Borjomi, Part 5: Bakuriani and Back

Kate, Sandy, and I arrived in Bakuriani via Kukushka.

To say Bakuriani was dead is to presume that it sometimes has life. Well, sure it does. In the winter and summer.

In the spring: Nada.

Bakuriani is a ski resort in the winter and in the summer a respite from the heat of Tbilisi.

We had a difficult time finding a restaurant that was open. We just missed, apparently, being able to lunch at the Prego restaurant, but did enjoy the classic Georgian body language of this chef out behind Prego:

Bakuriani, Georgia.

Bakuriani, Georgia.

The above two-part display is a response to my request for permission to take his photo. In Georgian body language, he is saying:

"Of courrrrse! Why wouldn't you want to take a photo of me in my Georgian splendiforousness! I am truly a magnificent representation of the wonder of all things Georgian, am I not?"

When we did find an open restaurant, I liked this page on its menu:

Bakuriani, Georgia.

I've seen "sprats" often on Georgian menus. Don't know what they are. I'm pretty sure the "lard with garlic" refers to small, sliced or chunked portions of cold pork fat. Not the succulent, crispy fat off of a roast ham or pig. No, it's more along the lines of what you imagine whale blubber to be.

I also like the suggestions of what food to order to go with one's vodka or beer rather than the reverse, i.e. what wine to go with the food you plan to order.

There was some mix-up about when we could take a marshrutka from Bakuriani to Tbilisi. Eventually this was cleared up by learning the answer was: You can't. Not today, anyway. That marsh sailed awhile back.

So we had to take a marsh back to Borjomi, and from there take one to Tbilisi. Sandy hoped to take a marshrutka that would return her to Gori. (The marshrutka from Borjomi to Tbilisi would go by Gori and Sandy could take that, but it meant being left off by the highway and having to take a 2nd transportation to Gori center.)

So back to Borjomi we went, at a considerably faster pace than we experienced by Kukushka just a few hours earlier.

Borjomi, Georgia.

A ride on Borjomi's main thoroughfare: 

Upon arrival at Borjomi's marshrutka area, Kate and I pretty much moved seamlessly from one marshrutka to another for our return to Tbilisi. Sandy was told that a marshrutka leaving for Gori would arrive within minutes, only to discover (while Kate and I observed from our seats in the Tbilisi marshrutka) that this marshrutka had actually left while she was receiving this critical information and it was the last to leave for Gori for the day. Sandy decided to get a marshrutka to Khashuri, then a Gori marshrukta from there. 

Kate and I pulled out of Borjomi, leaving Sandy to her fate.

As we neared our Gori drive-by, the overcast skies and recent rain made for beautiful scenes:

Sandy arrived at her destination safely.

Borjomi, Part 4: Kukushka

Borjomi to Bakuriani - Kukushka

There's a narrow-gauge train between Borjomi and Bakuriani. Georgians call it "Kukushka." Every time I say this to Georgians (and til recently, I mispronounced it as Gugushka), they laugh with affection about this little train.

Our plan for the day was to take Kukushka to Bakuriani. So Sandy, Kate, and I made our way out of bed and went in search of something breakfasty. Not a lot of choice in Borjomi on a Sunday morning, but we found fresh-baked, warm bread and pastries out by the marhsrutka and taxi area.

Borjomi actually has two train stations; don't know if the one at Little Park is operational, but we had to go to the one at the edge of town. We took a taxi there.

A woman on the road in a 2nd or 3rd world country is always mindful of the toilet situation. Is there a toilet at the take-off point (i.e. train station, marshrutka area, bus station)? Will there be pit stops along the way to the destination? How long is the trip? Can I have the morning cup of coffee or no? That's one of the things I miss about the U.S. -- when I go out, I go out. No worries about facilities because there's always something available. And if I have to stop the car, then I stop the car.

So anyway, we got to the train station. The actual train depot was locked, and we didn't know if it would open when the train arrived or what. There was a very large, gray Soviet building across the parking lot; it looked vacant, but I saw people wander into the front door.

Borjomi - Kukushka train station market

I took a look and discovered a giant vendor market inside - produce, honey, chacha, wine, cheeses, meats, and clothing and plasticware. I indicated a desire for a toilet and a woman escorted me outside the building and around back to a squat toilet. Cost = 30 or 40 tetri.

Fast forward. Kukushka chug-chugged into the station. Ah, we pay the train employees directly while on the train. There are two cars: One for the proles and one for the bourgeoisie.  One lari for the former and two lari for the latter. Comparison: The bourgeois car has immense windows that are clean. A WC. Comfortable and spacious seats. The prole car has smaller and grim windows. The seats seem more packed together. I couldn't tell if there's a WC.

Kukushka toilet proudly empties directly onto track.

Finding no particular nobility in experiencing the 3-hour ride through the mountains next to grimy windows, I persuaded my comrades (not that it took much persuasion) to pop for the privileged car. I estimated we'd be virtually alone in this car and sure enough, that was the case for the most part. (I'll leave philosophical questions such as why the one-lari car can't also have clean windows to those more erudite than I.)

Borjomi, Georgia. Kukushka. Red car 2 lari. Green car 1 lari.

It was a grand ride to Bakuriani.  Sandy, Kate, and I sprawled wantonly all over "our" car, sitting here and there and moving about as we pleased. How quickly power corrupts.

Secret agent on the Kukushka. Borjomi, Georgia.

Some scenes from our trip:




And live action:

We saw a lot of brown swathes in the forest and wondered why. Logging? A fire? A disease? Insects? I later learned that the Russians peppered the forest with incendiary bombs to destroy the forest.

A lovely trip. Incredible to experience such beauty on a train for so little money.  Thank you, Georgia!  

Borjomi, Part 2: The Walk to the Walk

Having decided to walk to the spring pool in Mineral Spring Park, we got going.

The Mtkvari River runs through town.

Borjomi, Georgia.

Borjomi, Georgia.

Borjomi, Georgia.

Borjomi, Georgia.

In the photo above, you can see a place where people collect spring water. We crossed over the river and got us some. Sulfurous.  

 

Borjomi, Georgia. Entrance to Mineral Spring Park.

The Mineral Spring Park in Borjomi has a number of attractions.

There is a tram, which we took to a nearby bluff with a restaurant and ferris wheel on top.

 

Borjomi, Georgia. Tram station

Borjomi, Georgia. Tram station

Borjomi, Georgia. View of Mineral Spring Park from tram.

Borjomi, Georgia. View from Mineral Spring Park tram.

Borjomi, Georgia. Ferris wheel above Mineral Spring Park.

Borjomi, Georgia. View from Mineral Spring Park tram.

Back on ground, we entered the park. We saw decorative trees, some real, some fake. We saw a wedding party. Statues.

Borjomi - Mineral Spring Park

Borjomi - Mineral Spring Park

Borjomi - Mineral Spring Park

On the pleasing paved path, we passed through a children's amusement park. The last ride was a carnival sort of affair - a pirate ship. At the prow was a lifesize, leering pirate. At the bow was another life-size pirate. In the middle, looking down upon would-be passengers was a woman whose body only went to her hips, as in she had no legs, and who wore a blouse that only covered the top part of her breasts. Completely peculiar. And this is a kiddie ride. An example of Georgia's virgin-whore cultural paradox.

Apropos of nothing, it is a bit disorienting to be in a Georgian restaurant and hear an English-language rap song going on about f**king someone's p***y."

The paved path ended abruptly at the odd pirate ship ride. At this point, we wondered if we were still on track to find the spring pool, so we called the tourist guy, who assured us it was 2.5 kilometers from this point.

Kate decided to sit out the rest of the walk, and Sandy and I carried on. 

We'd been told there was a bit of a problem crossing over some water on the way.  A couple returning from their walk pantomimed having to lift their trouser hems a bit to step through some water.

Unknowingly, Sandy and I were about to embark on a

Borjomi, Part 1: Prelude

Borjomi, Georgia. Spring flowers in Mineral Spring Park.

The plan: A weekend in Borjomi and Bakuriani.

I collected Kate at her guesthouse in Tbilisi and then we went to Didube station to get a marshrutka to Borjomi, where we'd meet up with Sandy, who was coming in from Gori.

The marshrutka fare was 8 lari and the trip took about 2.5 hours.

Borjomi, Georgia. Hotel Victoria

Sandy had already arrived and checked out the Hotel Victoria, which we agreed would be fine.






















Cost was 20 lari per bed. We were in the top floor - the garret - in the Three Little Bears' room. En suite bath, assuming no one used the adjoining bedroom with king-size bed.







Fell in love with Borjomi immediately. Now this was the Georgia I'd had in mind when I signed up last year! Forests, rivers, parks. Shade. Beautiful and interesting architecture.

Across the street from the hotel was a small fairy-tale castle. Vacant and fallen into disrepair. The back of the building, and its second floor, is level with the street we were on. The building's front is on Borjomi's Little Park, with its two stories fully exposed.

Borjomi, Georgia.

Borjomi, Georgia.

On the way to lunch in Little Park, we walked along our hotel street, and then into the park.

We saw an intensely yellow house.

And a many-angled house.

Saw these steps between two houses. Reminded me of Tlaxcala, Mexico.

Borjomi, Georgia.

Steps in Tlaxcala, Mexico.Vecino Church.

Now that I pulled up the photo of the Tlaxcala steps, I don't see the connection so much. Maybe the connection clicked in my mind because Kate and I (and Pam) traveled together on that trip, too.

There was a lovely church courtyard in Little Park.

Borjomi, Georgia.

At lunch (forgettable), we saw this trophy on the restaurant wall, but didn't know what it was.

Walked across the park way to the graceful train station. Loved the play of light and shadow inside.

Borjomi, Georgia. Train station interior.

Borjomi, Georgia. Train station interior.

Borjomi, Georgia. Train station interior.

Borjomi, Georgia. Train station interior.

Borjomi, Georgia. Train station interior.

Borjomi, Georgia. Train station interior.

We poked our heads into the restaurant that shares the train station space. Impressed by the draped fabric beneath the greenhouse ceiling. We made a plan to eat dinner there that night and to listen to promised Georgian music.

Borjomi, Georgia. Restaurant adjacent to train station.

Borjomi, Georgia. Restaurant adjacent to train station.

Finished with lunch, it was time to take a walk.

We visited the information center and decided to go for the walk to the spring pool in Mineral Spring Park rather than for a hike in the national park. Based on other TLGers' experience, it seemed that hikes in the park were fraught with laugh-about-it-later near-disasters, while the walk in the Mineral Spring Park was really pretty, no drama attached.   

Or so we thought. (Note foreshadowing here.)