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Published: July 26th 2014
Liberty Square
Liberty is relativeTbilisi, Georgia
June 29
th 2014
“
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” Jesus Christ “
The strictest law sometimes becomes the most severest injustice” Benjamin Franklin I am free!..... to travel within Georgia that is, with legal processes permitting (I am under 'country arrest'). I met with the Government Legal Aid lawyer on Friday and we decided on an action plan. But he has to line it all up with the Public Prosecutor and she was not available until Monday and so..... I have taken the weekend off on R&R to visit Tbilisi (combined with a 'free' consultation with a private sector lawyer recommended to me by my Australian A Team member whose family reside in Tbilisi – just to check on 'the plan').
The first half of the mini-bus trip (before we hit the new four lane national highway into Tbilisi) was reminiscent of road travel in India... narrow and harrowing driving on pretty ordinary roads. And I was beginning to wonder if the seat along from me at the window came with some special duty to
pray for our mortal souls, because various occupants of that seat crossed themselves several times (as in Christian stuff) at various stages of the trip. I later realised it was standard practice for the devout when passing a church or a cross on a hill... and there are plenty of them here (a bit like the acknowledgement of Hindus passing a temple). Villages along the way were half hidden amongst verdant trees and shrubs, and inviting hills and mountains lined the road.
The driver chained smoked his way along, as he took calculated but heart-stopping risks overtaking larger vehicles, all the while laboring the engine of the not so new mini-bus. The fare for this 200 km trip was just 8 lari (10 lari if you traveled after noon ..?). Those of us who started our trip in Akhaltsikhe were 'ticketed'. As in India, he was supplementing his takings by stopping suddenly whenever someone waved him down along the way.
We passed more beautiful countryside, including distant snow capped mountains. We also passed through the place where the famous Geogian mineral waters are bottled (Borjomi), including the brand name Borjomi itself (the choice of the Kremlin during its
Soviet rule of Georgia), and my personal favourite Likani. The high natural purity and healthy chemical components of these waters make them not only very pleasant to drink but also provide a claimed preventative and curative effect against certain diseases.
We got to the Tbilisi city limits Didube bus stand after about 3 hours and 200 km. I had done absolutely no research on this place and had no idea where I was going and where exactly I had been dropped off in relation to anything in Tbilisi. Still knowing next to no local language, I tried to converse with a few locals ..” Tbilisi centre?”... but to no avail. Finally I walked a few blocks and entered a bank (always a good strategy I find) and found a young bank worker who spoke English … and who came outside and pointed to the bus stop where I should take a bus to Rustavali St.... apparently where I would find some cheap hotels.
For part of the way a young Law student named Natalie, who was obviously delighted to have the chance to practice her English, sat beside me. I told her I was in the middle of
an unexpected course in the Georgian Legal System myself, and I think I made her a tad embarrassed when she heard of my plight at the hands of the over-officious Georgian Customs and Border Police.
After finally getting a bloke at the bus stop to assist me with the correct bus, I then had a tour of the city, and could not spot any hotel signs as we meandered our way through Rustavali St and Liberty Square, across the river and up Baratashvili St and back down again and here and there through the old parts of Tbilisi. I could not really work out where to get off and the each time I made eye contact with the conductor it was obvious he didn't know either. Finally he found someone with enough English to sit next to me and suggest I just go to where the bus terminated (Central Railway Station) where there should be plenty of cheap hotels.
That part of town was miserable and depressing... and dripped of old and failed Soviet times... desperate and sad looking people selling lots of second hand stuff or just eking out a living trying to sell not much. There
were underground (and dismal) markets ... just sad little tunnels were despondent looking people tried to flog second hand clothes, and that more resembled outdated mental asylums with their occupants waiting and staring mindlessly at you along the way as you passed. Why was I even in these labyrinths? Well, there were signs at the entrances with “WC” on them and I needed a “WC” after my failed attempt on the bus ride from Akhaltsikhe. When I asked some of the 'inmates' about this they just all shook their heads (“no WC here”). Maybe there used to be in Soviet times and nobody had thought to remove the signs?
The whole area felt less inviting and friendly than any place I had ever been... maybe also a feeling that was partly due to my recent week's experience in Akhaltsikhe being a drug criminal. I just felt like getting out of this country. There is currently a tourist promotion campaign underway in Tbilisi with the enticing slogan '
Tbilisi loves you'. I am feeling a tad unloved I must say. And there were simply no hotels to be seen other than Tbilisi Hotel Central which looked far too plush for the
But NO W.C.
Entry to underground markets near Central Railway likes of me. Eventually I did find the Golden Town Hotel... which had hostel accommodation at my kind of price (20 lari a night).
After checking in, I spent the next 5 hours walking the city and viewing the sites...finding that back around Rustaveli St and beyond there were really interesting old areas plus some pretty spectacular river-side developments. This city has exquisite beauty. But once you scratched the surface ever so lightly and ventured beyond the touristic lane ways or looked inside behind the main street facades, the rot and decay of Soviet detritus was everywhere apparent, oozing from buildings and people's demeanor.
I engaged with locals here and there, and answered their questions frankly: How are you? (well, I have been better); How do you like Georgia? (actually I have had the most horrible time here). I explain as part of my personal crusade to make people aware of their government's ridiculous laws around personal and harmless medications brought into the country by unsuspecting tourists, and the apparent trap that is set for them, and the waste of their taxes and the damage to the reputation of Georgia as a result. No-one tries to defend this
madness, and most are appalled by my story and apologetic.
The Georgian Orthodox Christian religion is practiced with fervour in this country, not by all, but very visibly so in the many churches to be found at every juncture. Tbilisi is full of churches.
The following day was brilliant... a very relaxed morning doing my stuff in my room until about 12.30pm, then heading out for another walk in the old city. This culminated in a 'hamani' bath redemption experience (see blog # 845166) at the hot spring sourced Albano St bathhouses, in a old Muslim area of Tbilisi. At 3 lari, it cost me a whole lot less (not just financially) than the Gaziantep experience. I floated out into the street in total bliss.
That afternoon and the next day found me beginning to feel very comfortable in Tbilisi. Both a product of having gotten to know just enough about public transport and how the city works as well as having discovered more beauty amongst what my first impression showed as destitution. As with most cities, Tbilisi has many faces, mostly painted by relative wealth of people in a particular area, but also influenced by subjective
One of many bronze art installations
Tbilisi is flush with modern art installations, particularly bronze works impressions and experiences. I'd consider coming to Tbilisi again, despite my less that ideal treatment on entry to this country.
Anyway … I have digressed. The plan for my escape from my legal nightmare in Georgia now is to put a case to the Public Prosecutor (a plea-bargain) to pay a minimal fine (as low as 500 lari or Aus $300 / 210 euros, but more realistically the best outcome would be 1,000 lari or Aus $600 / 420 euros) and to then be FREE to leave this country. This is instead of going to court to fight the case, because that could take at least 2 months (and maybe 4 or more) and I ain't gonna wait in Georgia that amount of time and possibly go mad.
The price of freedom, indeed. And so it goes.
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Annette
non-member comment
Are you out yet?
Hope your sleeping more easily and without criminal charge.