Day 4 Awesome Georgia ( Feb.14,2019)

Day#4 February 14,2019 Thursday

Ila of G7  Euro Travel and Tours LLC our guide met Ruel in the Dunkin Donut shop directly below our apartment veranda. He was advising Ruel to be bundled up for our trip.

Levani our driver looked like a gentler version of Vladimir Putin and was so drawn to Lilli.

We stopped by G7 Euro Travel and Tours office and met Filipino Ghenies, who I later found out was the husband of Geraldine. She and I were communicating back and forth through emails. He hails from Leyte and is very good to deal with.

He gave us lots of good tips.

We had a complimentary dry white wine and some bottled water and snacks for our 2 hour drive up to the Caucasus mountains.

We headed north bound passing the Tbilisi Mall which was to our surprise was already in the outskirts of Tbilisi, something like Mandaluyong to  Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Ila our tour guide was very good in English and I already peppered him with lots of questions.  It was so much  fun having a local tell you about his beautiful place. We learned short words like  “Madloba” to mean Thank you and “Lamazi “to mean beautiful!

As we got off our first stop to look over the Jinvali Dam, he announced it was the perfect spot for a picture. The rays of the sun was behind him, and he bearded and all, really looked like a younger and softer version of  Jim  Caviezel in the Passion of Christ.

I don’t know if it pleased him or not…but later when I asked him if Levani will be offended if I say, he looks like Vladimir Putin, he said, better not mention so perhaps he was not amused as well with the comparison.

I so wanted to have those Russian faux fur Cossack head gear…it made me feel so sophisticated to wear them...hahahaha. 32 Lari was out of the question and so I had to let it go with an ouch.

Ananuri Fortress was another beautiful place. Marcelina was able to ride a chestnut brown horse. She loved it so much!

We then proceeded  with the drive and caught glimpses of snow capped mountains in the distance.

So exciting!

As we neared and neared Gudauri, the houses in various settlements were covered in snow. Icicles forming in the edges of their roof  looked like glass lace  and was such  a sight to behold!

There were so many small vintage cars on the road. 1970’s to even 1960’s models still in good running condition, some even carrying big bulks of produce or farm merchandise on their roofs.

The zigzag up to the resort in Gudauri was slow due to the volume of trucks and other cars trying to get to the top.

It is more than 2500 feet above sea level and the highest peak is 2700.

I was a sorry sight trying to walk on icy paths as we got off the Mazda minivan.

Marina kept teasing me grandma.

Never mind me looking and feeling so awkward, so long I don’t bump my head in a fall.

Getting to the ski lifts was so rush rush. The staff and helpers were so go!go! go!

Riding 2 levels of ski lifts was such a thrill.

If you are not ready...it will push strongly for you to sit heavily on your butt as the speed is quite fast and strong…unlike the cable car ride to Narikala which was more moderate in pace.

I kept laughing and almost crying while the ski lift brought us higher and higher to the mountains…I kept remembering the movie we just watched of the 2010 movie Frozen of  skiers being stranded in a ski lift.

Eow!

Anyhow, our pilots were so brisk in going up the highest peak…we were cold and tense trudging up slowly…we could see gliders lift off…

The wind was strong…the blast of the chute can actually throw you off guard and you could go tumbling down like Jack and Jill…but, the view was so out of this world. The color of the sky so breathtaking.

My youngest was picked to go first. She was positioned at the edge of the cliff. I was behind Marina  more than 15 feet away and Ruel was a bit to our left… glider chutes being unfurled and  readied and positioned all around us.

I was breaking into a sweat in fear and almost hyperventilated…then I saw my baby girl off…she looked so calm and like a pro!

So proud and scared at the same time.

Ruel went next.

Then Marina…and I was left to wait a bit more. 5 gliders went and they promised me my pilot was coming and so he did. He was named George and was a tall strong built man. I guess they had to get me a much bigger person to stabilize my weight or else… the glide would go off balanced perhaps.

They strapped me up. I felt a bag behind me like a piece of trash bag filled with 20 pounds of contents. It turns out it was going to be some kind of a sitting contraption.

They gave me instructions not to sit, “Lady don’t sit, then after sit.”

I was too scared and tense to understand the instruction.

One. Two. Steps…and I lifted my legs since there were no more ground to step on…the two Nepali looking guide gave me disapproving looks and I said to myself…wont I tumble if I tried to step some more when there is just air to step on…that would be disastrous!

Praise God,we were airborne a few seconds later.

Oh my…it was so calming to just let go and let God take over.

The view was so so so so WOW!

My pilot kept telling me to focus the Go Pro cam on me…while I preferred it to get the scenery instead.

It was so wonderful!!!!

It took a bit of an effort to brush away the negative thoughts of worst case scenarios and just enjoy the ride.

I dunno how high we went…but the skiers down the slopes were like 1cm or less tall. So tiny like ants.

Then pilot George asked if I was for the extreme ride…at once I said no!

But, I don’t know, I later got some roller coaster sensation when he twisted and turned the glider side to side…oh its all in the video..and we had so much laughs and stomach cramping viewing it.

I looked like a Chinese New Year Pig in a hammock riding down the mountain slopes.

I was very proud though that I had a smooth and soft landing. Kudos to my pilot!

It was more than 9 minutes of a bit of heaven and a taste of how it is to be an eagle scaling heights only I can dream of in my wildest imaginations.

I kept praising our dear Lord God for this experience and His care and protection.

Alleluia!

Alleluia!

I had to clamber up  a bit of an embankment  upon our landing to get back to safety with the help of two guides…I looked around for Ruel and the girls and when I did see them…I wanted to kneel my jelo like legs  in prayer of thanksgiving. I wanted to kiss the snow covered ground.

We then had lunch in a very interesting restaurant with wooden panels for its bar and interiors.

Ila our guide showed us how to eat Kachapuri with the raw egg. It tasted delicious and thankfully my stomach behaved the rest of the day!

We then proceeded back to the snow and attempted to make a snowman. It was a very weird looking midget of a snowman.

Ila helped Marcelina make snow tunnels and two young Lebanese boys were playing in the snow with them in the snow mound.

Yes, Marcelina and I made snow angels and we had snow ball fight and got some of them in my mouth. It was just like shaved ice for our halo-halo.

It was so fun!

I praise and thank our good Lord for such a wonderful experience!

Alleluia!

Alleluia!

Here are the youtube links to Marina's, Marcelina's, and Ruel's paragliding videos courtesy of X Gudauri.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GksjZ2u4G6I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q75WAOPf5do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHK7J3qNbSI

Day 2 Amazing Georgia ( February 12,2019)

Day Two, February 12,2019

I woke up at past 7am and thought it was much earlier since it was still dark. I busied myself in the cute lime green kitchen. I fried some sunny side up eggs and ham. We brought Sky Flakes to go with the strawberry jam packets from the plane. 

The dome of the church seen from the kitchen window pealed its bells at 8:30am calling the faithful to worship.

Ruel joined me after a few minutes and squeezed the big yellow lemon we bought from the 24 hour market or convenience store ( as we would call it) just around the corner.

After some challenge with the water heater not giving us water right away after 3 people consumed their fill…we ventured out of our apartment with dried hair from the blow dryer. Another first for me since I don’t use one ever.

Ruel was the designated tour designer/planner and hailed a cab which charged us 5 Lari to get to Mother Georgia. The driver kept smoking but gave in to our request to put off his 2^nd stick for us.

A beautiful young tour guide  named Nini with platinum blonde dyed hair with blue streaks approached us with a very warm disposition that we gave in to her offer to take the river cruise before our cable car ride plan. She gave us two discounted rates from 20 Gel per head to 15 per person with Lilli free of charge.

It was fun and very cold. Good thing they offered blankets to cover our legs that were already in 2 layers of clothing. Our cheap gloves were of no use to the 4* temperature which was decidedly going lower each day for our adventure! Ruel and I regretted a bit not taking their offer of red wine in plastic glasses and or coffee or tea.

Cable car was next. It was a short 1 minute ride going up the Narikala Fortress mountain. The view of the Old Tbilisi was wonderful. It was fun to take more photos from the various viewing decks. The curio shops offered a wide array of souvenirs. I got a silver earring in the shape of a spoon and fork. A testament to my battle with the bulge with my big appetite for food.

Lady Georgia was a 65 feet formidable  steel structure. She is holding a wine cup in one hand and a sword in the other as she stands watching over her beautiful land. Later we learn that neighboring Armenia  has a similar statue but…it didn’t have a cup…just a sword.

Going down the trail was quite  an exhilarating and strenuous walk. We were all challenged…but the short stops admiring the shops and homes offered us a welcome break.

Once we were at the foot of the mountain…hawkers enticed us for some much needed food.

The restaurant we were ushered into had two hues of blue as it’s color theme.  The interiors of Seidabadi at #1 Gorgasali St.(Meidan) of Old Tbilisi was so cool to the eyes. Food was good. Waiter was very good in English and professional. Of course, the girls asked for their already favorite Kachapuri ( with raw egg) and Khinkali…but since they offered mostly Azerbaijani food…there was only the pie version of Megruli Kachapuri…so we settled for  it and some 4 kinds meat bbq and and rice with carrots.

The wide glass windows offered us a nice view of the equestrian statue of King Vakhtang Gorgosal of the Metheki church. Marcelina and Marina got a nice view of the river and the busy street with friendly stray dogs walking along with winter clad tourist.

We walked afterwards across one of Tbilisi’s beautiful bridges and to the Metekhi church.

It was a wonderful experience getting inside the Georgian Orthodox church. Touched the grave of St. Shushanik, a 5^th century martyr. I got myself an icon of St. Nino thinking ( due to my not so good eyesight and dim lighting) it was the Lady of Perpetual help…just as well, since we were scheduled to visit her burial ground in Bodbe after our trip to Gudauri.

I believe in serendipity.

We had late evening snacks at the nearby McDonald's. It was another fun experience trying to order food from non English speaking servers and observe people and their interesting menu offering.

It was so inspiring to see patrons clear their tables themselves and throw their trash in the bin stations. Something I wish I would be able to see in my lifetime happening in the Philippines.