Touring Tbilisi

Tbilisi

Waking up at 9 am we quickly prepared for the cross country journey to Tbilisi. After a bottle of coke for breakfast, we returned the keys to the property owner and went straight over to the main street. Turns out that there were several mini-bus "marshutka" set-off points so after a bit of asking around I discovered the correct one which was situated on the other end of the market which happened to be the main intercity one. As is typical in the East we were hounded by taxis drivers struggling with each other over a potential fare. Eventually, I found a man holding a big Tbilisi sign in front of a mini-van in questionable condition. Feeling adventurous we went for it and within 45 minutes we set off from Batumi.

About half an hour later the driver started to look anxious and began weaving erratically. A tyre was blown! As this Sprinter had a non-typical suspension we were effectively grounded until help returned. About an hour later a truck from a local village dropped off a mechanic who replaced the tyre and after about 10 minutes off we were again! This time around the driver decided to make up for lost time so this resulted in one of the bumpiest rides I've ever been on to date. Giorgi did such sharp turns in the mountain passes its actually a surprise we didn't fall down a cliff, still, the other passengers were pretty much unfazed so I guess this was nothing unusual. On the way, we had a short break a small traveller restaurant.

After about 8 hours we arrived in Tbilisi just outside the bazaar next to Didube metro station. We promptly took the train/subway to Rustaveli station from where we had just a 10-minute walk to our homestay. This place wasn't as well kept as the place in Batumi and I think Nino was renting out her own bedroom for extra income so she would stay above poverty, but the host was very nice and gave us useful advice on the city and the best experiences. We unpacked and decided to check out a bar very popular amongst students and travellers called Warsaw!

The bar was a bit tacky with the furnishing and decor but it turned out to be quite a cool and vibrant place. We had a few shots and beers and chatted a while with our Georgian neighbours. Most of the Tbilisi adults around our age spoke decent English which definitely eased out conversation efforts. One thing I learnt though is that the acceptance of Russian influence is more apparent here in the east, with a couple of guys, in particular, proclaiming their respect and mastery of the Russian language. As the night went on and we felt quite tipsy we decided to call it a night and head back.

On this wonderful hot day (about 34 degrees!) we went out to look for a decent breakfast cafe and stumbled across a nice quaint cafe called Lik & Nik. Once again it was very easy to communicate in English and the ham and cheese croissant and large cappuccino met expectations. After a short lounge about and wifi splurge in order to gather our bearings, we went off to explore the area surrounding Freedom Square.

What I experienced was a very cosmopolitan and modern vibe blending in with the country sombre Soviet past and the relative poverty that followed.

Afterwards, we made out way to the largest cathedral in Tbilisi, known as Tbilisi St Trinity Cathedral. It was about a 2-3km walk from where we were and one which took us across Nikolaz Baratashvili bridge and a couple of nice viewpoints on both river banks.

Tbilisi Cathedral

Tbilisi St Trinity Cathedral, also known as Sameba სამება by the locals, is the main cathedral in Tbilisi and largest in the Georgian Orthodox faith. It was actually relatively recently built, having been consecrated in 2004. Indeed, it was quite popular outside with pilgrims, Georgian orthodox and other.

The inside was quite roomy and bright. The smell of incense burning considerably adds to the overall atmosphere.

Walking around the old district of Tbilisi I realised the paradox of the vintage and historical part of the city being one of its poorest areas, with sights like the photo below being not that uncommon. It's a sad reality and fact of life with developing ex-Soviet republic countries not being able to provide for all of its population and districts, even in the country capital city itself.

Walking around really works an appetite so we found a nice cosy restaurant where I got to try some awesome Kubdari. I don't remember what the place was called but it is on the Right Embankment just around the corner from Sioni Cathedral

Just before sunset, we took the funicular up to Mtatsminda where great viewpoints of the city were to be found on the top of the fortress ruins. The funicular was enjoyable and certainly gives a nice impression of the variety and expanse of the city. The top of the fortress ruin is where I took the photo in the heading of this post. It is also possible to climb up to Mtatsminda by going just south of the funicular station and cutting right through the narrow streets which lead to the ruins but be prepared for quite a steep upstreet hike. Stayed here till it got dark which is when further spectacular views could be experienced.

Next: Mtskheta and more Tbilisi