Tbilisi revisited

A place so nice, I had to visit thrice. For regular readers of my blog (that means you mom) you may remember I was in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, back in March. The trip was marred by terrible weather and seriously short time allowance. This time, I returned for a few days in October, only to leave again to check out Armenia. But nothing could keep me away as I returned once again (making it thrice), determined to do the city right!

I've always been a fan of river cities, and Tbilisi is no exception. Literally dissected by the Mtkvari River, the city could be compared to someplace like Prague or Budapest. Although maybe not quite as cool. The history of the city is a bit of a strange one. Although some evidence points to settlements here as far back as 400 BC, it has been made capital, then ransacked, made capital again, then ransacked again throughout history. The Persians did a number on the city about 200 years ago, leaving essentially no buildings left from before that time. But since then, Tbilisi has built churches and forts and Old Towns (although new when them built them) and all kinds of other stuff to keep modern day tourists occupied for a few days.

The first place I started (and most people do) is down by the river side. Gentle trees stretch to dip their leaves in the flowing water. Countless fisherman sit patiently hoping to go home with a bountiful catch. One of the first picturesque sites you'll come across is the little Metekhi Church. Perched on a little hill, just above the water, it's idyllic setting seemingly designed for anyone with a camera, either from above or below. Across the river from the church are the awesome sulfur baths. Cheap as heck (2 Lari) these baths have a Central Asian feel and can't be beat for washing away the travelling grime. Heck, throw in a massage while you're at it (5 Lari more). On second thought, it might be best to leave the banya (Russian for bath) until after climbing the nearby hill. As sitting on top are the remains of the Narikala Fortress, and more importantly, the best views over the city. The fortress has been in a constant state of disrepair since a massive explosion ruined it some 180 years ago. The church inside is relatively new, dating back only 20 years or so. Continuing along the top of the ridge you'll come to a big freakin' metal statue, Mother Georgia. And beyond that are more ruins and a new business centre. All the time giving great views with every step. Although watch your step, as it's a long way down!!

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But what would an old city be without an "old city". Granted the one in Tbilisi isn't as old as the one in Baku. There are a bunch of churches, but no palaces or towers or caravansaries or anything. However, it does have it's charm. Meandering through the back alleys and side streets, there is absolutely no need for a map. Hidden courtyards are around every turn. Carved wooden balconies balance precariously over the street. There are proper streets too. Shops, restaurants and a shocking number of places selling religious paraphernalia. If all the churches weren't enough to show you how "religious" the country is, maybe 723 golden pictures frames in silver will help point out he obvious. Not to mention the number of people who will make the symbol of the cross every time they pass a church. In a city like Tbilisi, with so many churches, that many crossings equals a full days work out for most western countries.

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But the thing about Tbilisi is that all the old cities and forts and churches aren't the only game in town. Tbilisi has a surprisingly well developed cafe/bar scene. Also located in the old city, on a few side-streets off Gorgasalis Moedani, a pastel colour coffee wonderland can be found. On nice summer days (and some not so nice off-season days) locals and tourists alike can be found spilling out into the narrow alleyways. And after the crap coffee in Baku for the last year, I took full advantage of the cafes. Of course, that's not even to mention the GREAT Georgian cuisine. Easily the best in the region. In the evenings, the bars scene picks up with a wide enough variety to pick from. Everything from ex-pat/Irish pub hang outs, to jazz clubs, to "let's turn the music up to 11" kind of places to... well... whatever. Since the stagnation of the soviet era, Tbilisi has done it's best to catch up to the rest of the world. There are modern hotels, shopping malls and of the conveniences you might come to expect in many Eastern European cities.

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There is plenty to do in Tbilisi. And with easy day trips to places like Mtskheta with it's churches or Gori with it's Stalin Museum, there's more than enough to fill a few days. However, 20 year old conflicts with breakaway regions of Ossetia and Abkhazia have burdened the country. A war with Russia last year set back Georgia's plan a few years and it's aggressive tourism plan a few more. But Georgia's capital, and indeed the rest of the country, is prime for tourism from my experience. The warmth of the people, even in the capital city, could even be reason enough to visit.