October 24 - Churchkhela, Sulfur Baths, and Wine Bar in Tbilisi
Took a stroll around Tbilisi. Anna, an Azerbaijani living in Oslo, showed me around. We hiked up a hill for the view, then roamed the city.
Tbilisi is a stunning city filled with contrasts. It’s lovely to wander around.
Tried some churchkhela, a Georgian treat made with flour, grape juice, and nuts. Anna suggested I check out the sulfur baths later.
Took a bit of time in the afternoon to plan tomorrow's trip.
In the evening, joined a group at a wine bar. It’s a weekly gathering for English-speaking travelers and expats. Got to taste Georgian wines and meet some friendly faces: Anna, Johnny (whom I’ll catch up with tomorrow), and other nice folks like Gaga (Serbian), Giuseppe (Italian, of course), Hassan and Hilal (Turkish), Jim (Danish), and Amin (Iranian).
October 25 - A trip to Kazbegi
A few days back, I stumbled upon a post by Sandra, a Polish traveler. She was rallying for an expedition to the North's mountains, at Kazbegi, and asked if anyone dared to join and split the transport costs. Ever organized a trip with total strangers? Sounds weird, right? So naturally, I jumped on board at once.
Instead of hopping on another marshrutka, the plan was to hire a driver for the whole day. We'd dictate the route, the pit stops, and could explore things along the way. A tad pricier (80 euros), but if you divide it by four, it's very reasonable.
Around 10:00, we piled into the car, the squad consisting of:
- Sandra, a Polish woman from Poznan, who works as an interpreter in Istanbul.
- Manos, her friend, a Greek firefighter.
- Johnny, whom I bumped into the day prior, an American who's been growing his hair for 15 years—yes, his locks reach his feet.
The ride through the mountains was quite the spectacle, and we planned for about 6 or 7 stops along the way. The driver spoke English and also conversed in Greek with Sandra and Manos. We paused for a midday feast in Pasanauri, known for its delectable khinkalis.
Johnny and I hadn't booked a room for the night, so we sought advice from our chauffeur. He knew a place. But, luck had it, the price tag was higher than anticipated (130 laris = 45 euros). Checking online, I saw the rates were at 90. I went back to the front desk for an explanation; they claimed it wasn't quite the same room, but I didn’t believe the explanation. Anyway, I was too lazy to argue or find another place.
In the evening, I dined with Johnny and two people he recently met. I opted for ojakhuri and we shared a bottle of wine. Oh, and let's not forget the glass of chacha—a strong Georgian brandy.
October 26 - Hiking and zipline
Hiking
Johnny didn't feel well and needed more rest. Three of us venture out for a hike up to the Gergeti Trinity Church. It was an easy trek, about 1 hour 30 minutes, but the view was absolutely worth it. As everywhere in Georgia, we met some friendly stray dogs.
On the way down, we stoped at this cozy little restaurant. I decided to try tatarberaki, a cheesy pasta dish served with onions.
Zipline
There was a zipline nearby, stretching over a kilometer. A bit steep on the pocket (45 euros), but why not? I dived into the adventure. It was a blast! The winds were intense, and my position wasn’t ideal. Midway through, I got stuck, but a guy sprinted down the hill, handed me a rope, and pulled me to the finish line. Was fun.
Evening
I planned to head back to Tbilisi in the evening. From what I gathered, the last marshrutka leaves at 6:00 PM. Keen on being early, I rushed to grab my bag from the hotel and arrived at the parking lot by 5:35 PM. No more marshrutkas. I asked at the tourism office about the timetable, they said: "It's simple, it goes every hour in the morning - 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm... and then it's chaotic in the afternoon". The drivers sometimes leave earlier, for example if the vehicle is already full. I'm asked to return the next day. Since I have no reservations, it’s no hassle. I found another hotel just as good, better located, and half the price.
Later in the evening, we dined at a rather... traditional restaurant. Not your typical setup—it’s more like an old room with a table for 30. An elderly lady arrived; she didn’t speak English or Russian, offering a worn-out menu with a blank post-it and a pen. We wrote down our orders. Minutes later, she brought a tray with cutlery, glasses, wine... No real table service, deal with it.
At the end, the bill was the most minimalist bill I've ever seen. At 80 laris (24 euros) for four, with a liter of wine, four glasses of chacha, and several dishes, it’s a good deal!
Post-dinner, we realized we needed more wine. We hit the supermarket minutes before closing, but they wouldn’t let us in. We found another restaurant closing up, asked if we could buy a bottle of wine to go. And could they open it for us? We ended up sharing the bottle on a terrace.
October 27 - A Scary Drive Back to Tbilisi
In the end, I opted out of the marshrutka for the way back. Since Johnny, Sandra, and Manos also wanted to head back to Tbilisi, they suggested splitting a taxi fare. I managed to find a taxi and negotiated a price of 120 laris for a 3-hour ride (about 42 euros, so 10.50 euros each). It turned out to be cheaper than expected.
The car ride was quite alarming. Our driver seemed to be unaware of traffic rules—ignoring white lines, speed limits, you name it. The funny part was when we encountered a jam with the entire lane blocked, and the driver almost passed the whole line before managing to squeeze in. Adding to the challenge, our vehicle had the steering wheel on the right side, complicating matters whenever we tried to overtake.
Videos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5uwhFwU3HYkP9EXeA
Back in Tbilisi, I booked a spot at the Namaste hostel. The place had a nice vibe. Inside the hostel, a familiar face caught my eye—Jim, a Danish guy I'd met a few days earlier. He was organizing a tasting event featuring local beers and wines.
October 28 - A Quiet Day in Tbilisi
I started the day with a leisurely walk in the botanical garden, enjoying the peacefulness amid the city's bustle.
Later, I joined a guided city tour, learning more about Tbilisi from a local guide.
In the evening, I met up with a group at a vibrant bar, and enjoyed some delicious khinkalis. I caught up with Anna (again) and met new faces like Benjamin from Quebec and Bryan, an American.
Then I packed my bag to prepare to leave for Armenia the next day.