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There's one reason to go to Gori: Stalin. And, the place, Gori, is just like it sounds, rather gorey. Befitting the name and the man, Gori is a particularly ugly town, about 1.5 hours ride by marshrutka from Tbilisi.
To get there, you walk under a huge portico to the grand entrance, which is not well marked. When we were there, there we no other visitors. You pay your money, maybe 10 laris per person. (WARNING: The Lonely Planet in way off on the prices for the visit. To take photos at the museum costs 30 lari, and not, as stated, 1 USD. It's an additional 10 laris to have an English language guide.)
So, the museum is this enormous Soviet-era edifice. It's cold and dark. We walked up the steps in the cold, silent, darkness. Then, lights started going on. A guard followed us closely as we went from room to room. Even when the guard isn't there, there is the eerie feeling of being under the watchful eye of Stalin, since there are so many statues of him.
The photos showing Stalin's career are in Russian, with some Georgian. Some of the best things about the museum are the gifts presented to him from foreign leaders. My personal favorite was a tiny engraved piece of ivory showing Stalin and Mao, a gift from China. It also came with a little magnifying glass.
In the last room, a new guard, who spoke English, started explaining things to us. She looked around and told us to hurry, to take our one photo right now! We did.
Your entrance to the museum also includes visiting the train car Stalin used to get to Yalta, and the one room house where he grew up.
Ok. The entire experience isn't all that pleasant, but it shouldn't be missed if you want to understand Georgia and bits of the former Soviet Union.
A word about my photos: I wasn't about to spend 30 laris to snap photos, AND my camera battery was shot, so this is all that I have. My apologies! Leave a Comment Directions: The marshrutka drops you off right across the street from the Stalin Museum, it is possible to walk from Stalin Square along Stalin Street to the Stalin Museum and Birthplace.
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 The caves of Udabno Monastery-
Davit Gareja by Groverdean
You clamber over the ridge and down onto a sheer cliff face that fronts Azerbaijan. The walk along here is precarious, much of the areas has fallen away over the centuries. It's adviseable not to look down often. You will find yourself jumping from stone to stone to successfully navigate the many caves of Udabno Monastery. Dating shows the Monastery looks to have originally been used in the 9th to 10th century. Leave a Comment
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 The striking desert at Davit
Gareja-Georgia by Groverdean
On the west side you have the Black Sea coast, a semi-tropical region, of beaches, a rugged coastline and then there are those hills that stretch far inland, covered in forests. In parts the forests still remain but become mountainous and wild, with many forestted areas infrequently visited by humans. You can visit the spa towns in Samtskhe-Javakheti to get a different fix on these mountainous areas.
To the north bordering Russia runs the ridge of mountains to which the area takes it's name-The Caucasus. Here the forests give way to snow capped peaks and breathtaking scenery. You can even ski here or climb the awesome peak of Mt Kazhbek- Georgia's highest mountain at 5047 metres.
As you head south and to the west the climate and landscape flattens out somewhat. The Khaketi region in the west has some of the most fertile land in the world, as a result of the run off from the Caucasus mountains. Here all manner of amazingly rich produce is grown. However, it is wine production for which the area is renouned for. In Soviet times, the majority of the empire's wine was exported from here. It is also widely believed that wine actually originated from here as well!
And then there are the plains and the desert. Hot and dry, yet full of life. The monastery community at Davit Gareja used to hide out here for over a thousand years. It is still an active community. We came across a tortoise on the road here, yet there was no stream, pond or water to be seen for many kilometres!
So as you can see, Georgia's diverse lands have alot to offer, and I am sure if you go searching you will find even more than what I did! Leave a Comment
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Davit Gareja is a pretty amazing cave monastery, a few hours drive from Tbilisi.
It's an incredible place, with a main monastery part, that you can pretty much drive up to, and then hike to these limestone caves, with frescos, and some little fairy tale-like living quarters. The hike is uphill, and takes probably about 45 minutes.
As with so much in Georgia, it's ancient, first being built in the 6th century, but successive centuries and people have left their mark, and parts of the monastery date from a later period.
The first part of the monastery you get to (the easy part, the one your drive to) is still being used by monks, so you cannot tour the entire place.
Although we were there during a rainy, foggy day, the landscape during the drive is pretty incredible. A bit like the US Southwest, but also very different, and greet. Leave a Comment Directions: Near the border with Azerbaijan
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 Old Town view to Nirakala
Fortress-Tbilisi by Groverdean
Tbilisi struggles at times with it's past. Being at the crossroads of Europe and Asia it has been conquered many times over. In more recent times by the Russians. The city has a multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-faceted face. Yet it is the basis of a great city. The devisive past is history, and by looking forward, the city will grow and prosper. It is a city of depth and character which will only be enhanced over time. A city which any traveller will enjoy and appreciate. Leave a Comment
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 Part of the Lavra
Monastry-Davit Gareja by Groverdean
The monasteries were made by expanding caves in the soft limestone. It was said that one third of Jerulsalem's treasures were kept here. This religious complex grew until there were monastries spread over a wide area. Leave a Comment Directions: about 2 hours from Tbilisi via Rustavi through some pretty rough potholed roads, then along a gravel road through Georgia's old Polygon (weapon's/army testing area).Website: http://www.tbilisipastimes.com/gareja.html
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 Statue of Stalin in
Borjomi-Georgia by Groverdean
Yet despite being a mass murder of an unprecedented scale, he is still revered by many due to his ability to hold the Soviet Union together-these were prosperous times if you survived! Another important reason why he is still liked by some is his contribution to the end of the World War II. Although history has shown his reasons for playing such an influence in the ending of the war and the ensuing disarray in Europe, were still personally motivated by his insatiable appetite for power. Leave a Comment Directions: Throughout Georgia you will see portraits, photos, and the very occassional statue of Stalin. In the town of Gori an hour from Tbilisi is the Stalin Museum.Website: www.stel.ru/stalin/
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 Inside the grounds of the
Lavra Monastery by Groverdean
From the gateway you will pass the Church of St Nicholas(c17th). On the opposite side is the Church of the Transformation. It dates from the 6th century and this is where Davit and his companions-Lukiane and Dodo are buried. Leave a Comment
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If you're driving into Tbilisi from almost anywhere, it seems, you'll see the Jvari church up on the hill. If you're on public transport, most people around you will cross themselves three times. (Ok. A lot of Georgians do this when passing ANY Orthodox church, but it seems more pronounced when passing this one.)
This is a very holy place, and represents the place were St. Nino (the saint who brought Christianty to Georgia) set up her cross. (The cross is slightly bent on the top, because, according to legend, St. Nino used her hair to tie the cross.)
The area is stunning, in the mountains, and is an amazing place. Again, as with most things in Georgia, it just feels so ancient, having seen eons and eons pass.
DIRECTIONS: From Mtskheta, you can hire a taxi to drive you up the hill. When I was there, the going rate was 15 lari, and the driver waits, of course. (Actually, for an additional 15 laris, we had the driver take us back to Tbilisi, instead of going back down the hill and then taking a minivan back into town.) Leave a Comment
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 Frescoes at Udabno
Monastery-Davit Gareja by GroverdeanLeave a Comment
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