A good friend of mine always says that he loves when people come to visit him in his city, because it gives him an opportunity to see the city through his guests’ eyes and to do things he wouldn’t normally do. After spending the weekend in Tbilisi with our friends Tony and Alicia, I know exactly what he means.
Signs at the Tbilisi airport greet travelers with a warm sentiment (and lousy, contrived logo… I guess that’s supposed to be a heart?) stating that it is, in fact, the city that loves you. In the two years that we have been in Georgia, Tbilisi has shown that she loves us more and more. Tbilisi is definitely a city on the move, quickly gaining an international reputation as one of those destinations that few people know about yet or have visited… but you better come now, because in the not-so-distant future, it will be “discovered” and as overrun with tourists as Prague and Krakow are becoming. I can’t say I disagree.
While it is certainly not perfect by any means (but what large city is?), I think Tbilisi is on the right track:
- Transportation infrastructure is improving. Old marshrutkas (mini-vans) are being replaced by shiny yellow ones. Buses are everywhere. And you can use one pass card to ride on both of them, which is also the same card you use on the already efficient Metro system. Oh, and that Metro system has brand new brightly lit directional signs — in English.
- International restaurant chains like Wendy’s are preparing to enter the market, perhaps paving the way for more Western brands. You can make the argument that this is actually bad for the country (more unhealthy food, homogenization of culture, etc.) but I think it’s a sign of progress. International brands don’t gamble. They make sure bets on places with economies that are growing and will continue to grow. What’s next? I think Burger King, Pizza Hut and/or KFC. Some say Starbucks. I don’t think so. I actually have a lot of thoughts about this issue, but they’re for another post.
- The largest mall in the Caucasus region has just been built on the outskirts of town where customers will (eventually) be able to shop at stores such as The Gap and Banana Republic, who have announced plans to open their first Georgian outlets there. I have mixed feelings about how successful this will be. Most of the population can’t afford to shop at stores like that, it’s a pain to get there (although apparently a Metro stop is being built), and you’re not going to change a thousand years of the bazaar-shopping culture overnight. That said, it’s an investment in the kind of Georgia that investors and government leaders want ten, twenty, fifty years from now. I can support that.
- Tbilisi is frequently being mentioned as a foodie destination. The M Group already operates several successful restaurants serving both Georgian and international cuisine. There is a fabulous Uzbeki restaurant a few blocks from the Philharmonic Hall. Several Indian restaurants. Even sushi. Not to mention numerous kitchens that demonstrate exactly how delicious and addictive Georgian food can be. The bar and nightclub scene is also expanding, with pockets of activity developing all over town, catering to everyone from hipsters looking for a cheap beer to sophisticated 20- and 30-somethings wanting to enjoy a glass of fine Georgian wine.
- It looks good and is looking better every time we go. Standing in Old Town at night, gazing out at the lights on the churches, fortress, bridges, parks and monuments, it is hard to deny that Tbilisi isn’t just cool “for Georgia” but is legitimately cool. An impressive world capital with a fascinating history and incredible potential. Of course it has its problems (trash, traffic, unreliable utilities at times), but Tbilisi has come a long way in the twenty years since gaining independence from the Soviets.
Back to our friends, Tony and Alicia. A few months ago, Tony and Alicia quit their jobs, sold their house, packed a couple of enviously small backpacks, and set out to see the world for a year. A little over a month into their journey, they’ve already experienced some amazing things in countries like Iceland, Spain and France. You can keep up with them on their blog.
Friday night, a few hours after McKinze and I returned from America, Tony and Alicia arrived. By the time we got out of the cab at the Peace Corps office, it was close to 4:30 AM. But instead of crashing onto the couches, we headed across the street for khachapuri and beer: a fitting intro to their time in Georgia. The sun was up when we left.
The rest of the weekend was pretty much perfect: filled with experiences that were both oh-so-Georgian and that also showcased the vibrant and modern city Tbilisi is rapidly becoming.
Alicia and Tony consulting their Georgian language “cheat sheet” on the balcony of a great Georgian restaurant in Old Town. Throughout lunch, from down below came the sounds of incessant sirens, squawking through megaphones and honking as four police cars attempted to clear the parking lot.
Perfect weather all weekend. McKinze, Alicia and Tony with the Peace Bridge and president’s house in the background.
We stumbled onto an American-style wine tasting in Old Town: generous pours of dozens of Georgian wines, plus cheese, nuts and fruits, all free.
Tony looks out over Tbilisi from high up on the walls of Narikala Fortress. Inside the church at the fortress, a traditional Georgian mass unexpectedly broke out, showing our guests the singing and rituals of this Orthodox religion.
The newly landscaped grounds outside of the Turkish Bath district, where Tbilisi is said to have been founded. You can see the domes of the sulphur baths in the background.
A block away from the tourist attractions, a young girl runs through an area where there is still much work to be done.
Tony and Alicia buy phones at one of the stores on “Cell Phone Alley” — a city block lined with one cell phone store after another, selling identical wares, across the street from the central train station.
We stopped in for a snack at a consistently good cafe in one of the transit stations. Suddenly, a Georgian man with a guitar comes in and sits down behind us, singing and playing traditional Georgian songs — and even making them up on the spot about people in the cafe.
Beautifully landscaped gardens surround the main Orthodox church in Tbilisi, Sameba. Roses everywhere. Swans. Never seen anything like it in Tbilisi.
The bell tower across from the cathedral, with bushes sculpted in the shape of the Georgian cross.
The four of us in front of Sameba.
Earlier in the day we went shopping at the “Gold Bazaar” — a massive room full of silver and gold jewelry vendors near the central train station. Here is McKinze’s silver necklace and medallion of Saint George (Georgia’s patron saint) killing the dragon.
McKinze gazing up at the statue of King Vakhtang (the Iberian king who founded Tbilisi), across the river from the fortress.
What Old Town might look like if it were a toy…
Enjoying their first liter of Georgian wine at a great restaurant in Old Town that not only serves up traditional Georgian food, but also some Ossetian specialties. Sometimes at this place, the tables of drinking men drag you into their business, but this time, in keeping with the good luck of the weekend, they left us alone.
Alicia snuggles up with a “Georgian man” drinking from a horn.
The ladies in front of the new fountains in the new park at the end of the new bridge.
We ended the night at a wine bar called (I believe) 121 Steps, signifying the number of steps you had to climb to get to its location, right under the Narikala Fortress in Old Town. We sat on the patio overlooking the city, enjoyed a liter of wine and were ready to go when it suddenly started pouring. We ducked inside and, over the next several hours and several liters, enjoyed a lot of lively conversation with one another and the Georgian proprietors.
Taken around 4:30 AM, shortly before the rain stopped and we left.
I hope Tony and Alicia had as good of a time discovering Tbilisi as we did sharing it. For the past day or so they’ve been experiencing life in the village. Tomorrow they come to Akhaltsikhe, and we’re looking forward to sharing our life here with them.
I think I can speak for McKinze when I say that experiences like this make us realize how much we love Tbilisi and Georgia, and how what was once a foreign land has definitely become a home. American friends and family, the clock is ticking but there’s still time to visit. We’re here for two more months. I guarantee you won’t regret it.
Ten years from now, you’ll stand in lines twice as long to pay twice as much.
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