Days 8 and 9 in the Republic of Georgia
On Day 8 of our trip we hiked to the Chalaadi Glacier (approximately 3-hour hike). It was stunning – one of my favorite activities on the trip so far. I felt like I was in the Swiss Alps. After the hike, we walked into town and had a late lunch with a local family in their home. That meal was another extraordinary Supra.
Afterwards, we visited the Museum of Svan National History. This was another small, but excellent museum. Again, I skipped dinner and watched soccer. The rest of the group had dinner at a local’s home with traditional Svan Singers.
On Day 9, (July 2nd), I woke up to my alarm at 4 a.m. so that I could watch the United States play its World Cup match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Thankfully, the USA team won 2-0. After watching the match I went for a run into the town of Mestia. As always, it is lovely to watch a town wake up.
After breakfast our group travelled to Ushguli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A community made up of five small medieval villages located at the head of the Enguri River Gorge, Ushguli is located at an elevation of 7,000 feet, making it one of the highest continuously inhabited settlements in Europe.
Ushguli is not in an accessible location, with the main road to Mestia closed 6 months of the year due to snow. This isolation has preserved many of the villages’ medieval characteristics, including unique defensive tower houses called Svan Towers, built between the 9th and 12th centuries. Because of their preservation and traditional architecture, Ushguli, Mestia, and the surrounding area was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Upon arriving in this beautiful village with its breathtaking backdrop, we took a walking tour of the village, visited a small church with commanding views of the village and walked further to Agra, a local restaurant where we had another amazing meal.
We then boarded our 4-wheel drive vans and travelled back to Mestia and went directly to a 10th century home that is now a museum. Afterwards we took siestas before visiting a 7th century Church with 10th and 12th century frescoes. The Churchkeeper, who gave us the tour was a character. His family has overseen the church for centuries. We then had an evening “light Supra” with the Churchkeeper. He shared his homemade cognac with us and showed us his art studio.
After getting back to the hotel, we celebrated our last evening in the Svaneti region of Georgia and Mestia by enjoying libations and sharing travel stories on the rooftop of our hotel. We all agreed that we will miss this region of Georgia. Mestia is like a mixture of Switzerland with its majestic mountains and hiking, Scotland with its history, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming with its ski resort vibe. What a group and what a trip!
