Georgia on my Mind...

I've made it to Georgia, no no, not the Peach State.

Tbilisi, the capital, is a truly spectacular city. I spent the entire day climbing around ruins and exploring the many churches here. The architecture is jaw dropping while the neighboring mountains and streams can only add to the natural beauty of Tbilisi

Luckily, my bus ride was not the 30 hours I was told. It was only 29 and a half hours. I got in late last night and spent about a half an hour trying to find the hostel I reserved. After knocking on a very suspect door, I was greeted by an American asking me if I was a PCV. I thought for a second, I really wasn't sure what she was talking about...Peace Corps Volunteer I was later told.

There was a group of PCVs at the hostel that were up late drinking. They are all working in villages in Armenia and are in Georgia on vacation. They are planning to go to Baku, Azerbaijan tomorrow, as am I. I will hopefully meet up with the tour there. We will have a rest day and then hopefully board a ferry the next day for a day voyage across the Caspian Sea.

I spent most of my 29.5 hours sleeping, reading, or watching the black sea slipping by the window. During one of our rest stops, a Turkish English teacher introduced himself. He teaches in an Azerbaijan university and was very excited to hear that I once taught English. A very friendly guy, and you could immediately tell that he enjoyed speaking English with a native speaker. He is the Director of Communications and was trying to get me to teach an MBA program at his school. He asked many questions about what I had studied in college. If any of you want a job in Azerbaijan, I am sure I could get you one at this University!

The Georgian border crossing was a bit of a joke. When they scanned my passport, I noticed that there was a US seal on the back of the computer monitor that read "Homeland Security" They didn't charge a visa fee for me. I think that the computers were donated and will be the American visa fee for the next few years. Customs was even more lax. They unzipped my bag and didn't so much as peek inside.

Georgia is number four on the top countries that receive US aid. I have yet to see it, but I am told that there is a statue of George W. Bush with one arm waving. I am also told that the statue looks eerily similar to a statue of a dictator in a nearby country that was recently pulled down. During one of Bush's visits, a highway's name was changed to George W. Bush Highway. I suppose it is nice to be in a country that like America. However, I am a bit torn, because it is for all of the wrong reasons. I would compare the situation to a gold-digging wife.

The writing here is really interesting. The teacher I met on the bus likened it to spaghetti thrown against the wall. I stopped to think about it, but could not come up with a better simile. He also accurately described life here. Life is easy and beer is cheap. I liked that.

I know that some of you are interested in hearing this. The girls here are drop dead gorgeous. They all dress in a similar spunky style. They look western enough, but not quite 100%. If you think about it, it makes sense. Georgia skirts the Caucasus Mountains, the place where Western people originated. If you ever wondered where the word Caucasian came from, it is from these mountains.

My guide book raves about the wines in Georgia. I am about to do some empirical experimentation and see how accurate my guide book is.

Next stop, Azerbaijan, a 15 hour train ride from Tbilisi. I hope all is well!

CB