Journey to the world of hospitality and mountains

by Mariia Khavantseva (Russia)

I didn't expect to find Georgia

Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia. Friends told me about the hospitality of this people, but I didn't believe. The city has incredible architecture and responsive people. I’ll tell what I managed to see in Tbilisi and how it changed my life. I was in Tbilisi for the first time. We saw a lot of places, but didn't see even more. It's the great reason to return there again! I made the route following the advice on the forums. Briefly tell you what surprised me in this country. Georgia has many ancient temples and monasteries. Along with this, Tbilisi is a modern city with beautiful cafes and art spaces. I did not expect that the old and the new could create such a unique atmosphere. For example, Mtskheta is the ancient capital of Georgia, half an hour from Tbilisi. The city was founded in the 5th century BC. Mtskheta has many ancient temples and monasteries, as well as beautiful streets and souvenirs. We were in a monastery built in the 7th century. How many thousands of monks prayed in its walls? Near the ancient buildings are modern art spaces. Georgians repaired the old factory building. Now on this place is the youth place “factory”. There are constantly held exhibitions, workshops, where you can drink a cup of coffee. The Sololaki region is very popular in Tbilisi. Tourists are attracted to the area by the characteristic Tbilisi architecture with obligatory open galleries along the floors, picturesque balconies with openwork arbors. Georgians live openly, are friends with neighbors. It seems these people have no secrets from each other. I immediately remembered Russia, where everyone is separated from a neighbor by a high fence and starts an angry dog. I like the honesty of Georgians, I would like to live in this country for some time. People are kind and helpful. Every stranger on our way offered us help. Georgians differ from Russians in that they constantly smile. People sell wine and pomegranate juice on the streets, are inviting guests and are always polite. Around there are a lot of dogs that flatter to passers-by and ask for food. In Tbilisi, public sulfur baths are a popular attraction. This is an amazing place. We visited there - this is the most vivid social experiment in my life. It seems that in these baths you wash off not only sweat, but all the dirt from the evil world. Along with water, problems also go away. Georgia is a country of mountains. For four days we saw mountains, fields, deserts, waterfalls, gorges. For the first time in my life, I saw mountains so close. I did not expect them to change me so much. In the mountains you understand that man is part of nature. You need to take care of her and love her. There are several attractions that I plan to visit next time. Borjomi and the Cuckoo train. In addition to the city itself and the beautiful cable car, I dream of riding a special cuckoo special train. This is the name of the narrow gauge connecting Borjomi and the Bakuriani mountain resort. I tell you more about food in Georgia. Georgian cuisine is a lot of meat, dough, seasonings. If you are not used to eating a lot of spicy things, it will be hard for you in Tbilisi. I wanted the Georgian diet to have more fresh vegetables. Georgia changed me in a few days. I realized that life is so short and the world is so big. I did not expect that I would change my attitude towards life. Now I spend more time with loved ones and am already planning my next trip.