31/07/2018 – 02/08/2018
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of Georgia, it’s a country I never knew too much about other than it's supposedly beautiful mountainous scenery, having a decent rugby team and lots of wine. What I definitely didn’t expect was to be given a shot of some kind of alcohol by our mini cab driver first thing after hopping off our flight to be transported to the city of Kutaisi. He didn’t have any english to tell us exactly what was in the plastic water bottle but the 6 of us in the van happily knocked it back.
With all of us settled in out seats our driver set off in the direction of the city, about a 30 minute drive. Out on the road one of the first manoeuvres our driver took was overtaking a car with another car coming close in the opposite direction, far far too close for his passengers comfort so immediately the clincking sounds of seatbelts echoed throughout the car but this didn’t phase our driver as the extremely precarious over taking continued until we finally reached our destination. It dawned on me at that point that maybe that was why he gave us all a slug of alchol, perhaps to calm us before the disastrous driving of the Georgians ensued! We finally reached the city of Kutaisi and I was never so glad to get out of a vehicle as I was that day. That night after our eventful afternoon we tried some traditional Georgian food such as Khachtapuri (cheese bread) and Khinkali which are twisted knobs of dough, usually stuffed with meat and spices . It was hearty, delicious and perhaps maybe we had ordered too much but it set us up nicely for the following days nature filled activities.
The next day after some research we decided to take a minibus tour to visit various sights in the region of Kutaisi. Thankfully on first take off our driver didn’t seem to be as hot headed as our one the day before but that’s not to say that no dodgey overtaking was done because there was plenty! Our first stop was the intriguing Prometheus Caves. Here you can see very special and large forms of stalactites and stalagmites dramaticlaly illuminated by the inset coloured lights. All of this can be experienced by an easy 1.4km walk in a mysterious and cool atmosphere and a short boat trip at the end if interested. There is also a large open chamber on the way for those alternative couples who would like to have a unique wedding venue. I joked to Paul that I will keep it in mind when our time comes around!
The following stop on our 1 day mini road trip was to Okatse Canyon. An 800m wooden pathway attached to the rocks below about 50m above the canyon and while you walk you can enjoy the nature and beautiful views of the canyon. I must state though the wooden walkway at our feet didn’t fill me with confidence as it creaked and cracked at each footstep we made, with even some small holes in the wood slowly starting to appear from the daily wear and tear. Thankfully though nothing untoward happened as we got to the end of the viewing point and I’m sure nothing ever will but of course that's what you get from watching too many disaster videos on youtube and documentaries on netflix!
After the canyon, all of our minibus companions stopped in a little town on the way to Martvili Canyon for some traditional Georgian food. Our group consisted of an English hostel worker, a couple who sells watches online from Belarus and a couple from Lithuania who own a confectionary shop. Communication wasn’t easy to come by, with many of the group having little English but it was an enjoyable feast none the less.
Martvili Canyon is a board walk (thankfully a sturdier one than that in Okatase Canyon) through lucious greenery, a fast flowing waterfall and crystal clear blue water. I really felt like I was transported into the middle of the Amazon jungle so hopefully maybe on our trip we will actually make it there! The only downfall is that swimming in the canyon is forbidden presumably to conserve the marine wildlife, so of course I can live with that. I would have loved nothing more however to have taken a plunge into the glistening water below to cool down from the Georgian sunshine.
Our final stop of the day was to a waterfall and monastery, not a clue of either of their names or where we were in the land of Kutaisi but that's the perks of having your own local private driver who knows all the hidden gems of the city. It was an extremely pleasant and scenic end to our busy day of site seeing.
The following day we were tired and so decided to lay low and do a few errands around the city before we headed North. We paid a visit to the busy city market where fruit, vegetables and spices are in abundance and where one can buy ample amounts of the traditional Georgian sweets Churchkhela. These are almonds, hazelnut or walnuts threaded onto a string, dipped in thickened fruit juices and dried in the shape of a sausage.
Later that evening we took the steep but short walk up to Bagrati Cathedral . At the top of the hill we were greeted with sprawling views of the city scape below as dusk began to fall. To finish up our evening we decided to sample a bottle of Georgian fine wine in a cute little wine bar tucked away down a little stride street. Luckily for us there was a piano player on the veranda and so we got to enjoy our brew while listening to some live piano music.
The next day were were to make our way to Mestia to hopefully witness more of Georgia's breathtaking scenery while hiking and trekking through the mountains. If the day trip we took from Kutaisi was anything to go by, I for one couldn’t wait to wallow further in the countries natural beauty.
Comments