Tbilisi, a planned 54

If I could bottle up my ability to drum up enthusiasm for travel and use it in all aspects of my life, I am pretty sure I would be ruling something large. Tbilisi, though planned, came at the heel of some intense work travel and other general travel; fatigue is for wimps said my brain and my body just rolled its eyes. The company I travel with also helps in overriding my body's cry for help. So off I went to the land that sits right where Europe meets Asia.

Georgia, transcontinental, was on my list for reasons beyond the wine - it is quite well known for being one of the oldest wine-producing countries. Pictures of Georgia showcased monasteries deep in unimaginably beautiful nature - so serene and well integrated, I needed a closer look.

The travel there was through Chennai as I decided to travel with my group than trudge through Bangalore alone. Air travel is still a physical resistance. I love Chennai, but the airport, ugh. And the food at the airport; ugh-er. Do something please.

Flying into Georgia meant going over the Caucasus mountains. A sight to behold and also what defines the country of Georgia. Plane views are hard to ignore. Some of the most beautiful sights; if you ignore the stares of people who cannot understand why an adult woman would stick her face intently to a plane window.

Landed and we were whisked off by George, many men named George in the country. This one was beautiful, young and highly patriarchal with touches of misogyny. By the time we left the country, the annoyance of the 5 of us directed at George was palpable to all.

Brief history - I have never been a fan of date-driven history but it seems like the only way I can remember the story of a land and how it connects to the rest of the world is if I map events and dates. I have to back step on some strong deeply held notions, else give up on understanding history better. 

The Caucasus mountains were a primeval home of metallurgy. 3000 BCE bronze age (first signs of gold-mining), followed by the asiatic version of cattle, agricultural, rich (evidence in the burial spaces) and ritualistic which continued thro 2000 BCE and finally the ancestors of the current people of Georgia made their appearance in 1000 BCE  - the Urartu, the Diauhi (who came from the Taokhai) and the Colchians of the fabled wealth; legend of Madea is associated with them.

700 BCE saw an influx of tribes from Anatolia and also the aboriginals from the Kura river valley; birthing the important kingdom of Iberia (Uplistsikhe Caves).

Eventually the land was colonized by the Greek.

66 BCE came the time of Rome & Pompeii the Great.

Around the beginning of the Millenia, Saint Nino, brought in Christianity to the lands; her curing of queen Mariam was a key factor in the royal family's eventual conversion to the religion, which obviously brought about conflict with the Byzantine & Sasnian (Persian) kingdoms around the area.

Around 600 AD sovereign Georgia was established by Vakhtang of the Sasanian dynasty which was then taken over by the Byzantine and eventually by the Arabs of Emirate. 

800 AD  Ashot I of the Bagratid dynasty took advantage of the above mentioned strife which caused the region to weaken; crowned himself hereditary prince of Iberia. Here I am, worrying about saying something which might take away from the person who is talking - the man just takes a crown - I do have a lot to learn.

975 AD saw the combined land of east and west, thanks to Bagrat II and 1122 AD the christians with the leadership of David IV took back the region from the muslims. The 12th century was the golden era of queen Tamar - culture, military and political successes peaked.

The mongols arrived, completely taking over the east and the west remained with the rulers of then Georgia. And they eventually left, the mongols that is.

1443 AD was the last ruler of a united east and west Georgia. The next few centuries was the Ottomans (stronghold), Ivan the terrible and the Shah of Iran for a bit and eventually in the late 19th century after many skirmishes the Ottomans were finally out; Solomon II was the man in charge who started it all in 1805 and it took 70 odd years after that to finally get their independence. Russians were out by 1918 for a brief period and came back again until 1988, the year of the final declaration of independence. 

Back to our trip.

The destination was Tsinandali, 3 hours from where we landed; the drive carried all the excitement that comes with stepping into a new country. Terrain, sights, sound etc. - your brain is doing its job, protecting you from the unknown - trying to connect to the 'already known' elements so you feel comfortable quickly. So, we travellers work hard to keep this instinct at bay and truly try to take the new land as it is. A tough job.

Lunch was a scrumptious affair - and that is high praise from a hard-core vegetarian. Their pomegranate, plum & berry based sauces were an absolute deadly base for many dishes - then there was the cheese & bread(s). We ordered house wine at almost every place we ate at - not once were we disappointed. Enjoyed the food.

Sample lunch - Vegetable soup with apricot, lavash and mamapuri bread, vegetable salad with wild blueberry, avocado salad, grilled vegetables,fried potatoes with rosemary and Qisi wine

Tsinandali

We arrived late in evening to one of the best Radisson's I have stayed in, ever. A view of the Caucasus mountains from rooftop temperature controlled swimming pool - was as wonderful and privileged as it sounds. Though the freedom and the finances have been worked towards since I was 20 - the tinge of guilt never leaves. Cannot write a single blogpost without bringing it in; not to absolve guilt or showcase awareness (who really cares beyond me) but just a fact of the brain that I have been given, the culture I have been raised in, the gender I am and therefore the cultivated angst.

The hotel.

The view.

The next day, we started with the Bodbe monastery. The place that saint Nino went to wind down and retire. I would too. Serene grounds, room to contemplate the simple life that is made complicated so time can pass meaningfully. Some pictures.

Wandered on my own and with the people I traveled with, googled some facts around the monastery - year it was built, why it was built and who built it.

The Shaumata monastery; new and old was impressive and quiet. God and nature if not god in nature was a good enough option - the churches were orthodox, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and filled with frescoes and traditional iconography. Lit a candle as we did at almost every church/monastery we entered; good thoughts are always welcome - all Gods; all the help we need.

The Batonis Tsikhe or castle was the next stop; stopped by a fresh pomegranate juice stand as we hiked up and down the fortress walls to get better views of the fort and the city around. The castle along with three other fortresses are an integral part of the ancient city of Telavi.

The winery was the last stop of the day - a standard issue tour for the tourists - with a bread-making session thrown in for good measure. The method, thousands of years old, still remains the same, more or less.

Rested in the hotel, I insisted on swimming so I bought a swimsuit and got into the water. Over-enthusiastic till I can be. The pool with the mountains as our backdrop. How could I not?

Swam in the downstairs glasshouse pool the next morning, braving 15 degree temperature and two big hotel dogs that did not know I was an esteemed guest of their hotel. Swimming has officially become an obsession.

We checked out and George took us to the city of Tbilisi. A city established in the 5th century AD, and like many cities that stood strong through the millennia Tbilisi was a mix of  Roman, Byzantine, Arab,  Persian and Russian culture and architecture. And also was right in the middle of the Silk Route. The influences were impossible to miss. 

First stop was the Holy Trinity Cathedral, an imposing space in the middle of the city. A new church to commemorate 1500 years of Georgian Orthodoxy.

As the day progressed, we moved towards the old city - the Meidan Bazaar was the most romantic. A 4th/5th century market right in the middle of the Silk Road, the ancient name for the area was Kala; I just love that I run into parts of the Silk Road serendipitously. Was on it for sure in some reincarnated version of my soul in another body of atoms. They seem to have left most of it the way it was or they decorated it that way - either ways, it was an underground marvel. The map on the wall was the icing.

Next stop was a walk through the old city - quaint streets, beautiful bridges and the ancient Sulphur Bath domes dotted the walk. We made an appointment for the Sulphur baths, me reluctantly, not a big fan of 'relaxing' in a big, scaldingly hot, smelly tub of water. But when in a group, succumb to the group; once in a while. It was what it was - hot, smelly water.

The disappointment of the day was the closure of Narikala fortress (Nari - Qila means little fortress), an impressive 4th century BCE (or so the the legend says) structure that oversees the city of Tbilisi. The archaeological accounts place it around 4th century CE. The fortress exchanged hands as and when the rulers changed. The glimpse we got from the outside was all we got, only teaser no main show.

The cable-ride up was well worth the ride for the panoramic city views and the incredibly large statue of the 'mother of Kartli’ a sculptor’s homage to the city - the cup of wine and sword in her hand symbolising the history that the region went through.

The rest of day was spent wandering till we broke every record of our daily steps. The reward was good food and wine.

Monasteries continued to be on the agenda, Mtskheta (you called it Iberia if you lived 2000 odd years ago) was the one that wowed us this time. The town is hailed as the oldest in the area as it was historically a political and economic center, highly fortified.

The old city lies at the confluence of the rivers Mtkvari and Aragvi.

Monasteries offered stunning views of the city.

Out of the three famous monasteries, we deeply visited one and did a drive by for the other two. Not out of disrespect or lack of patience, it was too much to taken in and we did not want to dilute the other experiences by adding more - especially when the brain could take no more. We like to think we are mindful travellers - of ourselves and the places we go to.

The Jvari Monastery stayed with me. The cross of Jesus was erected over an ancient pagan shrine. It just disturbs, you know. Why, would you want to outrightly dismiss and disrespect the belief system. Just stood there feeling bad for every one who had to feel helpless because someone powerful could only feel powerful by wiping out the other. They (the recorders) so casually say, 'symbolised the fall of paganism and the rise of christianity' - which religion did what is not the point, the fact that we did it and still do it consistently is what's amazing. To top it all of, we were shushed as we shared our sadness and kicked out for disturbing the peace of the sanctum. Amazing.

The monasteries lived up to the title the city was bestowed with - 'holy city' because of the role it played in the expansion of christianity in the region.

George had Stalin's museum and paraphernalia on the agenda, we politely said no, a small stance in an ongoing battle of 'where do we draw the line in what we remove and add to the list of things that are ambiguous and downright not okay in today's context'.

Uplistsikhe In the Kartli region), the oldest urban settlement (6th century BCE is the estimate) in Georgia, our next destination was the one that made this trip for me. Built on a series rock structures, with the river Mtvkari running happily alongside. Earliest settlements had Iranian and Anatolian architecture and many of the pagan remnants - including images of Nana (sometimes she sits on a lion, sound familiar?), the female divinity of Eastern Iran, who was derived from Nanaya, the Mesopotamian goddess. They shared so easily back then. The Christian era brought in an end to the Pagan culture of the inhabitants, eventually a church was also built as part of the rock city. It re-gained prominence when Persians took over in the 8th/9th century CE and became the city for the kings of Kartli. Then the Mongols and then devastation and abandonment.

The rock dwellings were a marvel, up and down and all around. No decorations or design, simple and functional. There were areas which looked like they were special or important things happened, but the answers to those questions were not very clear. To me, just how we have lived over the course of time is fascinating. What we call home has so many versions and what people see as comfort is so varied. We literally are capable of calling anything home. These dwellings in the rocks with light being an intermittent guest was home to so many. They lived, built, cherished, prayed and passed time - this was a place that offered solace and protection. And people were okay with it. Despite there being homes, buildings, palaces etc in their time. Nature or Nurture - imprinted DNA or just what was culturally passed on.

I was very lucky to see it and immerse.

We stopped at the museum below. Saw many, many artifacts that were excavated - included Nana the female divinity, gryphon the mythical winged creature of many myths, Zarathustra symbology and so much more. Watched a mesmerising documentary which helped connect some of the dots and also transport us to the world of the Kartli inhabitants.

The 2 hour walk/climb around the place, a look at the treasures that were excavated and the film - a perfect well-rounded day for history; if only actual time-travel could be added to this mix; heaven.

The next day was filled with man- made and natural wonders of the country. The drive took us past the beautiful Tianeti region, we stopped off at the Ananuri complex (a fortified, well, fort of an area built during the 13th century CE) and the Jinvali dam (a soviet-era impressive dam) and continued to the Gudauri ski resort.

The Gudauri ski resort was a winter wonderland. The brave ladies decided to paraglide over the majestic mountains and I decided to walk. Was one of the best birthdays.

I could see the shape of each individual snowflake that feel on my arms. Nature is nuts in such a good way; I think nature's capacity is where we humans get our arrogance from, thinking we too can make the impossible happen. So misplaced many a time.

Tried to get a picture of a snowflake.

Ended the day with room service and a pyjama party - Tbilisi brought in actual fireworks to the mix.

The last day, two of us decided to check out the national museum, sadly, it was closed. We ended up walking around the city, marveling at the soviet-era buildings and envying the wide roads and footpaths that were meant for people-walking.

Home was missed and we headed back with plans for the next trip.