Glacier Hike Near Mestia
The night that we arrived in Mestia, we hiked out of the airport heading further down the valley and away from Mestia. For about 1.5 – 2 hours we hiked along, looking for a decent spot to camp. We came upon an open field where a few other tents were already pitched and decided to stop and join them. The next morning, we packed up and continued in the same direction until we reached a swing bridge that crossed the cold, gray rapids of the glacial river that descended from the surrounding mountains.
On the other side of the bridge, we “bumped” into the border patrol – there are many border guard stations in the Svaneti region as the Georgians are forever watchful and weary of their Russian neighbors. The guard motioned for us to follow him and we had to sign in and show our passports – I suppose they also wanted to make sure we hadn’t/weren’t going to attempt to cross the border over the mountains. There are actually a few mountaineering trails that run between Russia and Georgia, but to they require special permits.
After “checking in”, we left the guard station and headed back to the main path that headed up a side valley to the glacier. It was not a difficult hike and it took us to the bottom of the glacier, not that you would know it since most of the glacier was covered with rocks and debris. Let’s just say it wasn’t as beautiful as other glaciers I’ve seen. In order to actually climb on the glacier, you could head further up the rock field, which we did, but the view of the glacier didn’t get any better, and you didn’t see any bright blue patches of glacial ice.
Ultimately, it was a nice hike, but if you’re only doing one hike, this wouldn’t be the one to choose!
Welcome to Mestia, Sveneti
In Tbilisi, we booked return flights to Mestia through Pegasus Airlines in the Marriott hotel on Rustaveli. Originally, we were sent to the hotel in Freedom Square, but the Pegasus booking office was actually in the hotel located at Rustaveli Avenue 13. Before buying the tickets here, we had actually shopped around at several other travel agencies. At these other travel agencies, we were told many different prices and available dates (for example, some said there were only flights on Mondays and Wednesdays, others said only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, some told us there were no flights due to the weather, and on and on). For reliable, cheap tickets, save yourself the hassle and just book them through the Marriott – I’m fairly confident that you won’t get a better price elsewhere!
Occasionally – as happened to friends of ours – the flights will actually be cancelled. In this case, your best option is to hitch a ride, take the train, or catch a marshrutka to Zugdidi and from there, get another marshrutka (or ride) to Mestia. The night trains from Tbilisi are about 8 hours and are timed so that when you arrive there are marshrutkas waiting to depart for Mestia.
(After writing this, I just read online that flights are currently cancelled from Tbilisi to Mestia, however, in case flights resume, I will leave the information on where to purchase them!)
Our flight to Mestia was through a small company, Borek Air, that was actually run by Air Canada and our pilots were Canadian, or at least they sounded Canadian! The plane was a very small 19-seater DHC-300 Twin Otter (a Canadian plane also used for skydiving and rescues). The flight was, as you would expect from such a little plane, bumpy, but amazing! I love flying in smaller planes since they have to stay at a lower altitude, you can enjoy actually the view along the way.
We were the last flight of the day to land in the little teeny, tiny Queen Tamar airport, about a 15 – 20 minute drive outside the town of Mestia, and a crowd of tourists was waiting to board the plane to head back to Tbilisi. The airport had one little walk-through metal detector, a baggage scanner, a small information desk and check in, and a small waiting area with green, circular chairs and metal tables lined up along one wall. Once off the plane, we grabbed our backpacks and then, as it was much colder in Mestia than it had been in Tbilisi, we put on some warm layers.
After we got our backpacks and warm clothing sorted out, the two guys decided that they would hitch a ride into town to buy some food supplies since we were planning to camp outside of town that night. It took them ages and, while we waited, my friend and I (the only non employees in the airport) noticed that the staff seemed to be having a particularly good time taking so many photos of themselves, and my friend and I looked at each other and remarked that the camera seemed to be the same one that her boyfriend had. However, we didn’t say anything because how do you ask someone whether or not that’s really their camera?
Of course, when the guys finally got back, they immediately rushed over to us and asked if anyone had handed in a camera because her boyfriend had actually lost his camera. We laughed and told them about the staff photo shoot and said he should ask the woman at the desk – who happily returned the camera to him since she had already downloaded and printed out several photos for herself and the other staff. We checked the memory card to see if they had left any photos behind (they had done some pretty hysterical poses), but unfortunately, they had deleted them all. At least we had a laugh watching them!
Can you tell me the way to David Gareja?
Although only located 25km from Tbilisi, it took us quite a while to reach the David Gareja monastery complex (we’d rented a car from Tbilisi). I suppose not having a decent road map didn’t help! For most of the route, it was fairly straightforward, but as we neared the destination, we approached a small village that looked like it had just barely survived a war, possibly because it suffered from negative migration. There were crumbling buildings surrounded by empty fields, and not a person in sight. Inside some of the crumbling buildings there were stacks of straw piled a story high (saving up for winter). We ended up driving through the town, curious to see this little Soviet-era village and also hoping to find someone to tell us where to go or at least a sign to point us in the right direction. Eventually, we came across an old farmer headed home after a long day’s work in the fields, and he pointed down the road that led out of the village.
Leaving the village, we finally found a turn onto a poorly maintained dirt track that led to the monastery. It wasn’t too long of a drive, thank goodness, because it was incredibly potholed and bumpy, and of course I was sitting in the back! We finally reached a small parking area that had restrooms and a picnic area. We parked there and then walked over to the monastery. Rather than walking through the gate into the more modern part of the monastery complex, we headed up a path that ascended the hill on our right. The path led to the top of the hill and around to the other side of the ridge – where the older caves and churches are located. From the top of the ridge line, you can see across into Azerbaijan. A portion of the monastery complex is considered to be in Azerbaijan and the land there is still under dispute between the two governments. Apparently, on days when the Azerbaijani guards are monitoring the border, the path that we followed to reach the caves is closed as it is actually located in Azerbaijan.
The David Gareja monastery complex was founded by – guess who – David Gareja in the 6th century. David Gareja was one of the Assyrian monks who came to Georgia to help spread christianity. Monks lived in carved out caves which they painted with biblical-themed frescoes. Like the rest of Georgia, the monastery saw its fair share of war and devastation. In 1265, it was sacked by the Mongols after which it was restored by Georgian kings, who supported the artwork produced by the monks. Less than 400 years after the Mongols, during the Persian attack, the monastery’s manuscripts and artwork were destroyed and the population of monks were massacred. In the early 20th century, the monastery was closed down when the Bolsheviks took over and during the Russian fight against Afghanistan, the monastery was used for training for Russian soldiers. Sadly, at this time, the soldiers often practiced by firing at the murals, destroying many unique works of art and history. In 1991, when Georgia gained independence, the monastery was reopened as a religious center.
I am not sure how many monks currently lived in the monastery – when we visited we saw only two monks with long flowing beards who were dressed in black robes. There were several rooms in the more modern section of the complex, but as the doors and windows were shut, it was impossible to tell if anyone was actually inside! The older part of the complex was more interesting to see, but if it is closed on the day that you visit, the newer section is also nice to wander around – just be respectful of the monks living there!
Faces of Georgia
One of the benefits of backpacking and independent travel over tour groups: You actually get to meet the locals!
Whether hiking in the mountains, wandering through the markets, or visiting a small village or town, we always interacted with the locals; even if just started out with us asking directions or where could we stay the night (to which some actually invited us to stay in their home).
When you go to another country, don’t just see the sights, shop, and take photos – meet the locals! Everybody has a good story to tell, and who knows, you might just make a new friend!
And at the very least, they can recommend you a good place to eat ; )
Sculpture and Art in Tbilisi
Some nice, random artwork and statues found randomly around the streets of Tbilisi.
You don’t always need to go to a museum to see art!
What to Do in Tbilisi?!
During our trip to Georgia, we visited the capital city of Tbilisi multiple times, and each time, we discovered a new part of the city that we had not seen before. However, our favorite part forever remained the Old City.
You can read many travel guides and reviews on what to see/what to do while in Tbilisi, etc. But, here’s what we did:
Walked up and down, and up and down, and up and down Rustaveli Ave, it seemed like no matter where we were going, it almost always required us to go to Rustaveli Avenue! It also usually required a loop, or two, around Freedom Square…
Shopped in the food markets, many, many times!
Toured the Old City where we admired the lovely buildings, tasted many wines in multiple shops (tastings are free!), bought little souvenirs, bought ice cream, got lost in the meandering back alleyways, stopped by the mosque to admire the decor, bought kebabs off the street from the man in the little shack on the corner that only does about 5 at a time then stops for a cigarette break causing a back up of customers, which makes the place seem very popular and encourages more customers to come thinking the food must be worth waiting for – thus his cigarette breaks, instead of causing a decrease in customers, inadvertently led to an increase! I’m told the kebabs were only so-so, but given that we stopped there more than once, I’m guessing they weren’t too bad!
Visited the Janashia museum (National Museum of Georgia), which, at the time we visited, was still undergoing renovations and was not well signed and didn’t seem to have a lot to offer. We visited two small exhibits: one on jewelry and another on Oriental art. However, I found the exhibit on the Soviet occupation the most fascinating – it was a very moving, very depressing exhibit and reminded me somewhat of the Holocaust museum in Washington DC. Given my severe lack of knowledge on the Soviet Union apart from what little I learned in school (which was very little), it was an eye-opening exhibit and very much worth a visit.
Walked around the “arts district” (well, what I am calling the arts district) – where the towering topsy-turvy clock is located near the Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theatre (the puppet theater), there are also many statues and outdoor exhibits scattered about, which I will put into another post!
Hiked up to Nerikala Fortress – an excellent hike, there are a few routes up to the lower section of the wall, near the giant antenna, but to actually hike to the fortress and church, look for the stairs near the base of the cliff near the baths. You can always ask the locals if you aren’t sure where to go! The hike up is a bit rustic with loose stones and narrow trails, so make sure you wear a good pair of shoes! Once you are up on top, there isn’t much more to see apart from a few ruins, but the views are amazing!
We also trekked around other parts of the city including across the Peace Bridge to visit the Metekhi church and the giant park with its oversized modern-art benches and extravagant playgrounds for kids (and only kids, we got yelled at when we tried to sit on the swings!). Some other things that I’d recommend are: the botanical gardens, Sioni Cathedral, a ride up/down the escalators in the train station, a trip to the flea markets or even just a poke around the shops in the underground passageways to see what random items are for sale, and, of course, a visit to Abanotubani (see my other post).
Oh, and, how could I forget – try to find the little basement cafe with its red brick walls (see my post on Georgian food), it’s located on the outskirts of the old city, I can’t remember exactly where, but I do remember there was a sandwich board sign pointing the way toward another cafe, and, on the way to that cafe, if you look down all the stairwells, keep an ear open for lots of chatter, and your nose open for a whiff of hot bean soup, you’ll find this one, which is actually much, much better!
Enjoy!
Don’t Forget Your Appetite!
This post is dedicated to all of the Georgian delicacies. I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect much from Georgian food when I arrived – I guess I thought it would probably just be similar to Mongolia – meat, potatoes, and other root vegetables with little to no flavor. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Given its location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, its rich and diverse climate, and its history of foreign occupiers, Georgia has an incredibly delicious and rather unique blend of dishes. I’m sorry I don’t have pictures to represent them all and that the few that I have aren’t the best!
Here’s a quick rundown of my favorite dishes:
Lobio: Beans, cooked with and without meat so make sure you ask if you’re vegetarian or eat kosher!
Lobiani: flat bread stuffed with beans
Khachapuri: A national dish and absolute must try! It’s a flat bread usually stuffed with cheese, potatoes or meat. It can be really greasy or a bit dry depending where you buy it and the cheese can also vary, so even if your first sample is bad, keep trying them out, they’re cheap and will fill you up (good for the backpacker budget!)
Badridzhani Nigvsit: Eggplant with walnut sauce, definitely one of my favorites! You cannot leave Georgia without sampling this at least once. It’s roasted eggplant with walnuts and herbs and it’s served cold. You can also get eggplant served with garlic, but it’s much better with the walnut sauce, which brings me too:
Bazhe: walnut sauce, delicious!!!!
Chvistari: cornbread stuffed with cheese, also delicious, but, in my opinion, not as good as khachapuri!
Khinkali: Georgian dumplings; steamed, fried, or boiled. They come filled with a variety of meat and veggies/funghi (my favorite was mushroom). The khinkali usually come in a dish with some broth, and the correct way to eat them is to take a bite and slurp the broth out before eating the dumpling.
Tolma: Stuffed vina leaves, these are popular in other parts of the world, and they’re just as good in Georgia
Matsoni: Yoghurt soup – almost as good as fresh, homemade yoghurt
Georgian Salad: Tomatoes (red, ripe, and tastier than most tomatoes elsewhere), cucumbers (not for me, but easy to pick out) onions, salty white cheese, sometimes walnuts, and a vinegar/oil dressing. An excellent starter or side dish!
There are also a few meat dishes that the guys tried, but since I’m vegetarian and didn’t taste them, I won’t recommend them! But, I will also recommend: the dried fruit (I like the flat roll-ups, but there is also the dried fruit and nuts on a stick – “Georgian trail mix” – churchkela), yoghurt, blueberry jam, cheese, Georgian flat bread
If you want an idea of the culinary delights you’re in for when you visit Georgia, check out this blog: Georgian Recipes
The Turkish Baths of Tbilisi
After our long hike in Borjomi, we arrived in Tbilisi tired, aching, and desperately in need of a hot shower! The showers in the hostel were terrible and stank like a dirty toilet bowl – perhaps because it was just one room with a shower head hanging over the toilet… Despite the stinky shower option in the hostel, we had wanted to visit the Turkish baths anyways, so, we decided that now was probably a better time than ever to go. We headed off to the Abanotubani, which is where the Turkish baths are located. These natural hot springs are also apparently what inspired the King Vakhtang Gorgasali in the 5th century to build the city of Tbilisi – the name Tbilisi is derived from the Georgian word “tbili” which means ‘warm’.
The area is located in the Old City, which is well worth exploring, and I’ll talk more about it in another post! The baths are located on the south side of the Metekhi Bridge, below the Narikala fortress. There are beautiful gardens and plenty of Persian rug and souvenir shops around the baths, which stick out of the ground like round termite mounds – or beehives, as some people say. We headed to the baths with the blue mosaic entryway, which is where the guys had read that George Bush (I’m not sure which one) had come here for a hot bath and a massage during a visit to Georgia. If it was good enough for a US president, it was probably good enough.
I’d say that the experience was far more enjoyable for the guys than it was for the girls. While they had a nice, large, clean, bright room, we were sent to what felt like a dungeon with one small hot tub that had remnants of the previous occupants floating around in it. Both the guys and the girls had taken private rooms since the public baths were not too enticing. We all paid to get a massage also. However, the massage is more like a rough scrub down where you can expect to leave with several less layers of skin on your back. In addition to the brutal, but afterwards really nice feeling exfoliation, the guys got rinsed off with soap bubbles (you can see them in the video), which we didn’t.
Overall, if you are a guy, I definitely recommend going. If you are a girl, I’d still say go for the experience, but don’t be jealous when your male partner brags about how great his massage and soap bubbles were!
Borjomi Multiday Hike
Beautiful, expansive views across Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park
A sharp mountain spine
A distant cabin in the middle of nowhere
To get to the trailhead, you need to continue out of town on the same road as the National Park Office. Eventually, you’ll see a sign to turn right off of the road. Follow a dirt track into the woods and eventually you’ll reach a fence and information board, and then you’ll see the ranger cabin on your left. From the first ranger cabin, you continue along the trail on which you came (the cabin will be on your left as you walk away from it). From the first cabin to the second, there are a few side trails that do short loops. To get to the second cabin though, pass a farm on your right and then cross a creek and head up the hillside. Eventually the trail breaks free from the forest and at the top of the mountain, the views are far-reaching and you can see the trails. Continue along the main trail (watch out for animal trails, which are smaller and less worn). It’s relatively straight forward since many people hike this section of the park to the first cabin (in the park) and then back again. As you near where the cabin is (hopefully you have a map) keep an eye out for a trail that branches off the main trail to left and heads down into a side valley – there are a few signs stuck about. You’ll know you are heading in the right direction if you run into an old farm with several dilapidated buildings and some muddy pens. Here though, we got a bit confused, we could see the cabin on the opposite hillside but couldn’t figure out how to reach it. Finally though, some people who had already reached the cabin shouted at us to turn back and cross from higher up since there was no bridge lower down. A good landmark is to look for a trail that heads to the right, away from a farm outpost. From here, you can cross the creek to the other side before descending to a water basin carved from an old tree trunk. This is the best place for water too – the taps in the cabin didn’t work and the spring near the cabin was unreliable. The cabin itself was nice on the outside, but empty on the inside with seven bunk bed frames surrounding an old wooden table, but no mattresses. At night, it’s best to hang any bags with food since there are plenty of mice creeping around the cabin looking for an easy meal!
The following morning we stocked up on water and headed back up the hill to the main trail. For the remainder of the day, it was nonstop trekking up and down along the ridge line as we followed the meandering path. The views were amazing, but by the end of the day, my legs were aching!! The next cabin does not have a water supply and there are no streams nearby or for the early part of the next day’s hike, so make sure to stock up well before you get to the cabin! Unfortunately, this means schlepping between 4-6 liters of water up and down the mountains along the way!
It was a tough day followed by a cold night since the cabin here is located at a higher altitude and doesn’t have any protection from the wind. On the exposed mountaintop, the wind was stronger and colder than it had been lower down. The cabin was small and had only two rooms with four bed frames. The windows were also very drafty and barely kept the wind out. However, the reward for our efforts: a beautiful sunset over the distant snow cap mountains, was well worth it!
The next day you descend back into the forest and it’s a relatively easy trail to follow again as part of the way is along a jeep road. We passed by many raspberry bushes in this section and saw a few bear paw prints and droppings, but no actual bears 😦 We also ran into several friendly local farmers, all of whom offered us chacha. We successfully negotiated our way out of drinking the first few batches, but the last pair of farmers, who seemed to have already enjoyed quite a bit of chacha themselves, were pretty persistent. Being a woman, I got away with saying no, but the guys weren’t so lucky!
When we reached the cabin, it was just off of the main trail and not too far from town – about a 5km walk. This meant that not only did a lot of one-night hikers stop by, but also a lot of locals, so there was a lot more garbage from both groups of people. The cabin had a fountain outside for drinking water and washing dishes, but the area around it was quite dirty. In the evening, we, and another backpacker coming in from the opposite direction, were serenaded by a group of Georgian men who seemed to be looking for something to do. They stood around outside smoking, drinking, and singing for a few hours before the alcohol finally took effect and they went home to pass out!
The next morning was a very easy hike from the cabin to town from where we hitched a ride (for a fee) to the train station. Getting to the train station was not so bad, but getting from the train station back to Tbilisi required more planning that we had realized! The trains here don’t run regularly to Tbilisi (and perhaps not at all according to who you asked). We had to wait several hours before getting a very packed train to another city, and then from there a minibus (marshrutka) to Tbilisi. I don’t remember the name of the city we got the bus from, but basically, the buses are very cheap and they run as soon as they fill up. When you get into Tbilisi, from the direction of Borjomi, you’ll end up at Didube bus station.
Enjoy the hike!
Neshamayin 