Our Caucasian Vacation: Part 2 - Georgia [On My Mind]
Georgia Capital Building, Old Tbilis | Photo Credit: Acasia Olson
Welcome back to Part 2 of our Caucasian Vacation. In Part 1: Adventures in Armenia, I talked about the time we spent 3 days in Yerevan Armenia, the capital. This post will feature highlights from the 7 days we spent gallivanting in Georgia.
To be honest, 7 days in Georgia is not enough. There is so much to see and do and experience. For example, our mountain biking trip (my first time doing that) is enough for one post. But, I wanted to provide a little introduction with hopes that this post will open your eyes to the beauty of Georgia and the various things you can enjoy while in country.
(OLD) TBILISI
We drove from Armenia to Georgia. Well, we didn’t drive. Our dear tour guides were generous enough to include transport in their services. Unfortunately, we had a little incident where either the tire or some other part of the car was damaged and we had to pull over to one of the many auto shops sprinkled along the rugged highway.
Chris said he knew something was up when he noticed that the auto shops were everywhere and the road was crappy. His theory: they don’t repair the roads and so business savvy mechanics set up shop, ready to fix a disabled vehicle at a moment’s notice.
An hour later, we were on our way crossing the border into Georgia. Our guides drove us all the way to our BnB, braving the heart stopping Georgian traffic that made Bahrain’s road rules look like a walk in the park.
Where to stay
We stayed at B&B Old Tbilisi while in Old Tblisi. This spot is a 5 minute walk from the capitol building and cut away from general traffic and noise. It’s up a hill and the accomodations are comfortable. Breakfast was included when we stayed in 2016 and we enjoyed it. IIrakli, the host, is known to treat his guest well and we were no exception.
Where and what to eat
Gamos - our introduction to Khachapuri and Khinkhali and tarragon soda took place our first night in country. We actually walked down from our hotel and were so hungry and ready for the popular Georgian dish that looks like a cheese pizza with a sunny side up egg. It was delicious and we definitely ate one as often as we could (it’s filling).
Breakfast daily at B&B Tbilisi, where we ate fried eggs, cheese, local Georgian bread, great tomatoes, chicken nuggets and a perfect cup of coffee.
Old City Wall Restaurant and Wine Bar with live performances
Cafe Alani
Outdoor plaza restaurant: We stumbled upon this restaurant while walking around town. With views of the river, it is a nice place to dine in the evenings.
Tavern restaurant
What to do
Clearly having fun is a must | Photo Credit: Acasia Olson
Ah yes.. That’s the big question. There’s a lot to do in Georgia. From taking a dip in the underground sulfur baths, to hiking up to the botanical garden and riding down the cable car for a panoramic view of the city, I’ve got you covered below.
Explore Rike Park
This was pretty peaceful and colorful setting. We saw a skate park, giant chess and checkers pieces and a huge piano statue with stairs leading up if you want to pretend to play a little Alicia Keys or John Legend hits.
Though watch out for the pop up people who come out of nowhere and ask you for things. We had a little girl appear out of nowhere and she started to follow us, asking me for a bracelet and taunting me when I said no. Chris realized I was about to catch a case so we walked on to prevent a scene.
Ride on a cable car up and down the mountain
We chose to walk to the top of the hill and ride down, but you can definitely ride up and down the cable car to enjoy the views and save time. We did have to wait in a line, but not for too long and the carts run frequently throughout the day.
Cross the Peace Bridge
This pedestrian bridge opened to the public in 2010 and has a futuristic appearance set along the backdrop of the historic Old Tbilisi. It stretches over the Kura River connecting the old with the new. It was designed to celebrate “life and peace” between people and it puts on a beautiful light display at night.
Reserve a space at and enjoy a dip in a sulfur bath
The sulfur baths aren’t hard to find, you’ll smell them before you see them, but they’re pretty neat. Rooms feature hot and cold baths for relaxation. Most bathhouses, as they are, include a massage package, but because Chris and I had to save money and we knew of a few decent spots elsewhere, we kept it simple and relaxed in the pools, which were heavenly on a hot day even if funky.
Drink fresh squeezed pomegranate, orange, grapefruit and lemon juice at a fruit juice stand
Look at that vibrant, mouthwatering fruit. Fresh pressed and ready to gulp, the pomegranate and orange juice felt like an elixir of life.
Funny story: We were the only black people within site until I saw two black people sitting over at a table. I normally don’t go running up to strangers, but I learned one of the best ways is to meet new people is to just see and celebrate them (and Black folks are known to be intentional with the eye contact and head nod to perfect strangers - we’re all kinfolk). So I went over and greeted them. The guy chuckled because he knew I went to say hi to “the only other Black people in the city,” and we parted ways just as quickly as I said hi.
This is how I met an Underground Railroad of young Black professionals in Seattle, because my friend Ace randomly shouted, “Oh look, a Black person!” one night while I was waiting to catch the bus after grabbing indian food with my dear friend. His unassuming and authentic joy at seeing another black person resonated with me and I decided I would have to pay it forward the next time I saw a black person in settings where we were no different than unicorns.
Walk up to Narikala Fortress
I will say it was pretty hot out, but the small trek was worth it because it resulted in the rest and relaxation that comes with walking through the Botanical Garden. The larger than life statues reminded me of some of the classic descriptions found in an Ayn Rand or Soviet inspired novel or movie.
Join in on the customary toast (Gaumarjos!)
Per tradition, Georgians love making toasts and they do it so well that they have a special name for the person leading the toast the Tamada. We had the unexpected privilege of experiencing the series of toasts one night at our BnB location.
We were chilling and chatting in the courtyard with a few Russian tourists who looked to be our age. We were talking about life, culture and munching on fresh peaches and watermelon. It got late, and at one point, we were joined by an older Georgian man, a friend of the host, who brought over a bottle with a dark beverage. A few minutes into the conversation he broke out the bottle and commenced to the toast and carried on with toasts every 10-15 minutes thereafter.
The Russian guests who were able to communicate with him, translated what he said:
-“A Toast, to this night and the joy of good company!” - we all take a drink
-“A Toast to peaceful relations amongst all our countries!” - we all take a drink (this is my last sip, I wasn’t trying to get hammered, lit, or drunk robbed)
“A Toast, to the women here tonight” - Only the women sip (I fake sip…I told you I wasn’t playing)
“A Toast to the men here tonight!” - Only the men sip
“A Toast to your children and future generations of harmony” - again, fake sip
“A Toast to xyz and lmnop” … and it’s too dark to notice if I need a refill, but I still fake it ‘til we make it.
…because at that point I don’t remember if it applied to me and after getting up and fake toasting I was getting confused.
Though I won’t lie, it was epic and the toastmaster seemed genuine. Soon after, a Kazakhstani family joined us. They were a family of 3, although the younger of the group happened to be the couple’s youngest son.
He was a very precocious child, possibly between 8 and 10 years old, who spoke up to 6 languages and we enjoyed talking to him. His parents spoke Russian to the Russian Tourists, and we spoke English to the young kid. After talking with him, I was convinced that we would add Kazakhstan to our travel list.
We planned a Kakheti wine tour, scheduled for the day or two after toast-fest, but Chris got sick, we suspect from drinking too much of that home grown Georgian wine during the 14 rounds of jovial toasts.. So we were stuck in our room all day after a night of toasts and mystery wine and we had to move our mountain bike trip to the date originally set aside for the wine tour. And Chris was wined out, so this means we’ll have to return at some point so we can enjoy Georgian Wine, which is prized as some of the oldest wine in the world.
Mountain Bike near Kazbegi
This was my first mountain bike and biking tour experience and it was only fitting that someone got hurt. I did just that. We took a bike trip up in the mountains and within minutes of embarking on our very low intensity mountain bike tour, I crashed. Praise God I didn’t fall off the mountainside since there wasn’t a guard rail on that stretch of gravel road. But I can also say I was so nervous and worried about crashing that I did just that (side eye to self).
I also praise God for the Good Samaritans who stopped their car and raced out to treat my wounds. Chris was there too he just didn’t have a bandaid and antiseptic kit on hand, but our Guide and the drivers did. That experience was a lesson in fear since I did expect to fall off my bike and it happened.
Oh the power of the mind. Overall, the bike ride was pretty chill and we enjoyed clean air, beautiful views and drank from a natural mineral water spring.
Trip Highlights
Stopping for a cup of Kvas, but we walked away with chit chat and cha cha ;) | Photo Credit: Acasia Olson
Walking tour of Old Town Tbilisi and being asked to take photos with a Georgian couple. This tends to happen when you’re the only Black people and you happen to be tall, athletically built and have locs down your back.
Drinking Cha Cha with a guy selling kvas on our hike up to the botanical garden.
BATUMI & THE BLACK SEA
We took a “midday train [across] Georgia (smile) from Tbilisi to Batumi. I really enjoyed the train experience. It was affordable and clean and smooth and quick, unlike our van ride back. PRO TIP: If you’re planning to fly out of Tbilisi after visiting Batumi, book a round trip train ride.
Batumi is a coastal resort town along the Black Sea. It’s made popular by frequent Turkish and Russian tourists and packs a lot of things to do, including casinos and theaters and art houses.
Where to stay
Admiral Hotel is located right off the main drag through the city with rooms facing the Sea and a few other harbor attractions.
Where and what to eat
Laguna - for the classic Khachapuri Adjuri
The place where we tried Georgian dessert for the first time
Sanabiro was across the street from our hotel. We did notice an odd situation where we were craving the famous khinkali (looks like dumplings and pot stickers). We placed our order, later the waitress told us there weren’t anymore, so we had to change our order. But another, large family, came noticeably after us and right before we left, we saw the waitress bring out a platter of khinkali. Y’all, we were too thru’!
One night, while looking for a place to eat, Chris learned about Bremen restaurant. We made the trek, passing other restaurants and were so excited to try this place. But, too bad because they were rude. We waited in the doorway for at least 5 minutes, raised our hand to get attention of a waiter and got the silent treatment. I was brought back to Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man,”.
What to do
Take a walking tour down Batumi Boulevard
This area of Georgia is a sea resort, and has a lot of features and attractions. Just walk around and take it all in along the boardwalk.
Visit iconic monuments
The Neptune Fountain,
The Astronomical clock and plaza with a statue of Medea of Jason and the Golden Fleece fame.
The Ani and Nino moving statue. If you stand long enough and watch the statue, the two figures appear as if they merge into one another.
The Alphabet and cha cha towers, and
The Black Sea gate.
St. Matthias’s Burial Site - GONIO FORTRESS
Tour the ruins of Gonio Fortress and the alleged burial site of St. Matthias.
Hop on a marshrutka and travel around town
While the above picture is not a Marshrutka, we lucked out on finding one that wasn’t full and gave us a nice little tour of the area en route to and from Gonio Fortress.
City bikes and bike tours are also an option. Between getting sick and the brutal rain storm that flooded our room, we missed out on a casual bike ride along the beach, but bikes are everywhere and the boardwalk area is the perfect spot to pedal along the sea.
Visit the museum and enjoy being serenaded by a pianist playing “Georgia on my Mind”.
The museum happened to be open as we walked along the streets. This was a nice break from the heat and offered a chance to enjoy Georgian art. We were treated to a pianist who immediately started playing Ray Charles’s “Georgia on my Mind,” when he saw us. And we couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to chat it up with him.
Trip Highlights
Eating corn on the cob from a street vendor was different. I don’t think I’d ever been anywhere where corn on the cob was sold off the street. I was hungry, it smelled good and I didn’t really mind having corn kernel skins in between my teeth.
The views of the Black Sea are breath taking and I wish I could have swam in the water.
Seeing the girl at the tour center who wore Beyonce on her nails after Beyoncé did well at the VMAs. I don’t know if I was more impressed with the fact that she knew who Beyoncé was or the fact that Beyoncé has fans in Georgia!
FINAL DAY IN MTATSMINDA
To close out our trip and because our flights were out of Tbilisi, we returned to Tbilisi and Chris booked us one of the best rooms in Betsy’s Hotel with incredible panoramic views. The hotel is situated high up on a breathtaking vantage point.
Where to stay
Betsy’s Hotel is a boutique styled hotel situated on a hill with some of the best views around. We stayed in the big suite and I was floored because our last two hotels were modest in accommodations and size. Not complaining at all. I can say I was grateful for the space and private balcony to look out onto Tbilisi our last day in country.
Where to eat
We ate dinner at the hotel since there wasn’t much time to explore area restaurants after driving across country from Batumi.
Final notes
Try Georgia. This is a place that I can see us visiting again, and with our family. The food is delicious, the people are hospitable, the pace is smooth and it’s off the beaten path, so there aren’t too many people lining up to visit and overwhelming it with tourism.
If you’re worried about language barriers (Georgian and Armenian are some unique written and spoken languages), or standing out if you’re black or brown, don’t. Even if travel sign language and your rudimentary Russian efforts don’t get through, as long as you have your Google Translate app on your phone (and a SIM card for international data), you’ll be good to go.
Some points and experiences:
As with anywhere, pay attention to pick pocketing and pop up fans. A random woman literally popped up out of nowhere to for money and then disappeared as if she were a phantom. No lies, I kid you not!
To get around:
We traveled Fly Dubai for flights from Bahrain to Armenia and Georgia
We booked with Juva Tours for our tour and trip from Yerevan to Tbilisi
We took the Georgian Railway for our trip from Tbilisi to Batumi
We traveled SunTransfers for our trip from Batumi back to Tbilisi*
*Note, book a round trip train ticket with the Georgian Railways to save time and money. One the other hand, we did get to see parts of Georgia that we otherwise would not have if we were on a train. So it’s up to you!
