Georgia vol 1

 

Tbilisi - Mtskheta - Kakheti 

A lovely extension of summer to Georgia in mid-September. Flew Wizz Air to Kutaisi one Friday evening. There were some delays, so we landed in Kutaisi in the middle of the night. As we were headed to Tbilisi first, it did not matter. Kutaisi has a great bus system between some cities. A bus (georgianbus.com) from Kutaisi to Tbilisi for example goes accordingly to planes landing and they even wait when the plane is late. So, we landed, went to the bus, slept for 4 hours and woke up in Tbilisi. 

Tbilisi has Bolt! And its extremely cheap. So to save time and see more we took a Bolt to the Chronicle of Georgia monument and then made an agreement with the driver to drive us to the old city of Mtskheta. 

Stonehenge of Georgia? 

It's a massive monument on the outskirts of Tbilisi. Strangely it is not too popular amongst tourists or locals. It is very cool to see tho, and the 360 views over Tbilisi from up there are beautiful. It is also free.

Our hostel in Tbilisi came with a bunch of adorable cats

Funny story, we got to the hostel early in the morning when everyone was asleep. The yard was open, we changed our clothes, played with the cats, tidied up in the bathroom (which we later found out was the family's who own the hostel, not for guests), went out for breakfast, came back, asked somebody (who may or may have not worked there) to stash our backpacks somewhere, and met the actual hosts relatives in the evening. Even then the guy was not too sure about where are the clean sheets or towels, who should we pay to or when. It was a bit of a mess, but a lovely hostel otherwise.

Mtskheta - a beautiful, old religious town, and one of the country’s four UNESCO World Heritage sites. 

And the foooooood, so so much absolutely amazing dishes

Tbilisi itself is a fantastic city as well.

Over 1,500 years old, Georgia's capital has stood through European, Asian, and Middle Eastern civilizations, resulting in a unique Caucasus destination. The history, varied architecture, vibrant atmosphere, beautiful landscapes, and good food ooze from the city.

Mount Mtatsminda - another hill surrounding the city, offering great views, there is also a theme park on top. Fun fact, Georgians love ferris wheels on top on all hills, we kept encountering them all over the country. I mean it makes sense, the views are also gorgeous everywhere. 

We took a funicular up but hiked down later and crossed some interesting neighborhoods on our walk back. 

Bathhouses

Colourful bazaars under the streets of Tbilisi 

This very interesting looking old leaning clock tower

Check out the tunnels connecting the passageways under the river for cool street art

Fabrika: A Soviet sewing factory turned hostel & creative hub. Lots of street art, bars, restaurants, photo-booths, little boutiques and lively nightlife. 

Next up: Kakheti wine area and the lovely town of Sighnaghi. Situated two hours away from Tbilisi, it's said to be one of the prettiest towns in the area. It's best accessible by shared cab or marshtutka. Next to wine, the town is known for it’s tagline: ‘The City of Love.’ Apparently it is possible to get married 24 hours a day in Sighnaghi. 

Stumbled upon this wine cellar first for the most fun and homey tasting. I absolutely recommend! 

Chacha aka “grape vodka,” “vine vodka,” or “Georgian Vodka.” Chacha is made from grape skins leftover from wine production. The skins are a byproduct that most modern wineries toss out or compost, but Georgia cherishes. It's mostly homemade, and they offer it everywhere. It's not bad!  

To get ready for another tasting, had lunch at restaurant Traveler, recommended by locals, delicious as always! 

Pheasant's Tears Winery

Kakheti's dry red Saperavi wines were probably my favourite. 

Honestly, the wine region itself deserves a week or two of exploring. 

To be continued.