rick and Kris honeymoon in the Republic of Georgia

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Day 5

Same routine for me, I am out walking in the am, while Kris wakes up and gets ready for breakfast. I do same thing every morning and see the same unfriendly staff asking if in need any help. I am really tired of this and ask the first interrogator “Really? This is my third day here do I fing look like I need any help”? He was quite unhappy with my response. I go to the check in counter and plainly ask “why am I met everyday with your scowling staff like I am stealing something or have a bomb in my backpack. What is up with the patrolling natzy like staff watching my every move? He explains security is tight for reasons he cannot divulge, and that the staff truly wants to see if there is ANYTHING they can do to help. That makes me comfortable. I ask him to kindly inform the staff I am not dangerous, and I definitely do not need help! He says he will try. Frankly I think they are over staffed and employees are just bored.



















After breakfast we start our walk to the center of town to a location called freedom square. There is shopping along the way so Kris is happy. We tour the square and cross under the main street to a 5 story indoor shopping complex. This is a hit for my girlfriend. We agree on a time schedule and separate. We have chosen to visit the famous sulfur baths of Tbilisi is famous for our anniversary on the 3^rd. This means Kris must shop for appropriate foot ware for the occasion (like she needs more shoes). Its nice walking in an a/c mall so I am ok with this, plus there are lots of sport shops with gear I have never seen before, all good here.

After this stop we start the short steep walk to the vernacular that will take us to Mt ------ the highest point in Tbilisi. There is supposed to be great views and a nice lunch spot as well as an amusement park at the top. Its about a 1 hour hike to the cable car, but still pretty easy. The ride up is pretty cool; it’s a 38-degree incline to the top, about a 10-minuet ride. At the top more water and walking around the park. It’s a shabby rundown kids park with really old rides and no people. The place is deserted, maybe covid has affected this place or maybe its just mid week, but it is deserted and kind of creepy. We have a light snack, Kris has iced coffee I have a coke light. Our plan now is to go to Rike Park and ride a gondola to a Castle across the river. Down the mountain we go in the vehicular then grab a cab to the park where the gondola ride starts. Cabs are safe, plentiful and cheap. We arrive at the park to find the gondola shut down. No matter we decide to walk the peace bridge to explore old town. There is a very unusual building at the park that looks like a giant hair dryer. I find out it was build as an expo center and never finished inside, a giant unused waste of money.

While walking across the peace bridge we were stopped, I should say I stopped to get a good look at a beautiful falcon and its handler. He allows me to pet the bird, which is so beautiful. Of course this was a mistake, I am then forced into a photo op. He puts the bird on my forearm and starts taking photos with Kris’s I phone. The bird memorizes me. He looks directly into my eyes from 1 foot away. Obvious intelligence in those eyes looking back at me, really a great moment. Unfortunately it go’s downhill from here. The falcon owner has assistants with a parrot and peacock. Soon I have a falcon on one arm a parrot on my shoulder and a stinking peacock on my other arm. The parrot pulls off my sunglasses and tosses them and bites my ear, this freaks out the falcon that jumps off my arm and causes the peacock to shit on my shoe. Kris thinks this is funny until they start putting the parrot and peacock on her. Of course she is very afraid, but she loves birds and now that I am free of the feathered friends I can take photos of the mayhem-taking place on her. We did get some great photos and no one was injured. They ended up shaking us down for about $70, so what, they needed the money and we both had a laugh.

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