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| The Caucasus - My Journal |
Last Day in the Paris of the Caucasus
Tbilisi, 7th September
I really didn't do much on my last day in Tbilisi. I took a big walking loop through the town, seeing a few of the corners and sights I hadn't yet been to.
There is a new cathedral at the north end of the city, it's the largest in the country and set in the middle of a vast estate. It was in the traditional Georgian style, so it resembled many of the other churches I'd seen in the country, just a lot newer and a lot bigger. It was actually a very impressive sight and I took a few moments to wander around the interior.
I also (finally) paid a visit to the city's main gallery and museum. The gallery wasn't very impressive, a small and staid collection with the usual communist women tracking you closely to restrict your enjoyment. The museum was half closed, but had some great exhibits. They had an extensive and well presented exhibition on jewellery and gold, the contents to which must've been worth a fortune. Surprisingly, they seemed to watch visitors less here, just a lone security guard, no hordes of middle aged women pestering you.
There was also a small exhibition on Neolithic man that was colourfully and clearly presented (which, from the large number of signs would suggest, was mainly due to heavy investment from BP). I guess it was aimed at kids, but I enjoyed it! For a start, everything was in English, had clear signs and actually helped the visitor to understand a bit more. The sabre-toothed tiger skull was pretty good too!
Not much else happened during the day, and I just passed the time with some of the other guests at the hostels, trading travelling stories and having a few beers. I'd found out where the details of the mashrutkas I would need for my next journey and as I wanted to get the 9am one, it meant an early start, so as the night began to draw it, I decided to head to bed for my last night in Georgia. Tomorrow, I'm off to Azerbaijan!
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To know the road ahead, ask those coming back
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