14/5/22
So my flight (via Athens) was overnight, which meant one, I nearly slept, and two, I arrived into Tbilisi at a crazy time in the morning, maybe 04.30?! I met a guy in the immigration queue, who asked if he could use my earring to open the sim slot in his phone, and we got talking. We shared a taxi (they have Bolt here!) to the main square, Freedom Square and wandered off in our own directions. Considering it was maybe 05.20 at most, the city was calm and serene, not dodgy, no drunks or oddballs roaming. I walked the cobbled streets, up and up I went, towards the nearest hill. My hostel was just next to the hill. I let myself in – the door was unlocked, and there was a man sleeping in the living room. He woke up and waved at another sofa for me to rest on, since I hadn’t booked until the coming evening. Then he got a blanket for me and placed it on top of me. I dozed. Ava, the owner came around 8/9am and showed me to my bed. I slept until 12pm ish before ringing my mother and heading out.
I roamed the city, first looking for somewhere good to eat. Mus, one of the many nomads in my hostel (another Jordanian actually!), recommended me a street to look on. I found a cute cafe in a small square and ordered a cheesy pastry and a coffee. The woman was very cute. I sat there and read before heading across the river to see the cathedral with the golden roof. The roads in Tbilisi are crazy, the cars drive fast and there’s two to three lanes going each way, always. It makes crossing roads almost impossible!! Some places they have underpasses and other places, I guess they just don’t think people will cross. This made my walk to the cathedral somewhat more difficult since the direct way would require me to cross one of these aforementioned crazy roads. Another problem was that it was a hot day, and I had dressed accordingly – short shorts and a crop top (of course!). Sadly for me, the people of Georgia do not dress according to the weather. If anything, once it gets colder in the evening, the clothing becomes more sparse. Anyway, since I was rather scantily clad, I got a fair amount of unwanted attention, which at times was mad. At some points, cars would pull over to beep at me, the worst being three at once. This would cause the road to be blocked and the cars behind to beep to get them to move! It must’ve be quite the sight for other to watch play out!!
I made it to a beautiful park, with many cafe bars in it and headed through it to the cathedral. I bought a sim card on route before dressing up and heading into the cathedral. The first time I went in I looked around quickly and headed out again. All the women I could see had coverings on the head. I asked a lady working in the gifts hop if I should cover my head, and while she didn’t seem to have a strong opinion on the matter, she waved me to a box of clothes on the floor. When I struggled to tie these things on my head, she leant me one from behind the counter. I thanked her and headed back in. There was some kind of 5pm service going on. The singing was beautiful, holy, heartfelt. Then the scripture came. Many people blessed themselves in front of each painting and altar possible – it was a long process!
I headed out of the cathedral a different way and wandered through Tbilisi. I found a cute pedestrianised street with cafes either side of the path, with lots of outdoor seating. It felt European and glorious. I picked one with a pianist playing and ordered Georgian wine, olives and soup. The pianist in the restaurant played every other half an hour, swapping with the guitarist/singer in the place next door. Their music was fab! Afterwards, I wandered back, via a cute coffee and plant shop, and caught up with my nomad pals at the hostel. I was all ready for bed, when a Belarusian invited me to join them at his girlfriend’s house to watch Eurovision. While I was tempted, I was shattered from a night of not sleeping, so decided against. I slept.
15/5/22
Sunday, a day of rest. I wasn’t quite sure what Tbilisi would be like on a Sunday since it was an Orthodox place. Would everything be closed? Who knew?!
Ava served me breakfast before I headed out on a walk. I wanted to walk up the nearby hill, maybe stop at the cafe at the top and then come back down again.
I did exactly that, walking past the church nestled on the hillside, past the funicular which was not yet running up to the cafe at the top. I sat on the terrace outside with a coffee and a pontiki creme – a doughnut with a sweet custardy filling. Then I wandered around the fairground that was at the top, with dodgems and a big wheel amongst other things. You could see snowcapped mountains from some bits of the park!! I headed along the ridge to go down a different way and eventually ended up at a glorious but unfriendly bakery for a very late lunch in Tbilisi old town. I headed down to the same pedestrianised street as the night before to get a margarita.
I selected a place and was sipping my margarita when a couple invited me to their table. Why not, ayyy?! They were an English/Irish couple that had met while both teaching in Dubai. They had come to Georgia for a cheeky holiday and a cheaper boozey weekend than at home! Fairs fair. Impressively, English Chelsea was a way better drinker than snooze Irish Craig. To be fair, they had spent the last seven hours in the same bar – pretty impressive really. After Craig had woken from his nap and walked a little wine off, I said goodbye and headed to a local Georgian restaurant, Pasanauri, for food. I walked through a cute night market to get there. I ordered a bean stew and some khinkali. Sadly, I had not been educated on how to eat khinkali, and I tucked in with my knife and fork, meaning that the sauce inside the dumpling with the meat was not slurped up, but wasted on my plate!! Afterwards, I headed back to the hostel to chat and chill with Mus and the other nomads.
16/5/22
Today I had to change hostels since my hostel was completely booked out. The weather was dodgy, so I chilled in my old hostel chatting awhile and then got a Bolt taxi across town to my new hostel. After being dropped off in a random spot, I eventually found the correct building and after knocking on two old ladies’ doors, I found the hostel. The owner, Charlie, was a Brit, (ayayy!), and we also chatted awhile before I headed out for food. I walked down another cute pedestrianised street and past some beautiful buildings as well as a Soviet mosaic. I waited in line for the restaurant I had been recommended by Charlie before ordering what seemed to be the Georgian version of a chicken korma. It was called chicken in nut sauce and I got bread with it. The chicken was cut African style into random squares with bones and all, with some bits entirely inedible and some bits delicious! After lunch, I had a Georgian tea, which tastes like a weak black tea mixed with some herby stuff, and is surprisingly nice! Then I wandered about and went into a baklava place for a coffee and a read.
Awhile later, Daniel, the German airport guy came and we caught up over another coffee before we went on a mission to find a bitcoin cash machine. Daniel had come to Georgia specifically to research bitcoin and see if he could make a business out of it here. He was on a paid trip but was paid, of course in bitcoin. After traipsing round the central station, we found the bitcoin machine, before heading to Fabrika, a popular bar area. Fabrika was just like Digbeth!! A big outdoor area with bars either side in old warehouse buildings. We went into a chacha place and tried a shot – it was absolutely awful!! After one shot, I felt like I needed a biiiiig plate of chips!! We headed to a bar and sat about drinking and chatting. I got a G&T which was nice since its not really a thing out here and eventually I ordered ‘Mexican’ potatoes. They were pretty much spiced wedges but were really delicious! Afterwards, we walked home, splitting off at the bridge.
wanderingwelshie travels 