Kutaisi was previously Georgia’s second city and an ancient capital, but has been declining since independence and has now been eclipsed in size by Batumi, the flashy, new-money Black Sea resort city. It was not on my list, but Kutaisi’s new life as a budget airline hub brought me here and I was happily surprised… Read More Last Stop: Kutaisi
Georgia-bound, Gyumri slowly receded behind us as the driver picked his way through the potholes. He was an older gentlemen, nattily dressed for our day of driving in slacks and a cardigan. I never got his name, but he reminded me of one of my grandfathers, the same deep-set, slightly sweet scent of tobacco around… Read More Far Corners of a Small Country
Like any activity, travel carries calculated risks. I weigh costs, time and safety against the places I go, researching in an effort to inform myself ahead of time. Ultimately though nothing can quite prepare for the experience on the ground in a new place. Here I’ve had more luck over the years than I ever… Read More Hits and Misses
Everything had gone according to plan. A pleasant English-speaking Georgian at the train window sold me my berth, the equivalent of first class, on the train that would take me out of Tbilisi, across the border to Armenia, and ultimately deposit me in Yerevan in the early morning. The big remaining question: would I have… Read More Yerevan the Eternal
Well I broke down and took a tour. I’ve prided myself for many years on being an independent traveler, getting from point to point by taking whatever inconvenient bus is plodding along the side of the road. In the end, at least in Georgia, its too much damned work and instead of hunting down some… Read More Deconstructing Iosif Dzhugashvili
Honestly I had only a vague notion of what Georgia (the country, not the state) would be like. Friendly people, pretty countryside, good food. All this was gleaned secondhand at best through friends who had visited in years past, or from more distant sources like Lonely Planet. But the impression given was a good one… Read More Sakartvelo on My Mind
Zak Abroad 