Day 2: Mtshekta & Kazbegi

Day 2: Mtshekta & Kazbegi

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The second day of our visit to Georgia, we decided first to go up to Mtskheta which is an ancient town located about 20km from Tbilisi. This town is very important to the Georgian nation due to its high importance in Georgian history and Orthodox Christianity. Mtskheta was the site of Georgia’s adoption of Christianity.

The tour started with a drive to Mtskheta Church of Holly Cross, which was one of the greatest religious sites and a center of pilgrimage for Christian nations of the Caucasus. The view from the top was spectacular and green.

View from the Holly Cross
Mtshekta, Georgia
Hind Al Ameri

After this point, we were en-route to Kazbegi, which is located on the banks of the Thergi River and is about 157 km north of Tbilisi. We went through what is called the Georgian Military Road. The Georgian Military Road is the historic name for a major route through the Caucasus from Georgia to Russia. Our first stop in this road was the Ananuri Fortress. This fortress is about 72 KM from Tbilisi. 

History fact (Ananuri Fortress): Ananuri was a castle and seat of the Dukes of Aragvi, a feudal dynasty that ruled the area from the 13th century. The castle was the scene of numerous battles. The fortress remained in use until the beginning of the 19th century. In 2007, the complex has been on the tentative list for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage Site program. 

Anunari Fortress
Mtshekta, Georgia
Hind Al Ameri

Demitrit told us that we could go up the fortress by foot. I was hesitant at first but then thought why not. It was a very narrow staircase and a lot of ruined parts as well. At the top all you can see is the sky above you and if you peak in through the gun holes you could see the picture below.

Military tower, Anunari Fortress
Mtshekta, Georgia
Hind Al Ameri

View from the gun hole, Anunari Fortress
Mtshekta, Georgia
Hind Al Ameri

We went down and continued our tour to Kazbegi. On our way we stopped to what is a natural fountain of pure drinking water. I didn’t try it due to its high concentration of Sulphur, but apparently its good and refreshing.

Fresh water
En-route Kazbegi, Georgia
Hind Al Ameri

After a few turns and up roads, we reached Stepantsminda, which is the foot of Kazbegi mountain. I was too tired to take any photos. The weather is cooler and the mountain views are amazing. Kazbegi mountain is known to be a ski destination to many people around the world. In Stepantsminda you could enjoy a walk along the local shops, eat, paraglide (which my father did not let me do), or go further up to Tsminda Sameba.  Going up to the church you would need to rent a 4-wheel drive with a skilled driver. These could be found all over the town.

Tsminda Sambea
Kazbegi, Georgia
www.pbase.com

Local shops
Kazbegi, Georgia
Hind Al Ameri

Local shops
En-route Kazbegi, Georgia
Hind Al Ameri

The ride back to Tbilisi was right after lunch at Café 5047m. Which we again enjoyed the lovely Kachapori dish and a salad. On our way back my mother mentioned to Demitrit that she would love to see some folklore. He immediately made a reservation at 8 pm for dinner and a show. 

We left the hotel by 7:30 and reached at the place before time. The restaurant is called Mravaljamieri. It included dinner and about a 30-min Georgian folklore/traditional dance, we really enjoyed it!

Part of the traditional dancing at Mravaljamieri
Tblisi, Georgia
Hind Al Ameri

End of day 2.

Hind's Travel Advice:

Never say I am too lazy to go to a certain place while traveling, you might never visit that country again!

Happy traveling!

Hind

Day 1: Tbilisi City Tour (Cont'd)

Opening note: I am sorry for not updating my blog for a while, I was still adjusting back to my routine after Ramadan and Eid.

Day 1: Tbilisi City Tour (Cont’d)

After reaching to the end of the track down from the fort, we headed over to a pathway that leads to a waterfall.  Little drinks of the fresh water and we headed back to go have our first Georgian lunch. Demitrit suggested to have lunch at a place called Bread House on 7 Gorgasali St.  We had the famous Khachapori, which is the traditional bread, usually with cheese.  We also had some sort chicken stew with veggies that I do not recall the traditional name for.  For drinks we had the famous Natakhtari, which is a fizzy local lemonade drink that should not be missed; the drink comes in different flavors, I personally preferred the pear.   

Natakhtari - 3 flavors
Hind Al Ameri

Khachapori
Hind Al Ameri

The Chicken Stew
Hind Al Ameri

After that wonderful Georgian meal experience, we headed over to the Georgian National Museum on Rustaveli Ave.  Georgian National Museum was established at the end of 2004 and preserving the nation's rich, authentic content of cultural heritage provides learning experiences for everyone.  It is again a lovely experience to those who like to get into the deep historical aspects of Georgia. 

Gold Earrings
Georgian National Museum
Hind Al Ameri

Gold Necklace
Georgian National Museum
Hind Al Ameri

This was were the end of Tbilisi city tour was.

I will be posting day two activities soon.

Hind's Travels Advice:

Make sure that you have a small First Aid kit packed, you never know.

Day 1: Tbilisi City Tour

The travel days are never part of the trip regardless of the time you arrive at your destination, which is why when planning a person should always, in my point of view, not count those days as part of the trip unless it was something simple like dinner or lunch at a certain place.

After a long night rest, a warm shower, and a healthy breakfast, we decided that this day would be best spent around the city of Tbilisi.  After heading down to the lobby to meet my parents, my father already booked a private tour for four adults.  Demitrit (I am still searching for his business card and will post it once I find it) showed up about 30 minutes later greeting and welcoming us to Georgia.  He then started his tour.  The thing about Georgia is that it has a long history so most of our visits were historical.

The tour started of with a visit to the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi commonly known as Sameba. It is the main Cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church located in Tbilisi. The Sameba Cathedral is constructed on the Elia Hill, which rises above the left bank of the Kura River (Mtkvari) in the historic neighborhood of Avlabari in Old Tbilisi. (no entrance fee)

General Fact: Sameba is a synthesis of traditional styles dominating the Georgian church architecture at various stages in history and has some Byzantine undertones. 

Holy Trinity Cathedral
Tbilisi, Georgia
Hind Al Ameri

Holy Trinity Cathedral
Tbilisi, Georgia
Hind Al Ameri

After the Holy Trinity Cathedral, we went to see the statue of the founder of Tbilisi, King Vakhtang I Gorgasali,  which is next to Metekhi church. Metekhi is a church and a fort which served also as a king’s residence; hence comes the name Metekhi which dates back to the 12th century and literally means “the area around the palace”. 

Statue of King Vakhtang I Gorgasali
Hind Al Ameri

We then moved down to the cable car so we could go up to the fortress. The cable car is very easy to use, you just buy a public transport card (which our guide already had) and add credit to it (we added 3 GEL to our card for 3 people), and the views from the cars of the city are very nice. It moves quickly and the ride is short but it is worth it. The cars themselves are well maintained and safe.  

Cable car
www.inyourpocket.com

The view from the cable car
Hind Al Ameri

At the end of the ride is Narikala; which is an ancient fortress overlooking Tbilisi and the Kura River. The fortress is on a steep hill between the sulphur baths and the botanical gardens of Tbilisi. 

History fact (Narikala): Also called the mother fortress of Tbilisi, Narikala is an ancient symbol of Tbilisi’s defence. The fortress was established in the 4th century, around the period when the city itself was founded. It was then known as Shuris-tsikhe ("Invidious Fort"). The name Narikala is said to derive from a Persian word for citadel, but another theory says was the name that Mongols used, meaning “little fortress”. It was expanded considerably by the Arabs during the 7th and 8th centuries. The Arabs built the Emir’s palace within its walls.

Narikala Fortress
www.tripomatic.com

The view from the top
Hind Al Ameri

Instead of taking the cable car back down we decided to walk down the steps passing by a odd looking tree (see picture below).  As you may notice that the tree is covered with plastic-bag-strings all tied up along the stems of the tree.  This is a “wish tree”; same idea as a wishing well or coin drop at a fountain.

Wish Tree
Hind Al Ameri

This is not the end of day 1 tour, but until next time.

Hind's Travels Advice:

For UAE Nationals: It is always advised to register on Twajudi, which is provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when traveling to enable the UAE embassy to contact you in case of any emergency.

"UAE MOFA" is now available through your smartphone, you may download it through the AppStore/Google Play, or register on Twajudi online.

Happy traveling!

Hind

Arrival at Tbilisi International Airport

Note: I will be mostly using Georgian Lari (GEL) when talking about amounts. 

1 GEL≈  1 AED; 1 USD ≈ 2 GEL

Everything went smooth in Tbilisi Airport.  Customs and baggage collection was easy as well and there is no security check when leaving the airport.  As for those people who are like me that require a sim card when traveling, I found two kiosks near the airport exit.  The one I went for was Beeline; the number itself costs 20 GEL and if you want data for internet use it costs an extra 7 GEL for 3GB data allowance which is more than enough for a short trip.  They only require to look at your passport to give you the number.

It has come to my attention that it costs less if you purchase it from the stores and shops outside the airport; I read someplace that it is 2 GEL per number but I can't guarantee the price.  The speed of the internet was not very efficient (and for those who care, SnapChat was blocked). 

Taxis are found right at the exit of the airport and it costed about 40 GEL to the Marriott hotel which is about a 20-minute drive.

A review on the Marriott Hotel will be in a different post.

Until next time.

Happy traveling!

Hind

Pre-travel to Georgia: Travel Details and Hotel Booking

Choosing a place to travel is never easy, especially with my family; always wanting to experience new things, meet new people, and understand new cultures.  This time the choice of destination was Georgia, and no not the state.  I got used to saying this sentence due to a lot of people not knowing about this place or assuming that we would not go to the country.  As to the reason or how we found out about this place is as follows:

Eid-Al-Fitr break was coming up and our beloved government gave us a whole week off, which meant a whole 9-days, this meant TRAVEL to us.  Looking at various places over the internet and long hours of conversation with my mother; we of course wanted a place close to Abu Dhabi and were no visas were required since most EU embassies at this time were packed.  I read previous reviews from people who visited Georgia from different nationalities and it was set to Georgia.

Looking on how to get there was the most troubling part, since our local airlines do not have direct flights to Georgia, we found that it was either through FlyDubai or Qatar Airlines.  We set to go through Qatar Airlines because their timing was most suitable for us.

Travel details: 

Departure: 31 July 2014

AUH-DOH: 05:55 - 05:55 (Duration 1hr)

DOH-TBS: 07:25-13:30 (there was one technical stop in Baku, Azerbaijan- total duration 5:05hrs)

Return: 6 August 2014

TBS-DOH: 20:00 - 23:59 (Duration 4:59hrs)

DOH-AUH: 01:55-03:55 (there was one technical stop in Baku, Azerbaijan- total duration 1hr)

Transit waiting time in both departure and return is about 1 hr.

Total ticket cost (at the time):

Business class: AED 12,180 (approx. $3,316)

Economy class: AED 2,100 (approx. $573)

Hotel booking comes next, we booked the hotel through the travel agent in Qatar Airways.

Marriott Hotel, Tbilisi: great location, it overlooks the main avenue in the center of Tbilisi.  The atmosphere is great, food is okay as well.  The room rate, per night was about AED 1,400 (approx. $381). I did not take pictures of the hotel, but they are the same as those found on their website.

Happy traveling!

Hind