Georgia - Day 4 | Kutaisi
Day 5 – Kutaisi
Kazbegi – Tbilisi (Didube) – Kutaisi
I couldn’t care less of how badly I had planned my
travel, in terms of getting from one place to another. So if you are planning
of travelling by the local bus from Kazbegi to Kutaisi, you have to go back to
Tbilisi (Didube ) and get a bus from there. I inquired at the taxi stand and
post muttering something in Georgian he said 600 Lari and just laughed. I’m
sure he wasn’t even considering , that someone would want to cab it out from
kazbegi to Kutaisi. (Anyhow, so I left from Kazbegi to go to Tbilisi).
One amazing and helpful thing (at times annoying, if you
reach early), is that the Mashrutka will wait until it’s full to go from one
place to another. I paid 10 GEL to reach Tbilisi and 10 GEL to go to Kutaisi.
Kutaisi as I recall wasn’t that picturesque as compared
to Kazbegi and I slept off, as I was extremely tired. I got off at the center
or so I thought. Now the only issue with Kutaisi is the language – I didn’t
meet a single local who spoke English. They speak Georgian (obviously) and
Russian (God save me). And, I had the toughest and the most amazing experience
here.
Being Indian, I’m adept with hand gestures and having
played a lot of dumb charades, I was positive I would master Kutaisi. I reached
the center in the evening and was dropped like a hot bun in middle of nowhere.
I had my hostel booking and was waving it at everyone’s face (just kidding). I was put up at Apart King hostel, which as per my research was in the middle
of the city (rofl). But wait, it was close to the Colkhis fountain and the
Bagrati Cathedral (Pat on my back).
Anyways, so I headed to the cop car (based on previous
experience of how amazing the cops were) and knocked on their window with an
‘I’m a tourist’ smile plastered on my face (it’s a face that invokes sympathy,
or so I believe it does). The cops shooed me away like a fly siting on a doughnut, but I tried again and was shooed away with a ‘don’t you knock again’
stare.
A few locals started laughing at the scene and I decided
to ask them for help. But to my dismay they didn’t speak English. However, they
were helpful, and post bargaining with a taxi guy and speaking with him via
Google translate (I bow down to thee). I reached my hostel. My mom always told
me, nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. I tweaked it a little
with – there’s nothing impossible if you put your mind to it and have internet
on your phone.
My Hostel was previously a hospital. I’m glad my roomie
told me about it the day before I was to leave (lol. Though I did get
creepy vibes, I was too tired to reflect on them). The Hostel overlooks a river
and is very close to Bagrati Cathedral.
I woke early and spent some time at the river, it was so calming
and gave me the needed energy for the rest of the day. I had a nice chat with
my Russian roomie and since she had other plans, we went our ways.
I was fortunate to have met an elderly gentleman who was
kind enough to drop me to the place where I could get the bus to Promotheus
cave. As it turns out, there were no buses going to the cave from where I
originally thought it would.
So to go to Promotheus, you need to head to Tskaltubo (GEL 5) and then take another Mashrutka to go to Promotheus cave (GEL
2). The mashrutka usually waits and takes you back to Tskaltubo. Promotheus was
beautiful.
Once the cave tour was completed, we had
a bus take us to the entrance and then the same bus took us back to Tskaltubo
and then I headed back to Kutaisi and wanted to go to Martvili Canyon.
Read more about Promotheus cave HERE
There’s a combo offer for both
Promotheus & Sataplia cave and Martvili and Okatse Canyon for around 50
GEL, which is extremely good for budget travelers and otherwise.
And google map came in handy, when I asked for
help to go to Martvili Canyon and I met a local who mouthed off a few words and
I jotted them down, sat down and checked if I could finds any on google map, and Lo behold I did. The bus to
Martvili Canyon goes from the main bus station in Kutaisi (GEL 5). I
walked it out, bought a Kachapuri and Natakhtari for
the way, and sat on the bus that was to take me to the canyon
The ride took almost forever (not really, I was
just tired). But we reached the drop off place and had to take another bus to
the Canyon (GEL 2).
Read more about Martvili HERE.
I hitchhiked from Martvili canyon to the main bus area, and then found a bus that took me to somewhere in Kutaisi (I was totally lost, and ran out of phone battery as well). However, the locals were ever so kind, and I managed to charge my phone at a store which was closing for the day (but they let me in for a good 30 mins – enough for half my battery to charge. Hail Samsung).
I decided to visit Bagrati before heading to my hostel (if I could find
it). Post a fully charged phone and a fully charged me, I went towards Bagrati
Cathedral (as shown on map). My basic instinct is to ask the locals for
directions and on reaching someplace close to Bagrati, I asked for direction and the guy offered to drop me to
Bagrati (Bless him). He dropped me close to teh cathedral and we bid farewell.
Bagrati is extremely beauteous. It stands proud with a blue dome perched tall
over a church that has seen a good amount of wear and tear. The church is
beautiful inside as well, and as per tradition, please do cover up using
scarves, generously placed outside the church entrance.
There was an area overlooking the town, but since I was extremely tired, I
decided to head back to my hostel and freshen up. I got lost on the way back. However,
the best thing about getting lost in Georgia is that you are offered wine always.
Post some amazing conversations over wine, I left to hopefully find my hostel,
and as luck may have had it. I did.
I met my roomie, who asked me to join her to go to Bagrati cathedral, and
I simply said yes. We both headed over to what was the most
beautiful sight I cherish even today. By the time we reached, the church was
already closed for the day. We went and sat at a spot overlooking the town.
It was magical to sit at a quiet spot illuminated with a few lights and
look at the fully lit up city. I imagined it to be loud and bustling (which it
was, almost not as loud as a Bombay or Dubai). We sat engulfed in silence and
bathed in the moonlight. It was a
beautiful moment captured forever in my heart.
Kutaisi you were beautiful in the weirdest way ever. This was the only
place where I had the jitters, but also enjoyed it thoroughly.
Much Love
xoxo
xoxo
"Better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times"
