Georgia is my love
Before I was sucked into the abyss between work and borscht, I have to record my impressions of my trip to Georgia here.
It was a budget bus tour, but believe me, it was worth a lot more when converted into experiences.
So. You should visit Georgia if:
You will be inspired by the unique ancient and modern architecture - buildings from several thousand years old to modern bizarre skyscrapers shining with glassy arrogance.
You are delighted with the views of mountain landscapes with their fast rivers, emerald lakes, sheer cliffs, snow-capped peaks and huge herds of sheep scattered with pearls on green slopes.
You are not indifferent to the diversity of flora: bamboo, eucalyptus, olives, thickets of sea buckthorn, hibiscus with giant flowers, oleanders, huge meadows of mountain mint, thyme and coltsfoot, wild rose with gigantic fruits, tangerine groves, palm trees and laurels , naked in their silver shamelessness plane trees, magnolias, camphor laurels, cedars entwined with ivy, persimmon, fig and pomegranate trees, grapes - this is a small fraction of plants that you will see just in the city or in the mountains, without visiting the botanical garden.
You like hiking for distances of 10-15 km in very rough terrain.
You are a connoisseur of delicious food: alchemically magical combinations of spices, herbs, cheese, meat, vegetables, nuts and bread - delicious like manna from heaven. Every meal here is fresh and impeccable, whether it's khachapuri from a street bakery or an elaborate meat dish at an expensive restaurant.
You are an alcoholic gourmet. Here you can talk for a long time, but it's better to try.
You can appreciate the flavor of the Asian market, where the smell is intoxicating, like a drug, and the air is edible, where you will be treated, hugged, kissed, given a gift and declared in love.
You love people because people define the uniqueness of any country. In Georgia, women are beautiful, they love black in clothes and know a lot about jewelry, and men do not take seats in transport if there is at least one standing woman in the cabin. Even little boys stand up under the approving look of their mother to give way to a woman. If you unfolded a map of the city on the street, someone will definitely stop and ask how they can help you. You will be escorted, they will call you a taxi and show you the way, the porter will leave the hotel to stop the minibus for you, lend you a transport card. They will help you even if you do not speak the same language. Thanks to people, you always feel completely safe.
You are a believing Christian - you also go to Georgia. On its territory there are many ancient shrines, artifacts, temples and monasteries, equated by believers with Jerusalem shrines.
You dream of buying silver jewelry in the unique Georgian technique of partition enamel - minankari. Here you can buy them directly from the hands of the master.
You want to improve your health and drink healing water. In Georgia, there are several unique sources of medicinal waters, in addition to Borjomi, which are not exported to Ukraine.
You love cats and dogs. There are a great many of them, and they all seem to be immersed in meditation.
You love a beach holiday and the warm sea.
You like to hang out until the morning and not get hungover. Fresh air and magical wine, I think that's the reason.
If you are not interested in people, or food, or architecture, or plants, or animals, or mountains, or sea, or wine - do not leave the house, because you have already died, but no one has told you about it.
Do not think that I am confusing tourism with emigration, but Georgia is a country where you do not want to leave, where you want to stay, where you want to return. So go and see, and then we will check the impressions.
I have more Georgian stories and observations, but they require separate posts. Perhaps I will have time to write them down before the routine haze returns me to the orbit of everyday life.