Down, but not Out in Georgia Pt 6: Chilling out in Abastumani....in search of Hot-Springs

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Abastumani, Georgia



July 10^th 2014





“Let's go." "We can't." "Why not?" "We're waiting for Godot.”....

...“There's no lack of void.”

Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot




I had been told that Abastumani had hot-springs. But there was no obvious evidence of them, although there are active 'spa' resorts (sanitoria) in the surrounding hills. My experiences of no English signage (to wit: the drug warning at the border and the hotel signs in Tbilisi) is now expanded to no signs at all. My hotel owner first denied any such thing as hot-springs existing (which I later realised must have just been a failure to communicate), and I began to suspect that access to the three springs I read about on the net were possibly all locked up via these expensive spa resorts. The springs themselves are said to be rich in sulfate-sodium chloride. They have long been used in the treatment of tuberculosis and bronchial conditions.

And so my quest.... finding and getting access to the hot-springs (as I felt was my right) without paying through the nose for the privilege. Always good to have a project while awaiting the pleasure of the Georgian Public Prosecutor (see previous blogs) who, I fear, is going to make me pay through my nose and beyond.

I have come to regard the Iveria Hotel where I am staying as my own Hotel New Hampshire. I like it. And I am keeping on passing the open windows despite all that has happened. The place is worn and still being 'developed' but things work and it's comfortable and clean. While I am an anomaly (I am not paying the full tariff that includes food as I prepare my own), I find the kitchen staff (pairs of local women who work in rotation) to be absolute nurturing earth mothers who I could just cuddle. They ply me with tea and coffee and slip me little treats such as fresh cake.

I approach a fellow occupant (Temu) of the hotel and discover that he speaks English and is from Tbilisi. He assures me that there are hot-springs.. .. and just minutes away from Hotel New Hampshire. So my quest seems to be coming to an early conclusion. I take off to find them, envisaging open air pools where I can lay in the warm mountain sunshine.

I am disappointed. The hot springs are inside a dilapidated Soviet era bathhouse. The attendant (I shall call him 'Boris') is either an ex-actor for eastern bloc type mafia badmen in old James Bond movies OR currently waiting a role in such movie genres OR actually an ex-eastern bloc mafia badman OR still a mafia type badman. Whatever. He shows me, with no enthusiasm and certainly not a semblance of the tiniest smile, a private bathroom. I am not impressed. I do though ask the price. He motions (no English) with 10 fingers and “lari”. I exclaim disbelief and he then motions with 5 fingers... I continue my disbelief and he shows me a smaller room with a smaller bath and motions 3 fingers.

I decide to pass on the hot bath.

Earlier, before my quest venture, I had walked into the (not) thriving metropolis which is Abastumani to buy some fruit and veggies and bread. I passed a house with a chair outside with a basket of eggs... obviously for sale and thought to myself: “I wonder if my earth mothers in the kitchen would allow me cook up some eggs... I could handle some eggs”. I decided not to bother.

On the way back from the bathhouse, I spy a group of men sitting around doing nothing (yes, same old story) next to an ancient ex-Soviet Fire Engine. I am motioned over by one of them (Gela aged 53) and we discuss with no common language Australia and kangaroos. One of the men is the Fireman just waiting for a fire to break out in Abastumani (which is quite a likely event given all the old wooden houses). After 10 minutes I start to leave but Gela motions me to follow him... he has a bag with bread so I assume he is inviting me for brunch (my term, not his.... it is 10.30 am). We go to his half finished house (he is developing it for a guest house) where he lives alone, and as if by divine intervention, he cooks eggs for me!

Meanwhile I get a call on my mobile from the Australian Embassy in Ankara just to ask if I know anything more from my lawyer about the Public Prosecutor (I don't) and to assure me that she is making enquiries with Canberra about my concerns about having a criminal conviction in Georgia coming out of this saga (as in what does it mean for Australia and internationally).

Gela gives me a choice of Vodka or Vino (both local) … and no choice to say “none” of the aforementioned. It is after all 11am and well into the day in Georgia. I choose Vino just for variety. In between eating fried eggs, bread, left over fried vermicelli topped with cherrie compote, we go through the Georgian motion of toasting …. and as far as I understood and can remember (7 glasses of Vino later to Gela's 7 shots of Vodka) we have toasted (in order):


• Our health
• My daughters' health
• His deceased mothers memory
• My living mother's health
• Both our fathers' memories
• Georgian/ Australian relations (not-withstanding my current saga which I try to explain but I am not confident he has understood)
• Peace on earth between all nations.



I stumble back to my room (it being midday) and find, by email message, that I am being asked by my brother in Australia to write a full account of my legal drug saga to date. He has remembered that we know a Human Rights lawyer in Australia who has international connections (including in Georgia). I am onto it but first I am compelled to collapse on my bed and have a nap.

I do my account and send it off to the Australian lawyer friend. I also get a call from my local lawyer to come to Akhaltsikhe in the morning so that we can prepare a formal application to the Public Prosecutor.

Later that evening I watch the first episode of the US TV second series of 'Orange is the New Black' (which I have on my computer) where inmate Chapman is moved to a Chicago retention centre and fully processed (finger printed, urine tested, and so on). Strangely I have a new sense of empathy with this scenario and find myself feeling quite emotional once again.

And so it goes.

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Comments

[Rajendra Mohanty]

Hot springs & Gela
At last! I am glad that the Australian embassy is taking an interest and that your brother has contacted a human rights lawyer to do SOMETHING.It has been almost a week now of lfe in limbo. Take care, Raj

[D MJ Binkley]

Hot Springs, Vodka & amnesty
The hot springs sound horrible. I guess there is a reason people pay the high prices in the other locations. Sounds like enough Vodka to pickle anyone. Glad your brother has gotten involved. Stay safe.

[Home and Away]

You need to contact the Australian Consulate...
they will set the local authorities straight. This is obviously a stupid law...if it is one at all...meant to extract money from tourists.

[mahadev]

Australian Embassy
Bob, thanks for the advice... but of course it was the first thing I did after contacting my family in Australia. But my friend, the Australian Government cannot and will not interfere with the legal processes of a another country (however dumb and stupid their laws are). They were only really able to give me a list of recommended lawyers, to scare me a bit about the worst case scenario (6 -9 years gaol), and to keep in touch with me throughout for updates (from me). They did contact the local authorities too just to check that the local 'due process' was happening .... but there was no influence. Read on... influence did happen through my own private contacts. ciao... Paul

[Home and Away]

Australian Embassy...
I used to be a diplomat, and I understand that all sides need to save face. I just assumed that your Embassy would handle this back channel. Anyway, I loved your next blog about coincidences. My wife's favorite quote is "Coincidences are God's way of saying "Pay attention"."

[mahadev]

diplomacy
Thanks Bob.... and where are you from? Australia? Well.... their diplomacy was to not do much than tell me things I already knew. They did all they were 'allowed' to I guess. And I suppose they would have been ready to do more if it all resulted in harsh treatment in gaol etc... ciao P

[Maria Zantkuijl]

Location
Hello Paul, can you tell me where i can find this hot bath, so it will save me time to search? thanks so much.

[Maria Zantkuijl]

Location
Hello Paul, can you tell me where i can find this hot bath, so it will save me time to search? thanks so much.

[mahadev]

Hot Baths in Tiblisi
Hi Maria Very easy to find.. in the old part of Tiblisi. This site gives you more information about them: https://mycustardpie.com/2015/05/15/how-to-visit-the-sulphur-baths-in-tbilisi/ There you will find both the expensive ones and the local cheap ones (where I went)... watch out if you wear silver.. it turns dark from the sulfur :) Good luck.

[Maria]

The 5 lari bath
Hello Paul, I was actually referring to the Abastumani bath :)

[mahadev]

Abastumani
Oh... sorry ... yes Abastumani is about 30 km north of Akhaltsikhe which is the place with the very big fort (apparently the second largest in the world?).... You can get there by local mini-bus. The hot springs there: One lot of private bath rooms is in a run down ex-soviet place and could be OK but did not look all that inviting. The other is a large indoor pool which I think you can also pay to get into. I actually did not feel inspired to use either.... My only hot spring bath was in the old Roman bath house in Tiblisi. BUT I did stay about 2 weeks in Abastumani and enjoyed my time there a lot... just nice country and nice people. I got a clean and OK room in the multi storey hotel opposite where the farmers market is held a few times a week. It was old-world charm with the people I met.