Whenever you explore a new land, you cannot help but make observations about the culture, the people, the geography and the general way in which things are done. Some of the observations can be insightful, rooted in history, a reflection of cultural norms or a product of the nations geography. Most of my observations are none of this, they are just random and sometimes very off the wall idiosyncrasies that cannot go unmentioned.
I guess what I am saying is, I dont take myself too seriously most of the time so I am not going to start now. Here is what I noticed while traveling through Georgia.
* Georgians love their cigarettes. They are big into smoking and smoking is accepted most places. The sections of restaurants are simply a formality. If smoke bothers you, choose your seats carefully especially at outdoor venues. Some taxi drivers smoke in the car, but most are respectful of your wishes.
* In the realm of etiquette, you only need to know one thing about Georgians. They hate Russia and all that is Russian. So, steer clear Russians or clumping Georgians into anything
* As you travel through the countryside and through the small villages scattered about, it is to see small groups, maybe 4 or 5 men or women, sitting together chatting and enjoying the day. It may be leaning on a fence, alongside the road, in front of a small store or leaning against a pole. There was something about it. It made me smile as I watched out the window of our car.
* Before we left for this adventure, I did not brush up on Georgian laws, but I am pretty sure that somewhere there is a law that any man over the age of 60 who happens to be sitting on his balcony is forbidden from wearing a shirt. Georgian men, no matter the age or physique, seem leaving the house without a shirt.
one more time. Georgians LOVE their wine. And by that, I mean they love Georgian wine. The countrys loyalty to Georgian wine is fierce to the point of respect. Please dont go to the market or a high end restaurant and think that you can order wine from other countries. Its not going to happen.
* English is not abundant in Georgia. In the cities and especially with the younger generations, English speakers could be found if you are willing to look. However, when you get into the countryside, it much more difficult to find. None of our drivers spoke English and the taxi drivers within the city were hit and miss. We did not take the time to learn Georgian before we left, so we took it all in stride. To manage, we got creative as on foreign trips. We pointed at maps, Googled what we needed and then showed the poor person who was unlucky enough to agree to help us. We used WhatsApp to call an English speaker at our hotel who then relayed messages, particularly for our drivers. We charmed bell men into practicing their English. And we simply did
a lot of nodding, smiling and tactful pointing. Most importantly, we gave up a lot control and accepted whatever came of the moment.
* Georgia is a decently large country. Not overwhelmingly large like India, but we spent two weeks in the country and did not experience nearly enough of it. There are plans to return, indeed.
* The country is full of gorgeous buildings that exist in a somewhat, or sometimes dilapidated state. The potential and historical beauty is there, it just longs for some love and refreshing. This is true in the cities and the countryside. The culture seems to be accepting of imperfections in the form of crumbling buildings, chipping paint abandonment.
* You do not need a fat bank account to enjoy Georgia to the fullest. The prices are shocking low for very high quality. A five star hotel ran around $240/night. A cab ride in Tbilisi was around Hiring a driver for a full day in wine country was less than $100. Nice hotels outside of Tbilisi may run $25/night.
