To be honest, I don't particularly feel like blogging tonight. I'm tired, and frustrated at a thwarted evening because... this is Georgia. But holy moly, I have FOUR MORE DAYS. There's a lot of blogging I want to get done before I fly, not to mention people to see and a drinking horn to buy. The next week is going to be redic. It's crunch time, people.
Besides, it's sheer laziness to not want to talk about my wonderful weekend, my Big Solo Trip. Kazbegi.
Which damn, I almost didn't make it to. Friday night was my last (for a while) happy hour at the wonderful Betsy's Hotel. By accident, I ended up meeting a lot of TLGers there, and it was cool to see everyone -- probably the last for a very long time, or forever. Cool folks. I'll miss them.
I had every intention of an early night, but the night turned into just one of those evenings where drinks appeared in front of me as if by magic. When I finally dragged myself away, I had no fewer than two beers and a tequila shot waiting for me, which I hope got put to good use after I left.
However, needless to say, my alarm at 7:00 the next morning was not welcomed. I eventually got out the door shortly after 9:00, and decided to cab it to Didube because Tbilisi mass transit for an hour was just asking a little much of me at that point. This proved to be a super investment because -- as I've mentioned -- Didube is huge and confusing. But my cabbie actually drove all around the station, shouting "Kazbegi!?" out the window, which was great because it meant I didn't have to do this, all by my foreign girl self, and whilst walking. We eventually found the bus, witnessed a truck gently sideswipe a marshutka, and I discovered I still had half an hour before my marsh was due to pull out. While I waited outside (no need to get a numb butt any sooner than necessary), I ran into TLGer Laureene, who was on her way to Zugdidi. I hadn't seen her since the Poti days, so good to catch up for five minutes at least.
One of the first cautionary tales I ever heard about Georgia is that the marshutkas are chronically lax in their departure times. Once a friend apparently waited something like six hours for the driver to make the decision to actually drive the bus. Fortunately, I can say that this has never happened to me, and yesterday did not kill my record. We fired up on the dot of 10:00, and began our bouncing and jostling three-hour ride to Stepantsminda, known to locals and foreigners alike as Kazbegi.
I've said it before, but Georgia has simply the most breathtakingly beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. The tree-covered hills around Tbilisi gave way to stark green mountains with naked jagged peaks looming in the distance, streaks of snow still reaching far down their slopes.
So, Kazbegi is really tiny. Tiny, and rather nondescript. So much so that when the bus finally stopped, my fellow passengers and I did not know that we had arrived. The driver had to stick his head back in the bus with an annoyed "Finishi!" Well, the Georgians weren't getting out either so I refuse to feel dim about this one.
My friends had told me that every marsh entering Kazbegi is mobbed with Georgians all barking "Guesthouse! Guesthouse?" So I was sort of counting on this, and not made any accommodation arrangements in advance. When I got off, there was no mob, and I had a heart-sinking moment of (non) plans going awry. But then a lady in a bright red shawl walked up to me and said calmly "Guesthouse, yes?"
Her name was Nino, and her guesthouse was super. Clean and nice, big rooms, good furniture and warm comfy beds. Each room has a separate private entrance to the communal bathroom (two shower/toilet rooms), although in my case I did have to actually go outside for just a second to get to the bathroom door. No biggie. Out front is a small table and chairs for relaxing with beer or coffee after a long day. She let the house's other guests watch European football on the TV. 20 lari for one night, no food. (She also offers food for an additional cost if you're inclined.) Nino's Guesthouse. If you happen to be in Kazbegi, and she comes up to you, you could do a lot worse than go with her.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Nino had also collected two Polish backpackers who were also on my marsh, so the four of us made our way together. Oh -- and Kazbegi was COLD! The sky was overcast and angry, clouds hanging low and obscuring the mountains. I had not expected this, as it is balls-hot in Tbilisi. In my outfit of t-shirt and lightweight cargo pants, I was very, very glad I had decided at the last minute to throw that extra-extra layer in my backpack!
The Polish backpackers and I chatted as we got settled in. They were in Kazbegi to hike Mount Kazbek, and looking at that peak, they have my admiration!
I just pretty much dropped off my stuff, said "Didi madloba" to Nino and her mother, and headed out again in search of a quick meal and then to hike up to Gergeti Trinity Church. Not really feeling up to a restaurant hunt, I went into the first one I saw, a very nice place right in the main square where the bus let us off. The staff were incredibly friendly, spoke great English, and even had an English menu! Unfortunately, it became clear all too soon that all these things were true because this was a place that catered to tourists in a different tax bracket than I. A bottle of Kazbegi beer cost FOUR LARI 20. This might well be the very most I have ever paid for a bottle of Georgian beer, and of course because beer wasn't on the menu and I didn't have this very necessary information until it came time for the check, ordered two of them. With my one entree (including some tkmali sauce which I requested and later found out cost three lari), my bill came to a mighty 22 lari. Yikes. The staff were truly fantastic, so it was a very pleasant meal, but 22 lari?? I can eat dinner at The Hangar for that. :) But whatever. This was supposed to be a vacation, right? You're supposed to pay ridiculous prices for things on vacation. Right?
Fortified with expensive calories, I set out to do the hike that most people come to Kazbegi to do (who aren't beasty mountain climbers up for the four-day adventure to Kazbek's summit.) I'd been told by both my guidebook and by people who have been there that this is a very popular hike. I was not, however, prepared for the throngs of nonstop, loud-as-all-fuck Georgian schoolkids. They were everywhere. Like giant shrieking, giggling, shouting, arguing, smoking ants. I guess it is the end of the year, and this would be a popular excursion destination. But what I love best about hiking -- the silence, the solitude -- that was never going to happen on this particular trip.
Rather like a giant Mtatsminda, there's no one single trail up the mountain to the church. The hillside is crisscrossed with all manner of paths and trails, along with the one main dirt track (road?) which gets its fair share of traffic, Georgians and taxis who don't feel like making the walk. Georgians are very fond of the paths that go straight up... they almost all take these, and just go up them very... slowly. I found myself opting for the longer flatter trails much of the time, simply because they had less traffic.
It was a pretty challenging hike, but nothing near like the Hike to The Cross back in Svaneti, which remains the hike against which all other hikes will forever be judged. After about an hour and a half, I emerged onto the bald mountaintop and the final stretch.
As you can see, here another problem was about to make its presence felt. Enormous crazy fog rolled in, turning the mountaintop into one gigantic white-out.
There were signs all over the place warning folks not to take pictures inside the church, and also that women had to wear a skirt inside. "If necessary, we provide dress for women." This they did, in the form of long elastic-waisted drawstring things. Strictly hilarious, and I wish I had a photo of me wearing one, but I didn't want the Georgians to think I was making fun of their culture by asking a stranger to take a photo of me in my borrowed outfit. I did get one photo of me outside.
I was slightly bummed by the total, complete lack of a view. Fortunately Kazbek itself became at least partially visible for a minute or two.
My guidebook had told me that I could continue my hike past the church, for another hour and a half, to get to a glacier. I could find this path by -- I swear -- "turning left at a pile of rocks." I have some words for this book's author and his directions. Needless to say, I picked a path which turned out to be the wrong one, as 20 minutes in it petered out next to a tiny cowherd community.
More disappointment, as now for sure I did not have enough time to find the right path, hike it, and get back to town before dark. I set my sights for home.
It's not the end of the world I didn't make it to the glacier, because I stumped back into Kazbegi pretty damn tired and footsore. Adding almost twice as much hiking time would likely not have been all that fun near the end. I picked up a beer (NOT for four lari!) and headed back to the guesthouse with the plan of relaxing for an hour before going back out for dinner.
I met the Polish backpackers at the guesthouse; they had also hiked up to Gergeti for the afternoon -- much faster than I had, no doubt! We hung out on the porch together and had a good conversation before they headed in to watch their football, and I headed out for dinner.
Very conscious of the day's earlier 22-lari expense, I was determined to find a local place off the main drag. Kazbegi is tiny. Much smaller than Poti, smaller even than Mestia. There's limited options in terms of restaurants, especially those that do not charge top Tbilisi prices for beer. I finally found a little hole-in-the-wall -- no menu, maybe four tables, one of which was occupied by old Georgian men in camo drinking vodka. Beer was three lari. Sigh. I ordered a Kababi and four kinkhali, since my host Mom had made a point of telling me that Kazbegi kinkhali were exceptionally good. My kababi came quickly... but my kinkhali took forever, and when they finally arrived, it was obvious they were the frozen-from-the-store kind. They kind of sucked. But the bill was nine lari. Good food and service for 22 lari, shitty food and service for nine lari. Take your pick, I guess.
I headed back to the guesthouse at around 9:30, just as full dark was setting in. The Polish guys were engrossed in their football, so I cocooned in my room (the chilly night meant I got to use a blanket!) and managed to finish my novel before my kindle battery died. (Win.) Turned out the light around midnight.
The next day I was supposed to get up at 8:00. Yeah, that did NOT happen. Even though I'd gone to bed early, my bed was really comfy, it was quiet, and it was so nice to snuggle under blankets after not even being able to use a sheet back in Tbilisi. Besides -- vacation, right? :) I got out of bed around 10:30, and said my farewells to Nino at 11:00.
I checked out Stepantsminda Church in town, and the Kazbegi Museum. The church was tiny, and I didn't get in past the door as there was a service going on. The museum was small but had some interesting exhibits and artifacts. A sign said admission was three lari, but I saw no one to give said fare to the entire time I was was there, so walked through for free.
I did the museum and the church in under half an hour, and that left me with utterly no plan for the rest of my time in Kazbegi before I had to catch the marshutka. After a few minutes, I decided to try the "Arsha Hike" from my guidebook, despite a less than stellar track record in following dude's instructions. But he called it "a very pleasant and easy stroll," and I was really unenthused about going up anything that day.
Well, lo and behold, the path actually was where he said it would be. The Arsha Hike is so named because eventually you get to the village of Arsha. You walk along the Tergi River, although the valley soon widens into a floodplain and the path goes kind of far from the water. It's a flat hike, and the immediate topography is pretty boring -- grass and trash. But you are surrounded on all four sides with truly impressive mountains, which is pretty cool.
I had to cut the Arsha Hike short, because I wanted to catch a marshutka no later than 2:00 to make sure I was back home by 6:00 to tutor my host family. I got back to the main square by 1:30; there was a marsh and a driver right there. I asked when he was leaving, and he said five minutes. Just long enough to pee at the expensive restaurant and claim my seat, and we were off.
On the way home, we ran into some traffic.
I had an amazing time in Kazbegi, despite the little setbacks and momentary disappointments. Most importantly, I found that solo travel in Georgia is easy. Easy, and I had a lot of fun rolling with everything. It was really nice to just be able to kick back with my book and some quality silence on Saturday night, and actually go to bed early. No distractions. It was nice to sleep in a bit because I felt like it (although if I had gotten up as planned I probably could have done the Arsha Hike). It was nice to make decisions, and change them on the fly. I'm going to be taking many more trips like these come September.
This song kept me good company this weekend. I know this was a long post, but just listen.
Besides, it's sheer laziness to not want to talk about my wonderful weekend, my Big Solo Trip. Kazbegi.
Which damn, I almost didn't make it to. Friday night was my last (for a while) happy hour at the wonderful Betsy's Hotel. By accident, I ended up meeting a lot of TLGers there, and it was cool to see everyone -- probably the last for a very long time, or forever. Cool folks. I'll miss them.
I had every intention of an early night, but the night turned into just one of those evenings where drinks appeared in front of me as if by magic. When I finally dragged myself away, I had no fewer than two beers and a tequila shot waiting for me, which I hope got put to good use after I left.
 |
| Good people Helene and Matt. Will miss these guys! |
One of the first cautionary tales I ever heard about Georgia is that the marshutkas are chronically lax in their departure times. Once a friend apparently waited something like six hours for the driver to make the decision to actually drive the bus. Fortunately, I can say that this has never happened to me, and yesterday did not kill my record. We fired up on the dot of 10:00, and began our bouncing and jostling three-hour ride to Stepantsminda, known to locals and foreigners alike as Kazbegi.
I've said it before, but Georgia has simply the most breathtakingly beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. The tree-covered hills around Tbilisi gave way to stark green mountains with naked jagged peaks looming in the distance, streaks of snow still reaching far down their slopes.
So, Kazbegi is really tiny. Tiny, and rather nondescript. So much so that when the bus finally stopped, my fellow passengers and I did not know that we had arrived. The driver had to stick his head back in the bus with an annoyed "Finishi!" Well, the Georgians weren't getting out either so I refuse to feel dim about this one.
My friends had told me that every marsh entering Kazbegi is mobbed with Georgians all barking "Guesthouse! Guesthouse?" So I was sort of counting on this, and not made any accommodation arrangements in advance. When I got off, there was no mob, and I had a heart-sinking moment of (non) plans going awry. But then a lady in a bright red shawl walked up to me and said calmly "Guesthouse, yes?"
Her name was Nino, and her guesthouse was super. Clean and nice, big rooms, good furniture and warm comfy beds. Each room has a separate private entrance to the communal bathroom (two shower/toilet rooms), although in my case I did have to actually go outside for just a second to get to the bathroom door. No biggie. Out front is a small table and chairs for relaxing with beer or coffee after a long day. She let the house's other guests watch European football on the TV. 20 lari for one night, no food. (She also offers food for an additional cost if you're inclined.) Nino's Guesthouse. If you happen to be in Kazbegi, and she comes up to you, you could do a lot worse than go with her.
 |
| View from the back door. |
But I am getting ahead of myself. Nino had also collected two Polish backpackers who were also on my marsh, so the four of us made our way together. Oh -- and Kazbegi was COLD! The sky was overcast and angry, clouds hanging low and obscuring the mountains. I had not expected this, as it is balls-hot in Tbilisi. In my outfit of t-shirt and lightweight cargo pants, I was very, very glad I had decided at the last minute to throw that extra-extra layer in my backpack!
The Polish backpackers and I chatted as we got settled in. They were in Kazbegi to hike Mount Kazbek, and looking at that peak, they have my admiration!
 |
| Yeah, that's something I'll never do. |
Fortified with expensive calories, I set out to do the hike that most people come to Kazbegi to do (who aren't beasty mountain climbers up for the four-day adventure to Kazbek's summit.) I'd been told by both my guidebook and by people who have been there that this is a very popular hike. I was not, however, prepared for the throngs of nonstop, loud-as-all-fuck Georgian schoolkids. They were everywhere. Like giant shrieking, giggling, shouting, arguing, smoking ants. I guess it is the end of the year, and this would be a popular excursion destination. But what I love best about hiking -- the silence, the solitude -- that was never going to happen on this particular trip.
 |
| Typical Georgian "bridge" to start off the trek. |
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| A flat stretch, blissfully empty of fellow hikers. |
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| Maybe halfway up. |
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| Gergeti in clouds |
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| I think there are mountains somewhere over there. |
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| A foggy Gergeti, complete with crowd. |
I was slightly bummed by the total, complete lack of a view. Fortunately Kazbek itself became at least partially visible for a minute or two.
My guidebook had told me that I could continue my hike past the church, for another hour and a half, to get to a glacier. I could find this path by -- I swear -- "turning left at a pile of rocks." I have some words for this book's author and his directions. Needless to say, I picked a path which turned out to be the wrong one, as 20 minutes in it petered out next to a tiny cowherd community.
More disappointment, as now for sure I did not have enough time to find the right path, hike it, and get back to town before dark. I set my sights for home.
It's not the end of the world I didn't make it to the glacier, because I stumped back into Kazbegi pretty damn tired and footsore. Adding almost twice as much hiking time would likely not have been all that fun near the end. I picked up a beer (NOT for four lari!) and headed back to the guesthouse with the plan of relaxing for an hour before going back out for dinner.
I met the Polish backpackers at the guesthouse; they had also hiked up to Gergeti for the afternoon -- much faster than I had, no doubt! We hung out on the porch together and had a good conversation before they headed in to watch their football, and I headed out for dinner.
Very conscious of the day's earlier 22-lari expense, I was determined to find a local place off the main drag. Kazbegi is tiny. Much smaller than Poti, smaller even than Mestia. There's limited options in terms of restaurants, especially those that do not charge top Tbilisi prices for beer. I finally found a little hole-in-the-wall -- no menu, maybe four tables, one of which was occupied by old Georgian men in camo drinking vodka. Beer was three lari. Sigh. I ordered a Kababi and four kinkhali, since my host Mom had made a point of telling me that Kazbegi kinkhali were exceptionally good. My kababi came quickly... but my kinkhali took forever, and when they finally arrived, it was obvious they were the frozen-from-the-store kind. They kind of sucked. But the bill was nine lari. Good food and service for 22 lari, shitty food and service for nine lari. Take your pick, I guess.
I headed back to the guesthouse at around 9:30, just as full dark was setting in. The Polish guys were engrossed in their football, so I cocooned in my room (the chilly night meant I got to use a blanket!) and managed to finish my novel before my kindle battery died. (Win.) Turned out the light around midnight.
The next day I was supposed to get up at 8:00. Yeah, that did NOT happen. Even though I'd gone to bed early, my bed was really comfy, it was quiet, and it was so nice to snuggle under blankets after not even being able to use a sheet back in Tbilisi. Besides -- vacation, right? :) I got out of bed around 10:30, and said my farewells to Nino at 11:00.
I checked out Stepantsminda Church in town, and the Kazbegi Museum. The church was tiny, and I didn't get in past the door as there was a service going on. The museum was small but had some interesting exhibits and artifacts. A sign said admission was three lari, but I saw no one to give said fare to the entire time I was was there, so walked through for free.
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| Stepantsminda Church |
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| Kazbegi Museum |
Well, lo and behold, the path actually was where he said it would be. The Arsha Hike is so named because eventually you get to the village of Arsha. You walk along the Tergi River, although the valley soon widens into a floodplain and the path goes kind of far from the water. It's a flat hike, and the immediate topography is pretty boring -- grass and trash. But you are surrounded on all four sides with truly impressive mountains, which is pretty cool.
 |
| Can you spot tiny Gergeti? |
I had to cut the Arsha Hike short, because I wanted to catch a marshutka no later than 2:00 to make sure I was back home by 6:00 to tutor my host family. I got back to the main square by 1:30; there was a marsh and a driver right there. I asked when he was leaving, and he said five minutes. Just long enough to pee at the expensive restaurant and claim my seat, and we were off.
On the way home, we ran into some traffic.
I had an amazing time in Kazbegi, despite the little setbacks and momentary disappointments. Most importantly, I found that solo travel in Georgia is easy. Easy, and I had a lot of fun rolling with everything. It was really nice to just be able to kick back with my book and some quality silence on Saturday night, and actually go to bed early. No distractions. It was nice to sleep in a bit because I felt like it (although if I had gotten up as planned I probably could have done the Arsha Hike). It was nice to make decisions, and change them on the fly. I'm going to be taking many more trips like these come September.
This song kept me good company this weekend. I know this was a long post, but just listen.
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