Republic of Georgia

My visit to the Republic of Georgia, May 13-June 19, ’05, was the perfect trip. The temperature was around 50º-68ºF. I would suggest taking a light, waterproof jacket and an umbrella, as rain can occur (although on this trip it was not heavy enough to interfere with sightseeing).

The capital, Tbilisi, had major traffic and parking concerns, so I would recommend the reasonably priced taxis. Most places could be reached by taxi for $3-$5. (The exchange rate was $1 = 1.81 Georgia lari.)

There were two lines in the metro system. A trip across town cost about 10¢. A numbered minibus would get you most places for 25¢. Ask the hotel staff which bus you should take. Note that the same-number bus may not bring you back, so ask. You may have to walk a few blocks on the return.

I stayed at Hotel Kantili (32 Barnov Stn., 0108 Tbilisi; phone 995 32 982 982 or fax 995 32 99 54 29). The staff was friendly and helpful. The modest room rate of $40 included the same breakfast each day: breads, granola cereal, boiled egg, two types of cold cuts and cheese plus juice and tea or coffee.

The hotel had a beer garden, a bar and an Italian/Greek restaurant. The restaurant hosts a large ex-pat clientele that may be the only English-speaking contact you have. Some members of the younger generation in Georgia speak a little English. Georgia has its own alphabet and language.

There are a lot of interesting places to see, but, other than the zoo (it’s small, but the animals are well kept), most do not open till after 11 a.m. In fact, most establishments do not begin to open until 10 a.m. People stay up until after 12 at night. In the zoo park there is a children’s park with kiddy rides where entry was 25¢.

The buildings were mainly older Russian concrete-gray, and the streets seemed not to be kept in repair or cleaned (except for the main busy boulevard close to the river). New, more modern buildings are gradually replacing the dull, run-down ones.

On the mountain overlooking the town stands “Mother Georgia,” and behind the statue is the botanical garden. Several other flower-laden parks are around town.

There are a number of museums to see. The Tbilisi Archaeological Museum, located on the Military Highway on the road to Mtskheta, has locally excavated artifacts from the fifth millennium B.C. to the fourth century A.D. It is as fantastic as the Natural History Museum in downtown Tbilisi.

There is also a silk museum, railroad museum, tapestry museum and state art museum, a Georgia Art & Cultural Center and many others. And for the theater-minded, a huge number of theaters exist, including the Tbilisi Musical-Cultural Centre (on Agmashenebeli Avenue), Basement Cellar Theatre, Marjanishvili Theatre, Armenian Drama Theatre and a host of others.

No trip is complete until you visit the big bazroba (market) by the central railroad station. Operating seven days a week, it is a maze of shops along the streets and inside most of the buildings. There are fruit, vegetable and craft stands. On my visit, fresh-picked cherries, mulberries and strawberries were everywhere.

Georgian food is plain, breads being the basis for much of it. A lavish type of heavy white cornbread is baked daily and is cheap at 25¢.

On the way to the Black Sea, my visit carried me to Bat’umi. I traveled offroad down valleys to tiny villages along mountain streams. Wildflowers were everywhere in every hue. Rolling trout streams rushed along with cold water coming from the still-snowcapped mountains. Various fir trees of the dark, weeping type were scattered among the hardwoods on the hillsides.

Trees bloomed in patches all over the countryside. You can buy at roadside stands the almost clear arcadia honey as well as the dark (almost mahogany-colored) chestnut honey that is much stronger in taste. Hot bread can also be bought roadside, and a picnic of honey and bread beside a cold spring for drinks cannot be forgotten.

Watch out for livestock. There are no stock laws, so pigs, a very small type of goat and cows wander everywhere. At night you will find them headed home alone or accompanied by their owners.

The annual per-capita income in Georgia is $1,032. Though furnishings were sparse, the tiny homes I saw were kept clean inside.

I am told there are fancy resorts in Georgia, especially by the Black Sea, but my enjoyment came from visiting the ancient Georgian Orthodox churches and monasteries, many still serving the people. A great many were destroyed or defaced during Soviet times and there is no money to repair them. Some date to A.D. 300.

Roads to most places were bone-jarring, and night travel was not advised due to eroded dropoffs and rockslides.

Still, Georgia is a beautiful and interesting place to travel.

JEAN NEW
Alexander, AR