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Pretty ladies enjoying dinner in a romantic setting
Photo:Shireen
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| A warm cosy room near a crackling fireplace |
The next day, we visited the magnificent Alaverdi St
George Cathedral. It was one of the biggest Georgian structures and tallest
church of its time. While parts of it date back to 6th century,
the present day cathedral was built in the 11th century.
We ladies
had to cover our heads with scarves and wear skirts when we entered the church.
We all looked like odd Georgian country women with skirts over our pants!
|
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Ladies in skirts and scarves at Alaverdi Cathedral
|
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Demure Shireen in front of the elegant arches of the Cathedral
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Front of church with frescoes of St George piercing
a dragon with a spear |
2. Sighnaghi
We continued journey to the scenic 18th century Royal town of Sighnaghi,
City of Love. One can tie
the knot at any time of day or night and we teased each other: “So easy to get married!”
This fortified city, with
its cobbled streets and eye-catching vistas had us snapping photos at every
corner.
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Registry of marriage in Sighnaghi which is
open 24 hours a day Photo: Kala |
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Tour leader Chee Hong (left) walking down the stairs
after visiting the Registry of Marriage, smiling away |
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| Souvenirs of all colours of the rainblw sold at roadside |
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| Sighnaghi: City of Love |
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| Looking down on Sighnaghi: |
3. Tbilisi City
Our Tbilisi city tour was a wet wet affair. It rained the whole day and even though I was singing in my
heart “Rain, rain, go away”, it continued to rain incessantly. We trudged along
in our raincoats with umbrellas in hand, following the quick and sprightly Nino
round the city.
However, we managed to see
Tbilisi-– the old and the new. I was attracted to some unusual
buildings and objects:
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Clock Tower at Puppet Theatre of Old Town of Tbilisi
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Smallest clock in the world
|
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En with raincoat and umbrella, walking casually along
Rue Jean Chardin Street
|
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Kala fascinated with an unusual tree
|
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| Lau Chee Hong, next to a bronze statue of a Tamada |
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Tbilisi Great Synagogue
|
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Narikala Fortress in the far distance
|
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Our group outside 12h century Metekhi Church
Photo: Lau Chee Hong |
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Next, we took the Cable Car to Narikala Fortress for a Panoramic view of
Tbilisi:
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| A cable car |
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| Cable car travelling up on a wet wet day |
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| Narikala Fortress: all lighted up Photo: Ho Chai Yee |
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Bridge of Peace over Mtkvari River
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After lunch, in the pouring rain, we went to the Hammam, the old
Silk Road Days thermal baths.
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| The Hammam, thermal baths |
As the rain cleared, our
last visit on our city tour was The Sameba (or Holy Trinity) Cathedral.
It is the 3rd
largest Eastern-Orthodox church in the world. At 101m, on the hill of Ilya, it
is the highest church in Georgia.
We took a long time to view the entire
complex which included the residence of the Patriarch, a monastery, school of
theology and academy, hotel, together with 9 chapels, 5 of which are located
under the ground.
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| The imposing Sameda Cathedral in Tbilisi |
On such a dreary day, we were overjoyed
when the Lau family worked with Nino to give us a hot appetising Chinese dinner in Dzin Chao.
Yes, there are Chinese restaurants in Tbilisi!
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Restaurant Dzin Chao
Photo: Lau Chee Hong |
Yummy dishes:
4. Mtskheta
In ancient Mtskheta, we explored 2 UNESCO World
Heritage Sites, Jvari Monastery (6th century) and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century). Nino narrated compelling stories of these
2 historical buildings that kept us (especially the Christians in our
group) spellbound.
Jvari Monastery looked majestic at the rocky mountaintop
overlooking Mtskheta.
“Historically, in the 4th century, this
was the location where St Nino converted King Mirian III of Iberia to Christianity. St Nino erected the first wooden cross there. It worked
miracles and drew pilgrims from all over the Caucasus. In 337, Georgia officially
adopted Christianity as its state religion”, related Nino, who was named after
St Nino.
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In front of Jvari Monastery
Pedestal in centre of church showing the site where
St Nino erected the first wooden cross
|
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Jeanie and Kala with Nino (centre)
at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvt rivers,
near Jvari Monastery, overlooking Mtskheta
Ladies feeling on top of the world Photo: Lau Chee Wai
|
|
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| Chee Hong and Ai Yun - Picture perfect - overlooking Mtskheta |
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
“In Georgian, sveti means pillar and tskhoveli means
life-giving, thus svetitiskhoveli
means life-giving pillar”.
“In the 4th century, St Nino chose this site as the place of the
first Georgian Church. After Jesus' crucification, Elias, a Georgian Jew from
Mtskheta, brought back Jesus’ robe. His sister, Sidonia, died from the
traumatic emotions of touching it. Sidonia was buried with the robe in her
grasp. A cedar tree grew from her grave. Later, St Nino built the church using
7 pillars chopped from that tree. The 7th pillar had magical effects: sacred
liquid flowed from it which cured people of all diseases”, explained Nino, as
we followed her faithfully to view the places described.
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The massive Svetitskhoveli Cathedral with our group on the lower right hand corner
Photo: Lau Chee Hong |
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Svetitskhoveli Cathedral with carpets for sale
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The interior of the Cathedral:
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| St Nino |
After the iconic Cathedrals visit, we continued northwards to the
greater Caucasus. We made a short stop at Ananuri Fortress (16th
century) which overlooked Jinvali reservoir. There were 2 churches, a
watch tower, prison and civic buildings together with the fortress, which had
characteristic architectural design of the late medieval period
I was impressed by the picturesque Bell Towers overlooking the
reservoir, and the intricate ornamentations on the cross and arches on the church’s
exterior.
The frescoes and pictures on Virgin Mary, Jesus and disciples inside
the church were still in good condition:
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Picturesque Ananuri Fortress overlooking Jinvali reservoir
Photo: Ho Chai Yee |
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| Intricate ornamentations outside church |
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| Intricate ornamentations on cross outside church |
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| Bell Tower overlooking Jinvali reservoir Photo: Lau Chee Hong |
5. Kazbegi/ Stepantsminda
Kazbegi, a small frontier town, north of Tbilisi,
has an elevation of 1,740 m above sea level. When we arrived in Kazbegi, it was
bitterly cold.
We got into 4WD vehicles, and travelled along a bone-crunching (as described by tour
leader Lau Chee Hong) journey
over uneven rocky terrain.
We all survived the body-massage, but my bones ached terribly after all that jolting
and shaking. We were happy to arrive at a beautiful spot at an elevation of 2170 m, and to visit
the mystical 14th century Holy Trinity Church.
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| The 4WD that gave us a body massage all along the way |
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We passed through Winter Wonderland on our way up
Photo: Ho Chai Yee |
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Our group rejoicing in the freezing cold at the Holy Trinity Church
Photo: Lau Chee Hong |
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The Holy Trinity Church - misty and mystical
Photo: Ho Chai Yee |
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Ai Yun and Katherine in front of Holy Trinity Church -
all covered up because of the cold weather |
In Kazbegi, we stayed in Rooms Hotel. Early morning, I woke up to behold breath-taking views of Mt Kazbeg from my balcony. Mt Kazbeg (a dormant stratovolcano) is the 3rd highest mountain in Georgia (5,047m) and a popular destination for alpinists.
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| Breath-taking views from our balcony |
After
a quick breakfast, we went out to the landing next to the breakfast room and
this was what we saw: snow, snow, was everywhere - on tables, chairs and floor!
Coming from a tropical country with no snow, we squealed with excitement and
joy.
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| Everyone hurried through their breakfast |
The sunrise
radiating rainbow hues around Mt Kazbeg was a stunning sight. Cameras clicked. It
was not easy to get the perfect shot though because we were facing the light.
Someone suggested we should use the hotel’s glass door with Mt Kazbeg’s
reflection as a background. That was a cool idea – we had some pretty hot
shots.
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| Breathtaking view of sunrise at Mt Kazbeg |
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| Reflection of Mt Kazbeg on to glass doors of hotel |
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| Our jubilant group with Mt Kazbeg in full sunlight Photo: Lau Chee Hong |
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On
the way down, the scenery was magnificient – snow-capped mountains against the
azure blue sky, smooth mountain slopes and romantic homes in the valleys.
Awesome mountain scenes all the way down:
|
6. Gori
In Gori, the town where Stalin was born, we visited the Joseph Stalin Museum, his Birth House and his personal Bullet-proof Train.
The Museum displayed photos which outlined Stalin's personal and
political life. It was ironic to see this museum dedicated to Stalin, who
became a Soviet leader that once governed Georgia.
Stalin's Birth House was a
small wooden hut where he spent his first 4 years. He was a person from humble beginnings who achieved success in later life.
Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953. He became the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924.
Stalin's personal Bullet-proof Train, used by him from
1941, is air-conditioned, armour-plated and well-equipped. We were fascinated
by some of the items inside, like beds for Stalin and his body guards, a
kitchen and a place for meetings.
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| Stately statue of Stalin at the entrance of the museum |
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| A section of the Museum |
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| Stalin's birth place |
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| Stalin's bullet-proof train |
7. Uplistsikhe Cave Town
Uplistsikhe means
"the Fortress of Lord". Uplistsikhe is an ancient cave town (1st
millennium BC), situated on the crossroads of important trade routes.
We had a grueling time walking all the way to the caves. It
was open air, with loose slippery sandstone soil, often with depressions, at
times steep and other times level. There were no friendly rails to grab
for support. But thankfully, with encouragement and help from one another, all
of us managed to reach the complex in one piece.
We
were amazed to see halls, caves, theatres, altars, pagan temples, secret
tunnels, prisons, pharmacy, passages-streets, all carved out of stone over an
area of 4 hectares.
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| Look: open air, loose sandy soil, no rails - but we are coping well. |
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A group photo to mark the successful climb to Uplistsikhe Cave
"The Magnificent 21" Caption and Photo: Lau Chee Hong |
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| Hall of the Queen |
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A cave pharmacy
|
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| A Church built recently on top of the hill |
We walked
through a secret tunnel which was used by citizens to get water during times of
war. Although it was dark and eerie, there were handrails to guide us and
the torch lights we brought came in handy. We took 20 minutes to traverse the
whole journey and emerged into the open, feeling relieved and liberated.
Seeing how ancient people lived in the caves in those sparse
conditions was eye-opening. It is hard to imagine how they survived in those
harsh environment.
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| Ladies: Feeling relieved and liberated. |
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| Guys: Thumbs up for an invigorating walk |
8. Kutaisi
In Kutaisi, we visited Gelati
Monastery Complex (12th century) and Bagrati
Cathedral (11th century). Gelati Complex is recognised by UNESCO as a World
Heritage Site.
Gelati is
a masterpiece of the Georgian Golden Age. Founded in 1106 by King David of
Georgia, it comprises the churches of the Virgin, St Nicholas, St George and
the academy which was the centre of cultural and spiritual life.
Many ancient murals in Georgian churches were destroyed but Gelati
‘s remained intact. Many depict biblical scenes and episodes in Georgian
history. They were being restored and the ancient beauty came alive.
The
frescoes of King David the Builder and his Queen and other religious figures
were clear and vivid.
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| Gelati Monastery Complex |
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Virgin Mary holding child surrounded by gold mosaic and
archangles by her side
|
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| Mural on roof |
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| Frescoes of King David (far right) Virgin Mary, Jesus and other religious figures |
The tomb of King David was built in the centre of the gateway. It is believed that if visitors stepped on it, it was his form of repentance.
A door (out of 3) brought back by King David’s son who fought battles in Azerbaijan was also placed there.
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| Tomb of King David |
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| Door brought back by King David's son |
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| The gateway opens to the vineyards outside |
Bagrati Cathedral was built in 11th century during King Bagrat III's reign, which
was named after him.
We were wowed by Bagrati Cathedral’s spectacular architecture with
its distinctive green roof and the Georgian cross in front.
That day, a group of local musicians were at the site. They
serenaded us with a few Georgian numbers.
The interior of the Cathedral was filled with graphic photos of
Virgin Mary and Jesus. There was even a replica of the shroud covering Jesus
when he rose from the dead.
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Anna and Bernard in front of Bagrati Cathedral
Photo: Shireen |
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| Entertainment by local musicians |
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| Virgin Mary with Jesus (centre picture) |
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| Jesus on the cross |
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| Replica of the shroud that covered Jesus when he rose from the dead |
As we moved westward, we came closer to the Greek Legends.
Next visit was Prometheus Cave, 20m from
Kutaisi. This cave was named after Prometheus, the Titan who stole firefrom the Gods (Greek Legend). Discovered in 1984, it is the biggest cave in Georgia,
with underground lakes, rivers and forests of natural stalactites and
stalagmites. I found it as impressive as the Mulu Caves of Malaysia.
We
took a 1060m walk through the cave accompanied by a guide. It was humid and
dark and our torch lights came in handy again, lighting up dark areas and
specific forms. Many of the eye-catching stalactites and stalagmites were LED
lighted up – it was like being in a Fantasy World.
We ended
the tour of Prometheus Cave with a 280m boat tour along an underground
river. We glided through the shallow waters with the wind in our face and
came out into the bright sunlight.
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| Entrance of cav |
Stalactites and stalagmites: A splendid sight to behold:
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| Chai Yee in a Fantasy World |
In the late evening, we had a glimpse of
how the local people in Kutaisi live as we walked around the local market,
fountain and Park.
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| Multicoloured fruits in local market |
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| Variety of kitchen knick-knacks in local market |
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| Healthy green vegetables to tempt buyers |
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| Friendly salesman with his churchkhela |
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| An enchanting fountain decorated with reindeers and other 4-legged animals |
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| Local singers exercising their vocal cords for the public in the Park |
9. Borjomi
In Borjomi Mineral Water
Park (dating back to 1850), we sauntered along the street, taking in the sights
of buildings, souvenir stalls and the famous Borjomi Mineral Water which comes
out from the ground. Borjomi water is the number one export of Georgia and is
exported to over 40 countries. The drink is salty and fizzy.
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At the entrance: Exquisite architecture of Cultural Heritage Museum -
commissioned by the Iranian King in 19th century, now used as a hotel
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| Front view of the Exquisite Building |
|
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Borjomi mineral water for sale
|
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| Statue of Prometheus holding some Borjomi water |
In
Greek mythology, Prometheus was punished by Zeus who ensured that an eagle ate his
liver as he was chained to a rock. There was a statue of Prometheus holding
some Borjomi water. Probably the water has some rejuvenating effect on Prometheus.
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| Ravishing dolls |
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| Intricately designed mirrors and combs |
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| Delightful Dolls and Many Grades of Honey |
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| Attractively designed wool scarves |
10. Akhaltsikhe
Rabati Castle is a medieval structure in Akhaltsikhe, which dates back to the
13th century. Covering 7 hectares , it was reconstructed and opened in 2012. We
walked through the massive complex, accompanied by a guide. The complex is made
up of a mosque, a minaret, a synagogue, a Christian church, the Jakelis'
Palace, a museum and a citadel.
The best part of this visit was the museum. I learnt a lot about
the history of that region. It was a pity we could not take photos inside.
The authorities, architects
and engineers endeavoured to reconstruct Rabati Castle with co-existing religious
buildings.
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We were huffing and puffing up the steps to Rabati Castle
Photo: Kala |
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Taking a rest before our group explore Rabati Castle
Photo: En |
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| Enthralling arched corridor |
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| Russian church |
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An absorbing tour in this museum
|
11. Aspindza
After
Rabati, we visited a family-run cheese factory in Chobareti in Aspindza
village. We started late and arrived late in the evening. We drove uphill and
downhill in the stark mountain on one side and little villages in the valleys. It was a scary drive on unlit mountain roads.
It was dark when we arrived. We could
not see the actual cheese-making process
as we arrived late. But we could view the finished product - stringy and
strandlike cheese that can be kept for a while.
The affable host and hostess welcomed us to a delicious dinner in their 100-year old log house, with free-flowing home-made wine and dishes cooked right before our eyes. Everyone
enjoyed themselves: sumptuous meal by a rustic wood fireside.
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| A young girl explaining how the cheese was processed |
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The Hostess holding up the special strand-like cheese and
offering it to everyone to taste
|
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Lau Chee Wai (left) with the Host and his family
Photo: Kala
|
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A worker cooking Khinkali (Georgian dumpling) right before our eyes
Photo: Kala |
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| Barbecued pork in the firepace |
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| Glasses with Red wine and cha cha (centre) |
12. Vardzia
Our last stop on the itinerary was Vardzia, another cave complex.
Founded in the 12th-13th century, it became a
well-fortified monastery which had a significant role in political, cultural,
educational and spiritual life of the country.
We had a clear view of the cave complex from our hotel. The caves
stretched along the cliff for about 500 m and up to 19 tiers.
We
first took a mini-bus there and were bewildered by the 2-room, 3-room and
4-room dwellings, including 2-story ones, galleries, vertical tunnels, secret
passes and a pharmacy. The Church of the Dormition,
dating to the 1180s during the golden age of Queen Tamar, has an important
series of wall paintings.
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Brrr! It's super cold - some members in front of our Vardzia Resort
Photo: Lau Chee Wai |
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View from Resort: The massive rock-hewn Vardzia Complex
|
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| Ladies all geared up to trek the long journey to Vardzia complex |
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Kala taking a breather while walking to the Vardzia Caves
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Taking a well-earned rest after the long an exhausting journey
Photo: Ai Yun
|
|
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Bells outside the church with frescoes on the roof
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| Frescoes on the roof - close up Photo: Kala |
|
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| Jan admiring the view from the Vardzia Cave Complex |
13. Bavra Border
That was an exhausting cave trip! We were ravenous! A reward
awaited us – an appetising lunch at a local family restaurant. We were served grilled
rainbow trout, still attached to the
grilling stick!
 |
With Rupert displaying our grilled rainbow trout served in this unusual way
Photo: Jan |
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Ladies (Cinderellas) selecting the perfect pumpkin in the garden
of the family restaurant Photo: Lau Chee Wai |
Georgian cuisine
Georgian cuisine is unique to the country but has some European
and Middle Eastern culinary traditions.
We had a variety of Georgian bread; different grades of cheeses; salads
often with walnuts; blended vegetable or meat soups; fish (trout), chicken, pork, beef
or lamb barbecued, fried or stewed, all cooked with tasty spices and sauces; desserts of
fruits or churchkela. and meals are often
accompanied by wine with coffee or tea.
Georgian food:
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| Different types of cheese |
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| Breakfast - bread and cakes |
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| Khachapuri - cheese filled bread with meat as filling |
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| Kachapuri with different filling |
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| Shoti bread and Potato-mixed vegetable soup |
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| Barbecued pork |
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| Khinkali - Georgian dumpling with beef filling |
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| Beef cubes and salted vegetables |
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Dessert: Tempting cakes
|
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| Dessert: Fresh fruits |
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| Plov: rice with vegetables, dried fruits and spices |
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| Fried chicken |
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Bread (left), Qatmis salat -chicken salad (top)
mushroom (bottom left) aubergine (bottom right) |
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Clockwise: Cheese (left) aubergine (top) bread (top right)
tomato salad (bottom right) potato salad (bottom left) |
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Appetizers:
spinach and walnut (left) spicy aubergine with tomato in claypot (right)
cucumber-tomato-carrot salad (top) |
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| Appetizer: Jonjoli (pickled sprouts) |
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| Salad: vegetables and fruits (preserved pear on top right) |
Goodbye to Georgia
Nino is a knowledgeable guide who is passionate about her country.
Sometimes it was hard to catch up with her as she talked and walked very fast. Nevertheless,
her vivid biblical stories made the characters I learned in Scripture come
alive.
As we bade farewell to Georgia, I remember a
country of picturesque landscapes, mystical churches, intoxicating red wine and
irresistible cuisine.
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| Saying goodbye to our Georgian driver |
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| Saying goodbye to Nino |
