It's Warm, Salty and Sour

Asia » Georgia

Woah, slow down there, before you minds all start to wander too far down a path I would not like to go...

Borjomi a beautiful mountain town situated in the south of Georgia. It is famed for its natural spring water which is fizzy, and also by all accounts warm, salty and sour.

Since Borjomi, Carolyn and I have been having a few adventures in Georgia. My lack of Russian and Georgian, my knowledge of the political history here is limited. (phew, I hear you say, or as the Germans say 'poo'. lovely)

One thing that I have seen though is the Tulwee Refugee camp - if Carlsberg made refugee camps! The reason for them being so nice is that the refugees are Georgian (kicked out/ fled from South Ossetia) Georgian post soviet history is one of fracture with Abkazia and South Ossetia in the north now are impassible from Georgia(only from Russian) Georgia tried to regain them last year - hence the war. It did not go well as Russia basically came and mullered them.

Also there is another Autonomous republic in the south west that is still somewhat aligned with Georgia. which is nice otherwise it would be a real pain getting here.

Another interesting fact is that Georgia is 80% mountains - making it stunning most of the time.

It is an Israeli Haven as well, 90% of the backpackers I've met have been Israeli, fancy that.

Stalin was born here in a town called Gori, they are very proud, like Armenia, a lot of things were much fairer and better under communism. Here is a photo of a man going in for the French kiss with Stalin, a bold strategy to win him over, I think the onlookers may have dared him to do it!

So the antics, I think we will go straight to the good stuff. Carolyn and I walked 6hrs up Kazbegi - a stunning mountain up to a glacier. Unfortunately the views were better from lower down and the glacier was a bit of a muddy one.

• 

• 

• 

•