ROUTE 2012: Tbilisi
Two different worlds in one country: the province and the capital of Georgia
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"The construction orgasm is evident here. Modern buildings, steel superstructures, air bridges and large parks are springing up everywhere, forming the new face of Tbilisi! You see so many tourists who come from everywhere and visit the city, while Georgians, anxious and hard-working, building their future."
Dimosthenis Loukisas
Διάβασε το άρθρο στα ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ
In the morning of the fifth day, having already spent their first
night in Georgia, Dimosthenis, Tom and Kostas departed
from Batumi to Tbilisi, the longer substation of their
journey: "We started our day with rain and the
first conclusion is that Georgia is full of green! The dense
vegetation and tall trees on the uphill road to Kobuleti, coupled with the continuous rain, remind us
a tropical environment. Very surprising is the fact that many cows
are on the roadside, sometimes in the middle of the road, crossing
it or just sitting there! But we got used to this as it is common
in Georgia. A Georgian friend told us that animals go near the road
because it is warm and there flies do not approaching them. After
almost 7 hours driving our Ford Focus in the most dangerous part of Route
2012, until now, with much traffic and Georgian drivers driving too
aggressively on roads with one lane on each direction, with no
safety rails. Everyone is overtaking in the opposite lane, even
truck drivers. You can suddenly find yourself in a very difficult
situation. A tractor which overtook us in one of our stands, after
a while we saw it being upside down at a cliff, and a little bit
later we saw a truck that had been diverted from the road. We
crossed the whole south country horizontally till reach the capital
and did not see either a desolate place, with nature being so
beautiful. Road signing is good throughout the route so it’s not so
easy to get lost. At noon, after the rain had stopped, we had lunch
in a beautiful tavern in the forest, next to the river that runs
through the city of Zastaphoni. The menu consisted of grilled pork and
veal chops “ala Georgia”, so delicious that we took a second plate.
From there to Tbilisi the landscape changes a bit, with the scars
of the recent war still being felt. Ruins of another civilization
located next to the road just to remind the old days, while the
Russian structures are now a rusty decor. "They are poor,
living in an older time," we think when we see a group of
Georgians swimming in the river. They don’t not speak English but
are willing to understand and help us if they can. Local people set
up makeshift shops in the street and sell everything they can to
make or grow, trying to increase their income. 100 km before
Tbilisi, road is becoming a modern highway and we just begin to
understand a big change. We arrive in Tbilisi at around 6 pm and
when entering the city with the major central roads, we realize
that the Georgians drivers in the town are worse than in the
province. They do not use the lanes, they are wedging in every free
part of the road and generally you see anarchy on their way they
are driving. Priority has the one that manages to penetrate first.
Later, having left our stuff at the hotel, we are going to the
center for a walk and to take some photographs. The construction
orgasm is evident here. Modern buildings, steel superstructures,
air bridges and large parks are springing up everywhere, forming
the new face of Tbilisi! You see so many tourists who come from
everywhere and visit the city, while Georgians, anxious and
hard-working, building their future. Walking in Europa Square, we
meet travelers from Poland, Holland and America and eventually
reached a group together speaking for hours. At two in the morning
our company broke up, wishing we meet again in a future trip."