Some Snippets from Letters Written While in Georgia

04-January-2016

I am writing this while in the car traveling from Tbilisi to Kaheti region. It's negative four degree Celsius (-4°C) here, it snowed yesterday so everything is covered with snow...

05-January-2016

It's snowing again, negative nine degree Celsius (-9°C). 

Would you believe I climbed a solid rock mountain for an hour despite the weather - snowing and windy? Because the medieval cave monastery in Vardzia was dug out of that rock mountain. Crazy and dangerous, I know. 

I came from down there.. I'm the Queen of the World!

Thank you for the good boots. Aside from having a good grip, they're made for walking and climbing. I told roomie that in our second life, if there really is, we should do it in our 20s. LOL.

We've been climbing Monasteries on Armenian and Georgian mountains for the last 10 days. I wonder why all Monasteries were built  on the top of the mountain... maybe because it made them feel closer to heaven / God. 

We  headed to some castle in Akhaltsikhe and the snow got thicker. 

At Home With The Georgians 2

At Home With The Georgians.. Or Not. (continuation)

Day 1 of 2016, we explored outside Tbilisi with this other hotel guest (OHT) who joined us the prev night.

Fast forward to evening of Jan 1 2016 in Tbilisi, we've gone to McDonald's in Rustaveli avenue and had our dinner there. One old homeless man sat next table to us whom started showing us his drawings. The locals stared at him bluntly. So we started giving him some of our food till the McDo's manager (I assumed) came and muttered something to him. 

We proceeded to watch a musical program (it's like a concert of some artists or band) in Rose Revolution Square somewhere near Rustaveli avenue. When we arrived I saw a special wall of messages where people wrote their messages, so I took my pen out of my bag and started writing "I ❤️ NAIF", can you spot it where?

While walking near the stage, a band playing an upbeat song so Roomie and I started jumping dancing to the beat and mixed up with the crowd. At one point, we were given chocolates by the locals as bribe to make us stop hopping because they're on their 'Happy Holidays' mood. Though they were singing in Georgian language, we still enjoyed hanging up with the locals who were in a very party mood. In the middle of the concert, a guy and a girl were called up and came on the stage. The guy knelt down and presented a ring to the girl and congratulations were in order - sweet!.  It felt great doing something different, having fun with strangers in a strange land. 

• There were a bunch of teeners there who were pranking us throwing us 'firecrackers' after they saw how scared I was of firecrackers. They always got me every time. I always panicked, ran and screamed to death (don't blame me, the experience from previous night was very traumatising).

Late night after the concert, we walked to this old building somewhere in Rustaveli, where pubs/bar are located in a dark underground of the building which got me scared (apparently, everything scares me).

• It looked like an old theatre building. The pubs/bars  weren't opened that time because it was still early (it was around 11pm). I was told the nightlife begins there at 12am. I have noticed the Gulf flags there and was told some of the bars are owned by Gulf nationals (unconfirmed).

Anyway, we left the area and started walking towards Freedom Square metro station. On our way there, we passed by two men arguing with one another, one is middle aged and drunk (Mr Drunk) and they got a little physical. While we were almost near the entrance of the Metro station, someone stepped on my right boot behind me and when I looked back it was Mr Drunk so I just ignored to avoid trouble.

Tbilisi Metro platform

When we were in the platform, we saw the bunch of teeners who continued pranking us throwing 'firecrackers'. So I walked away and hid behind the pillar. And then suddenly Mr Drunk started harassing OHT, dragging OHT's baseball cap from his head and covering his whole face over and over, which again scared the hell out of me. 

Thankfully, a mother with a girl, stood between them and pulled OHT away from him while saying something to him. And an old lady called the attention of the security. Then she, the mother, came to us and apologised saying they (Georgians) are not really tourist-drunk harassers people. We thanked her for her concerns and niceness.

So we stayed far away from Mr Drunk and when we saw he was going in a compartment, we immediately entered in another compartment. To our surprise, he followed us. And just like a movie scene, we silently moved fast to the other end/next compartment while he was trying to get near us. Luckily, the compartment got crowded and he got blocked by the crowds. When we reached the next station (where we were heading), we hurried briskly towards exit. We ran from the platform to the up escalator. When we were on the up escalator catching our breaths thinking the chase has ended, I looked back and got horrified to see Mr Drunk passing through others on the up escalator looking at us as if he wanted to beat us.  I told roomie and OHT that Mr Drunk is behind us, when they saw him, we started running again. 

• Just so you know, Tbilisi has deeper metro station than Dubai, it has an escalator length of 120 meters.

Roomie and I on the down escalator to the platform of Tbilisi Metro station. This was taken on our way to McDonald's before things got suspenseful, LOL

Glad we're young and sober so we reached the ground and hotel, which is a minute walk from the station, panting but safely. 

It was tremendously an experience - in the truest sense of the word! It was really a big step out of my comfort zone. 

Thank you Georgians! 

At Home With The Georgians..

Or not.

This post has been delayed for almost 2 months. I don't have the appetite to blab. Anyway, just like my prev post, I'll talk about my experience being at home with the Georgians... Or not.

It was at the wee hours of 26th December when we arrived in Tbilisi

• We were given a bottle of dry red wine at the Immigration. I can say after being in Dubai for a decade, getting a wine from the Immigration officer right after stamping the entry stamp on your passport is a culture shock. So yeah that was cool. 
• We were picked up by Envoy Tbilisi driver at the airport, that's when I started doing a charade or informal system of sign language.

We had to stay for few hours at Envoy Hostel Tbilisi while waiting for our driver to take us to Yerevan.

• The Envoy staff at the reception that time was very accommodating and helpful so we were happy. 
• We had our first meal and tasted authentic Georgian cuisine at Machakhela-Samikitno, a 24-hour resto in the old town of Tbilisi. You know where the "I❤️TBILISI" is located. Since then we kept coming back to the same resto even if asking the waitresses about the food was a struggle.  

  

  Machakhela-Samikitno resto and yummy Georgian cuisine

On the night of 30th December, we returned to Tbilisi from Armenia. We stayed in a different hotel as there is no available room at Envoy Tbilisi.

• Talking to the hotel receptionist at that time was a struggle, we need to do the whole informal sign language again (Ahhh, I miss Armenia). 

The same night, we went to a small grocery store nearby to buy water, instant noodles and bread because it was a bit late and we still dunno the area/place yet. 

• While we were checking what to buy, one guy who appeared to be drunk made a comment on us "Are you even Christians?" I just ignored what I've heard because for me arguing with a drunk man makes you drunker. LOL

Fast forward to the new year's eve. I have noticed the following:

Fireworks Display at Freedom Square

• It seems okay to drink alcohol in the street when it's new year or maybe only because there's a program for NY countdown at the Freedom Square or because alcoholic beverages are available everywhere. Whatever is the reason, it is obviously okay to get drunk (Of course, what do I expect it's a land of wine, aight?!)
• Most Georgians are very naughty, throwing fire crackers at people regardless of age for fun. I was a victim of it, I still have the bruises behind my leg until now and was painful for a week because someone threw one at me. I'm okay, though.
• Right after the new year's eve program and fireworks, street cleaners are already there at the Freedom Square sweeping the street of  Rustaveli, cleaning everyone's mess. That was really a big WOW.  

After the countdown, we went to the 24-hour resto mentioned above. Then at the bar areas, it started  snow. Which was a plus point for experiencing real snow falling on my head.

first snow of 2016 at the capital

• We entered one bar, we were turned away because we're three (a guest in the same hotel who's also from Dubai joined us). We were just told that they only allowed either 2 persons or 4 persons.  It's hard to ask further explanation of there's a communication barrier.
• Despite the rejection, we still found a bar with friendly staff and customers.
• For a taxi, they don't use meter. We always had to bargain and argue a little with taxi drivers because of communication barrier.

Nevertheless, we still had fun ending 2015 and starting 2016 with a bang and snow..

And the snow becomes thicker

To be continued...

I know it's only gonna get better...

Tell you the truth, I don't even know if blogging is still a thing since Instagram gave every social networking sites a run for their money... but who cares, I will continue my endless ramblings till the countdown to the new year begins and the fireworks display at Burj Khalifa ends. LOL

2014 brought about the most awesomest of experiences pour moi... 

I turned odd in the 2nd quarter of an even year....

Travelled twice outside the UAE....

Had breakfast like a king....

Spent 2 weeks with the entire fambam....

Climbed the tallest skyscraper in the world....

Got closest to nature for 5 days....

So much fun at work....

To tote it all up, 2014 — AN INDELIBLE YEAR.

2015 — see you in a bit *winks*

And I know it's only gonna get better. 

Cheers! xx