Caves

We stopped in Kutaisi to walk up to look at Bagrati cathedral and the ruins of the old fortress round it. We were shown the ruined church with no roof from where Jason was reputed to have removed the Golden Fleece. In the cathedral there were a few glittery objects around, being kissed by (mainly) women. A service conducted by a blue-clothed priest was going on in a side room, with people crowding round the door to listen. By the time we left the place was heaving with tour buses.

We drove for 30 minutes along a road shaded with pines, passing through an area were abandoned, often ruined, Soviet Sanatorium were scattered amid woods. It must have been very relaxing back in the day, and now some were being renovated into private hotels.

We got to the Prometheus caves for opening time at 10 am. Alix our guide did well to get us in first as there were bus loads of teenagers arriving. The complex, discovered in 1983, is huge, though only 1.5 km was open to tourists. A walkway wound round taking us through high cathedral like caves with linking walkways.

On leaving a bus took us back to the entrance where we got our minibus. It was 36 degrees when the bus dropped us off back in Kutaisi. We walked through a shady park to find a cafe to sit in the cool for a snack for lunch. Service was very slow, but we got time to walk to the farmers’ market to buy some fruit. In Georgia there is an abundance, but is not served at breakfast or dinner.

Next stop was Gelati for another church, founded by King David the Builder in 1106 in gratitude to god for his victory over the Turks. He also set up an academy there so that youngsters from all walks of life could get an education. To become generals in his army it seems. We saw his grave with an imposing stone over it, and another grave nearby discovered only a few years ago, which may (or may not) contained the body of King Tamar. Yes she was a woman, but in Georgia all rulers were kings regardless of gender. A queen was the wife of a king. I don’t know what King Tamar’s husband’s title was.

By now it was 40 degrees (not normal and they had the bus heater on for the last group 2 weeks ago) and we were wilting, but we had a 3.75 hour drive in the hot minibus to the South Caucasus to Akhaltsikhe. There was aircon but it couldn’t cope. We drove through beautiful wooded hills, passing a town where the Romanovs came twice a year on holiday. There is special mineral water bottled there, available in supermarkets in many countries, and is reputed to be a good hangover cure. In others it’s sold only in a pharmacy- apparently if you drink too much some of its minerals can damage your liver. Sounds like the cure Is worse for you!