“Georgia 🇬🇪 ~Our Finals Days in Country”

• June 28, 2021
• By Pen
• 0 Comment

We left Ushguli, high up in the stunning beauty of the north, and returned to Zugdidi, and spent a few nights to recharge, as well as break-up the long drive back to the capital city. ⬇️

Yes, room to spread out in, after our rather tight quarters in Ushguli. Big daddy got a big couch. ⬆️

Mama got a bathtub. It’s been a very long time, since I got to soak! Heaven! ⬆️

Next, we drove back to Batumi, (Black Sea coastal town) for a couple of nights. We looked forward to this, because Batumi is really great. From there we made it all the way to Tbilisi, where we started out.

Backtracking the same route was never the original plan, as there is a large loop we intended to explore, but to ensure we didn’t deal with any more bad roads, we returned on a “tried and true” route, with far less stress.

Back in Batumi, ⬇️ we got a great rate in a newly remodeled hotel. $16/night. It’s basic and clean with free parking, but no breakfast or restaurant. No problem, as we have the car. The weather is not “beachy” weather at all; instead cloudy, drizzly and a bit muggy, but there is the Black Sea Mall across the street. Daryl is there checking it out, now, after taking a nice nap, earlier.

This area of Batumi will be popular one day, when the strip gets completed. Prices will rise, then, after the construction is complete. Like the hotel in Zugdidi, with the awesome bathtub, we are the only guests here. Too. We decided to stay two nights in Batumi, because it’s nice to get such a good rate, to offset any higher ones.

By day two, we have been upgraded to a bigger room with balcony, as the electricity stopped working in our first room. I was out in the hallway, using the outlets out there, to boil water for our coffee. It’s so crazy, but we’ve been living like this for going on our fourth year. It’s seemingly normal to us, now, and these are the memories that will make us laugh one day, in our old age. Many things can and do go wrong in hotel rooms, but nothing tops pipes bursting, and the flooding that follows. This has happened to us in more than one hotel over the years, too. Trying to relay urgency to the non-English speaking staff on the phone is a hoot. Me on the phone: “please send maintenance, right away-our room is flooding from the bathroom.” Quickly, and racing up the stairs all the way, I have no doubt, here came a young man with an extra towel in hand! I could only smile, as I’m ankle deep in water, because his effort was appreciated, after all.
So, electricity going out is way easier! 

While in Batumi, I wanted to try to find some traditional dishes. It would appear Batumi has more tourists, so more places are open, upon our return visit.

 This popular Georgian dish is called Khachapuri. ⬇️ I found a popular restaurant called Laguna. Since that is also the name of where we live in California, I figured it had to be a sign! Ha!

⬆️ There are many different styles of khachapuri, which is the signature stuffed cheese bread of Georgia, but most are made by wrapping a pile of cheese in a round of dough, then baking until the cheese is molten. The most famous khachapuri is from Adjara, a region of Georgia on the Black Sea. It’s an open-faced, boat-shaped loaf that’s often served with an egg yolk and a slice of butter to stir in at the table. Traditionally, tangy imeruli and sulguni cheeses are used, but they are difficult to find in the U.S. I could definitely taste the tangy cheese. I’m glad I tried it, but for me it was a one and done adventure. Part of that is having lived in the Caucasus region for seven months, where the diet is heavy in starch (breads) and light on meat. We are both craving more meat! Ha! The meat in Armenia was cooked to our liking. In Georgia, it is easy to go vegetarian, because they overcook every meat plate, till it resembles leather, with the exception of “Organiqe Josper,” in Tbilisi. We ate there two times and there will be a third and fourth visit. Their BBQ pork falls off the bone. Obviously the chef there has learned a thing or two about how to flavor and tenderize meat!
Bravo!

On our second night, back in Batumi, I picked a hip place called “K2 Cafe.” ⬇️

I figured we couldn’t go wrong with a real car built into the decor of the roof! K2 Cafe can be found in Europe Square, which is the area where most all the food places are.

This would be a good choice, and we are glad we went there.

Yep, it is a car on the roof!

⬆️ Shkmeruli (chicken cooked in milk and garlic sauce) With tarragon:

Shkmeruli is a traditional Georgian dish made with fried chicken slowly simmered in a flavorful mixture of milk and garlic until it fully soaks all those beautiful flavors. It’s delicate, tender, and hearty.

⬆️ Khinkali with mushroom sauce:
Khinkali is a very popular Georgian dumpling made of twisted knobs of dough, stuffed with meat and spices. It is considered to be one of the national dishes of Georgia. Different regions of Georgia make khinkali with different fillings. The most popular filling is a pork/beef mix.

When food has been limited,  menu wise, in other less populated regions, we’ve mostly been eating Caesar Salad, as it tends to be available here, in Georgia. It’s pretty good. ⬇️

The other dish I have liked is another form of  “dumplings.” ⬇️ This a not just a Georgian dish, but a Caucasus dish, made specific to each country. Yummy homemade pasta with a little meat inside. Various “dressings” come with the dishes. This one is olive oil mixed with crispy caramelized  onions! Divine!

This was a hotel restaurant in Gori, previously. ⬆️ ⬇️

After dinner, this evening in Batumi, we were in the mood for ice cream, so we got out in Europe Square to wander.
It was good to see the fountain was working on this visit.
The Square is a memorable area in Batumi, with restored 12th century architecture.
There is also a statue of Medea, which holds a symbol of the glory and cultural development of old Colchis; the golden fleece.
The large fountain and the beautiful buildings of past centuries make this place very European and attractive. ⬇️

We got an early start on a drizzly morning from Batumi. It’s a long drive, back to Tbilisi, (6 hours) and we wanted to do it all in one day. I did the driving, and we were glad we still had pavement the whole way!

⬆️ ⬇️ We got a nice place to stay, in Old Town; up on the hill, just below the Narikala Castle ruins. “Lusi Guest House.” $30/night with breakfast included with A/C for our triple digit temperatures.
Luka at the guest house has been super great for arranging our mobile PCR testing, at the end of our stay. Also, providing a shuttle to the airport at a fair price.
We can walk the Cobblestone streets down to restaurants, the Georgian Baths, local Massage place, and markets. Going back up is good exercise too!
We recommend!

Tonight for dinner, Daryl didn’t even have to ask me where I wanted to go. We got our delicious BBQ Pork and mashed potatoes in Old Town, at “Organique Josper” Yum!

Tomorrow, we clean up the rental car and return it to the airport. After that, we will easily entertain ourselves in Tbilisi for another five days, since this capital city is operating with very few closures of anything.

Tonight we chose to dine at a hotel/restaurant across the narrow road from our stay. It’s called “See360,” with fine dining, so more than $10 pp. it was a treat. Obviously the views were great. The food was also very good.

⬆️ Salmon Filet with grilled vegetables

This was so fun to try ⬆️
It was an appetizer. The small rounded bread was corn bread. Inside the round balls was beans and ham soup; thickly made like I make it. How they got the soup inside the ball I do not know. It was so good!

Inside ~yummy

From the “See360 Restaurant,” I took a few iPhone pics ⬇️
Orange building on far left is Lusi Guest House.

The outside tent set-up is on top of the building we are staying in. ⬆️ We can enjoy the cabana set up, when we want, but during triple digit temps, we prefer the AC in our room so far. At night, it’s a great place to watch fireworks (weekend thing).
You can also see the old Fort, as well as the landing, next to it, for the tram ride.

Trams running back and forth to the Fort ruins ⬆️

Old church behind our stay. Maybe we will figure out how to walk to it. ⬆️

This morning, when Daryl went down for breakfast, the woman (owner) said in so many words she was worried his wife did not eat breakfast. (It’s true I’m not a food person in the morning).
So, she made me a fresh dish with yummy cheese inside, and had Daryl bring them to me. How sweet was that? ⬇️

⬆️ I’m not sure what these are called in Georgia, (filled with melted cheese) but they are similar to the Russian blintze, which I think are very delicious!

Today, we stayed in most of the day and I worked on our Ukraine travel details. A rental car for a month there, will be about $2000; pickup from the airport, for just a small economy. Room rates are high at $60/night for basically a very small room with a bathroom, in the city, close to sites. Any lower prices at $40-$50 a night are hostels with shared baths.

It’s one thing to be in the EU and expect these prices, but we are just surprised about it in Ukraine.
So, we will rent a car after we get into the city (Kiev) to save a couple hundred dollars, and see as much as we can in three weeks!

Tonight, we wandered down the hill for dinner again. We picked an okay restaurant (thinking it would be better). They had specialty hams from Spain. The food was overpriced, even for the salads we got.

⬆️ I asked for Caesar Salad with shrimp, not chicken. So I got Calamari. Oh well, the calamari was good. 

We enjoyed the free sample of 100-year-old, aged black-hooved pig! I never knew about black-hooves pigs.
Here is more info, if interested. 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.enriquetomas.com/es/blog/en/glosario/pata-negra-black-hoof/amp/

⬆️ The pig meat was very good! The hooves turn black because they eat a diet of acorns.
After dinner, we walked to find a massage place, and to make a reservations.  Tomorrow we will get a two-hour~couples massage at $31 pp (the two Thai places are closed). We have had Russian massages and they were good, so we assume the Georgian massage will be similar.

We shall see.

Panacota ⬆️
We stopped back in at the “See360 Restaurant,” across from our stay and got a yummy dessert. It’s like clotted cream with fresh crushed raspberries on top. Not overly sweet. Perfect! 

Our massage, today, was not like a Russian massage at all. Not sure what technique it would be called, exactly. Most likely no formal training, but still pretty good. We got our money’s worth. Baby oil was used. That was a first.
As far as our meaningful  “treasures” purchase from Georgia 🇬🇪, besides the “add” to my collection of shot glasses from around the world.
We never “plan” on purchasing anything specific, but wait to see what pops up, and moves us, as we explore. Tonight, we stumbled upon the most perfect item! Loved these!

The picture doesn’t show the detail as well, but the carving is perfect, and adorable. The bees look just like bees in real life. So does the bear cub.
We were advised to find a wooden utensil to use as a honey dipper, as anything metal will break down the wax. 

This guy, wearing the traditional hat, ran a close second, but decided it would not look as nice on display in the kitchen.
These vessels are made from beeswax. They will last a long, long time, but only if washed with warm water (no soap), and don’t fill with anything that is not 100% natural.

It was hard to pick just one, but went with the tree, bear and honey bee  🐝 carving.  Yes, I will use for honey 🍯 on the table in the RV, one day. All carvings on display can also be used for health benefit: At night, fill the vessel with water, let sit over night, then drink, the next morning on an empty stomach. I think we will use ours for a honey keeper, but the carvings do smell of honey.
******

This afternoon, we made our second visit to the Georgian Baths in Tbilisi. We chose a different bathhouse. It was more expensive, fancier and in a beautiful building. It did not feel ancient like the Royal bathhouse we went to the first time, which is, in itself, very cool to experience.

I chose today, to make it an “All about Daryl Day.” He needed a distraction (we both did, actually), because, sadly, Daryl’s mom; Mary, passed away, very quickly, yesterday. It was not completely unexpected, as she was 93 years old, but these things are never easy, on those left behind on earth. We were in shock the day of and the day after, and somehow managed arrangements to fly back home. It is good to stay busy. But, by today we felt sad and, well, just so sad.
Time to get out and get some fresh air and keep staying busy!
This time, we had to make a reservation at the bathhouse of our choice, because there are some other tourists we are sharing Tbilisi with, by this time in the sumner. We had 2.5 hours to pass the time, till our appointment, so we hopped on an electric cart, to do another city tour. We enjoyed the first one, and in these high temperatures, it was a great way to stay cool.

The city tour lasted an hour, and the driver was kind enough to drop us off at a restaurant to eat dinner.

….Perfect timing, because by the time we were done eating and walked from the restaurant to the bathhouse, we were right on time for our 6:30PM appointment.
They were running a bit late, so by 7PM it was our turn.

Tbilisi’s iconic Chreli-Abano Bathhouse, is sometimes called Orbeliani Baths.
Chreli-Abano has a long history, but was completely refurbished a couple of years ago. Although very beautiful, the rooms don’t have traditional domed roofs and aren’t “authentic” Tbilisi-style like the other ones. I recommend, trying the baths under the ancient dome-style, as well as the more modern bath. We did, and each experience is similar, yet different. We did the same thing in Turkey. There is nothing wrong with the more expensive pampering baths, but don’t miss a chance to experience the ancient traditional ones, too!

Massage Rooms

Private room: dressing room, lounging room, bathroom, showers,  sauna, hot/cold Sulfur soaking tubs, and heated marble slab for bathing area ⬇️

Hot springs are a rich source of sulfur and its healing benefits include treating skin irritations and infections such as rashes and eczema.

Sulfur-rich hot springs are also thought to help treat dry scalp, arthritic pain and internal problems such as menopausal symptoms and digestive disorders.

⬆️ The Heated Marble Slab for  bath time. Divine!
The Kisi Scrub Treatment
 …..is not to be missed. The Kisi exfoliation scrub, is an essential part of the experience. Much like a Turkish Hamam treatment, it involves a vigorous scrub-down with a textured mitt to get rid of dead skin, followed by a wash-down with a foamy “pillowcase, filled with soap and water.” A Kisi typically takes 10-15 minutes. The person who performs the kisi is called a Mekise.

Some of the more up-scale bathhouses also offer massage treatments. Traditional Turkish massage is the most common, but you can also find remedial massage, relaxing massage and facial massage.

To Nude, or Not to Nude
Unlike in Istanbul or Budapest, the Tbilisi sulfur baths have no common areas; though Istambul is segregated by a male side and a female side. (no couples area). But in Tbilisi, once you are inside your private room, you wont encounter anyone else except your Mekise, if you’ve ordered a kisi scrub or massage, abd they do not enter without your permission. In our case, for baths; Tutkish or Georgian, we have always chosen a female for me and a male for Daryl. I have to say the private room option of Georgia, allows us to remain, comfortably, full-Monty.

Today, we both got one-hour massages, but in separate rooms. (great massages, btw). After that, Daryl and I met-up again, downstairs in our private room. We had a half hour to relax and enjoy each other’s company, (like we always do); moving from hot to cold sulfur water for soaking, till it was time for each of us to be bathed; one at a time. A woman came in first, for me, and a man came in after, for Daryl. The Scrub Baths ate also very wonderful.

⬇️ We were each, “Clean as a Whistle,” as we walked out of the bathhouse into the night. The temperatures had cooled slightly, and we walked hand-in-hand back up the hill, to our hotel room.

The truth is, the whole time we were out today, all we could think about was Mom. So much for trying to get distracted. There is no running away from grief. That is for sure. It takes time for reality to sink in, and time to deal with loss.

The world feels so different, without Mom in it❤️

Rest In Peace, Mary Guggenmos. The Sweetest Person Anybody Could Ever Know!

If interested, here is some interesting additional information about the Bath Houses in Georgia 🇬🇪 

In the old days, people used to congregate at Abanotubani gorge (which still looks much the same as in this archival photo) to wash and do laundry in the stream supplied by the nearby Leghvtakhevi Waterfall. 

The Persian-style baths, erected to make the most of the hot springs, rose to prominence during Tbilisi’s Silk Road Days. By the 13th century, there were 63 baths in the area, but today there are fewer than a dozen.
The hot springs have long been an important part of Tbilisi’s culture and identity. In days gone by, women would come to the baths to check out their prospective daughters-in-law.

Decades later, a visit to the public baths was still a weekly (or even daily) ritual for many people. Nowadays the “fancy” sulfur baths are mostly the domain of tourists, but some locals still visit the public bathhouses to wash.
And, centuries later, the Georgian baths have not lost their utility, nor their romance 😉

Here is my blog post from our first visit to the Baths in Tbilisi, six weeks ago: https://2gypsiesinthewind.com/europe/georgia/georgia-the-capital-city-of-tbilisi-old-and-new-days-4-and-5-marvellous/

In Summary

We have enjoyed our time, very much, here in Georgia, even though there is plenty of room for improvements in their tourism arena: the lack of good WiFi, and electricity (they just go off, even in the cities for long periods), the lack of good roads, (but, being worked on), and really good food, to name a few. But, sometimes, the good with the bad, makes a complete and whole experience. Our senses were energized, by what we got to see, making up for the lack of anything else.
In reality, it is hard to discern if the Covid19 crisis has made any of our county visit very different. I would say yes, but we have never been to these places during non-COVID era. But, most people feel some level of anxiety over what’s going on in the world, so the warm, welcoming demeanor from locals definitely has changed. Perhaps it has changed us as well. It’s hard to say for sure. While we have never missed dealing with big tourism crowds, at the same time, the lack of tourists changes menus in restaurants, big time. We hear “no have” over and over. Normally, finding hotels has not been an issue, but in Georgia (outside of cities) it has been. It’s just part of traveling, during this era, which can be full of surprises, but is continues to be our choice to do so.