Category: 2017 Father Son in Georgia
Joseph and I travelled to Georgia for a father/son adventure featuring some trekking in the Svaneti region in the Caucasus.
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THE FATHER/SON ADVENTURE DRAWS TO A CLOSE
DAY 26. Tbilisi International Airport. There is nothing more important in my life than my wife and son. And nothing more valuable to me than having quality time with Padma and Joseph. Padma and I have had 24 years of quality time together but having quality time with Joseph has been elusive. It isn’t easy being a father. For 20 years Joseph has probably only known me as the mean old ogre who is always yelling at him to get out of bed, finish his homework or take out the rubbish.…
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MADLOBA, GEORGIA
DAY 26. Tbilisi. Our last day in Georgia has been very special. Tiko invited us to her home and to meet her parents. This was special for Joseph as he could personally thank Tiko’s mother, Marian, who provided the motherly advice to help Joe overcome his bout with food poisoning. We were surprised to find Tiko’s 84-year-old father, Zarobi, at home. He is a maize breeder and refuses to retire. Every day he travels to the research centre to work in the fields to improve the maize hybrids that he has…
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BATUMI
From the Greater Caucasus we travelled to the Black Sea. Joseph was keen to hear some good music during the Black Sea Jazz Festival but due to our fluid, i.e. always changing, plans by the time we got around to booking all of the performances were sold out. But we wanted to check out Batumi anyway and get a taste of the Black Sea. Batumi is Georgia’s primary sea resort but it was never intended to be. For much of its history it has been an important shipping port, while Georgia’s…
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JOSEPH’S GUARDIAN ANGEL
Day 24. Tbilisi. Getting sick while on holidays isn’t much fun. But falling ill in a foreign land where you are language challenged is downright terrifying. So when Joseph started vomiting last night I had a far bit of cause for concern. Joseph’s body started revolting around 11 pm and he made hourly dashes to the toilet all night to spew. I suspected food poisoning but I knew I had eaten exactly the same food as Joe that day and I felt fine. In the morning, I messaged Hans in Switzerland…
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THE TREK TO USHGULI
Joseph, Hans and I embarked on a five-day trek from Mestia to Ushguli. The trek winds through Georgia’s stunning Svaneti region, revealing snow-capped peaks, medieval stone towers and remote mountain villages. Each day we discovered breathtaking alpine views, lush valleys, and rich cultural encounters, culminating in Ushguli, Europe’s highest inhabited village and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Within the first hour of our trek we met school teachers, Matt and Alba, who walked at our same pace and joined us for the entire journey. Day 1: Mestia to Chvabiani Distance: About…
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ACCLIMATING IN MESTIA
DAY 11. Tbilisi to Mestia. We enlisted our friend, Kaxa, to drive us from Tbilisi to Mestia, which lies deep in the Caucasus Mountains. The drive from Tbilisi to Zugdidi passed through agricultural land and forests but things got really exciting once we drove out of Zugdidi and started heading up to the mountains. The road follows the Enguri River and at first passes small landholdings with agriculturally rich gardens. It then passes through incredibly rugged conifer and mixed deciduous forests. Initially I asked Kaxa to stop for photos but I…
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EXPLORING TBILISI … AGAIN
Joseph and I traveled to Georgia from 7 July to 1 August 2017 for a father/son adventure featuring some trekking in the Svaneti region in the Caucasus and exploring Tbilisi, Kazbegi and Batumi. This is Part 3. Return to Tbilisi DAY 7. Tbilisi. After a few days in the northern town of Kazbegi, we returned to Tbilisi for the weekend before setting out for Svaneti, a region deep in the Caucasus. I wanted to stretch my legs at dusk and climbed up Narikala Hill to get a view of the city…
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THE JOURNEY TO THE RUSSIAN BORDER
Joseph and I traveled to Georgia from 7 July to 1 August 2017 for a father/son adventure featuring some trekking in the Svaneti region in the Caucasus and exploring Tbilisi, Kazbegi and Batumi. This is Part 2. The journey to the Russian border DAY 5. Tbilisi to Kazbegi. Mike introduces a guest to the ‘Mike and Joe Go to Georgia’ show. If you could only hear Khakha in our crappy audio you would hear about fascinating city of Mtskheta and the sixth century (we got it wrong in the video) Jvari…
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EXPLORING TBILISI
Joseph and I traveled to Georgia from 7 July to 1 August 2017 for a father/son adventure featuring some trekking in the Svaneti region in the Caucasus and exploring Tbilisi, Kazbegi and Batumi This is Part 1. Tbilisi. DAY 1. Departure from Adelaide. The beginning. Joseph and I depart on our long awaited father/son adventure and I bid adieu to my home of 22 years. Farewell Adelaide. DAY 2. Doha to Tbilisi. We arrive in Georgia … but not the Georgia you’re thinking of. DAY 3. Tbilisi. Joe and I discover…
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