is free! (Even though the accommodation costs about the price of breakfast.) Miracles. The hospitable hostess Nino treated me to homemade wine and a plate of watermelon pieces. Wonderful place, and close to the centre. FORREST Hostel, 92 Tbilisi Street. I also met a fellow countryman, Rakhim from Shchuchinsk, a pastry chef. He’s flying to Poland tomorrow. Nice to have a chat!
In the evening clouds rolled in, but outside it was warm and pleasant. Bamboo benches in the garden. Tomorrow I’m going to Tbilisi.

27 June 2023. Hello, Tbilisi!

There was a strong thunderstorm at night. The roar of the water was so loud it felt as if I were sleeping under a waterfall. In the morning I sat on the veranda, listened to the rain, stroked the cat. And called Alina..) And the cat bit me, the little devil.
Went to the railway station — it’s close by — and bought a train ticket, only 8 lari. It runs once a day, at 12:15. Only two carriages, compartments. The carriages aren’t new, but they’re okay. As one fellow passenger — a Polish woman from Germany — said, they were too dirty and smelly; trains like these would never be allowed onto the line there. So — depends who you ask.
In general, it seemed that only tourists were taking the train — foreigners with big backpacks, travellers with bicycles.
We travelled for five hours, really long. The views outside gradually changed from garden-green and emerald to drier, yellowish landscapes, already looking more like our part of the world.
We passed forested mountains and rivers. There were long tunnels; the longest was a whopping 8.5 km!
The railway station in Tbilisi is big; you can immediately feel that it’s the capital. It turned out my hostel (which also doubles as a hotel) was very close to the station; I got there by bus in five minutes. Paid by Visa, 1.5 lari.
Convenient! But it’s better to get a Metromani card.
In the evening I went out for dinner and somehow ended up in a restaurant. Ordered a “Madame Bovary” casserole with pork fillet, potatoes, sauce and mushrooms. Delicious!
Walked along Rustaveli Avenue.
On my first encounter, Tbilisi appeared to me as a young, lively, energetic city with interesting architecture and plenty of entertainment.
In every hidden corner you can find endless graffiti. The courtyards resemble back alleys. And the side streets are poorly lit. People are out everywhere, walking and relaxing. In a park I saw fountains flush with the ground, with illuminated jets shooting up from the pavement at random. Children run through them, taking their chances, and a dog with them — just for company. What a playground!

28 June 2023. Wednesday. Walks and encounters! Old Town.

I’m writing in my diary at half past one at night, on the sofa, in the dark. Time to sleep, but I want to write down the impressions today, while they are still so vivid.
In the morning I asked around about ways to get acquainted with the city. They advised me to start with the Old Town and take the red metro line to Avlabari station. So that’s what I did. Bought a Metromani card; with it you can use any public transport. Got there for 1 lari. The Tbilisi metro is old, well-worn, deep underground. The escalators race incredibly fast.
Bought a few little gifts and postcards for friends in a souvenir shop. About 50 lari, not too expensive.
The Kura River divides the city into two parts; the water in it is brown and murky.
It’s very hot and sunny today. Cooled myself down with a fruit-and-berry cocktail (13 lari) in a tiny café in the Old Town with secluded little rooms.

Tbilisi Old Town — winding streets on the hills, narrow hidden passages, beautiful houses.
Loads of tourists, cafés and souvenir shops; everything is more expensive than elsewhere, even the exchange rate.

Climbed up to Narikala Fortress and found a souvenir coin. The views from here are magnificent! Tbilisi spreads out below, as if in the palm of your hand. Climbed onto the fortress ruins, where I met two very nice girls, Megan and Kanusin (Rose) from South Africa. We headed off together after that))

We walked through Rike Park with its huge balloon, flowers and trees leaning over the benches like figures in long robes; crossed the Peace Bridge, all wavy and lace-like. Live peacocks were sitting on the railings there. We tried bubble tea (I had “Blue Dragon”) — such funny little balls at the bottom, like they were made of dough. They give you a special thick straw to drink them with. We went into Median Bazar — a tunnel-market shaped like a small underground street, with souvenirs and antiques. We got to taste honey for free; I liked the one with spices).

Wandering through the narrow streets, we reached the National Museum of Georgia via Freedom Square, where for 30 lari we got acquainted with the country’s wildlife, archaeology and history. From Australopithecus skulls to stuffed fish and collections of beetles and butterflies, from samurai armour to an exhibition on the Soviet occupation of Georgia — they had everything there. And then it was time to say goodbye. Tomorrow my companions have an excursion to Kakheti for a wine tasting, for 60 lari, and another one the day after tomorrow, to Armenia. They don’t leave until Sunday, while I leave the day after tomorrow, on the 30th.
The girls are very cheerful and inventive when it comes to taking cool photos. They took a funny photo with a stuffed beluga)) Megan is a real little firecracker, carefree and full of fun)
Megan works in Dubai, at an advertising agency, and tries to travel a lot. Kanusin is a piano teacher from Spain and loves the sea. I’d be happy to see them again!

After six I met Vadim at Freedom Square, by the little fountain. On the way there, in the narrow streets, I again saw a sea of graffiti, Ukrainian flags and inscriptions. The most common were “Fuck Russia” and “Fuck Putin”. Although on my previous visit to Batumi I had only seen “Fuck LGBT”. The agenda has clearly changed XD. And everywhere there are arched nooks and crannies, “portals into poverty”, as Vadim aptly put it.
Vadim looks almost Georgian himself) We sat down, ate at a little restaurant (I had meat-filled pancakes and lemonade), and walked a lot. Vadim showed me a couple of hidden places you would never find just by passing by. One, up the stairs to the Upper Betlemi Church (Betlemi Rise), the other, to the left of the Metekhi Bridge, behind the sulphur baths — a real gorge with a waterfall, right in the middle of the city!
And in the square in front of Median Bazar, as night falls, music and dancing begin. We walked in Rike Park (Raine?). The Peace Bridge at night is shimmering all over with white lights — beautiful! We took the cable car for 2.5 lari up to the Mother of Georgia statue. The view from there is incredible! Everything glowing with lights. And then it started to rain, with distant lightning visible… We saw the hot-air balloon flying. We took the metro back after 11 p.m. Vadim lives not far from my hostel. My legs are buzzing from all the walking.
A wonderful day! Full of beautiful encounters, new people and impressions))

29 June 2023. Thursday. A short day and the Tbilisi TV Tower.

I slept until 11:30, completely exhausted. The day started late. I also had to buy extra baggage for my flight to Baku; altogether I spent 85 euros (50 for the flight itself +35 for baggage). Not cheap at all.
The girls left on a one-day trip to Armenia (only 60 lari!) I really regret missing the chance to go with them. Megan and Kanusin are great, simply wonderful and so full of joy!
Walked for a long time with my hostel neighbour — along Rustaveli, to the Old Town and back. I showed him the gorge with the waterfall behind the baths. He’s been here for six months but didn’t know about the place. In daylight it looks even more impressive. Padlocks on the railings of the bridges over the stream, and high cliffs with a waterfall. It’s hard to imagine you’re in a city, let alone just two steps from the tourist centre. There was also a peacock wandering around, showing off its spread tail. Strutting) Though it kept its back to the spectators the whole time.
The guy I was walking with is from Vladikavkaz, from Ossetia. Like many others, a refugee from the regime. Works on construction sites as a labourer, earning 700–1500 lari a month.
As everywhere, every hidden corner is covered in graffiti. Lots of flags — Ukrainian, EU and Georgian, in that order of popularity.
In the evening, after 7, I took a bus to Mtatsminda Park, on the mountain near the TV tower. The road is long and serpentine. Coniferous forest all around.
The park is very entertaining, with lots to see. From “Jurassic Park” to a wax museum. Lots of rides for children. And coniferous forest all around.
You can take the bus back at 11 p.m.; there’s also a funicular for 5 lari. The views over the city are lovely! It would have been great to come here with the girls, but they returned late, and tomorrow they’re going to Kakheti for a wine tasting.
Returned to the hostel around midnight; the metro runs until 12.