Showing posts with label Travel and Lifestyle. Show all posts

Georgia - Day 5 | Mestia

Hi guys,

If you do travel to Georgia, Mestia HAS to be on your list. HAS TO BE ON YOUR LIST. It’s a picturesque town in Svaneti. It isn’t as well-known as compared to its counterpart Ushuguli. The latter is a UNESCO heritage site. 

 However, Mestia is mesmerizingly beautiful.
This quaint town had my heart in knots, as it wrapped itself around my mind and soul. I reached Mestia post an 8-9 hours journey from Kutaisi (GEL 25). The distance and time might want you to give up on Mestia, but don’t do so.

Our Mashrutka went through winding roads and scenic locales and finally stopped on the cobbled roads of Mestia or the main junction. The place looked like a scene out of the Wild Wild West with brown structures everywhere.





I was staying at a beautiful guesthouse and had the whole room to myself complete with a beautiful view of the city. You’d see similar structures everywhere in Mestia– a defensive tower, fortified dwelling held safe within a defensive wall.



The owner of the Guest House, Giorgi, was kind enough to come over to the main junction and take me to the guest house. Mestia was completely unplanned. I reached somewhere around 7:00 - 7:30 pm and was exhausted beyond words. Nearby attractions include Ushuguli, a glacier, a cable car ride and trekking places. I chose neither and decided to relax and take in the city and its chilled vibes.

 (Heads up on my lack of direction)

I walked through the beautiful cobbled paths and explored the city and finished with dinner at a restaurant that also had a live entertainment in form of local dance and song routine for its guests. The energy in the restaurant was at an all-time high.

With the band singing Georgian songs, to boys dressed in traditional attires and dancing to it, guests joining in to dance with them, matching their pace step by step. It was a sight to behold.

On my way back, I managed to get lost (again) and bumped into an amazing family from Israel. They were so warm and cordial and were excited to share their adventures. They also volunteered to stay put with me and help me find my way back (cries).  It was beautiful as to how, I ended up meeting amazing people throughout my 10 day trip.





I managed to find my way back and slept off as I was to wake up early for the hike (yay). I slept like a log. The weather was so pleasant, I didn't even check for air con or the fan. I snuggled my way into the cozy blanket and dozed off, almost instantly.
Read Part 2 HERE




“It feels good to be lost in the right direction”


Read Day 1 HERE
Read Day 2 HERE
Read Day 2 - to Kazbegi HERE
Read Day 3 HERE
Read Day 4 HERE



Much Love 

xoxo

Martvili Canyon | Kutaisi


The Martvili Canyon, used to be a bath place for Georgian Nobles, Dadiani family. It is a natural wonder in the Samegrelo region of Georgia, near the town of Martvili. Also called the Gachedili Canyon, it is about a 45 minute drive from the city of Kutaisi in West Georgia.


The canyon is divided into two parts, Upper and Lower. You can ride a boat along the canyon from the Upper part that leads to a waterfall falling from the height of about 12 meters. Thanks to the climate of the terrain and high humidity, the walls of the canyon are covered with moss, you will also see lianas that grow along the whole length of the canyon, small streams and waterfalls. A truly fabulous picture!












You can also walk along the Dadiani trial. To be honest both the boat ride and the trail was a bit of a disappointment because they were both very short. However, they were beautiful.







In the lower part of the canyon there is a “pool” where you can swim and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature. Even on the hottest day the water here is cool, therefore this place is very popular among locals who come to Martvili to run away from the summer heat. In summer days, the canyon is full of tourists and locals. 
GEL 28 for boat trip and trail entrance fee.

While visiting Martivili canyon it is worth to visit the Martvil Monastery (Chkondidi) of the VI century, which is on the way to the canyon. In 735 the monastery was burnt, the paintings on the walls were destroyed. And only a century and a half later it was restored. Today, on the territory of the monastery there is the temple of the Assumption of the Virgin, the church of the 10th century, in the south-west there is a 20-meter-high pillar and chapel, which was built on the site of an old destroyed chapel.
I didn't visit the monastery, but have heard the below about it:
On its highest hill there is a Monastery. The site upon the hill where the monastery stands today was used in ancient times as a pagan cultural center and was a sacred site. There once stood an ancient and enormous oak tree that was worshipped as an idol of fertility and prosperity. Infants were once sacrificed here as well. After the conversion of the native population to Christianity, the ancient tree was cut down so as not to worship it anymore. A church was originally constructed in the late 7th century upon the roots of the old oak tree and was named in honor of Saint Andrew who preached Christianity and converted the pagans across the Samegrelo region. 

The main Martvili-Chkondidi Cathedral (Mingrelian: Chkoni translates to “oak”) was reconstructed in the 10th century after invasions that destroyed the prior church. Preserved in the church are frescoes of the 14th to 17th centuries.





Read about Kutaisi HERE

Promotheus Cave | Kutaisi

Prometheus cave is located some 20km from Kutaisi in village Kumistavi (Tskaltubo Municipality), and if you are in Kutaisi - I'd highly recommend you to  include Prometheus cave in your itinerary.

 The cave was discovered in 1984 and was almost immediately developed as a show cave. Kumistavi is the biggest cave in Georgia. Although only one tenth is open for tourists, it takes about an hour to explore it. Inside there are underground lakes and rivers; rather high humidity and a lot of bats, which, however, do not bother tourists, as they fly very high.

There is a constant 14 degree Celsius temperature inside the cave all year round.


It is a succession of six large chambers followed by a 400m-long underground lake. Sections are truly impressive, and the guided visits along a well-made concrete path are enhanced by discreet colored lighting and a little background classical music.



























The total length of tourist trail inside the cave is about 1060 meters which you can choose to be accompanied by English or Russian/Georgian speaking guide.




Marshrutka 30 runs from the west end of Kutaisi’s Tsiteli Khidi (Red Bridge) to Tskaltubo (1 GEL, 30 minutes), where marshrutka 42 continues 8km to Prometheus Cave (1.50 GEL, 20 minutes) every hour or two.


Prometheus the Titan, who, along with Epimetheus, was given the task of creating man, managed to annoy the god Zeus by stealing fire from the gods for man and for refusing to tell Zeus which of his children would dethrone him. As a result of this, Zeus ordered his servants to seize Prometheus, take him to the Caucasus Mountains and chain him to a rock with unbreakable bonds, where he would be subjected to a giant bird pecking at his liver.

Legend has it that the rock Prometheus was chained to lies in this cave outside Kutaisi (although it is certainly not the only cave which claims the legend for its own). Discovered in 1984, the cave boasts a wonderful array of stalactites, stalagmites, petrified waterfalls, cave pearls, underground rivers, and lakes. There is also the option of a boat tour on one of the underground rivers.
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Read about Kutaisi HERE
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