This morning we left Tbilisi and the very nice Tiflis Palace Hotel, heading west and north into the mountains. Our first stop was at the Stalin museum in Gori, where he grew up. We learn that he was very handsome as a young man, and his friends gave him the name Stalin, meaning man of steel. We viewed many pictures and personal objects while we toured the museum, his boyhood home and the train car he traveled in (he was afraid to fly). We drive up into the mountains to Kutaisi to see a(nother) monastery and cathedral. Our lunch meals usually include bread, cheese bread, cheese, fried potatoes and onions, tomatoes and cukes, pork and often chicken. Today we also had spinach with crushed walnuts, eggplant with crushed walnuts, fish, beans and bean bread. There are seven of us tourists, two guides and one driver. Lots of food remains on the table at the end of the meal. Tonight we have clear skies and see the beautiful full moon. Since I last wrote to you:
9/5: We fly from Gaziantep to Istanbul, then on to Baku, Azerbaijan, the start of our tour of the southern Caucasus with JMG Tibet Tours. We are met at the airport by Aydin, the tour company owner, and Ramil from Kyrgyzstan who will be our guide through 5 countries. On our way to the hotel, we see brightly lit buildings and drive on some of the roads used earlier this year as the track for the Formula One races. We learn that Azerbaijan is a secular country, but Muslim nevertheless.
9/6: We meet our fellow tourists, all from the USA (Jan & Dale, Steve, sisters Fran & Eunice ). Our local guide, Jamil, tells us that the country was formed in 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. We tour the city and see the 12th C Maiden Tower, originally a Zoroastrian site. We see the Aisle of Martyrs and memorial flame, a miniature book museum, the 3 Flame Towers, and a carpet museum built in the shape of a partially-rolled up carpet. We give the guys the nicknames of Rams and Jams.
9/7: As we drive along the Caspian Sea (which is really a lake), we see oil fields along the coast. We visit the Zoroastrian fire temple and a cemetery of famous people. Jamil has strong feelings against the Armenians. Guides don't usually express their own opinions, and it affects my opinion of him.
9/8: From Baku, we drive along a gorge to Lahic, an old coppersmith town. Today is the first time we wear long sleeves. Anne walks across a suspension bridge. Aydan gives us a great treat by stopping along the roadside to buy bread freshly baked by a refugee woman from Turkey in her tandoor oven.
9/9: We continue on to Sheki in the mountains and visit a nice bazaar. We see an ancient temple of the Caucasian Albanians (not the current-day Albanians). In Kis, a former Christian village, I saw my first persimmon tree and a beautiful cockscomb plant (my photographer got a great picture). We see lovely Sheki Palace.
9/10: This morning we are driving to the border with Georgia. We pass huge washes; there must be big snow melts and rains. We say thank you and goodbye to gracious Aydan, Jamil and Azerbaijan. Our bus driver takes us near to the border where our luggage goes through xray machines. We drag our luggage about 300' and go through passport control. We meet Thea, our local guide, and Kako the bus driver. Georgia is not yet a EU member, but they are expecting to be soon. The license plates and coin dollars already resemble those of the EU. We continue to see sheep and cattle herds, and we are surrounded by the Caucus mountains. The Georgian alphabet is beautiful, but it is totally unreadable! This is an Orthodox country but very welcoming to all. On our way to Tbilisi, we drive through a huge wine-making region. Thea says it's the earliest wine region, but we were also told that in Slovenia. Tbilisi is 105+/- miles from Russia. We see most homes and apartments with balconies. Our room at the Tiflis Palace hotel faces the main street, but in between there are below-ground thermal bathhouses (we are in the bathhouse district). Beyond the road is the Mtkvari river, and there's more of the city on the far side. We do smell mild sulphur from the bathhouses. This city is a big playground with casinos and slot machines, river rides, a funicular up a mountainside; it's delightful. It's gorgeous all lit up st night. We were served pork for the first time in weeks, and there were 3 different wines to try with lunch. We also had the opportunity to try Chacha, a grape vodka.
9/11: Again, we reflect on this somber day. We walk through the old city, ride the funicular, visit the Mother Georgia statue. As everywhere, there are cobblestone roads and sidewalks and difficult tall steps. Traffic patterns on the roads are wild with almost no traffic signals, just circles. Dogs in the city are looked after by some group. They are tagged, vaccinated and sterilized. We see Soviet-era buildings. I notice we are seeing paisley prints everywhere.
9/12: We drive the Military Road (65 miles to Russia) north into taller Caucasus to visit monasteries on lovely hilltops. There are waves and waves of pilgrims to these sites. Ramil promises he won't take us to any monasteries in Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan ( just plenty of mosques). Anne, Ramil and I go to Prospero's book store, where we buy a couple books and enjoy libations in their cozy patio.
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