We started the day with gourmet breakfast of eggs, bread, salami, salad, potato cakes, and tea. Breakfast has generally been the least exciting meal of the day in Georgia, but this breakfast was delicious and filling. If you are in town I’d be checking into the Anano guesthouse. That said, Claire and I both feel that the Khachapuri is valid for any meal of the day and it does taste great.
Gergeti and Mt Kazbeg
We had planned a hike up to the Gergeti church today and got beautiful clear skies for our hike. Sure you can get a taxi up there on muddy roads but that wouldn’t be fun and then we’d have to find something else to do for the rest of the day. After a detour to get some hiking snacks we started the walk up through the village on the other side of town. I claimed to know the best route up the hill and it definitely wasn’t to go up the steep front face, that I saw a few people choose. Instead, we took the longer route around the side of the hill.
We knew we were on the right track as we had a number of dogs guide us up the trail. Sure feeding them an oreo meant I became best friends but we were guided up the last bit of the hill when the path turned to grass meadows. We saw the church propped up on the hilltop and walked back towards it. It was a good 2 hrs uphill, so not easy, but also not that hard either. Most of the dogs that had come up the trail were now lazing around the church.
Gergeti church
We enjoyed the serenity up here until someone thought it was ok to launch their drone. Despite numerous people getting annoyed and telling them to not do it, they persisted. I say this as a responsible drone owner, that flying a drone near people of sites like this is not ok, even if legal in that country, so please don’t do it.
We wandered back down the hill and I flopped onto my bed and napped most of the afternoon. Tomorrow we head for Georgian wine country!
At Gergeti church
Panorama from Gergeti church
Your panorama shot is so great I’m suspicious it wasn’t taken by a drone :p
A good photographer uses knowledge and skill attained from practise. I’ve seen some people packing some serious and heavy photographic gear and they prob don’t get that great a photo. Some of my inside church photos required a real steady hand or wall to lean on!