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Kazbegi

Kazbegi was the undisputed highlight of my stay in Georgia. I almost never went there...my Georgian hosts were most concerned at the very idea of me travelling alone along the Georgian Military Highway, and told me stories of theft, kidnapping and murder. In fact, most Georgians I spoke to in Tbilisi tried to persuade me not to go alone. But I had met two intrepid British cyclists who had just returned from Kazbegi, describing it as the most beautiful place they had ever seen, so my mind was made up...I too would go to Kazbegi! At Didube Bus Station in Tbilisi, I tried for several hours to find a bus heading north, but it did not help that Kazbegi is also the name of the most popular brand of beer, so on one occasion the kassa lady led me by the hand to the nearest bar when i screeched "Kazbegi, kazbegi" at her! Eventually, I found a kassa with a woman willing to deal with a foreign idiot such as myself...she took me to a half-full bus, and I waited a couple of hours before all the seats were taken. The other passengers realised quickly that I was foreign, but there was some confusion as to where exactly I came from. Someone asked me something very simple, and I replied in georgian, which got everybody listening, but unfortunately my Georgian skills did not allow much more than one or two sentences learnt parrot fashion! Further confusion was caused by the fact that to while away the waiting, I was writing a postcard in Arabic to my friend in Yemen. Eventually, a young woman recognised the script and introduced herself in Arabic too...I had found the one Arabic speaker in the bus station! Luckily for me, Dato also spoke excellent English, and adopted me as "her" foreigner, giving me a running commentary of our journey through the mountains to Kazbegi.
It was a spectacular trip! Just past Tbilisi, we were treated to views of the ancient capital of Mtskheta, before heading north and climbing steadily. Just before a reservoir came into sight, the minibus hurtled past the impressive-looking monastery complex of Ananauri. Climbing higher, we took a break at a small roadside eatery, where Dato and the man sat next to her took me inside for a khachapuri and a glass or five of konyak. A few minutes later, we sped through Gudauri, Georgia's leading ski resort with a large Austrian-managed hotel dominating the village. The road to Gudauri was actually quite good, but soon after it deteriorated into the standard Georgian road...potholes, cows, broken safety barriers, avalanche tunnels almost completely damaged by rockfalls. As the light started to fade, we slowly descended into a valley, and Kazbegi appeared on the horizon, the last town before the Russian frontier.
Leaving the bus, Dato took me to a friend of hers who had a spare room available for guests...it was a very simple household, run by a largeish woman in her thirties with two kids. Her husband lay on a couch, and saluted me with a half empty vodka bottle. My room was large, but bitterly cold...this was August, so I dread to think what it must be like in the middle of winter when Kazbegi is cut off from the rest of the country by heavy snow.

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Surrounded on all sides by tall mountains, Kazbegi's setting is the main reason to visit. The town itself consists of small houses, a few farms, a derelict hotel, and a WWF Ecostation.

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Kazbegi is actually two villages connected by a dubious looking bridge over a small but fast flowing river. The main settlement is Kazbegi, while on the other side is Gergeti, starting point for the most popular hike up to Tsminda Sameba and Mt Kazbek.

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Mount Kazbek

You can climb up to Tsminda Sameba in an hour or two, depending on your fitness and your ability to get lost in the deceptively large village of Gergeti! Once past the village, the track is easy to follow, and it is not such a steep climb. After a few miles, you'll come to a fork...turn left for Tsminda Sameba (the church on top of the hill to the left of the photo), and go straight on for Mt Kazbek.

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Mt Kazbek was shrouded in cloud for most of my stay, but as I was climbing to Tsminda Sameba, suddenly the clouds parted to reveal the rounded summit of Mt Kazbek. Within a couple of minutes, the blue sky was gone once more, and clouds had enveloped the mountain.

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Tsminda Sameba

On my walk up to the church of Tsminda Sameba, I met only four people...three were local farmers on a tractor, and the fourth was an old man who appeared from nowhere with a sheep, said "Gamarjoba" (hello) and disappeared again. It was a bit eerie entering the church gate...no one for miles around, but obviously I hadn't been the only visitor that day, as fresh animal blood stained the steps. I'd read in my guidebook that paganism is alive and well in this remote corner of Georgia, and it is not uncommon to find a freshly severed sheep's head on the church steps...I was glad only to find the blood!

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I spent a few hours just sitting on the hilltop admiring the view, soaking up the sun, and writing strange things in my notebook...don't ask me what I wrote, as I don't really understand it all now...none of it makes any sense!!! I also took far too many photos, and even attempted a small feeble sketch, which did not do the place justice at all.

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Leaving the bus, Dato took me to a friend of hers who had a spare room available for guests...it was a very simple household with pigs and chickens, run by a largeish woman in her thirties with two kids. Her husband lay on a couch, and saluted me with a half empty vodka bottle. My room was large, but bitterly cold...this was August, so I dread to think what it must be like in the middle of winter when Kazbegi is cut off from the rest of the country by heavy snow. There was no electricity (I was given a candle), no heating, and the only water was straight from a nearby mountain stream. After the high temperatures of Tbilisi, I was absolutely frozen! Meals were different...the first night, we ate spaghetti and chilli sauce, but then my host decided to branch out the next night, so I was "treated" to raw fish! Now, not being a lover of fish at the best of times, this presented a challenge, and it is impossible to refuse anything as a guest in Georgia. The smell was overpowering, and the first bite is always the worst...if my host hadn't been sitting opposite, then I would have searched for a suitable place to "accidentally" drop the fish into, but I had no such luck, and had to finish every last morsel!
For this experience, I paid $14 per night, which is not a bad price. I could have opted out of meals, but as I did not spot a single restaurant in Kazbegi and as the shops were not exactly well-stocked, eating en famille was the best option. I'd recommend a homestay in Georgia to everyone...at least once on your trip. they are usually available in every town and village, and prices are usually slightly higher than the cheapest hotel, but you'll gain an insight into Georgian life, something you won't find in a hotel.