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Kutaisi
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Kutaisi is inland from Batumi and is Georgia's second city. Quite a change from the Black Sea holiday resort we've just left, but also has its charms. We stayed in what was described as a "guesthouse" on our trip itinerary, but what turned out to be a
charmingly dilapidated late 19th century villa run by Georgi and his wife. They make wine from the vines that grow in the garden - about 700 - 800 litres a year they reckon - I reckon we drank our fair share...
Together with wine, Christianity and the Georgian orthodox church are extremely important here - since the Soviets left both are undergoing a huge revival. I've learnt on this trip that Georgia is the world's second oldest Christian country (after Armenia) St Nino arrived here from Cappadocia in Central Anatolia in the 4 century AD and the rest, as they say is history.
And what a rich history - we visited our first few churches in Kutaisi - the Bagrat cathedral built in the 11th century and partially destroyed by the Turks a few hundred years later and the fantastically interesting Gelati Monastry - the frescos are incredibly vivid still despite the Russification of the churches in the 19th century which saw them all whitewashed over.
After a day's sight-seeing and an evening of eating, drinking and toasting we made an early morning trip to the local food market to buy essentials for our trip to the Caucasus where we'll be spending the next couple of days. All was going well as we went about chatting and bargaining with the local stall-holders, until Jim needed to answer a call of nature. He's had a bit of an upset stomach for a few days and so we all appreciated the urgency with which he needed to find a loo.
Zaza, our guide, suggested he asked to use the toilet in one of the shops and so armed with an approximation of the appropriate Georgian phrase he went about looking for one. He disappeared for a good 15 minutes...
When he came back to the truck he was carrying three bottles of Fanta and was being pursued and kissed quite frequently by a rather pissed Georgian man - it was 8am.
After the man was politely prised off him - Jim rushed on the truck - ran to the back seat and loudly asked our tour leader to leave. Only once we were on the move did Jim come out from hiding and tell us what had happened. Apparently he'd deliberately walked past the dark beer shop-cum-bar and went next door to ask for a loo - the nice woman in there took him by the hand and led him back to the place full of beery men.
He was shown to the toilet - but only after discovered its lack of flush. The complete lack of light made the experience a trial but nevertheless a huge relief. So he was trying to beat a hasty retreat before they realised he'd ruined their toilet, when he was accosted by the aforementioned amiable drunk. Jim says he thought he was saying "You really ought to buy a drink from these kind people after they let you use their facilities" so he pointed to the only non-alcoholic drink there - turns out the guy was saying let me treat you and all your closest friends to a drink.
When Zaza came to Jim's aide the guy was offering him life-long friendship, kisses on both cheeks and the promise that he would always be there to help him no matter what. See what nice people the Georgians are? Not often you get free Fanta for ruining someone's loo. Shame we can never go back to Kutaisi...
Where I stayed:
Black Sea holiday resort
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