The air is sweet and the breeze cool, a perfect day in March. There is nothing outside our terrace door but sunshine, yet just a step into it makes my heart thump in my chest. It’s so weird to see the streets so empty – a few cars in sight and only a number of people walking around trying to distance themselves from each other.
As of writing this blog entry, a virus has spread unto the world and most of us are in home quarantine but as this pandemic moves from the initial measures into the months ahead, it is vital that amongst its seriousness and somber stoicism, we find ways to alleviate stress. One of my ways is to write. With all this free time, I might as well do something productive.
As I mentioned in my previous post, Gerald and I traveled to Georgia to celebrate 8 years of being together. Day 3 of this trip was the actual day of our anniversary and we thought of spending it by exploring more of Georgia’s history and having a fancy dinner date afterwards.
We wanted to explore as much as we can so we tried to catch the earliest marshrutka (mini bus) going to our first stop – Gori. During the middle ages, Gori was an important military stronghold in Georgia and is mostly known for being the birthplace of Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin.
It only takes about an hour going from Tbilisi to Gori. I took the time to take a nap to keep me energized for the long day ahead.
Despite Joseph Stalin being known as a brutal dictator who was responsible for countless millions of murders, there were still people in Gori who glorified him and alas, a museum documenting his life was built. It is one of the main attractions in Gori and of course, we just had to visit it.
Right outside, we already saw a statue of him.
Part of our “couple goals” is to visit museums in every country we go to so the Stalin Museum was one we happily ticked off our list.
I have to admit, the museum was highly intriguing and full of interesting facts about Stalin’s life, from his difficult childhood up until his death. But as expected, the museum conveniently omits almost all details of his reign of terror, focusing instead on his leadership qualities.
Anyone really interested about getting more information about the artifacts should book a guide but I strongly recommend not getting any as we’ve been told that they will bore you with scripted information.
The last hall of exhibition shows items that belonged to Stalin as well as gifts that he received throughout his reign.
Through most of our tour here, I decided to focus on taking a look around rather than taking photos of everything I see so forgive me for not being able to show much of the exhibition.
The climax of the museum is a creepy display of Stalin’s death mask, which rests on a velvet cushion, encased in an aptly Soviet-style concrete chamber.
Once we were outside, we opted to take a tour inside Stalin’s railway carriage. It was a bit cramped that I was not able to take proper photos but nonetheless, it was fascinating to gain an insight into what life would have been like aboard a railway carriage in the World War II era.
After our visit in the museum, we took a short break and ate at a nearby cafe then walked to our next stop to visit another ancient fortress called the Gori Castle.
Coming from the Stalin Museum, walking to Gori Castle only took us 10-15 minutes.
It was of course still atop a hill but compared to the last fortresses we went to, this was an easier climb.
From the entrance, we saw a bunch of sculptures that signifies the Memorial of Georgian Warrior Heroes. Going to a place like this makes me feel like I’m in a video game, it was a cool sight to see.
On our way, we noticed that the fortress was under construction but it was a good thing that we were still allowed to wander around.
We went all the way up to take photos and enjoy the view.
Everything about this trip was going smoothly until we had to go our next destination which was Uplistsikhe.
We did our initial research and planned to go there by a mini bus. We were pretty much confident walking the streets of Gori and finding a transportation until we realized we were lost. Eventually, we asked around for directions.
Lucky enough, the first person we asked was a very helpful and kind old man. He was Georgian so despite him not being able to communicate in English, he did his best to help us.
Looking back, I can’t help but feel thankful because we were only asking for directions but out of kindness, he also took the effort to look for someone to give us a ride.
It was quite a long wait but we eventually found someone who was willing to drive us to our destination. I forgot how much we paid but we figured it was a good price since the driver was going to transport us to Uplistsikhe, wait for us to finish the tour and then drive us back to Gori’s bus terminal.
Uplistsikhe is an enormous cave city which played a significant role in Georgian history over a period of approximately 3,000 years.
I was in awe the whole time, just imagine setting foot on ancient ruins that’s over a thousand years old! It was epic.
There was also a stunning overlooking view of the surrounding fields and mountains.
The major part of the caves have been destroyed by war and natural disasters, but there are remains of the bakery, pharmacy, wine cellars, sacrificial altars, few carved ceilings, amphitheater, and an amusing prison that was meant to only keep one person while standing.
Did not missed the chance to take a photo at this view.
While going around, it was unbelievable to think that the whole town was man-made (I’m completely bewildered at how they formed all those rocks into living spaces) and that over 20,000 people actually lived within those caves.
At the back side and something not to miss, we saw ruins of the ancient city.
If you’re someone who is interested in history and archaeology then Uplistsikhe is a must visit. It turned out becoming my favorite tourist place in Georgia.
We left the cave city through a secret tunnel that was supposedly used as an emergency escape route. Climbing down the staircase and going out of the tunnel into the bright sun felt like emerging from a time machine!
Our driver patiently waited for us then off we went to Gori’s bus terminal. We rode another marshrustka to head back to Tbilisi.
By the way, we also bought these drinks that was exclusively available in Georgia. The Tarragon lemonade is something very unique to Georgia so I just had to try it. Though I still find it odd that lemonades in this country are actually carbonated soft drinks.
On the other hand, we also tried the famous Borjomi water and one of their local beers. Yep, the water actually tastes different. As for the beer, I only tasted a little and did not like it one bit just like any other beer I have tried in my life (lol).
Once we arrived back at Tbilisi, we directly went to a shop called Royal Wine to buy a few bottles of wine to bring home.
We then went back to our Airbnb to change our clothes and wear something formal for our anniversary dinner date.
Another setback during this day was that we had a hard time finding the restaurant we planned to go to. I think it took us more than an hour roaming around and asking people about the place. One person even asked us why we were adamantly looking for that restaurant and told us to just quit.
I also almost gave up but my boyfriend being the persistent person that he is, convinced me that we will find it. And, we did!
We later found out that it was indeed difficult to find as it was located inside Tbilisi’s History Museum.
Finding it was worth it though, it was the perfect place for a dinner date. Not only was the service great but also each dish we ordered were scrumptious and beautifully plated. I can say that it’s the best restaurant we’ve been to in Tbilisi.
Our starter was Beetroot in thkemali sauce. The sauce was definitely the star of this dish, it tasted like heaven in my mouth. Did not know that beetroot and plum would taste so good together.
As I mentioned multiple times in this blog, I like bread (and cheese) so ordering Khachapuri is a must for me and this one did not disappoint at all. It may look simple but among all the khachapuri I tasted in Georgia, this was the most delicious. Gerald and I can’t get enough of it.
Our main dishes was Mchadi with eggplants and Apkazura. Every bite was full of incredible flavors. Even the meat was cooked perfectly.
I mean, look at that plating, just staring at it is making my mouth water.
In any restaurant, I recommend ordering the red wine called Kindzmaurauli. It’s one of Georgia’s most well known wine and it tastes great too (even for non-drinkers like me).
After our lovely dinner, we strolled around Tbilisi once more and savoured the moment. This was our most memorable anniversary to date. Every detail of this day is etched into my mind, remembering it fills me up with undeniable happiness.
Thinking back, it still feels surreal that we were able to travel to another country to celebrate our anniversary. Never would have I ever thought back then that we would come to this point.
Can I just say that every time I’m with Gerald, there’s this feeling that I can accomplish anything. He wakes the pure side of me, the best side, all the facets of myself that only require to be healthy and whole.
There’s no doubt, we’re a perfect match. Our energy vibrates in such a unique way, each the perfect compliment of the other. I can’t wait to see what other goals we’ll successfully achieve in the near future.
Check out Day 2 of this trip in case you missed it! Click here
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