Today is my last night in Batumi, as we head for the capital city of Georgia, Tbilisi, tomorrow. It is raining like cats and dogs here as I stand on my balcony, admiring the rain and enjoying a hot dog in my room.

It has been a wonderful nine days in the port city of Batumi, and I have explored the city to my heart’s content. I am joyous and full of wonder, looking forward to the next few days in Tbilisi before I fly back to India on the 5th of July.

I have been prancing around Georgia for almost three weeks now. We arrived in Tbilisi today, and I was a bit tired from the excursions of the past. “Why do you use that inhaler so often?” I asked Nino as I saw her using an inhaler spray. “Oh! I used to do kickboxing when I was young. I broke my nose a few times,” Nino informed me. “You seem to be an adventurous one,” I told Nino. “Yes! You know I used to do kickboxing with boys. I would beat them to a pulp; I was good at kickboxing,” Nino told me.

The End of the Road in Batumi

“Oh! By the way, the books that you couriered to me have just arrived at my place,” Nino told me as we drove through the open road towards Tbilisi. “Yes! That is good. They have arrived on time. They must be two books: *Yes Sir, I Killed My Dad* and *Trial of Palande*. It is about the darkest chapter of my life. It’s a crime thriller. By next year, you will be able to watch it on Netflix,” I told her with some pride that my books were being converted into a web series.

“Yes, I am looking forward to reading them,” Nino told me. We reached Tbilisi by the evening, and I parked myself in a hotel near the center of the city. I have been having a lot of ice cream, so it seems that I have put on a lot of weight. I am looking forward to the last few days in this capital city before I finally head for India.

It has been over four days since I parked in Batumi, the famous port city of Georgia. I have been enjoying myself, eating hot dogs and boiled corn cobs from the local park shops. In the morning, I received a call from my friend, guide, and interpreter, Nino.

“We will be going to the famous waterfall, about twenty kilometers from Batumi called Makhuntseti waterfall. It’s very famous, and a lot of travelers come here to enjoy the water and the scenery,” Nino told me rather excitedly.

I spent the night in anticipation of my next excursion but was startled by a burst of fireworks in the sky. The night sky was illuminated by fiery bursts and a display of lights. I stood on my balcony mesmerized by the beauty of what I had seen. The sky shimmered with rockets and bursts of fireworks, lasting almost half an hour. After the fireworks display, I quietly walked back to my bed and slipped between the sheets.

But this was not going to be like any other night; there was thunder and rain that fell from the sky. The city of Batumi was hit by a massive tornado. There was a heavy rain shower, and the sky turned dark and grey. I rushed to my bedroom window again to see the thunder and the falling rain. I felt a bit scared as I could see the massive tornado from my window, whizzing high in the air.

The tornado was about sixty meters high and dark grey in color. It moved like lightning, and I stood at my window admiring the view in total awe. The tornado moved stealthily, throwing dust into the sky which scattered across the grey sky and often fell onto the nearby road. The thunder showers continued through the night and into the morning. I tried to sleep, but my room felt cold. As the night progressed, I slowly fell into a deep sleep, watching the tornado move slowly out of my view in another direction.

Apart from the open Black Sea, there are many waterfalls in Georgia that Nino, her brother, and I explored. One such waterfall was the Atari Chkali waterfall. It was a huge waterfall, and I even managed to sit on a rock and meditate near it. The water fell from the top of a high rock, cascading down like a white serpent. It was wonderful; I could feel the spray of the water on my face and head as Nino took pictures of me meditating on the rock.

There were tourists wearing raincoats, taking pictures of the waterfall gushing down from the high rocks above. It was a perfect spot for me to meditate; I chose a high rock and sat on it for over ten minutes, taking deep breaths and meditating quietly. It was also a perfect spot to take some great pictures.

During the drive back from the waterfall, I kept my attention on Nino. I found her to be a fun-loving lady who enjoyed making funny TikTok videos throughout the drive. At times, she would show them to me as well. I have also been using TikTok for a while, and I thought she was really creative at it.

Waterfalls of Georgia

“You know, Anuj, all of Nino’s friends are crazy,” Joseph said to me as I munched on a bag of potato chips and enjoyed the view from afar.

Nino was also an animal lover. Apart from having a pet cat, she was also feeding the dogs that would come near us during our lunch. That is a good quality of hers that I liked immensely.

“You know, my mother had a lot of problems handling me when I got into drugs for a while. I was a nightmare for her. But now I have grown up and forgotten my past. I have also lost all my old friends as I have moved on in life,” she told me over our many conversations as we explored this magnificent country.

“I invite you to come to India. I can send you tickets, and you can come and see India with me, especially the spiritual city of Varanasi,” I told Nino.

“I don’t know if my brother would allow me to come; he is very possessive about me,” she replied.

“I know when I give you ice cream or buy chocolate for you, he says Nino doesn’t want it. He tries to keep us both apart during our trip. He has even asked you not to take my pictures,” I said with a sad look on my face.

“But you are a grown-up girl; you can make your own decisions,” I told Nino.

“Why don’t you talk to my brother that you want to invite me on a trip to India?” Nino replied.

“I think I will do that tomorrow,” I replied.

After enjoying the Atari Chkali waterfall, we had lunch together and then proceeded back to my apartment to end the day’s excursions.

Sataplia Caves are a natural wonder of Georgia. It is a unique sightseeing place and even has huge dinosaur footprints that one can see.

One of the caves is called Tauiskhvati Cave, which is inside the huge nature park. There is also the Navenakhevi Cave Natural Monument. This is a 250-meter high, two-story cave comprised of four caverns with diverse and beautifully formed stalagmites and stalactites. These have been formed over millions of years as water drips from the rocks, causing deposits to grow and jut out like spears from the rock formations.

I walked through these cave formations. Sataplia was the first cave that got equipped with modern services and utilities, making it accessible for tourists. The caves represent a natural bed on the river Oghaskura, with headwaters located 200 meters away from the cave. During the past thirty million years, the small river has passed through the caves, significantly widening its corridors. The cave has several branches, and its total length is 900 meters. The length of the path within the cave is about 309 meters. An incredible world opens up in front of you when you first enter the cave. Pinkish-purple colors are proof that iron is contained within. The growth process of stalactites is terminated in one section, which is why this hall is called the “Transparent Hall.” After the hall, the corridor leads to the north. Here, the growth process of stalactites is terminated, and that is why this hall is called the “Sinister Stone Garden.” One of the stone structures looks like the shape of a human heart, with a height of over 3 meters and a diameter of over 12 meters. From the stalagmites on the ceiling, calcium-enriched water permanently drips down. The constant temperature of the caves is 14 degrees throughout the year.

Meandering through the Sataplia Caves

The caves are illuminated with green and red neon lights that give them a distinct look and feel. The caves contain many organisms adapted to the darkness, such as feral water mollusks, blind crayfish, spiders, and worms. The most interesting inhabitants are bats, which use the caves for hibernation.

The summer has been receding in Batumi, and the rain has just arrived. I spent the evening on the beach, taking pictures of the sunset and watching the surfers catch waves. It is solitude that I seek in life. People have always seen me as a loner, and yes, a loner I am. But I am not lonely; I just enjoy my own company and love solitude. Now that I am a full-fledged professional writer, I need the space to create. I hate noise, I hate fights, and I hate arguments. Maybe that is why I am still single, and that gives me great joy. I seek being alone, and a creative mind needs space.

I have been spending my evenings staring at the sky from my balcony and watching people take runs near the beach. I have also discovered the joy of enjoying corn cobs and ice cream. Additionally, I have been gorging on sausages and hot dogs laden with mustard and red sauce, which has been my breakfast for the past few days. I like the food in Georgia—the kebabs, the soups, the pasta, and the khachapuri. The salads are fresh and delicious. The food and wine of Georgia are amazing. It is a great contrast to the food I was served in Mongolia. Mongolian food was very bland and smelled horrible.

Prancing Around Ropeways and Driving Tuk Tuk in Batumi

“I will take you to the ropeway today; you can see the entire city from the top of the ropeway,” Joseph told me as we drove across the streets of Batumi towards the ropeway. I paid twenty lari for the ticket and jumped into one of the ropeway carriages, taking pictures from high up.

I enjoyed some ice cream as they took my picture before I went for the ropeway ride. “I will take you on a tuk-tuk ride as well,” Joseph told me as we both sat on a tuk-tuk, and Joseph finally took me back to my hotel room.

The days in Batumi have been adventurous, and I have been learning a lot about the history and culture of the people of this great country.

“Look, Anuj, today I will take you for lunch at a floating restaurant near a waterfall. The restaurant floats on the river, and we can sit there and enjoy our meal,” Nino said as I sat in Joseph’s BMW, which he had come to pick me up in the morning.

“That is wonderful. I have enjoyed my time here, and I would love to enjoy a meal on the floating restaurant.”

“Today we had a problem with our BMW. The gas had run out, and we had to fix the car in the morning,” Joseph said.

We proceeded towards a waterfall and then to the floating restaurant. Suddenly, in the car, Nino started to sing. She had played some new Russian pop song and was singing and making some chants and noises.

“What is that chant you keep making, Nino?” I asked.

“It is just something that I do when I am happy and joyous,” she said.

The Floating Restaurants of Batumi

“Oh! It sounds like the Haka chants, you know, the Haka dance that the New Zealand rugby team does before the game starts,” I said as I showed her the Haka dance videos from my mobile phone.

“It is so wonderful; it’s like a war dance, you know, a tribal dance,” Nino said. We drove past the green mountains of Batumi. Today was a sunny day, and it was a bit warm. There was a waterfall gushing out of the mountains, but it was a small one. I managed to take some pictures of Nino and Joseph sitting on a stone next to the waterfall when an old lady came and stood next to her.

“You are a very beautiful girl,” she said as she admired Nino’s beauty.

“Yes, I keep telling her that. I am a Bollywood actor. I told her she should travel with me to India and work in Bollywood films,” I told the old lady.

“Yes, indeed she will do well in modeling. She can make a career for herself in films,” the old lady said, looking at Nino lovingly. Nino blushed a little, but I knew that inside she was happy to get all the attention and admiration from me and the old lady.

I was now getting a bit bored with the waterfall and decided to move along with Joseph back to our base in Batumi. I yearned to be next to the sea; the cool breeze was what I wanted, and the blue sky was what I wanted to see. It was a perfect setting: the blue sky and the crimson clouds on the horizon. It was as if there was a magnetic pull in them, calling me.

“I have to take the car for washing tomorrow and get things touched up, Anuj,” Joseph informed me politely.

“Okay, I think that’s fine. It is a Sunday, and we can relax. I think we can take a break, no more sightseeing tomorrow. We can all take a welcome break,” I replied.

I had been observing Nino for some time as we meandered through the hills and mountains of Georgia. She came across as a fun-loving lady who enjoyed making TikTok videos at leisure and listening to Russian rap music. When she would get excited or feel happy, she would take her head out of the car window and admire the sun and the rain pouring down from the sky. That was Nino, an ardent animal lover who was respectful of others and obedient to her brother Joseph.

“Why don’t you send me a friend request on Facebook?” I asked her.

“No, I would love to, but my brother told me not to send friend requests since it is only for the family,” she replied. So, in that way, she was listening to her brother’s advice.

The Pain of Nino

But today, as we strolled through a castle near the Turkish border, I got to know about the sadness and pain hidden inside of her.

“I had a huge heart problem, Anuj. I was operated on, you know. I had a hot wire put through my veins, and they did not even give me any anesthesia. I was in real pain. The doctors held my hand, and I was in so much pain when the operation commenced,” she told me about her painful heart surgery.

“Oh! At such a young age, you had a heart problem. You are only twenty-nine, and you had a heart issue,” I replied, feeling sad for her medical condition.

“Yes, I have not had an easy life. I lost my father early, you see,” Nino told me as we walked through the opulent gardens of the castle.

“Here, let me take a picture of you near the white and red roses,” I told her, and Nino posed as she plucked a red rose from the gardens of the castle.

“One more. You look so lovely I can’t take my eyes off you,” I told her and clicked a few more pictures of her. I wanted to keep clicking, she was that gorgeous, but she got bored after the fourth picture and lost interest.

We walked all the way around the castle. It belonged to an old Georgian king and had large catapults that were used to throw large rocks and boulders at the enemy during wars and battles. The wooden catapults would be launched with rocks that would be thrown at the enemy’s castles in an endeavor to break the walls so that attacking armies could then move in during an invasion.

After a few hours, we decided to venture into a waterfall dedicated to St. Andrew, an enlightened being of Georgia. Next to the waterfall was a huge statue of St. Andrew. I walked down into the pit where the water was falling, and Nino took some of my pictures.

“So where does your mother live now?” I asked Nino.

“My mother lives in Russia. She comes to meet me once in a while, but she does not live with me,” she replied.

“Why does she not live with you?” I asked.

“Well, she says that when I have a stable life, she will come to live with me. Until then, she would stay in Russia,” Nino told me.

“So she thinks you don’t have a stable life now?” I asked her.

“No, she thinks I am just meandering in life, you know, like a hippie,” Nino replied.

“Yes, I too am like a hippie. A traveler has to live an uncertain life, but that’s the fun of it all. That’s what adventure is all about,” I told her.

After lunch, we drove back towards Batumi, and then the rains started to fall.

“What do we do now? It’s started to rain,” Joseph said.

“Let’s go back. It seems summer is over now. It will keep raining. The rains have arrived for sure in the city,” I replied.

“Tomorrow we leave Batumi, Anuj, and we will move towards Tbilisi,” Joseph told me.

“Ok then, I will do all my clothes washing today and be ready with my bags tomorrow. But where do I stay in Tbilisi? We have not booked any hotel,” I asked.

“We will put you in an old people’s home if we don’t find a hotel,” Joseph said, gurgling with laughter.

“No, no, don’t do that, please. I want to stay in a hotel, not an old people’s home,” I replied as I got out of the car and ventured back to my room.

I have always loved nature, and if there is one thing that gives me immense joy, it is being one with nature. It has been raining for a few days in the city of Batumi, and I have been enjoying the cool weather a lot. “Today we will go to the Botanical Gardens. It is the biggest one in Batumi and has many types of birds and lilies and different kinds of flowers. You will love it, Anuj. We can spend an entire afternoon there,” Nino said as she called me up in the morning.

“Yes, I am sure it will be great fun. Let’s go there and spend some time chasing lilies and watching exotic birds,” I replied. So, it was decided that we would all proceed towards the Botanical Gardens of Batumi.

The entry fee is 20 lari; it’s more expensive for foreigners than for locals. After munching on a chocolate bar, we moved into the garden. It was a slow walk up and down the Botanical Gardens. I decided to sit on a bench and get my photo taken. When I got bored, I took a buggy cart and was driven up and down the garden path. The colors of the flowers were dazzling. There were lilies, roses, and daisies. It was all so wonderful. It would occasionally drizzle, and sometimes I would sit on a rock and meditate for a while. There was a railway track behind the garden, and after the railway track, there was a beach where people could sit and enjoy themselves.

Chasing Lilies in the Botanical Gardens of Batumi

I took a quiet stroll around the beach to gather my thoughts. The blue sea was pristine and tranquil, and it was very soothing for me to just sit there and count the waves. It was wonderful. I have not seen so much greenery anywhere. One thing I have to admit is that Georgia is very green, and its mountain areas are extremely beautiful.

People also celebrate their weddings here, and I could see a lady decorating a stall with flowers. She was preparing the stall for a grand wedding. I could see her putting white flowers in and out of the stall. The garden looked like a perfect place to have a wedding party. When I got tired of walking, I would sit on wooden stools and have a fruit drink. This was a perfect place with no stress and no worries.

Georgia is an Orthodox Christian country, and it is full of beautiful churches. I managed to visit many of these churches along with Nino and her brother Joseph. Orthodox Christians are deeply dedicated to Christ. They believe in the doctrine of one God and one divine essence, who shares His divine essence with all of humanity. According to Orthodox faith, Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.

The most fascinating aspect of the Orthodox churches is the murals and the enigmatic wall paintings. Most churches have candles that people light to pray in front of Jesus Christ and the holy cross.

Many churches have gardens and large conical domes with a cross on top. I enjoyed seeing the murals on the walls and praying in these churches. Until then, enjoy the pictures of the Orthodox Christian Churches of Georgia.

The Orthodox Christian Churches of Georgia