The time after coming back from Mestia and Zugdidi was spent
in a combination of family-time and exploration around Batumi and Gorgadzeebi. Untill
school starting on September 20th, village activity is scarce. For some of the
volunteers, staying in a quiet village is a tedious and boring time, but I like
it. Spending time in the village slows the hours of the day, allowing for
reflection, relaxation and above all else, it give time to read pages and pages
of books.
Reading is one of my favorite pastimes. I have been able to
read without disruption here for hours and hours. Yet, at the rate I am
currently reading at, I'll run out of material in a matter of weeks.
I decided to look for a bookstore in Batumi, and buy up some
literature in English. Unfortunately, the several bookstores have Georgian and
Russian literature, and none in English (although later on, I found a bookstore
with a limited section of English classics). Online sources tell of an
extensive bookstore in Tbilisi, which has a wide selection of books in English.
I felt more driven than I had in days at the idea of going all the way to
Tbilisi just for books, an idea akin to a pilgrimage.
A six hour Marshutka ride from Batumi landed me in Tbilisi,
where I met up with two of my friends there, Megan and Griffin. They are living
in an apartment, which was a built in 1907 by an Armenian man. The ceiling was
4 meters high, it had air conditioning, hot water, and was fully furnished. The
jar of honey made in Chakvistavi in Mtiarla National Park, which I gave them as
thanks for letting me stay at their apartment was too small for this sort of
luxury. I'm used to spring beds, cold showers and sweltering heat. The
apartment made me realize how Tbilisi is indeed a modern city, setting it apart
from my rural area, and even Batumi.
Tbilisi does have an abundance of modern amenities, among
them are crosswalks, streetlights, and subways. The part of Tbilisi I really
appreciated was the restaurants. Griffin and Megan took me to European cafes,
with sandwiches, American coffee, and Gelato; all nostalgic food from the west
and well worth the inflated city prices. For a change of cuisine, Tbilisi also
has an Indian restaurant. Georgian food isn't traditionally spicy, aside for
some small peppers my grandmother Nanuli puts in my salad. The Indian
restaurant, although good in itself was a well appreciated alternative to
Georgian food.
Prospero's bookstore, located at 32 Rustaveli avenue had
many travel guides, coffee table books, a few shelves of fiction, and a lot of
classics. Although a modest selection by most standards, in my eyes, Prospero's
was the library at Alexandria. I walked out of that bookstore with six more
novels and fifty less lari. The pilgrim is satisfied. The books should keep me
busy for the next few months.
Taking the train to Batumi is a much more pleasant ride,
although getting a ticket is a difficult matter. I was shuffled around to
different counters only to find out from the clerk that the train is sold out.
When I asked for a ticket for the next day, she gave me a ticket for the
"sold out" train. I boarded soon after and was put in a sleeper car. Traveling
by train is a much better way for long distances. The price is competitive to
the buses, but there is much more room. Plus, being able to sleep laying down
in the train, as opposed to sitting up in a marshutka is worth the few extra
lari. Another bonus, the trains have air conditioning!
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| The spoils of my Tbilisi trip. |
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| Tbilisi has a cathedral. |
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| Inside of Tbilisi's cathedral. |
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