Today we headed west, a 600km round trip in a minibus with a bit too much aircon for my liking. But Glyn liked it.
It was only a small group; a UK guy, a Germany lady, a couple from Russia and one Israeli guy. Our guide, Zuka is a very bubbly bloke from Tbilisi.Zuka told us all about the conflicts in the Causcasus area and how they differ. For example, the people of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia all mix without a problem as the conflict is political. Whereas the Armenians and Azerbaijanis hate each other, you couldnt mix them on a tour together. When a foreign footballer went to play in Azerbaijan with his team, he wasnt allowed in the country simply because he had an Armenian surname, he wasnt even Armenian!Naturally Zuka talks about wine, you cant get far in Georgia without someone talking about wine. As well as telling us about the wine making process, he also discussed the social side. Traditionally there would be a lot of toasting going on before anyone could drink. Toasting is a skill and villages would have a head toaster who usually has a huge belly and red face. The younger generation tend not
to do so much toasting unless its a special occasion.Wine drinking when done properly takes a few days. The first evening is spent with food and wine guzzling. Georgians dont sip, they gulp. The next day, hangovers are dealt with by eating kinkhali, drinking beer and Chacha. And then you sleep, best not to work the next day.Zuka discussed 1991, when the Soviet Union broke up. Georgians had a Russian currency that overnight became worthless. There was no gas, no food and imports were stopped. You could queue for a day to get bread and then someone with a gun would steal it from you.They had democracy but the opposition to the government was supported by Russians and the country fell into civil war. People would knock on your door and ask which side you supported, but it was hard to know who was asking. The wrong answer could get you shot. The large squares of Tbilisi were piling up with corpses. The police corrupt and would beat people up or set them up on false charges.Crime was so high that if you had a car, youd bring the tyres in at night or theyd get stolen. Students
were considered lame and would get assaulted for carrying books.In 2003 there was the Rose Revolution, which was peaceful and successful. The new regime retired all the brutal ex soviet police and for three years they had no corruption. In 2006/7, fifteen new prisons were built to house all the corrupted and criminal. After this clean up, tourism in Georgia began, so its all very new.The main issues they face these days are a result of the generation gap, which is problem in ex Soviet countries. The older people speak Georgian and Russian whereas the younger ones speak Georgian and English. The older ones remember better times before the collapse of the Soviet Union, younger people only see it as a bad thing. People used to get married around the age of 18 but now its more like 28.The government tries to pass laws to please everyone, so weed was legalised. But, its illegal to sell or grow it and this just causes more trouble.In the 90s, religion was really popular and the churches were packed, but now its just a handful of older people. Zuka remembers going to see Harry Potter as a small child and the
film was stopped part way through due to from Satan. Why this was decided part way through the film, I do not know.The main industries are tourism, wine and mineral water, so they were totally stuffed during the pandemic.Our first proper stop was at a place called Akhaltsikhe which translates as New Castle. Its famous for its potatoes and so potatoes from Newcastle are a big thing here. Glyn put on his Geordie accent and started banging on about potatoes. The joke needed to be explained to all.Theres a huge fortress (or castle) that was originally built in the 9th century, but most of it has been reconstructed.
