Georgian Soul--July 1-2

July 1--Mtskheta

Mike the driver arrives at my hotel bright and early for today's excursion. I thought it might be fun to head to the mountains in Georgia's far north along the Russian border--a really interesting area where in the early 20th century, men walked around wearing swords--but that trip needs at least a few days to do it justice.

Instead, we go to Mtskheta, the cradle of Georgian civilization. High on a hill is Jvari, a 6th-century church that is the center point of Georgian spirituality. Indeed, buses are creaking up the hill, full of worshippers.

Jvari

The highest of the high saints around here is Nino, a former slave girl who saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in the 4th century and through her various miracles persuaded the population of the area to convert to Christianity--the 2nd "nation" to do so.

Out in their Sunday best.

Down the hill is Sveti-Tskhovel Cathedral, Georgia's largest, and where, allegedly, Christ's robe was buried.

Making a living appealing to the pious.

Sveti-Tskhovel Cathedral

July 2--A Walk in Tbilisi

Tbilisi has enormous potential. Cosmopolitan, I guess some people would describe it: Streets are lined with big leafy trees, cafes, shops, friendly people, plenty of cultural activities, an old town with some charming architecture that is barely surviving. My hotel room is very comfy, and even has 600-channel satellite TV, of which 200 channels are devoted to Arab porn.

Rustaveli, Tbilisi's main drag.

God, they're even here.

Long ago, Tbilisi was a stop along a minor branch of the Silk Road (a more major route was south of here through Iran and Baghdad). Various empires conquered and ruled, the last being the Russians. A Soviet massacre in 1989, a civil war, a refugee crisis with Abkhazia, and an earthquake in 2002 have each left a mark on what nearly is a very pretty city.

I walk the main streets, which are somewhat of a facade to the ramshackleness that lies behind. With all the NGOs (non-government organizations) buzzing about, making their reports and having their lunches at the Marriott, far more constructive would be someone donating some plaster, paint, and weed whackers to fix things up.

A typical house that would be terrific if someone put some tlc in it.

This house is broken in half, and people are living in it.

Time to leave this Internet cafe--some plaster just fell down on me. Off to Azerbaijan tomorrow.