[Republic of] Georgia on my mind

[kileskus]

Istanbul - Batumi - Tbilisi - Baku (and some stops in between)



With the recent intriguing political developments in Georgia, and having not been to a CIS country in several years, I thought now would be a good time to visit. I had a few Velocity points to use prior to the upcoming changes so redeemed reward tickets on Qatar to Istanbul and then from Baku on the way back.

Georgia is a country of 3.7 million people. It's located east of Turkey, south of Russia, and west of Azerbaijan. It's known for being one of the first countries to convert to Christianity, having a lot of cholesterol-raising but tasty dishes, and hosting a part of the Caucasus mountains, although the most beautiful part is purportedly in Abhazia, the Russian-backed breakaway region that forms one of today's post-Soviet frozen conflicts.

I had wanted to go to Abhazia but my visa application waa denied. According to a local friend, it was likely because entry is not permitted via the Georgian side, although nominally on the Abhazian MFA website they do recognise it as a crossing.

The weather was bad for many days and this was my first time in seven years holidaying with checked luggage. Also, the older I get the less adventurous I become. Therefore, I planned my activities to maximise sleep, minimise having to drag luggage around, and avoid any hint of rain. (The one time I did venture out into a storm, I experienced an inexplicable loss of friction whilst walking along the beach and had an unplanned and unwelcomingly invigorating bath in the Black Sea. Thankfully I had been carrying only my old phone.)

I hope you find something interesting in this report. Feel free to share thoughts/questions/experiences - I feel that coming in winter and not being a wine drinker my views and experiences would differ from others'.


The Mother of Georgia statue meant to represent the Georgian nation. In the left hand she is holding a wine bowl

 

[kileskus]

Istanbul



'Sailing to Byzantium' is my favourite poem. A reflection on the physical frailty tethered to the inexorable process of ageing, it describes the narrator's journey to Byzantium, the erstwhile seat of Western civilisation and religion, for spiritual reinvigoration. 'Ulysses' by Tennyson runs in a similar vein; that narrator however searching more for intellectual and physical renewal.

I have tattoos inspired by both these poems, with the Hagia Sophia featuring in one of them. So it was with some sadness that, having finally arrived to see Istanbul in person, I wasn't allowed to access the ground floor of the mosque, although of course the views from the upper floor are still stunning and there were some of the exquisite mosaics remaining.



At the Grand Bazaar, my Turkish-speaking friend tried to ask permission from management for us to go onto the rooftops, a desire inspired by James Bond and International (a movie based on the sordid story of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International). We were politely told to leave them in peace, but did see an interesting carpet along the way:


The Istanbul war museum has a daily performance of a mehter band, Ottoman military bands associated with the Janissaries, an elite infantry unit comprising Christians from the Ottoman territories, usually from the Balkans. While the Janissaries were not Turks, most mehter music was composed by Turks and was the inspiration for 'Rondo alla turca' among other pieces of western music experimenting with ideas from the Orient.


The band members even dress up in Ottoman military costumes for the performance.

The city also has several shooting ranges that are open until 11 p.m. and include the opportunity to fire Turkish pistols, so that made for a pleasant evening activity after the museums closed and it was too dark and rainy to walk around outside.

I flew Turkish Airlines to Batumi in western Georgia. Check in and boarding were mildly chaotic (no formal priority boarding for business/*A status holders either). The flight was almost completely full. In economy they provided a cold lunch that I thought more than sufficient for a 90-minute flight:



Batumi was raining, so I headed straight to my hotel and finished off the rakı I got from Turkey. I would recommend the Efe brand - they were the first private company to produce rakı and it is delicious. Despite the similarity in name and method of production, I thought it tasted less like rakija and more like mastica. The rakı ran out but the rain did not, so I made a quick trip to the shops to get some Georgian chacha, which is a grape vodka that tasted slightly like rakija and a lot like hand sanitiser.

 

[SuePa]

I'm following with interest, as I'll be visiting Georgia, along with Azerbaijan and Armenia, in September, on a group tour.