All photos by Amy Yu Mao, or Khvicha.
“MEGI!”
So begins every conversation with Khvicha, the taxi driver with whom I’d trust my life. “Meghan” seems to be tough for many Georgians to grasp, so I usually introduce myself as “Meg,” which turns into the Georgian name “Megi.” Thus, I am now Megi.
While Amy was visiting last week, Khvicha designed and implemented the perfect three-day tour of Georgia. We covered most of the country, with the exception of the Black Sea coast. After a drive through beautiful Kakheti in the east, Khvicha took us north to the mountains of Kazbegi.
We drove several hours on roads that seemed to be used more by cattle than cars, winding through mountains and forests and construction sites repairing the usual winter damage that four meters of snow will impart on concrete.
When we arrived in Kazbegi, now called Stepantsminda, we left behind Khvicha’s Mercedes for a well-worn Jeep, manned by a fearless local named Mamuka. Amy and I sat in the back, clutching anything we thought might keep us from ejecting through the window at a sudden stop, while Khvicha and Mamuka shouted (i.e. conversed) in Georgian in the front seats. We rocked and rolled and bounced up a mountainside to reach the Gergeti Trinity Church.
The views from the mountaintop soothed our motion sickness and fear of imminent death.
After jumping around like children and getting kicked out of the church for wearing pants, we put our faith in Mamuka when he offered to take us to the most beautiful spots in Kazbegi for an additional 30 Lari. And boy, were we glad we did.
Georgia is a hiker’s paradise. I felt like a child scrambling up the rocky trails, squealing at the sight of camouflaged lizards and gawking at the eagles overhead. The spray from the waterfall felt heavenly in the heat of Georgian summer (which I’m told will peak in August… God help me). I couldn’t stop thanking Mamuka and Khvicha in an infantile combination of Georgian and Russian for introducing us to this small Eden.
As has happened so many times in my travels, I found myself wondering, “What did I do to deserve this?” What divine sources conspired to gift me with this exceptional life? I thought back to a home video I recently re-watched, circa 2003 at the Jersey Shore, in which my 16 year-old self glared into the camera and delivered a command to my present self: “Please, Meghan, whenever you are watching this in the future, I hope you are living somewhere outside of New Jersey. Far, far away.” Well, young self, I am most certainly far from New Jersey.
On the drive home, Khvicha pulled over to offer us some “vino” for the ride home. I accepted, Amy declined. He pulled out a bottle of homemade red wine from his trunk and poured me a small paper cup. Wine in hand, I enjoyed the view from our casual road stop.
Next stop with Amy: Alkhalsikhe, Borjomi, Vardzia.
Lovely scenery!
The area around Mt.Kazbek looks breathtaking. I wish I could visit it too 🙂
The Georgians may be exaggerating when they say that God gave them the land they reserved for himself, but they aren’t that far from the truth. I see these photos and realize that Georgia deserved more of my time. One day, I will make up for it.
The countryside really is stunning. But so is the Georgian ego. 😉
You just gotta smile, laugh, and have another glass of wine in the presence of such bravado! 😀 It’s part of their charm!
Charming until they tell you you are inferior, a “bad girl”, or try to rape you. Sorry, I’m not normally so negative, but I had some truly traumatizing experiences in Georgia, some of them at supras.
Utterly speechless! So sorry that you experienced such scarring events! I really do lose sight of how much easier it is to be male in those countries. I apologize for romanticizing it too much.
No, I’m sorry for bringing down the whole tone. I’m just still struggling to regain my optimism after some things that happened there. I don’t mean to pin it on Georgia as a whole, and certainly don’t want to diminish your liking of the country. Sometimes my temper/pride gets the best of me. It is a different experience for foreign women who live there, absolutely, but I definitely think the best of Georgia is worth taking a trip there to experience. Hope I didn’t scare you off my blog haha.
No. You would have to verbally accost me to scare me off your blog. I truly understand where you are coming from. I have had bad experiences traveling and living places and I continue to have a negative opinion of those places because of those associations. Your bad memories are more horrifying than mine, so you are justified in your feelings. I’m just glad you’re brave enough to talk about them!
Hi Megi!
I’m in the midst of planning a trip to Georgia this very minute – did you visit in June? I am thinking of April – do you think the weather would be friendly enough by then?
Hi Rob, glad to hear you will soon discover Georgia! I think the weather here in April is lovely, if a little hard to predict. It can be windy and cool some days, but generally it’s not bad. May would really be ideal (especially because the produce starts to get really good the further we move into the summer).
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Meg
Pingback: Autumn in a Flash | Soulshine Traveler
I’ve heard from more than a few people that Georgia is spectacular. With the mountains and old buildings, it’s certainly my kind of place. It’s on my ‘list.’ Problem is, my list is HUGE. So I’ll live there vicariously through you for a while.
Pingback: Postcard from: Dmanisi | Cookies and The Caucasus
Pingback: Megi in Kazbegi – Hopscotch Adoptions
Gorgeous scenery!!
Wow!!
Really great photography! My favourites are those of the castle!
Thanks Jodi, though all the credit goes to my friend Amy!
http://amyrtw.wordpress.com/
Pingback: Georgia: Kazbegi (ყაზბეგი) | Around the World in 98 Days ... and beyond
Amazing! I just found your blog and its getting me even more excited to become an expat.
How exciting, Mike! I will be sure to follow along on your expatriation adventures.
Awesome. Bout to drop everything and travel the world myself
Do it!
I agree with thebishop: do it! 🙂
great pic…
Amazing photos “Megi”…love it! 🙂 ANd yes it looks definitely like a hiker’s paradise!!!
Yes, you’d probably love it, Nicole!
Great country, great Georgians, great girls! 🙂
Why thank you, chernikovmoon! It was a great adventure, indeed.
Reblogged this on yasarnorman.
Thank you for the reblog, Yasar!
There is a book coming out that I have been waiting for about a year and a half and the author decided to move the story to Georgia for the book. I love all these pictures because it’s giving me scenery for the book (since I have no remote idea what Georgia landscape is like apart from the pictures on this blog!). Great pics as usual. 🙂
Interesting, Amelie… what book is it? Would love to check it out.
It hasn’t come out yet, it comes out July 31st. It’s the 6th book in an urban fantasy series so I don’t know if that’s really your cup of tea. So far it’s the only UF series I’ve read and enjoyed (Kate Daniels series). I think the writing is great and that the characters are awesome. It’s called Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews. It’s actually a husband-wife team that writes the books and the wife Ilona is Russian and likes to incorporate a lot of mythology from all kinds of different countries. I’m assuming there will be some Georgian mythology as well? I was pretty skeptical when I saw the cover of the first book (a friend recommended the series to me) but I got hooked pretty fast.
These photos are absolutely breathtaking. I’ve said it before but I’m going to say it again – Every post I read of yours makes me want to go to Georgia more and more.
Thanks dear! Now come and visit!
Nice casual roadside stop!
I love the very idea of 16-year-old you talking to future you about adventure and travel. You’ve done it, and 16-year-old you would be so proud.
Thanks Loni! Now I wonder what I should tell my 36 year-old self…
love the pictures what kind of camera do you have?
Thanks! I typically use a Lumix DMC-G3, but these photos were taken by my friend Amy (blog link below), and I shamefully don’t remember what kind of camera she uses.
http://amyrtw.wordpress.com/
Thanks
These photos are fantastic, Megi! Some of these shots remind me of my trip to Denmark and Norway. Simply beautiful!
Thanks Ronnie! Yes, this landscape brought back memories of some other places I’ve been. The strangest recollection was Peru.
You know what Megi appropriately rhymes with? Twinieeeeeee! Delivered in a squeeeee sound. These photos are breath-taking, and so are you.
If I’m Megi, I suppose that makes you Roxi? Could be a marketing campaign for Barbie’s little nomadic cousins. Love you!
I love this, Megi! Looks like you’re having a blast! Far, far away from New Jersey! The photos are phenomenal. 🙂
Far from New Jersey, indeed! I have to admit, I miss it occasionally… mostly for porkroll sandwiches and Giants games. 😉 Miss you, lady!
Your photos are stunning! Just curious, how old was that church? It looks beautiful!
Thanks nmizrachi! This is the Gergeti Trinity Church, built in the 14th century. Relatively young for Georgian churches, actually.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gergeti_Trinity_Church
Breathtaking!
Even more so in person! 🙂
Love it Megi!!
Thanks Moe-i!
Ah, now I see what’s been keeping you hard to get in touch with!! 🙂 Beautiful photos!
Yes, I’ve been a bit off the radar lately, Megan, thanks for your eternal patience! 😉
Beautiful!
Thanks Kay!
Awesome…
I so want to go there Megi 🙂
Come visit me, Caroline!