And back to the next half of my day1 in beautiful Georgia the country! If you have been following my blog, I previously posted tips about travelling to Georgia if you are coming to Dubai through Holiday Factory and a photo dump of Gori and Uplistsikhe. To be completely honest, I've been getting a lot of great feedback from both and I'm so overwhelmed with the amount of love I've been receiving from the readers, so thank you! This is still part of the tour I have paid which is the travel to Mtskheta, Gori and Uplictsikhe that I booked through David from Holidays Travel Agency.
My first day in Georgia could possibly be one of the longest day in my life - hiking, walking, and visiting monuments and monasteries. As early as now, I'm gonna tell you that I didn't pay that much attention to history but rather the rustic beauty and breath-taking scenery of the Caucasus Mountains.
State Museum Of Stalin
One of the places we have visited is the State Musuem of Joseph Stalin (the leader of the Soviet Union, who was born in Gori), his first cabinet which was transferred from the Kremlin, his home-museum, and wagon of his personal train. The ticket to this museum is not included in the tour package so we had to pay extra 15GEL to get inside. We were able to go through every period of Stalin's stay in Georgia so to speak but the only thing that picked my interest was his wardrobe *inserts smile here*.
Our tour guide mentioned that this mask is the 5th replica of what Stalin may have used during the early years. So eerie.
A few more rustic things (doors, hallways, buildings) that I found while walking around the museum. Doors fascinated me the most when I was in Georgia.
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
After visiting the museum, we were given 2 hours to spend lunch in Gori. I had mine right across the State Museum but I will have to include food on a separate post. We headed to our next destination - Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
This cathedral is just one of the many Orthodox churches in Georgia and is located in the historical town of Mtskheta, 20 km northwest of Tbilisi, the capital of the country. Many tourists visit here as part of their pilgrimage.
Taking photos inside the cathedral is ok but try to limit clicking your camera because there are some locals who are paying respect to the House Of God. Also, our tour guide strongly advise to wear a head cover when going inside. Revealing clothes are also not allowed.
Took 2 shots inside the cathedral and that's it, I immediately went outside (despite the freezing weather) because the view is just wow. Don't believe me? Here it is:
Another jaw dropping view just outside the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Saw mountains, mountains! More rustic things like walls, streets, and abandoned shops are really worth the photograph.
Jvari Monastery
We stayed for less than an hour at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and headed next to Jvari Monastery - our last stop for the day. As always, the road going to the monastery located at the top of the hill is absolutely stunning.
The sixth century Georgian Orthodox monastery near Mtskheta excited me this time. Jvari Monastery, also known as The Mtskheta Church of Holly Cross, is listed as a UNESCO Heritage site. How old is this church? It was completed in 605 AD.
The church keeper selling candles inside the monastery said taking photos is allowed though he refused to have his photo taken. I took one snap when I lit a candle that I bought for 2GEL. I had a different feeling when I was inside the church, something I can't really explain especially when I saw a portrait of The Mother Of Perpetual Help located at the right wing of the church. I felt like crying, really.
Visitors pay respect everywhere, this orthodox church is one the greatest religious sites and a center of pilgrimage for many Christian nations of the Caucasus. Thus, the fleeting feeling of being connected to God just by going inside it.
The wind is really strong in this side of Georgia, you can even hear the howling wind inside the church. Then again, even the strong wind (that scared most of the tourists from our group) didn't stop me from taking pictures of the amazing view from the hill top.
And that, my friends, is how I fell in love with Georgia the country on a rainy day. If you liked my first 3 posts about Georgia, stay tuned as I take you to the beautiful Signaghi (the City of Love) and Gudauri in the next couple of days.
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Photos above were taken and processed by me and is intended for this blog alone. If you intend to use this for commercial OR editorial purposes, please email me at joy.caasi@gmail.com.
I booked my tour (travel to the first capital of Georgia, Mtskheta and to the oldest city carved in a rock – Uplistsikhe) with David through Facebook and email. The price was 49GEL at the time of travel and this includes transfers, a qualified guide, tickets to Uplistsikhe Complex and the tickets to Uplistsikhe Museum. The ticket to Stalin Museum is not included in the package.
Gosh! Another lovely post on Georgia! I think I really have to squeeze a short trip this year.
ReplyDeleteYou really should Lady! The weather at this time is still chilly .☺️
DeleteWow! Super loved the photos! I, myself really fell in love with Georgia when I went there with a friend last Dec 2015. Unfortunately, it was winter when we went there, so it was freaking cold and the whole time, we were shivering. lol.. but it was definitely one of the most memorable and amazing trips I ever had! I vowed to myself that I will really, really come back to explore the whole country - this time, in SUMMER. I want to go paragliding and then visit the other regions too! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your trip.. your photos are really amazing!
There are some spots that I missed as well and will definitely be back soon!
DeleteQuestion po. Pwede po bang i-share niyo po yung itinerary niyo? :) It would be a big help for me since I am planning to travel solo this September.
ReplyDeleteHi @Milka . My itinerary can be found on the full Georgia link, broken down into 4 posts. I suggest if you like to take a route, follow the tour operator's itinerary because they know better. :) September is a good month, just before winter, you should be able to go around the whole country by then.
DeleteHi Ms. Joy. I'm loving your blogs about Georgia. Wala pa man in love na ako sa Georgia. Me and my friend are planning to go there by end of June. May I know who is this David and his contact. 49GEL is really nice deal. We want to DIY and at the same time mag go on tours with this historic sites plan kase namin magpaguide sa areas na nasa blog mo na ito. If may contact ka with this David please share to us. that will be helpful. By the way I'm also coming from Dubai din. while my friend is from Doha. Thanks in advance. :)
ReplyDelete