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Finding love in Georgia

How a trip to the nearby European destination - with its incredible landscapes, friendly locals and delicious khachapuris - caused two honeymooners to fall head over heels in love with. the travelling bug

If you've ever heard Georgians converse with each other, you might be alarmed at first - but don't worry: they're not about to get into a fistfight. On the contrary, what sounds like a bit of a harsh dialect is actually just folks having a regular conversation. During the seven days we spent in Georgia - the European country, not the American state - I often found myself searching the locals' faces for any of the universally-accepted body language cues to indicate friendliness or approachability. They could have been exchanging news of an invasion or revolution for all their stony faces and serious tones gave away. Which is terribly ironic because, as we soon found out, Georgians are wonderfully warm and incredibly hospitable people. This, despite actually being subject to several invasions and revolutions in the past! But more on that in a bit.
When I told a friend I was planning to spend seven days honeymooning in Georgia, she gently suggested that I was likely to find myself very bored, very quickly. I'm thrilled that this couldn't have been further from the truth, because my partner and I were not only very sorry to leave - for a few giddy weeks, we seriously considered upping and moving there.
Georgia has been rapidly making a name for itself as a tourist hotspot for travellers from the UAE - primarily because of its visa-on-arrival policy, proximity (it's only 3.5 hours away) and relative affordability. For first-time travellers to Europe like us, the ease of planning the trip was just part of its magneticism. Throw in rolling forested hills, delish cuisine and fantastic weather (we went when the trees were transitioning from green to gold and the snow was just beginning to form on the mountain tops) - and we were hooked.
Footloose and fancy-free
Our first evening there, we quickly discovered one of the joys of the way the city's been built: you can get to a lot of places on foot. Our hotel was right in the heart of the Old Town in the capital of Tbilisi, which meant that the town centre was just a few minutes away, and we could see the cable cars ferrying the last of the day's visitors to and from the iconic Narikala Fortress. You can't visit Tbilisi and not stop by the ancient fourth-century landmark, but we had more immediate explorations at hand. The sun was setting quickly, but the entire town was alive, as Georgians were out in high spirits, celebrating local festivals and generally winding down for the day. We chanced upon the launch of a street photo studio and its friendly hosts invited us, perfect strangers, to partake of their merriment: free food and drink - think cheeses, olives, sausages and cream cheese-filled breads that exploded with flavour in our mouths - and free professional photos if we wished to have some fun, posing in traditional Georgian wedding attire. (That picture is now framed on our tabletop for a daily dose of happy sighs.)
We made a beeline for the unmissable Bridge of Peace, a serpentine pedestrian bridge made out of steel and glass and illuminated with over 1,000 interactive LEDs that stretches over the Kura river and makes for quite the display at night. After being serenaded by a busker and watching cruise boats sail the river beneath us, we were ready to sample the local cuisine.
I love that our first dinner involved khachapuris and khinkalis - both Georgian specialities and must-haves. The first reminded us of the Middle Eastern cheese manakeesh - only this one was shaped like a boat and had a runny egg in the centre; the second is a local favourite: dumplings stuffed with a variety of fillings. Georgian cuisine is meat-heavy, so consider yourself warned. But vegetarians will love offerings like lobio (a hearty red kidney bean stew sopped up with puffy local bread called shotis puri) and ajapsandali (eggplant curry).
Sulphur baths and Stalin
For the next few days, we embarked on a series of tours: just a guide and the two of us, which made for a far better experience than joining a crowd of 30 getting a history lesson through a loudspeaker. We hit the streets on foot again, exploring narrow alleyways, debating whether to try one of the ancient sulphur baths Tbilisi is so famous for, marvelling at how almost everyone in Georgia seems to have their own cellar, and delighting in unusual-flavoured ice cream in 18°C weather. Our guide regaled us with legends of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, who founded the city, pointing out the external influences evident in the city's architecture, the result of multiple invasions and occupations (a mind-boggling list of Georgian wars is available on Wikipedia, and even that is incomplete).
After admiring Georgia's own answer to France's famous love lock bridge, we hurried to its other Parisian 'tribute': the Leaning Tower of Tbilisi. Hidden away in a section of the Old Town, the crooked tower looks wonderfully bizarre next to all the 'regular' structures around. We were hurrying because we didn't want to miss the 'noon show'. Built by puppet master Rezo Gabriadze, the tower features an angel with a hammer that strikes the clock on the hour but, twice a day, it also has mini puppets come out to perform a 'Circle of Life' show. The same street has plenty of vendors selling everything from souvenirs to watercolour paintings and even rare books (we picked up Tolstoy's Tales of Sevastopol dating back to 'Moscow 1946' and published by a now-defunct Soviet Union publishing house).
There's loads more to explore in Tbilisi itself: shopping avenues, centuries-old churches (we especially loved the architectural marvel that is Svetitskhoveli Cathedral where absolutely no technology was required to amplify the choir's vocals - the angelic sounds we heard were pure acoustics), the National Botanical Gardens and, of course, Narikala fortress (imagination can help you almost hear the Georgians defending their city from behind its walls). But there's just as much to see outside the capital.
We drove down to Sighnaghi, two hours away, to explore its vineyards. Though just a town, it looks like a city set on a hill. There's a zipline for adventure-lovers; also, a fantastic walking trail that helps you explore its well-preserved fortress, but the unforgettable memory we took away was of lunching at an open cliffside restaurant that gave us breathtaking views of the expansive Alazani Valley beneath and the Caucasus mountains in the distance.
"Are you sure you want to visit a Stalin museum on your honeymoon?" Our highly hospitable guide must be forgiven for being concerned: after all, former dictators don't exactly spark romance. But the husband's a solid WWII buff, and so, off we went to Gori, where the museum is located. You'll find a real disparity in Georgians' perception of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet revolutionary who, despite being a native of Georgia, chose to invade the country in 1921. The modern-day tussle to take down the museum that pays open homage to Stalin continues to meet resistance from old-timers who revere the political leader and prefer to turn a blind eye to his crimes. The air inside is heavy with reverence, but the most surreal parts are few: portraits of him as a youngster, handwritten letters, personal knick-knacks, the chance to enter a train carriage he personally travelled on, and the house he was born in.
No sad goodbyes
We spent the last couple of days chilling out in Gudauri - literally. The temperature was six degrees and, after five days of non-stop exploring, it was nice to take a break and do nothing at all at a mountain resort. You don't want to miss it, simply for the drive there. From the aqua blue waters of the Ananuri castle complex to the panoramic views at Kazbegi (stop at the Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument, or explore by paragliding) - the beauty of Georgia's vistas is almost indescribable.
It was difficult not to be sad when boarding the plane home. But we couldn't help laughing when we remembered the couple of Georgians we'd met at marketplaces who kept calling out every India-related word they knew to catch our attention and get us to buy their wares ("Hi India! Taj Mahal! Come back, Bollywood!"). Well, we've every intention of going back... maybe for the one-year anniversary celebrations.
What to know
. Shopping in Georgia can be easy on the wallet, even though they have many of the same branded stores we have here.
. Public toilets seem to be a bit of a problem - in that you can't really find one. Let's just say: plan accordingly.
. Watch out for gypsies. They can get a tad aggressive in asking for handouts, but they fear the local police who patrol the streets to ensure they're not being a nuisance to tourists.
. Don't be surprised by the number of stray dogs you'll encounter. Most have their ears tagged to indicate they've been given their shots. They're usually friendly and will sit patiently by your table at outdoor eateries, accepting any morsels you choose to share.
. Exercise discretion when ordering meals, as portion sizes tend to be large and fit to share. Prices are a good indicator of what to expect.
. Dubai and Tbilisi are on the same time zone - 9.30am here is 9.30am there!
karen@khaleejtimes.com