Georgia - Tbilsi, Telavi

(Hello from Laos, our first day. Sorry about the delay in up dating the blog. Getting onto the blog site has been a big problem. Blogging in China is illegal - you simply can't get access.)

We stayed in a hotel across from the river from the old part of town. Tbilisi, like most cities in the West (incidentally, Georgia aligns itself with Europe, although strictly in within Europe), has some beautiful statues and sculptures dotted within the city.

We took a walk up the Narikala Route in the hills behind the city and visited the old St Nicholas church. Didn't sent Santa a request though. The old castle has a very steep wall - straigth down to the old town below. Free wi-fi in Cuppochino cafes and pubs along the old town.

City bath (reconstructed from the old site) is to one side of the old town. See picture attached.

Bad news came, Turkmenistan has closed its borders due to swine flu. We ended up staying another night in Tbilisi to plan an alternative route - through Kazakstan.

Visited Telavi, in Kakheti province, where they have been making wine for 6000 years. they called Georgia the Mother of Wine-makers. Naturally, we visited one of the small family vineyard and tasted their wines. The group purchased some 150 litres of various wines ranging from 4 GL to 8 GL per litre (very inexpensive). The family still use the old "bucket" and underground vets technology.

LH in front of an 800-yr old Plane tree in Telavi.