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| Rustavi barber |
As with the Tbilosoba the weekend before, the actual festival of Rustavi Kalakhoba was only so-so.
First was the maddening uncertainty for two months about which weekend it would be. You'd be damned surprised how many Rustavians I asked, and the answer was the same: "In October." Yes, I got that. Which weekend in October was a mystery.
Was it one day or two days? "One day." Saturday.
I learned on Thursday, maybe Friday that the festival was actually both Saturday and Sunday.
Sandy and I chose Saturday as the big day.
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| Rustavi, Georgia |
We met up with former hostess Nino, along with former neighbors or neighbors of friends, Tia and Tamuna. We wandered around a bit. Some music performed by children and youngish adults. Many booths selling the same things: churchkhela, small toys, a million cotton candy vendors, numerous svardi booths. I had been given to understand that towns from throughout the Kvemo Kartli region would bring the wares they are famous for. I saw very little evidence of this.
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| Rustavi, Georgia |
Inexplicably, about midday, all music stopped and didn't resume til after dark.. . .... OK, I could go on a bit, but I'll cut to the chase. It turns out that Sunday was the really big day for dancers arriving from all over the country and even beyond, such as from the Ukraine. Those regional people bringing their wares? On Sunday.
People, people - it's all about marketing! Sheesh.
Sandy and I, clueless about what Sunday would bring, went to Tbilisi for the day. When I returned, I discovered a killer troupe of traditional Georgian dancers on the stage. The audience was sadly small.
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| Rustavi, Georgia |
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