Omnia mea mecum porto (с). All that is mine, I carry with me.
You can read about the beginning of our adventures in Georgia here:
GEORGIAN ADVENTURES! GAMARDJOBA, Genacvale!))) Georgia Impresses! PART I
First I planned to make just one post about Tbilisi but there are so many interesting things I don't want to miss. So, there will be 2 more posts about our staying at Tbilisi including visit of one of my favorite and one the most blessed place David - Garedja Monastery which is 60 km from Tbilisi and the road is far from perfect there.
Tbilisi
We arrived at Tbilisi at late night but we were very welcomed at the hotel. We stayed at the hotel Georgian House. Actually it was one of the best hotels where we stayed at Georgia although it was not luxurious.
There was a huge room with 3 beds. You see only a half of the room on the photo. On the other half there were a sofa for our daughter and a baby bed.
There was a huge bathroom, not typical thing for not expensive hotels in Georgia. In other hotels (and in houses where Gerogians live) it was mostly shower without a cabin or at least little wall like on the photo but with just a hole for water drain right on the floor.
Night in this hotel cost us about 43 euro including breakfast. We stayed at Tbilisi for 4 nights.
Breakfasts were very good. It had even salads and main dishes in addition to meat, cheese, eggs and fruits.
You could check you weight before and after
Or amaze the guests with your piano playing skills
The hotel had a wine cellar where we tasted home made wines and bought a couple of bottles.
You could try chacha too (Georgian vodka)
The location was not in the old city as we proposed but it was an advantage in the end as the prices for fruits, wine and other things were much cheaper. And we had a great view to a wonderful Cathedral Tsminda Sameba or Saint Trinity Cathedral.
First in the morning we visited this cathedral
Then we went to the center and parked the car here:
And a took a cable road to Narikala Fortress.
It was EXTREMELY HOT and I was close to lose consciousness from sun stroke when we were standing in the line to buy tickets for the cable road. So, I felt terrible and had to sit but later I was ok. On the top I was shooting a movie with a guy who sang with the guitar. When I watched the movie I saw that in the video there was also a guy who felt much worse than me and he left some evidence of it on the pavement. Then I saw his wife or girl - friend bringing him water. So, please be careful if you are in Georgia in this season. Sun is rather dangerous there.
Then we walked in the old city.
Famous Sulfur Baths. We visited them later and it was fun indeed. I will write about it in my another post (3rd Day in Tbilisi)
There is a famous street Kote Apkhazi. It was very nice but it was still very very hot and first day we didn't enjoy much.
These coloured hanging things are called churchhella. They are mostly made of grape juice and nuts. But I was also told in the market that they make it from juice of different fruits like kiwi, apricots etc. Foreigners usually pay twice or three times more than Georgians. But it is everywhere like that. You feel screwed up but what you can do. And it was still cheaper than in Russia. But once we refused to buy home- made wine as the seller said the price which was ridiculously higher.
And we tried to find a place to eat and hide from heat. Our friends recommended us some places, authentic and cheap, but also more expensive and more luxurious. We couldn't find the authentic one at the first day. So we stopped at more expensive which was called Pirosmani. I was kinda disappointed with that place although it was not that bad.
I ordered chakhokhbili, my favourite Georgian dish. And they brought me that. It differed from what I ate before in Russia and later in Georgia. It was ok but not I what I expected.
Prices in the restaurants in Tbilisi not that cheap as we were told but still much cheaper than in Moscow. Our average dinner was about 25 - 30 euro for three persons (main dish + drinks and dessert for the daughter). Although in other towns with this money you can order much more e.g. khachapuri (bread with cheese) and any appetizer in addition to main dish and drinks.
After the dinner we enjoyed home-made ice-cream with fruits and berries
To be continued.
