.Chapter Nine: The rest of Georgia and the lovely Armenia.

Kids, do not do what I did. Do not take a seat next to a child in an overnight train. The child WILL perform a projectile vomiting on parents, floor, bedding.. I could go on. But kids, do what I did and book a place to stay in advance when crossing the border. You never know when border patrol will ask for your reservation confirmation.

So, Kutaisi had the best place to stay that you could expect. Absolutely loved it, all thanks to FORREST guesthouse. Lovely hosts, super cheap, good location, nice food... I could go on. Once there you kind of don't want to go anywhere to explore anything, you just want to cozy sit there and sip your cup of tea [or wine]. 

There is not much to do in Kutaisi itself: small old town, nice central park, few churches, lots of shops - I walked it all on my first day. The second day I have visited two monasteries that were outside the city [but still close by to get a marshrutka for 1 GEL - 33 EUR cents]. It has beautiful landscape, even if not as exciting as Svaneti for example, but they really are working with what they have. In the evening we had a dinner and wine with Nick, as this was his last night in Europe, he is off to Australia to do a 5-6 weeks walk [good luck, Nick!]

On the second day I went to the Prometheus cave. Nothing to do with actual Prometheus, they just named it like that so more tourists would come. No joke - our guide actually told us that. Anyways, the cave was nice - I probably seen better in my life, but it was very well kept and organized that it made it easy to walk around and enjoy all the stalactites and stalagmites [and the third ones I always forget]. Once back in the hostel I have met three Czechs that came to Kutaisi and later on a Polish girl came back from her trip. We ended up having a nice discussion and evening together, I even made the Czechs to change their mind and do a Mestia-Ushguli trek instead of just taking a car to Mestia and then later to Ushguli. I tried to get them all the information they may need and they seemed very impressed by me (you should be a guide AND you are incredibly brave woman AND so on). Lovely people, indeed.

The next day they all went to the same cave I was just last day and I took marshrutka to Batumi. Batumi reminded me both of Palanga and Odessa and other similar beachy place, mostly for Russians. It was so full of Russians that almost no one spoke any other languages. I spent two days there doing not much - wondering around, swimming in the sea, sitting in a park reading a book or taking pictures of the lovers statue that is supposed to be a moving statue, but of course, it was broken at the time I was there. Brilliant. 

Then I took an overnight train to Yerevan. Yes, the same one where the kid performed a projectile vomiting. Good thing she did not vomit on a border patrol or there would have been a price to pay. 

And then Yerevan. I walked most of it in one day. Little stroll through the city center, to the cascades [no one told me there are lifts, so I was climbing the stairs, like a regular person], to the main monument [something about the Soviets, but cannot really remember what] and to the amusement park that also has mother of Armenians there. The girl from the free tour in Tbilisi explained a little bit about this mother - she has a sword, but is keeping it in her hands. She is facing Turkey as if saying: I will not attack, but I will defend myself and my people. Little different approach to the Georgian that brings you wine or Russian one in Volgograd which is going to fight anyone and anything.

The second day I got myself a Canadian friend and we went to the monastery and an old temple [kind of like two day trips, we just combined into one]. She was a lot of fun, and we had a great day, but it started with a bus driver shouting at us, since we were making too much noise "quacking like chickens" and what not. It did not dampen our day, just made us laugh all the more. We got back to the hostel tired, but my new found friend wanted to cook so much, that we just bought some vegetables and made our own food that night. It was a really good food, I just need not to forget how to make it before I head back to a country of staying. But here another funny thing happened - this Iranian guy came to us - what is this? No meat? OK, one portion for me. And walked away. I mean we don't mind to share, but ask, maybe?? Anyways, in the end we gave him a portion and then some time later his wife comes: and where is mine? Well we did not give her anything. We had food, but there was a principal involved - you do not come and request. Never again!

Next day I left my new found friend and took a long trip to Goris in marshrutka. Once I came here, it greeted me with mists and later on rain. All I managed to do that day is to do a quick block around the center, food shopping and go home before it started pouring rain. So that went well.. But the next day weather seemed to have improved a little bit and I took a day trip to the village close by - where people used to live in the caves that they built up into houses. It was a little walk down through those caves, through the old church to a swinging loooong bridge, then up some stairs for the point view and back. It was an interesting experience and a good trek, even though I do prefer going up first, then down later. Back in Goris I did a similar walk in the "old Goris", basically the same kind of place, where people used to live in the caves, except this walk starts in a cemetery and that is a weird place. I used to think they give way too much space for that in Lithuania, but here you get a huge places, where you can put the entire family of maybe 16 in one spot. Plus on the stones they like to put how people looked like, with all kinds of details, for example cigarette in their hand. Clearly that is very important for the people visiting the cemetery to know that this particular person who died was smoking. 

And then the last daty in Goris I took a taxi to the longest aerial tramway in the world and rode it to Tatev. In Tatev I did a hike [first down then up, the type I dislike, but there was no other option] to and old old church towards the Devil's bridge and once back in Tatev I also visited their monastery, the place that most people went there for [a big mistake, if you ask me - the old church in the valley that is broken, but also empty from tourists is quite fascinating and in my opinion much more worth visiting than the other].

And here I am, contemplating if I deserve a dinner out tonight or not. I probably do - since I walked to much and did not complain. I saw some Gorisian food restaurant that is supposed to be cheap and good, so let me see what they got there.

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Off Topic

I am sitting here, in my casino at the end of the world, watching the life quietly happening. You are sitting so close, that not enough I see your cards, I can also see your eyelashes moving by the air conditioning created wind. You bid on me - all you had, you bid on me. Why? No one's ever done that, yet here you are, placing the highest bid without so much as a concerned frown. Who are you, stranger and why? Do you know something I am missing?

Some passing figures catch my eye, disturbing me from focusing on the game at our table. But as casino is not paying attention to them, I start to see their insignificance. They even seem to melt away. I'm focusing on this hand - I am not letting casino at the end of the world to win this time. 

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.Chapter eight: The wonders of Sakartvelo.

Kids, don't do what I did. Do not book a hostel with great reviews for a very cheap price. You will end up in the place where shower is not being cleaned for at least three days and your breakfast will not arrive because a guy who is working there was drinking until 7 a.m. and simply did not wake up to make it for you.

Sakartvelo [or Georgia, if you will] is a beautiful country, full of things to offer. On my second day in Sighnaghi I went on a wine tour with a Chinese guy from my guest house. We visited three different wineries, tasted don't know how many different wines and chachas, went to a monastery and a lake to cool down. By the time we got back, it was already time for a late dinner which we ate and called it a night - drinking wine all day gets you somewhat tired.

The next on the list - Tbilisi and it did not disappoint. An interesting capital, mix of modern and old, soviet and classic, nature and buildings. I have spent three days wondering around, visiting castle, the statue of Mother of Georgians, endless old town streets. It is really hard to describe this city, you simply have to visit it and experience what it is made of. And it is made of lots of good foods, pretty views, parks and museums. 

Three days passed really quickly and then it was my first meeting of Georgian mountains - I went to the big Mr. Kazbegi. I didn't climb this mister, I do not have enough experience or wish to do so. On the first day, since I only came in the afternoon the only thing I visited was a mineral water spring and a pool next to it. But later in a day I made a new friend, Dutch guy living in the Kiwi land for a long time, and in the evening we went out for dinner and there I made even more friends. So the next day my two new friends and I went to see the glacier. Website said that the trek was challenging and my two new friends have been climbing for way longer than I am, so I was just hoping not to die. It was a quite steep climb of 1600 meters elevation [and then we had to go down, of course]. I survived! But it took us around 9 hours in total, but we did add the little church on a hill to it and my new found friends told me I did very good for an inexperienced trekker. Me and Andre [one of my new found friends] went for a well deserved beer after the trek and then in the evening we again met up with the rest for the dinner. Next day in Kazbegi I have decided to visit a Truso valley. It was supposed to be an easy stroll walk kind of a thing of 22 kilometers and beautiful views. The valley delivered. The first part of it may have been a little boring, but once you get around the corner.. Man, it is beautiful. And to top it off at the end of it there is an old ruined fortress where two armed guys will stop you and will tell you: no go, further - border. 

After Kazbegi, just like everyone else, I also went back to Tbilisi. There I have managed to go visit the Tbilisi sea [but not in a perfect beach weather so it was only OK], public sulfur bath [note - if you are a woman DO NOT go to the public one, or else you will end up with several older Russian fattish ladies, where one of them will shave her ..mmm.. right there] and took a free walking tour, just because I thought I was missing a lot from the old town. Turns out - I did not. I visited most of the places by myself already before, but it was very useful to hear what is what and listen to more details about the things. 

And then it was finally time for my "big" walk, so test myself before I go and die while trying to walk Annapurna circuit - the famous Mestia-Ushguli walk in Svaneti area for 4 days. First I took a bus to Mestia, got myself into a hostel and spend a half lazy day, reading a book, shopping for the snacks for the tomorrow's hike, meeting with Nick for dinner and going to sleep at a fairly early hour. I have started my walk very early in the morning and probably I shouldn't have - for several reasons. First of all, I finished that day's walk at 12.15, and second of all, because I have managed to meet a Georgian old fat creep who tried to hug me [and not let go] and kiss me and so on an so forth. And we were in the middle of a trek, no people or houses around. That definitely put a damper on my walk and views. If that wasn't enough, a dog decided to harass me as well. I did not have a great first day. But, on the other hand, the views were amazing, the day was clear and sunny and once I finished with the day, I had all that time to read my book. And I spent evening with Nick and new found friends - couple from Israel.

The second day I have walked by myself again - I feel like I kind of need that in order to let my mind wander and take it's own course. It was a short, but fairly steep in climbing day, but I have managed to finish it before everyone else again and settled in the guest house waiting for the others. The night was really cold though, so in the end I went to bed at a super early hour.

On the third day we went off all together, walked a very beautiful valley up until the point where we had to cross a river. Two options - barefoot in freezing water or horse. I took a horse. I am afraid of those things, but barefoot with all my things on my back in a strong stream just did not sound like a great idea. Then we had to climb a hill which presented super views from the top. Too bad we did not have much time to enjoy them, as the cloud came on us and it started raining [with hail I may add]. So we rushed to go down as fast as we could without falling. At the bottom the sun was shinning again and then there was only a nice walk in the valley again. We split our ways there, going to different guest houses. And that night, as the sky was super clear, I have seen the most amazing sky, full of stars and clearly identifiable Milky Way in my entire life.

On the last day of the walk I reached Ushguli, a village full with one-day tourists as well and settled in the most homey guest house there is. They invited me to sit with them, gave me food [for free] and chacha [I should have said no, but they are very persistent that you drink]. The lady of the house was constantly working, but always with the smile on her face. I really enjoyed my stay there. 

And now, today, as the rain keeps pouring down, all I managed was to sit in a car [waiting for more people to go to Mestia] for few hours, then take a ride to Mestia and sit down in the hostel. There is no point going outside, because there is no outside. It's only rain and clouds and mist and more rain. 

This marks the end of my affair with Georgian mountains. Tomorrow I am off to Kutaisi, then Batumi and then, fingers crossed, directly to Yerevan. Let's see what life brings.