Day 8 - Wednesday - Good-bye Azerbaijan / Hello Georgia!

 We said good by to our Azerbaijani guide, Rizvan, and our driver, Saymur and headed 2 hours north and west to the Georgian border.

We have had this whole bus to ourselves!

Leaving Azerbaijan

 

Since Georgia does not allow Azerbaijani's to drive across the border, our guide dropped us off at the border crossing and we schlepped all our luggage through passport control (twice in in Azerbaijan) and walked a long narrow cement outside corridor in the hot sun probably a quarter mile before we emerged onto a bridge over a dry riverbed with the Georgian mountains in front of us. Then through customs on the Georgian side, and we met our guide, Tato, and driver, Nukri.

Sandrine, my travel mate!

Silk Worm Farm - After a bit of a drive through the countryside, we stopped at a small village at a woman's house for a visit and for lunch. She has a small menagerie of dogs, cats, guinea fowl, and peacocks. She also grows plants, flowers, and herbs and has a wealth of knowledge of their uses for medicinal purposes. But mostly we went there to see and learn about the silk worms she raises and the cultivates into silk that she spins into thread for weaving into fabric. She then served us our first Georgian meal which included delicacy after delicacy.

Homemade sausage with onion and pomegranate

Almost like tiramisu. The bottom layer was apple!

The walled town of Signaghi. This is the only walled city in Georgia; it's walls were built in the 18th century. The town has recently been improved and positioned as a tourist destination, to much success. 

War Memorial to the Wars Georgia has fought with Russia

WWII Memorial

Names on the WWII Memorial

The bell tower of the Church of St Nino

A copy of the Rublev Icon of the Trinity

Walking along the wall

 We are staying at a "ranch," The Lost Ridge Inn not too far from Signaghi. We had a little cooking class where we made traditional Georgian bread which cooks stuck to the walls of an open fire pit; and sweet treat called Churchkhela which is walnuts strung on a string and coated in a sugary mixture of grape juice and wheat flour.

Making the bread:

Making the Churchkhela:

Georgia is very different from Azerbaijan; at least what we've seen of each country so far.  Here, we are in wine country, and will be visiting a vineyard tomorrow! We are also in the mountains and it is much cooler at night.

Fun Facts: Georgia is 70% mountains, and of those mountains, 50% of them are forested. Georgia has its own language and alphabet which is spoken no where else. And... their language has no gendered pronouns. They don't even have the words "son" or "daughter," only "child." They are a people who are rooted to their land and place for millennia, who have seen dynasties rise and fall. We will barely scratch the surface of this fascinating place and people in the next two weeks. Stay tuned!