rick and Kris honeymoon in the Republic of Georgia

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Day 4

I am up and out on the street by 7 AM, while Kris is still sleeping. Security in the hotel is already annoying everywhere I walk in the building exploring what the hotel offers I am met by a stern and unfriendly “may I help you”. My reply is no thank you just exploring the hotel. That seems to annoy them, it appears just looking around is unacceptable; you must have a destination in mind. Lots, and lots of staff with nothing to do but watch you, it’s a bit uncomfortable. Outside the hotel at 7:15 am its already 82 degrees. This part of the city is very hilly with steep inclines and declines every direction, no idea which way to go with no map so I walk up hill looking to get an over view of the area. My first impression of this area of the city is that it’s dirty, dusty and hot, lots of trash everywhere. It must not have rained in months. Buildings are a mix of very old and very new, some are soviet build very plane functional apartment complexes and office buildings with intermingled with very old Roman style churches and mosks. I walk for about 90 minuets and figure out where I want to take Kris. Back to the hotel where I am met by the same unfriendly hotel staff asking if I need help, annoying. Kris is up and ready for breakfast. The hotel serves breakfast buffet style, but with the covid twist. You point to your food choices and they place your choice on a plate. You touch nothing until the plate is handed back to you thru a slit in fully glass-lined partition. Food is ok nothing special. Most the hotel guests are Arabic, full burkas for the women, sloppy tee shirts and baggy shorts for the younger men or full Arabic robes for older men.

















After breakfast I convince Kris to walk to a Bazar in town where all sorts of local food is sold. I want to see what kind of local food is available. It’s a hot, dusty walk with tons of heavy traffic. No shade, really dangerous traffic and sidewalks in total disrepair. You need to be careful walking with loose stones, potholes, trash and CRAZY drivers. Crosswalks mean nothing to locals. 1 hour into our trek Kris is claiming she will pass out, hot dusty, nasty traffic poor sidewalk conditions are not making her happy. We stop often and rest inside air-conditioned shops. It takes about 2 hours to find the Bazar. It’s a bit disappointing, all manors of fruit, veggies, fish (live), bulk spices, nuts and souvenirs. I get Kris some water and she recovers a bit but she wants a cab ride back to the hotel, there is no walking back for her. The bazar is too dirty for her taste and wants nothing to do with any food sold here. She did buy some walnuts, which according to her are delicious.

Back to our room with a/c and water with ice, followed by a nap. Kris has scheduled a massage for the afternoon and I resume exploring the city. Walking after 4 pm is better because the sun is not directly overhead and because of the steep hillside there is shade. I discover a better side of the city and find hidden gems of ancient architecture, fountains and cool statues everywhere. Traffic is still very heavy and crossing streets can be hazardous. I find underground crossings where you can cross intersections safely. I make a plan for tomorrow mapping out a route that allows for shopping and easy walking. Back to the hotel where Kris is sound asleep after a wonderful massage. I see room service in our future tonight. Sure enough Kris wakes up around 7pm and is no going anywhere outside of our room. We enjoyed a nice dinner of Greek salad and pizza. Still no famed Georgian cuisine for us yet. Sleep is still a priority still.

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