Ch 42, Day 19: Lost in the Mountains


13.7 kms, Aug 28, 2012

Today he's going to do a day trip to experience another town or two up in the northeast hill country. "Sighnaghi" is a traditional town that he's been told is a must see. He doesn't want to just be visiting the “must see” touristy places in this country, but he figures he should go check it out since he's in the area.

He heads down to what he thinks is the main van station (behind the train station) but, no... there are no vans to Sighnaghi from here. A helpful driver gives him a hand, taking him to the main highway, waving down the correct minibus that will take him to the correct station, and telling the driver where to drop him off. Taking urban transportation could be a bit challenging on your own, as everything is written in the Georgian script. But people continue to impress him with their friendliness and helpfulness here.

Sure enough, soon he's at the correct station and they're off to Sighnaghi. Once again, it's endless hills and green landscape with hardly any real towns on the way... just cluster of rural houses. Finally, as they approach Tsnori, I he goes ahead an hops off with the plan to hike up Sighnaghi on the the top of the hill. Soon he's left the last house behind and he's strolling up a country road past cow pastures, pausing to eat blackberries along the way.

It normally should be a very simple hike: just follow the road to the top. But no, he has to take a shortcut which turns out to be disastrous. At first it's a clear path going up the hillside, which he assumes will take him to the town. But when he runs into some brambles, he foolishly struggles through then keeps going. More brambles... keep going.

It gets worse--but he tells himself it'll be at least as much work going back as it will be going forward... Struggling his way up the narrow gorge overgrown with thorn bushes. The Traveler enjoy experiencing nature a bit during my travels, but this is not what he had in mind.

Finally he thinks, maybe if I climb up to the ridge there won't be as much undergrowth as in the valley, so he climbs up the steep hillside... sure enough... the hike isn't as bad up on top. Only problem? he's on the wrong hill! Sighnaghi is on the other side of another even steeper gorge!

All is not lost though. There is a sort of path here, and it looks like if you follow this ridge you might be able to work your way around the gorge to the village on the other side.

Sure enough. The walking gets easier, he finally reaches a real road again, and the well preserved traditional village of Sighnaghi.

He does enjoy the beautiful medieval style homes and cobblestone streets, and seeing everything impeccably in order. But it does seem a bit unsettling that clearly tons of money has been spent restoring this towns (which Georgia expects tourist to visit) and at the same time towns like Tsnori down below are lacking even in the basic infrastructure...

There's a tower to visit with a couple old guys in front who charge an "entrance fee". I think they're just local guys trying to make a little money off of the tourists... No big deal... this is their town, they should get something out of it...

There's a long wall stretching all along the perimeter of the hilltop plateau, which you can walk along... then he decides to go ahead and head back downhill again... this time using the road.

Two musicians with a guitar and an accordion sitting in a restaurant overlooking the vast valley invite him to join them (not sure if they're buskers or local musicians). they try doing a little jam session together. They do a song, the Traveler tries to play along... he does a song, they play along... serenading the wide open valley below...

And with that, he continues on down the road to explore Tsnori a little more... it's just a very scruffy, dirt road village that feels even scruffier with Sighnighi next door.

Soon he's on a crowded van headed back to Tbilisi, and once again, there's the request that the guitar be pulled out if its case. It's a bit hard playing music in a crowded van, but he gives it a try before passing the guitar on to someone else for a try.

A giant bottle of beer and a stack of plastic cups appear out of thin air and get passed around, and they have a full blown travel party on our hands.

Just another typical day traveling through Georgia.


Location: Sighnaghi, Georgia

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