Week 26: #Blessed

As those residing in Georgia know: there is ALWAYS room for Jesus! As the crosses and churches dotting the countryside portray, Georgians are overwhelmingly apart of the Georgian Orthodox church! However, religion is a bit different than the United States. More on that below...

Mtskheta

Throughout Georgia's history and despite foreigner invaders, Georgia has remained a proud Christian nation. Even during Soviet times, many churches and monasteries were left untouched and Georgians--albeit secretly--practiced Christianity. That is not to say the Soviet project didn't suppress the church and the cross was left in the shadows of the hammer and sickle

Sameba

Nowadays, there is a close relationship between Church and State. Schools have alters in almost every classroom and religious holidays are considered national holidays! Honestly, just look at the flag! 5 crosses is pretty telling! Even in the private sphere, it is rare to see a home without an ornate shrine and a Georgian without a wearable cross. Of course, passing a church will insight a marshutka full of Georgians to cross themselves feverishly.

Frescoes in Bagrati's Cathedral

However, in my opinion, religion is more of a cultural experience than a zealous belief system. People will call themselves Orthodox and cross themselves near a church, but whether they truly believe the Patriarch--the leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church--or not is a totally different story. Many complaints I've heard regarding the church has been surrounding leadership and corruption. Recently, there was a scandal of a successive pope attempting to poison the current Patriarch who has severe Parkinson's and it is even difficult for him to perform public functions; but, I guess, someone was eager to seize power...

Katskhi's Cathedral

As for practice, some people believe church attendance is not a mandatory part of spirituality unlike many Americans. Furthermore, many people can attend church as frequently as they choose. Prayer and worship is based on lighting a candle and standing while praying for many hours at a time. A church service is very much a sermon delivered by a bearded man clad in long black dress to a standing crowd (reserved seating for the elderly) and people often follow strict dietary regiments when fasting (i'm still confused which days people can eat what!). Admittedly, I still do not fully understand the ins and outs of Georgian Orthodoxy, but I find it fascinating!

It's lit!

Of course, it is important to note the religious minorities in the country! You'll find large numbers of Muslim Azeris in the southeast, and the Adjara province, bordering Turkey and having a history of being flipflopped between the two nations, has a sizable Muslim population. Atheists are everywhere, but, I think that is a very private matter. Unfortunately, religious tolerance is not all 'kum-ba-ya''. I'm not sure Islam invokes a positive connotation in a Georgian's mind; however, that goes without saying, I have met some extremely accepting individuals here. Until my personal population sample is larger, it's difficult to make these ~hasty~ assumptions!

Bagrati's Cathedral

Overall, religion is fascinating concept in Georgia. Behind the centuries old churches, there is--or not!--a Georgian's personal journey with the heavens above (or even those below!) I'm #blessed to be here ;)

Katskhi's Pillar A.k.a A little closer to the heavens

Georgia, Turkey, & Greece: 3 Countries, 2 Continents, Infinite Gyros

As Easter break commenced, I decided to head west to revisit my ol' stomping grounds (Turkey) and see what was all the fuss about in Greece!

Athens, Greece

Day 1: Departure!

Being the poster child of frugality, I purchased a 70 lari (30 dollar) bus ticket from Zestaponi to Istanbul! Well, the day certainly didn't go as planned! I took the marshutka from Chiatura to Zestaponi and I was 5 minutes late (AH!!). To add insult to injury, I sprinted to the Metro Bus Company's office there and it was closed INDEFINITELY! So I was freaking out! Where was the point of contact?!?! It couldn't get any worse, right? IT WAS RAINING BUCKETS! After running, (literally running) around the city, I finally got ahold of the company and, to my excitement, they told me the bus was 30 minutes late! However, it was more like an hour and I was freezing!! Needless to say, I was thrilled to get on that bus .... for the next 20 hours. Surprisingly, I had a great time (with the exception of the very cold border crossing and the frequency which I woke up). Overall, 9 out of 10 recommend!

Day 2 & 3: Istanbul, Turkey

Admittedly, Turkey has changed a lot since I last arrived. The tourists sparsely populate the city and many shops have closed. Of course, what dominated the skyline were the 'Evet' and 'Hayir' posters or the 'Yes' and 'No' campaign banners, respectively. I arrived the day before the referendum in which Turks decided if Turkey's current president could consolidate his power. Unfortunately, the referendum barely passed.

Taksim Square

Despite this, I spent what little time I had there meeting with my former Turkish professor, Yeliz, and discussing politics under the extremely pleasant weather! I mostly spent my time walking up and down Istiklal Caddesi, the main thoroughfare, and eating lahmacun, a Turkish pizza!

Although my time was short, I got to peak the old city one last moment before I left! I miss Turkey a lot, and i'm afraid, if recent events continue, my return anytime soon will be unlikely.

Hagia Sophia

Day 4: Athens, Greece

The previous night, I flew into Athens, and, naturally, I had a gyro for dinner! It was scrumptious and I familiarized myself with the city that night!

In the morning, I was stuffed like a Thanksgiving Turkey! Breakfast consisted of a Greek salad smothered in olive oil, Greek yogurt with honey, the largest Jonathan apples this side of the pond, and, by far, the most succulent olives I ever had! Practically a gift from the Greek gods! I headed over to the Acropolis that morning with a friend I befriended at the hostel! The wait wasn't that long and I managed to get the student discount (saving me a bigillion Euro) and we lived like Ancient Athenians! We saw the Theatre of Dionysius, the Parthenon, and the Temple of Athena! The sites were absolutely breathtaking and I highly recommend a visit to Athens! We weren't done yet! We headed over to the Temple of Zeus after some Souvlaki! Although much of the temple wasn't standing, you could gather the entirety of the original structure based on the massive columns left! IT was absolutely incredible! The rest of the evening I spent crisscrossing the cobbled streets trying to decide my next meal! That night, my friend Meera brought me to this fine establishment serving these delectable zucchini balls, tzatziki sauce with bread, an assortment of appetizers, and the house wine! To much surprise, I couldn't eat it all, but the conversation was equally as delightful! Talk of the economic crisis and Syrian refugees filled the air! We ended the night with some laughs and went our separate ways.

Theatre of Dionysius

Parthenon

Souvlaki

Acropolis from afar

Temple of Zeus

Greek Salad

Changing of the Guard at the Greek Parliament

Day 5: Athens, Greece

The next day, I headed towards some of my favorite sites: the Olympeion, the home of the first Olympic games, the Ancient Agora, and the Karameikos! Happenstance, I found out that day was National Monument Day! All the monuments and museums were free! If I only had known earlier.... Regardless, I had an amazing experience! The rest of the night I explored my neighborhood and I had hummus and falafel (for a grand total of 3 Euro!!) at this homely Mediterranean restaurant!

Speaking of which, the one aspect of Athens that shocked me was how diverse the city really was! In Omonia, where I rested, every corner and every store advertised a unique selection of food from whichever restaurant you could choose from! There were even Georgian restaurants there as well! What a time to be alive!

Olympeion

I honestly forget what Temple this was, but it's apart of the Ancient Agora

Day 6: Athens to Thessaloniki

Perhaps, my most tragic day, I got up early, ate breakfast, and headed off for the train to Thessaloniki! Surprisingly, the carriage was very comfortable and the Greek woman next to me (who only spoke Greek) was extremely chatty! However, tragedy struck. Food poisoning befell my hapless self halfway through my journey of enjoying the Greek countryside and I was rendered useless the rest of the day. Taking public transportation in Thessaloniki was painful (imagine a cramped, humid bus) and I was thrilled to take solace in my hostel.

Day 7 & 8: Thessaloniki

Although my final days in Greece were clouded with illness, I rather enjoyed Thessaloniki. Nestled on the perfect harbor with a rich history, I admired the views and the chilly--often breezy--days. I visited the picturesque White Tower, explored the Archaeology, Byzantine Culture, and Macedonian Struggle Museums, respectively, and glided over thousands years of history at the Agora and the Rotunda! I didn't know what to expect from Thessaloniki, but I highly recommend it! I much preferred Athens, but it's worth the trip! Finally, I sailed back to Georgia on a white yacht and I savored each and every wave! JOKES! I flew back at 5 in the morning on WizzAir. C'est la vie! 

White Tower

Seaside

Another beautiful church

Thessaloniki's city walls

Rotunda

I have yet to figure out what this is. Norther fortifications?

Archaeology Museum 

Ancient Agora

Inside the Rotunda

Deliciousness!

Week 23: Transportation

As another week passes, i've been contemplating how FAST my stay has been. Ironically enough, the Georgian transportation system tends to be the exact opposite....

Airplane

Perhaps the most expedient way to get in and out of the country, flying (and, more specifically, low cost airlines) are all the rage! With a sparkling, yet sparsely traveled airport, Kutaisi's David the Builder airport is preparing for the droves of tourists without the current droves of tourists! Georgia's recent EU visa liberalization and expanded low cost carrier routes will sure help in expanding continental travel! Meanwhile, Tbilisi's airport continues to be the main hub while smaller airport's exist in remote Mestia and in Batumi.

Kutaisi's David the Builder Airport

Ferry

Although i've personally never rode on a ferry in Georgia, there are supposedly many ferries criss-crossing the Blask Sea with the most notable heading to Varna, Bulgaria and Odessa, Ukraine from Batumi, Georgia's largest coastal city. However, my friend told me that the ferry from Ukraine lasted 4 days so be prepared for that excursion!

Marshutka

Who needs an adrenaline pumping roller coaster when you have a marshutka? Simply enough, a marshutka is a mini-bus with scheduled direct routes and varying degrees of quality transport. You can either go to the 'avtosadguri' or bus station and buy a ticket for further distances, or, as most people do, you can stand on the side of the road and flag the next one down! Beware, though! Drivers will pick you up if they want and often passengers are cramped inside like a can of sardines! Standing for the entirety of a several hour excursion is not unheard of! And, of course, don't forget about the speed limit, or lack thereof! If your driver is a real lead foot, you will be there in no time, but, hopefully, in one piece! Naturally, seat belts are optional, but the police are now strictly enforcing those rules!

Avtosadguri or bus station

Marshutka

Car
Car culture is actually quite interesting here. Both young and old men alike worship their cars! The age old feud between BMW and Mercedes Benz rages between friends-occasionally-turned-foes. As intense as that is, the real action happens on the roads! Georgian drivers have limited rules of the road except to 'yield' and 'not die'. Speed limits are suggestions and motorists actually destroy speed bumps on purpose! In fact, 2 lane roads have an invisible, center 'third lane'; drivers can pass despite oncoming traffic!

My host brother, Givi, working on the love of his life: his car 

Speaking of roads, the important thoroughfares are paved while the rest are gravel. Despite this, often paved roads face poor maintenance and it's not uncommon to find pot holes the size of Texas!

Exacerbating the poor roadways is the heinous parking situation. Tbilisi's traffic is notoriously a headache and finding a parking spot is a fight. Although cars are convenient, it's not always comfortable!

Paved, but unplowed roadway near my house

Taxi

Honestly, taxi drivers are the worst! You have to haggle to the death, and, if you're a woman, they will relentlessly harass you (more on that in a later post). Luckily, 'Taxify' is becoming Georgia's Uber and the prices are set for you! A great alternative for the hassled!

Train

With recent updates, Georgia's train system is becoming a viable option for regional and cross country travel. Connecting Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, tickets are inexpensive and trains are comfortable! However, there are pockets of poor train travel! The 2 hour marshutka drive between Chiatura, my hometown, and Kutaisi is a 5 hour ordeal! But the ticket is 1 lari (35 cents!) compared to the 6 lari marshutka (2 dollars)! Pick your poison!

Overnight train from Tbilisi to Baku

Biking

I've only seen a handful of bikes (mostly children in the villages and the cities), but the roads are not biker friendly! Remember that 3rd 'invisible lane'? That was not meant for bikers!!

Walking
Like biking, walking can be dangerous. However, walking is often the only option and motorists (generally) are careful when passing. Sidewalks are in the cities and everyone just walks the shoulder elsewhere. I find Georgia a lot more pedestrian accessible (or at least walking is more socially acceptable) than parts of the U.S.! However, the country is FAR from being handicap accessible! More on that later!

As for crossing the street, that's a different story! Any point is a crosswalk, and one crosses at their own risk! I've seen people cross several lanes without looking both ways! If jaywalking was an Olympic sport, Georgia would certainly get the gold!

Metro
Tbilisi's Metro is a relic of the Soviet past (think 13 story deep tunnels), but stations have been remodeled and an additional line has been added! Costing 2 lari for a card and 50 tetri (cents) for a ride, the Metro is a great value! The signs and announcements are in both Georgian and English and the ride is like any other subway: hecklers, and humongous hand baskets!

Didube Metro Station

Cable Car

Unique to my city in particular, cable cars are used throughout Georgia's mountainous regions! Chiatura has a particular history with cable cars though! Built in 1956, 17 cable car lines were established throughout the city. Now, 4 cable cars or 'sabagiros' work today and they are used as a legitimate form of one's commute. It is difficult to reach the cliff side villages without the cable cars!

Cable Car in Chiatura