It’s been two days in the port city of Batumi. I have positioned myself in an apartment on the 23rd floor of a tall building. This morning, I stepped out to get some washing powder. There is a washing machine in my room, and I will have to do my own laundry and ironing for the next week or so.

I spent the entire afternoon doing my washing and ironing and the entire evening taking in the breathtaking view of the city through my camera. It was a stunning panoramic view from the top.

I decided to skip my tour around the city and informed Nino that I would be busy doing my assignments today. The lady was kind enough to help me out with my washing as I was a bit confused about how to use the washing machine. The knobs and the buttons felt a bit obtuse to me, so I got Nino to give me some advice through WhatsApp. I finally managed to get it right and finished all my washing for the week.

In the afternoon, I would take long walks in the park and enjoy eating sausages and hot dog rolls. I would then wash this down with a cola. To change my taste, I would have some boiled corn. I’ve been enjoying ice cream because it gets hot in the afternoon, and the ice cream cools me down.

Nights in Batumi

While strolling around the park, I managed to sit with some elderly Georgian men who were busy playing a board game. It was fun watching them play and fight with each other at the same time like little children.

I will be spending a long time in this city and will start exploring it from tomorrow. Until then, enjoy some more of my pictures from the balcony of my room.

Vardzia is a cave city and an ancient monastery in Georgia. The city is an excavation from the slopes of the Erusheti Mountains on the banks of the Kura River, located thirty kilometers from Aspindza. The caves stretch along the cliffs for some five hundred meters and have up to nineteen tiers.

The city includes the Church of the Dormition, dating back to the 1180s during the golden age of Tamar and Rustaveli. It features some amazing wall paintings, which are a delight for travelers to see. However, the site was abandoned in the 16th century.

Cave settlements, such as Uplistsikhe, have existed across the Kura River since at least the 5th century BC.

The caves are situated very high up, requiring a significant climb to reach them. There are deep caves with extensive tunnels that one has to navigate carefully. The cave city was actually a monastery where nuns and monks lived in seclusion to meditate and dedicate themselves to the service of Christ.

Vardzia was built during the 12th century and is associated with the reign of two monarchs, Giorgi III and his daughter, Queen Tamar. At that time, Vardzia was a hub of cultural and religious life.

In its heyday, this rock-hewn burg consisted of 6,000 rooms spread across nineteen levels, including 25 wine cellars, a nunnery, and 15 chapels. All this came together to create a vibrant city and monastery.

The Mysterious Rock Cave City of Vardzia

Under the reign of King Giorgi and the watchful eyes of his daughter, an elaborate series of caves and chambers were chiseled deep into the belly of Erusheti. Among them were secret escape tunnels and a tangle of dead-end halls to confuse enemies. Over the years, it evolved into a sprawling monastery with over two thousand monks, thanks to fertile terraces and a complex irrigation system.

Literature and art flourished in this region. A medieval poet named Shota Rustaveli became the most popular poet in Vardzia.

However, the region’s prosperity was short-lived as Vardzia was hit by a massive earthquake in 1283.

Now, after eight hundred years, a handful of monks still tend to Vardzia. Further into the mountains are labyrinths of untouched tunnels, some more than 600 feet long, connecting everything in an ancient web.

One of the most fascinating structures is the bell tower jutting out of the rocks. The only problem is that the bell is missing, stolen by the Mongols during their raid of the city.

I climbed deep inside the tunnels with my friend Joseph. It was exhausting, as the tunnels were very narrow, and I had to watch my head all the time. There were a series of wooden ladders that I climbed bit by bit to explore the winding caves that seemed to go on endlessly.

Mtskheta is one of the oldest cities in Georgia, as well as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is situated 20 km north of Tbilisi, at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers.

Mtskheta was the ancient capital of Kartli and the place where Christianity was declared the official religion of Georgia. To this day, it remains the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church. The historic monuments of Mtskheta are amazing, beautiful, and worth exploring for all travelers who visit Georgia.

Due to its strategic location, Mtskheta was a favored trade route with the Roman Empire. Even after the capital was moved to Tbilisi in the 6th century AD, Mtskheta continued to play a leading role as one of the important cultural and spiritual centers of the country.

The town is also the seat of the Jvari Monastery, a sixth-century monastery near Mtskheta. Built on top of Jvari Mount, the monastery is very serene and tranquil, making it a perfect place to meditate. It is said that an early 4th-century female saint named Nino, a female evangelist credited with converting King Mirian III of Iberia to Christianity, erected a large wooden cross on the site of a pagan temple. The cross was believed to perform miracles and drew pilgrims from all over the Caucasus. A small church was erected over the remnants of the wooden cross around 545 AD during the rule of Guram I, and it was named the Small Church of Jvari.

Mtskheta: The Ancient Capital of Georgia and the Jvari Monastery

In 914, during the Sajid invasion of Georgia, the church was burned by Arabs but survived with only minor repairs. The importance of Jvari increased over time and attracted many pilgrims. The complex was later fortified with a large gate.

The monastery has some fantastic fresco paintings, and visitors can light candles and pray to the Lord Jesus or Mother Mary.

“I like the way you respect our culture and God, Anuj,” Nino said to me. She had been watching me from afar and saw how humbly I had gone on my knees and offered my prayers to the Lord Jesus Christ. I would fold my hands and bow my head, sometimes even kneeling, to pay respects to the Lord Jesus. Nino felt that I was a humble man who gave a lot of respect to their religion and to the Lord Jesus himself.

Nino and I wandered around the place, taking pictures and chatting about the history of the monastery until late evening, when it was time for us to move on to our next destination.

Khertvisi Fortress is one of the oldest fortresses in Georgia and was functional throughout the Georgian feudal period. It is situated in the Meskheti region. This old stone castle is located near the Paravani and Mtkvari rivers, on a tall rocky mountain in Javakheti.

According to legend and history, Alexander the Great visited the city and the fortress during his eastern conquests.

During the Ottoman expansion in South Georgia in 1578, Arfaksand, the son of Lotham, fortified Khertvisi along with another fortress.

Khertvisi was reconstructed several times, with an early medieval building layer noticeable. The fortress consists of the citadel and the wall. The citadel stands on the narrow edge of a rocky mountain. Water was supplied to the fortress from the northeastern side.

The fortress appears to emerge from the cliff, making it difficult to discern where one ends and the other begins. The interior of the fortress is divided into sections, with a small hall-type church and remains of other buildings within.

The Khertvisi Fortress

According to the chronicle, Khertvisi was once a town, with the last mention in the second half of the 18th century. The current Khertvisi Fortress was presumably built in the 10th and 11th centuries. The fortress was temporarily reclaimed from the Turks by King Erekle II, during which a large amount of valuables and goods were evacuated from the fortress.

One thing I have realized while traveling in Georgia is that it is best to explore the country with local residents. You can save a lot of money through their knowledge and insights. A local person can buy tickets for you, allowing you to get entry to parks, monuments, and monasteries at a lower price. Even when dining in restaurants, many places charge more for foreign tourists. When you’re with a local person, dining in good restaurants can be cheaper.

When we reached Batumi, the port city, instead of dining in a restaurant directly, we bought fish from the local market and then took it to a restaurant and asked them to cook it for us. This way, we were able to save more than 50% on our food costs. I went along with Nino and her brother to the local fish market and bought lobsters, crabs, and prawns, which we later had cooked at a local diner.

I decided to stay in an apartment in a high-rise building on the 23rd floor, right at the top. I thought this would be the perfect place to finish my book about my travels in Georgia.

Enjoying Seafood in Batumi

“You know, I got my lips done up, yeah! I got some Botox injections just to make my lips succulent and luscious like Angelina Jolie,” Nino told me as we tucked into some prawns and oysters.

“Yeah, I was about to ask you. They do look a bit plump, your lips,” I replied as I took a bite of some fresh crab.

“You should try your hand at acting or maybe modeling. You are very beautiful,” I told Nino.

“I don’t have the time. Georgia doesn’t have a big movie industry like Bollywood,” Nino said.

“But I like you, Nino, and I like your English. It is fluent. Where did you learn English?” I asked.

“Oh, I just learned it on my own, just by talking to tourists and travelers. I did not take any classes or lessons. I picked it up naturally,” Nino told me.

“Your brother Joseph is really very possessive about you. Whenever I take pictures of you, he gives me an irritating look and says that will be fifty dollars. He thinks I am trying to hit on you,” I replied.

“Yes, although he is a brother from another mother, he still cares for me,” Nino said politely.

I felt full by lunchtime and was ready to go back to my apartment in Batumi for an evening nap, knowing full well that I would be spending the next nine days exploring this city.

Borjomi is a central city in Georgia famous for its appellant park and fresh water springs which are the source of mineral water , this fresh mineral water is bottled and sold all over the world . It is a resort town where many travellers come to enjoy its scenic beauty . It’s lush green parks are of striking beauty . It is around 165 kilometres from Tbilisi and has a population of around eleven thousand people .

It has the largest mineral water industry in the country and was the favourite summer resort for the Romanov Family , who had a summer resort here in Lankari .  Due to the curative power of its spring water a lot of people with medical ailments like skin problem or asthma visit this city to re group and invigorate their bodies .it has the most extensive ecological theme amusement park in the country . Their is a Morden rope way which can take tourist right upto the top of there mountain to see the springs and water falls that cascade downwards across the mountain path .

The Tranquil City of Borjomi 

Their are three very important forts in the city of Borjomi called Georgia , Petra and Sali . After Russia annexed Georgia the town was ruled by the Russian military authorities .The then Viceroy Michal Vorontsov fascinated by its beauty made it its summer palace .Its fresh air and medicinal mineral water industry made it the  favourite summer palace for Royalty . 

Following the Red Army invasion of Georgia in 1921 all the opulent Mansions of the aristocrats where confiscated by the communist party officials and where used as offices for the Communist party officials and elites .

Horse riding , biking , hiking , snow shoes and cultural and educational tours are also available for people to enjoy in the city of Borjomi .

I enjoyed my self immensely going up and down the rope way and sipping beer with Nino and her brother Joseph it was all fun and frolic with the weather being exceptionally good and invigorating.

“You know, meditating is great for health. It is the best thing to do when you want to relax and avoid stress,” I told Nino as we wandered around the Tsinandali Palace in the city of Kakheti in Georgia. The palace was owned by Prince Alexander Chavchavadze, the son of Prince Garsevan. He turned his picturesque estate into the cultural center of Georgia. The estate covers around 16 hectares, which includes 12 hectares of gardens.

There is a huge tree in the middle of the garden where people tie red, white, and blue ribbons and make a wish. It’s like a huge wishing tree where people hope for good things to manifest in their lives.

I sat down under this tree to meditate with Nino, my friend, guide, and English interpreter in Georgia. Nino had a tough life; she dropped out of law school early because her father died of a heart attack when she was young. She spent her younger days chasing butterflies and hanging out with friends, just like any other young girl. She was a good girl who had to work hard to support herself. One thing that struck me about Nino was her love for animals—she even had a pet cat. When we started our tour around Georgia, Nino had to leave her cat at a shelter, showing how much she cared for her pet. She was also a tattoo lover and had lovely tattoos all over her body and hands.

Meditating with Nino Davitadze at the Tsinandali Palace

“You know, I can make fabulous tattoos,” she told me as we sat on the green grass of the garden meditating. I put on some chakra music on my mobile phone, and along with Nino and her brother from another mother, we began meditating. We meditated for over ten minutes, and slowly Nino went into a quiet trance. It was wonderful—the whole palace was so tranquil and peaceful.

I spent the entire sunny afternoon gazing at the balcony and the opulent rooms of the fabulous palace.

Prince Alexander was an aristocrat, a poet, a wine enthusiast, and a bit of a rebel. The Tsinandali estate is famous for its opulent gardens. Its story begins in the early nineteenth century with orchards, promenades, alleys, vineyards, and oak, lime, and maple trees. The park was laid out by European landscape architects, and over time, it expanded with the addition of some exotic plants.

Chavchavadze was the man who introduced European agricultural technologies in the early nineteenth century, including the processes of making brandy and wine. There are over 16,000 bottles of wine in the estate’s vineyard. We were offered a tasting of the exotic wine, and I enjoyed sipping it with relish as I walked around this very beautiful and fabulous estate.

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The Glory of The Stalin Museum, Gori City

“You know, Anuj, I have crazy friends. I was watching a cartoon channel with them on TV, and suddenly the image on the TV changed. We saw a ghost with blood coming out of his mouth. It was crazy—the image just changed, and I couldn’t do anything. It was so crazy,” Nino told me as she showed me a picture of a vampire flashing out of the TV screen.

We moved towards the city of Gori to see the Stalin Museum. The museum has three sections, all located in the town’s central square. The museum was closed in 1989 but has since been reopened and is now a popular tourist attraction. The exhibits are kept in six halls in chronological order, and most of the items are personal belongings of Stalin himself. There is also a train painted green, which was used by Stalin. It’s old and a bit rusty, but I managed to climb in it to take a peek.

The Glory of The Stalin Museum, Gori City

The main complex is a large palazzo in Stalinist Gothic style. There are tables and chairs and even a telephone used by Stalin in his olden days. There are many illustrations, documents, photographs, and paintings. The overall impression is of a shrine to a secular saint.

I even managed to sit in one of his gardens and meditate with Nino for a while. “You see, concentration is very important for meditation. One needs to focus on the words ‘Om, Om, Om, Om,'” I said as I started to breathe easily. Along with Nino and her brother, I went into a deep meditation.

The weather in Gori was a bit cooler, and I enjoyed walking around its opulent gardens. The place attracts many Japanese tourists who come to relive some ancient history of Russia.