From what I've seen, Georgia is not that popular a destination for vacation among Malaysians and Singaporeans (and other Asian countries), which on one hand is a blessing cause at least you won't be surrounded by tourists all the time like what is happening in Japan right now. On another note I feel sad that the Georgian government isn't maximizing their country's full potential when they've been blessed with such beautiful nature and rich culture. Tbilisi Shota Rustaveli Airport is pretty small and feels dated, not bright and shiny like Singapore's Changi or Doha's Hamad, even KLIA feels more modern. That and passing through the streets as we travelled towards the city on Bus 337 gives me the impression that Georgia is still very much a developing country. Developing or no, their efforts in spaying and neutering street dogs is commendable. Almost every single dog we saw on the streets was tagged and they were all sweet and docile, unlike the mad hounds terrifying people in all parts of Malaysia.
We had two nights in Tbilisi before our Kazbegi hiking tour, which I probably won't have time to write about. Suffice to say that Tbilisi old town was pretty quaint and the food we had was generally great too, although I have to say I am not a huge fan of khatchapuri, with all that cheese it's just too difficult to finish on your own. The thermal baths we tried in Abanotubani was nice (both before and after the hiking tour) but didn't feel as clean as those in Japan, maybe I just feel that way because they don't seem to enforce showering before dipping in the bath, which Japan is quite strict about. Special shout out also to Khedi Hotel because the room we had was so uniquely designed and the food was GLORIOUS. From the amazing kharcho soup and mini khinkalis which we had as our first meal in Tbilisi after stepping off the plane, to the breakfast the next two mornings, everything was yummy.
I was feeling a bit apprehensive about the hiking tour not only because I had not been doing any physical training before this (big mistake), but also because me being me, I was worried about having to interact with others, would people be unfriendly? Would it be awkward? Well, I need not have worried at all, because we had a blast with the entire team and so many fond memories were made during our 3.5 days together exploring the Kazbegi region. On the first day Wei Jin and I were 5 minutes late to the rendezvouz point at the Giant Bicycle Monument because breakfast in Georgia starts late at 08:00 hrs (meeting time was 09:00 hrs), and our breakfast at Khedi Hotel was so good that I couldn't bear to forego it. We also had to drop our bags off at the next hotel (Unfound Door) that we would be staying at after the tour before going to rendevouz with the rest. As a result, we scarfed down our breakfast within 10 minutes and spent the next 30 minutes in panic mode as we rushed from Khedi to Unfound Door and finally made it to the Bicycle Monument, breathing a sigh a relief to find our guide Sandro and the team still there. Then all 15 of us all climbed on to the mini van to start our journey to Trusso Valley for our "warm up hike", making a stop at Ananuri Fortress along the way. It was when we were on the bus when I caught some conversation in Malay, turns out there was another Malaysian couple on the tour as well - Rocky and Yati! We didn't expose ourselves as Malaysians to them at the start though, only when we finally started chit chatting during the Trusso Valley hike did we spring the surprise on them.
The journey to Trusso Valley took around 3 hours, it would probably have been shorter had Georgia had proper highways, but they only have a single lane in each direction. The last 30 minutes was especially uncomfortable because the van had to traverse across bumpy untarred gravel roads. It was extremely slow going and we were in a perpetual state of being jolted from side to side. Still, it was extremely worth it because even at the start the views were already very scenic, walking along the valley above the river.
After a couple of kilometers we were greeted by vast beautiful plains. A little further along there was also a small little shop where hikers can get drinks and some respite (can't remember if they have food). Shortly after the shop we stopped by a tiny bubbling lake with vibrant blue waters for a break. Sandro called it a lake, but I thought it was only slightly bigger than a pond to be honest. It was during this break that I started talking to Jeep who's from Thailand. He came together on this trip with his friend (whose name I still don't know). After this we hiked through plains dotted with ruins and inhabited by cows, before making looping back again and eventually ending up back on our initial track above the river. By this time my feet were starting to protest, which is only to be expected thanks to my lack of prior training.
The entire trek was about 20 km long and I was extremely relieved to see our white van waiting for us where we left it. I was exhausted. Our driver then drove almost an hour or so to the village of Stepantsminda, where we spent a night at a simple inn run by a sweet Georgian lady, I wish I took a picture with her. The Georgian-style dinner - vegetable soup, chicken stew, roasted potatoes, kebabs, salad, beetroot, tomato and cucumber slices, bread and cheese, that she and her team made was heavenly, especially since we were starving because we didn't have a proper lunch (I had sadly misunderstood and thought we would be stopping somewhere for lunch before the hike). We washed the feast down with some home made wine and chit chatted with those sitting nearby - Baela from Switzerland, the Spanish couple Moni and Danny as well as the other South East Asians before heading off to bed early for a much needed recuperation.
I was pretty excited for Day 2 because we would be hiking the region near Gergeti Trinity Church - one of the most famous Georgian landmarks. Alas, Day 2 was also when I became fully aware of my poor physical condition. To save some energy, after a hearty Georgian breakfast the 4 of us Malaysians paid some Laris to the inn's priorieter to take us up the hill in a van to the Gergeti Trinity Church area while the others hiked an additional half an hour uphill. We met up with them on the hill, spending some time taking photos of the Church and surrounding mountains before continuing our hike up to the Gergeti Glacier. The path up was pretty steep most of the time, yet the Europeans, Kiwis, Tarkan from Turkey and North Americans were extremely quick, and we found ourselves constantly at the back of the group struggling to keep up. I fared worse than Wei Jin, who had to wait up for me as I made periodic stops, panting and coughing, heart pounding in my ears as my body struggled to fathom this sudden increase in physical activity. Even Rocky and Yati who are much older than us were quicker on average. Jeep's friend brought up the rear, making me feel slightly better about myself. The views were breathtaking though, watching the Church getting smaller and smaller in the midst of the sprawling mountains around it as we went further up, trekking through the light yellow green fields, enjoying the strong breeze and watching Sandro pick his mountain mushrooms for dinner. I wondered why the rest were in such a hurry, to me it felt like they just wanted to reach their destination, but for me the best part about hiking has always been the scenery and being able to immerse oneself in the incomparable beauty of mother nature.
After lunch, the route forward to our next checkpoint (Deka Hut) was much easier, nothing too steep, mostly flat and gentle ups and downs along rockier paths, which I was extremely grateful for, since the part before lunch was BRUTAL. Then the sky started turning dark and we had to pick up our pace a lot in order not to get drenched. Thankfully all of us managed to get to Deka Hut before it started pouring. Deka Hut is a cosy little wooden-style alpine hut with a fireplace in the centre. It's summer so the fireplace wasn't lit, I can only imagine it would be even cosier in the colder weather, warming up by the fireplace. A couple of us had drinks while waiting for the rain to stop, I had a hot fruit tea which was pretty comforting after so much exertion. Seems like Georgian rains don't last long because it felt like less than half an hour later, the rain had stopped. Sandro was saying that those of us who wanted to continue on and reach the Gergeti Glacier would have to make it back to the hut in 1.5 hours. I had enough self awareness to know that my body would not be capable of such a physical feat, so I decided to sit the glacier part out with Yati, Rocky, Baela (who was taking a nap in the hut), the Canadian dude whose name I should really know but don't and Jeep. Wei Jin decided to continue on with The Fit Team while the rest of us South East Asians just hiked to the next mini "peak" along the trail which took us about 15 minutes and took selfies together before turning back to Deka Hut to join Sandro, Baela and Canada.
On Sandro's cue, those of us who decided to stay at Deka started to make our way back to Cafe 360 Degrees, knowing that The Fit Team would be on their way back and catching up with us soon. I chit chatted with the dude from Canada (Quebec, to be exact) for a while before he picked up speed while I continued trotting along at the back. After picking up Jeep's friend at 360 Degrees (he didn't continue on to Deka with us earlier), we started descending through a different route which was on the same hill but a little way off from the one we came up from, enjoying the magnificent views and pleasant breeze again. It wasn't long before The Fit Team caught up with us there and took the lead, while I lagged behind with Wei Jin, who had successfully made it to the glacier! to enjoy the views. Going downhill doesn't make me huff and pant the way uphill climbs do, but it certainly brings a different challenge - moving in a controlled way so as to avoid knee and toe pains is a skill, a skill which I have yet to master. I have a feeling my shoes that day could have been tighter too, as I felt like my toes were constantly ramming into the front of my shoes. We were soon quite far behind, gradually losing visual sight of our team. The path down was blessedly straightforward though, except during one part where we had to pass through some thickets. We found Baela waiting for us there to show us the way, and we followed him all the way to the bottom near where we started in the morning, where he rejoined the rest for their additional half an hour hike back that they did in the morning. Naturally we decided to take the van with Yati and Rocky back to the inn, giving our poor legs and feet some much needed respite. After a warm shower we had our Georgian dinner with more homemade wine again. The food was 80% the same as the day before, but I'm not going to complain because it was really tasty. Also helps that we were famished after the day's efforts.
On Day 3 we had to bid nakhvamdis to the nice Georgian lady because we were moving to a different inn in a village called Roshka. We would be hiking there from another village called Juta. I was pretty ecstatic when Sandro told us we would be passing by Fifth Season during our hike. I had heard many great things about the views at Fifth Season and initially wanted to arrange a night there with Wei Jin. Eventually we had to drop the idea because the logistics didn't make sense, so I was really glad that we would be still be able to pass by, and maybe include it in our plans during the next trip here. It was a half an hour ride to Juta where the day started with more puffing and panting from me as we hiked up a steep slope from the village to Fifth Season. Sandro was telling us, specifically those of us who usually brought up the rear, that we would have the option of taking a horse for the first 6-7 km after departing Fifth Season, for 200 laris per person. It was going to be another long hike today with some steep parts. Wei Jin was sold on the idea immediately, since he was pretty sore and tired from yesterday's glacier hike and thought it better to conserve as much energy as possible. I thought 200 laris was kinda steep, but gave in since I was interested in horse riding and my legs were still in protest from yesterday. I've only ridden one once in my life as a kid, and I am almost sure it was in a zoo. All the other South East Asians opted for the horse option too, so while the non-riders started their trek after coffee break at Fifth Season, us riders had an additional half an hour or so to chill there.
Oh boy, the view from Fifth Season was glorious. Just in front of the main wooden building there's an open area with hammocks for people to relax and enjoy the views. I was so absorbed in savouring the beauty and trying my best to swallow my disappointment that I wouldn't be staying overnight here (not helped at all by Sandro who claimed their dinner was one of the best in the area) that I didn't realize that my arms (on which I had neglected to apply sunblock) were slowly being baked by the sun. It was a sunny and hot day, but it wasn't until I started riding my mare that I realized they were turning red. So, never underestimate the Georgian sun, even when you're from the Equatorial region.
I love my brown mare though, she was sweet and good tempered, AND she's also a mama horse. I became the envy of some Hong Kong ladies from another hiking group who were also riding with us, since her foal was constantly by our side the entire journey, trotting along with his mama. We went in small groups of twos or threes, with our horses tied to our local guide's in front leading the way. Wei Jin's and my guide was a young local boy who looked about 12 years old. I was a bit apprenhensive to have such a young guide (does he have sufficient work experience?!), but it was all good and he was a pro. The first part of the journey was mostly flat and I was starting to question my decision to take a horse (despite my love for mama horse), but then came some parts that were more hilly and we even had to ford a few rivers and streams. We passed by the non-riders from our group after quite some time and I was shooked at how much ground they managed to cover during their 30-40 minutes headstart. Guess horse riding was the right decision for me after all. Our ride came to an end after about an hour at the bottom of another steep hill, and I was pretty sad that I had to leave my mare and her foal. Now I'm all pumped up and eager to do somemore horse riding, can't wait for the next time.
Anyway, I thought having my mare do 6-7 km of work for me would give me enough energy to climb the hill in front of us, but I was dead wrong. I had barely started before being overcomed with exhaustion. Then again, maybe I would have just keeled over if I didn't take the horse. The Fit Team overtook us as we struggled upwards, and we met them at the top for our lunch stop, a nice spot overlooking the Chaukhi Pass. During lunch, we were visited by one of the friendly stray mountain dogs and I tried to feed him the sausage from my lunch pack but he was overly enthusiastic and I couldn't manage to take the clingwrap off before he swallowed it whole. I hope he's doing ok after consuming plastic. After our scenic lunch, Wei Jin and I started hiking 5 minutes before the rest (but they soon caught up) to the next viewpoint before we would start descending. Sandro warned that we would have to wait for everyone to reach and gather before descending together because the first part of the descend was a bit tricky. The viewpoint was only 10 minutes away and soon when everyone was together again we decided to take our first proper group shot, albeit with bad lighting.
Initially the descend was tricky as Sandro had promised because it was a steep trek through the shale covering the hillside, we all went very slowly with Sandro at the front, trying not to slip and slide too much. After going down for some time, the trail evolved to a switchback dirt path cutting through the grassy undergrowth. The Fit Gang went much faster here, as if they had knees and joints of steel, it was not long before we mostly lost sight of them. Being at the back again with the Thai boys, we occasionally cut through the middle undergrowth covered portion cautiously in order to shorten the route. It felt like a pretty long time going down, despite having a pretty nice view of the surrounding valley. We found Sandro and most of our group resting at the bottom, while some had gone on to check out a lake we saw from the top when we were descending. After a quick break we were on our feet again for the last part of our hike - getting to the vilage of Roshka. This part was relatively flat especially considering what we had covered the past 2 days, it was mostly trekking through the valley surrounded by fields and wasn't too interesting. There was a clear path through the valley to follow at first but after a while the path ended (this was also around the time the team that went to the lake rejoined us) and we had to hike through fields before a path appeared again. It was another 2-3 hours of hiking, mostly uneventful except for a particularly muddy portion where Sandro was waiting to help us, before we finally reached the village of Roshka, the end of the trail bringing us right to the doorstep of our inn for the night - Rockside Inn.
I guess there's probably not many lodging options in Roshka, but Rockside made our first inn at Stepantsminda feel like luxury. The place was dusty since there was construction going on, there were only 2 showers for all the guests to share (15 of us plus some other guests), and the rooms were also the bare minimum. I was also quite annoyed that they didn't have hairdyers nor would they give me milk for my tea. I mean, milk seems like a pretty reasonable request. Dinner was also much poorer fare, meat wise there was only dry roast chicken and some fried fish, and even those were not enough. I decided to give the Canadian dude my portion of roast chicken that he was eyeing hungrily, since it didn't look that appetizing to me. After dinner some of us continued sitting at the dinner table chit chatting and drinking chacha, and Sandro even taught us how to toast Georgian style, all in all it was a very pleasant evening with good company.
According to the itenerary we were supposed to do another long hike on Day 4 before heading back to Tbilisi, but Sandro told us the night before during dinner that it took a long time to get to that area and the views were not as good as what we had already seen. Apparently there's some miscommunication between the people organizing the tour and the tour guides. Anyway we decided as a group not to do that hike and instead settled for an almost 1 hour hike in the village of Roshka. Nothing much to shout about for this one, there wasn't much to see and it involved hiking on the road that the vehicles used. The road was also untarred and muddy. We were rewarded with a nice river at the end but that was about it. We had our last lunch together at a Georgian restaurant on the road back to Tbilisi recommended by Sandro. It was a hearty meal especially after yesterday's dismal dinner, badrijani, salad, kebabs and lots of khinkali, as well as all types of Zedazani lemonade (there's even a tarragon flavoured one that tastes quite foul) and of course, wine. Unfortunately I didn't save the name of the restaurant. I liked how the terrace had tonnes of grapes growing on vines, from which we plucked a few to try.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. I was dreading the moment that we would have to part, but it came to pass, and we said goodbye to everyone at the Bicycle Monument, our initial meeting point just a few days ago. All in all it was a fantastic experience that even the stay in Rockside couldn't diminish, and most definitely the best part of my entire time in Georgia. I am blessed to have met these people and I hope I will get to meet at least some of them in the future. May the Gods grant me the fortune to continue meeting great people on my future hiking tours. Svaneti next?
