The Borjomi Effect .

After living in one place for so long you will finally find yourself in a routine of events and habits finally realizing that you are a part of this Georgian population .

Morning as usual starts around 9-11 am when you realize glancing at the wall that you are awake after which you put on some pants and make  it to the kitchen . Eat something easily done and have the newly accostumed traditional-coffee-and-a-cigarette in the morning .The morning is always problem free and the perfect nirvana .

In the noon I find myself on the computer researching psychology or reading something inspiring about travel to keep my spirit up keeping an eye on the hostel at the same time .The 5 o’clock event is what I most wait in a day . At 5 usually something great will happen . I have named it the “Borjomi effect” simply because it needed a random name. At 5 o’clock is the time new tourists usually come or the locals call me out to hang with them or even the neighbor will get me to eat or drink with him in the city or his own home .

Borjomi effect – Something interesting happening happening every day in your routine at the specific time .

The most memorable Borjomi effect happened to me a week ago .I went outside to meet 2 of my Georgian friends and had the traditional beer-on-the-veranda-of-an-abandoned-building sit down with 4 more locals . Always a fun experience . That went around for a few hours until it was time to leave – so I left to the hostel to find myself drinking homemade wine with the neighbor arguing about something politic related .We ended our discussion and he left to pack his things for his trip to a small village . Then the Iranian guy came in and I started drinking red wine with him after which we left to meet his Iranian friends in a Turkish Bar .It took us some time to find it , but we managed it and I met the friendly Iranians .

The Turkish bar was a nice little club where people were playing Turkish-Iranian club music . It was weird to see people dancing from one foot to the other . Completely different from the usual European club where people would dance to the beat – nzzz nzz nzz , puh puh puh .

The Iranians ordered many bottles of their favorite “ABSOLUT VODKA” and soma cola to wash it down . They also ordered a hookah and I just enjoyed the atmosphere . Smoking inside was allowed . The check came back with the price of 174 lari(87 euros) . The Iranian named Muhamed paid for everything .

 

 

 

When it was time to leave the Turkish prostitutes used their last chance to find work . Muhamed made a deal and as I heard them speaking it was 150 lari for 2 boys .So we finally left to sleep at Muhamed’s place . The taxi ride was making my head spin around but everything worked out fine since  I went to sleep immediately after arriving.

I had such a good dream and then puff’ i woke up in an unknown location . reminded me of my younger days . We had our breakfast of pasta and soon I left for the hostel to get a shower and some good hostel-home-sleep .

It was a good adventure .

The legend of the walking traveler .

As I had begun my morning routine drinking coffee and lighting a cigarette I hadn’t noticed the traveler who had opened the door and was nearly 7m away from me . He took me by surprise .

His long brown hair was covered by  a green hat with the bottom part cut out . I could see 3 rastas rising from the hat . He had old red worn out shoes and green dusty pants with a shirt that looked like it had been in use for many , many years …His face was covered by a 2-3 month beard and if you looked closely you could see some wrinkles near his eyes . But nevertheless the eyes were friendly – unbelievably friendly .

He asked for bread while saying that he is from Italy and walked here .I offered him chicken but he immediately refused saying that he is a vegetarian .After some looking around I found a piece of bread that was laying in the corner in the fridge .

I made some tea and found out that the guy was 41 years old and  a walking traveler .He had no money and was traveling to write his books about philosophy and travels .We shared our sories and for a minute It was funny to know that a walking traveler and a hitchhiking traveler were drinking tea talking about traveling .

Hes a vegetarian with no money , no direction and only walks never taking a ride from anyone , without any transport to walk the whole world .He hates to cause any harm to the nature and decided not to use any petrol in any means .

He said that he didn’t like to stay in one place for too long and was on his way out .But since we forgot each others names we introduced ourselves finally .So he left with his last words.

His last words :

Traveler : Your name….Raimond …..Its french . Rai meaning King…Mond meaning (the whole)World .

Me : Not forgetting my last name : Soon …

King of the World Soon .

He left with a smile never to return .

Living In Georgia .

Living and working in the hostel is amazing . I have had the biggest opportunity to meet backpackers and tourist from many different countries .Some come by plane to travel Georgia with a minibus . Some come to travel the mountains and for many Tbilisi is on their way home or to their new destination and need a place to stay .Many many many…Polish people , thats for sure .

They are just normal human beings with the inner craving for for travel .Usually having a weeks worth of facial hair , dirty clothes  and are just happy to finally sleep in a real bed or to have a shower . The hostel becomes a place to relax and regenerate .For me – I feel like a monk who helps people in need ..a savior so to say and it fulfills me .People from France ,Russia ,Belgium ,Austria ,Poland ,Iran ,Azerbaijan ,Turkey and Poland come here to this small hostel …So far I am still the only Estonian who has/is visiting the hostel.

I have been living in this hostel now for 41 days . From those days I have spent 39 in the hostel .How weird it is that the days have gone by so fast .Makes me to know that I have slowly become more fond of the owners who have become my family and the hostel that has given me a place to sleep for so long but the main reason for staying here is because I am waiting for someone .My dear friend in Estonia didn’t get to go to be a volunteer for a year in Bolivia .So speaking with her I proposed to her to come join my travels for a year .She immediately agreed and has already bought the plane ticket to Georgia/Tbilisi . My job is to go get her on the 6th of September at 4 o’clock from Tbilisi Airport .I have already made preparations to buy wine and make her stay here as pleasant as possible since she will be staying at the hostel for a few days before we leave to the dangerous countries where Muslim dictatorship is law .

I have finally settled down . After a week staying in here you get used to everything .

“Learn the basics of the language how to say hello , goodbye ,thank you .

“Know your neighborhood .

“See all the main sights .

“Get used to the food .

….Finally you have little to discover , but I still go further and further to the other parts of the city just to see more .I have found locals to hang out and gotten to know the real Georgians .Found many parts of the city to explore . Mainly by Metro and by foot . Ive went to explore the mountains surrounding the city .Found abandoned buildings to explore.Have gone to taste all kinds of cuisine in many different households and restaurants ..But i love the wine….I just love the wine .No wonder Georgia is well-known for wine .The architecture is amazing but mostly because they have balcony’s everywhere – Thats what makes it special for me . But even if I have explored one place I immediately find another .

I am in Love with this beautiful Tbilisi and I will enjoy it as long as I am here .

Meanwhile In Soviet Tbilisi

In Georgia it is really easy to hitchhike and almost every car driver will definitely , after some time , offer you a cigarette . May you be in the center of capital or in the middle of nowhere – Everywhere there are abandoned houses .

I was set off on the street and I came across my first obstacle …A normal Georgian road .It was unbelievable how many cars were coming from both sides and It was just impossible for me to cross the street . After trying to find an opportunity to cross It I gave up and just started walking up the street with no specific direction . I  even met a hippie on the way and we started talking until our paths separated and he went with these words” Its time to smoke a spliff ” Needless to say I laughed and walked straight ahead to find a place to exchange money . It took me about 5 minutes to find an exchange and the transfer was easy .The Exchange was a small Kiosk and later I found myself surrounded by exchange Kiosks . So my 10 euros turned magically into 20 lari . (1 euro was about 2 lari)

Searching for an ” Internet Cafe ” was hard .As much I heard was that most of them had been shut down and there were only a few left .By asking a few people I finally found a small corner in a back way alley where there was a magical cafe where Computer-Internet-use was possible for a small fee. The 50s something old lady showed me to my computer .

Needless to say I decided on my priorities .

1.Find a hostel

2.Contact my Georgian friend

3.Decide on a new travel Destination

I found a nice hostel in the Internet that was cheap with the cleaning facilities and Internet connection that would come handy .Send an email to my friend and decided that I would finally arrive in India in my travel . I closed the computer and as I left the cafe It started to rain .After walking aimlessly for an hour I finally got help from a policeman who even paid for the metro for me and told  to go to “Medical University” stop . I thanked him and started my journey throughout the old Metro .The metro for my surprise was clean and it was 10-20 meters under the ground . My friend later  told that It was left there from the Soviet times for the military but later used for transportation .People do look  at foreigners weird – Especially me .It seems as if they don’t see blond hair often .But my ride was quick – only about 5 minutes . I was again in the middle of nowhere surrounded by hieroglyphs from the Georgian language

<In Georgia it is possible to “hitchhike” with police cars. Due to the country’s desire to become more European, a major reform of the police was undertaken, affecting also the way the police work and deal with people. You should not be afraid of asking policeman for information or help. Most probably they will help you and even more. The police provide a special type of service – they can deliver you to the address you are asking – for people who are in a position to be harmed or injured, for example when you are a foreigner and traveling alone in Georgia. They can bring you to the address you name or to a hotel. Keep in mind that you will have to fill out and sign a form. It is recommended to use this service in the evenings and nights.>

I did not find the hostel in the Medical University station and I finally ended up in the Old Town with no luck finding the hostel since it didn’t exist anymore .

I found another “Internet cafe” and found information about another hostel with all the facilities I needed and it was cheap . “Tbilisi Old Town Hostel” was my new destination .

Searching for the hostel was useless and I spent hours on it until some people sent me to the right direction.I saw a magical thing . I saw Graffiti saying Old Town Hostel . It started steering me through the small alleys left and right and again left and then right .Seeing more and more graffiti as I arrived closer to the Address .

I ended up in a really small alleyway searching for the hostel .The Last Graffiti was pointing towards the corridor of an old building and I followed the sign without  any other indications of a hostel ever have existed there .

I started knocking on doors . Door 1 , 2 ,3 ,4 ,5 ,6 with no answer until I found the  door number “7” The Magical Door 7 .Somebody finally came to the door – He was a Georgian guy who spoke German so I told him my story how I had come from Estonia to travel one year before starting my years in University and was searching for the hostel . He immediately called his father to pick me up and brought me to  a park near the mountain where two gentleman came to get me . They introduced themselves as Dadek and Mark and showed me to my room where I put my luggage .

LIBERTY HOSTEL WAS MY SAVIOR!

The hostel was a nice place with a big veranda and a homey feeling to it . Mark left me alone with Dadek who I told my story .

In the evening I started talking with them and I really don’t know how I had done it but I became a part of the family and also found myself with the permission to stay in the hostel as long as I want being fed if I helped around for a bit .Basically a job with a place to live in the center of the city . At night we also went to visit the neighbors where I got my first cha-cha(vodka) and vino(wine) experience with the delicious food of Georgian Cuisine .

Everything was perfect .

It was a great adventure to go from having nothing in nowhere to a place to live and eat .

Meanwhile hitchhiking the 10-minute Georgia

Finally I saw the border and I thanked the driver who took me 15 km further from his way to make my life as easy as possible so I would have no trouble hitchhiking on the small road that had very few cars . I stepped off the car and went to the crossing point .

At first you have to show your passport to the guard that is on the Turkish side and then you can start your steps into a small checkpoint where you will get your stamp – I had to wait in between 10 minutes and I was free to leave building to the second checkpoint where the guy also checked my passport for the  stamp .Then I could go to the 3rd and more modern checkpoint where the guard took a good look at my face , made a picture , checked my papers and I was finally  let to Georgia .

On the other side I saw a nice landscape full of trees , hills and the first abandoned buildings on the other side .My plan for the first night in Georgia was to stay at an abandoned building but I couldn’t get sleep in the first abandoned building and the abandoned gas station didn’t seem such a good place either so i decided to walk and hitchhike that took me around 10 minutes .

The first hitchhike in Georgia was a positive one , the Georgian guy in his 60s with his old Lada brought me further maybe 30 km . In his car we didn’t speak much cause like most Georgian people they knew Russian and Georgian  , but somehow we got over the language barrier and he let me off near a cheap hostel in the first small city .As I told him , I didn’t have “Georgian lari” so I continued on foot to get out of the city , find a nice abandoned building and sleep there . Well even though saw a lot of abandoned buildings – destroyed buildings… I didn’t find  one that could have given me shelter for the night so I continued in this cold rain till I got to the other end of the city “The travel took me 2 hours ” .

As I then found a monument and the rain had stopped I tried sleeping infront of the monument while the bushes were giving me little shelter from the rain . I spent there 2 hours and maybe had sleep for 1 hour . It had been so far the worst experience in finding shelter .

I woke up ,  packed my bag and started walking in the direction of the capital while it was still dark .I walked for an hour until I found a normal bus stop with at least a normal roof that would give me shelter from the rain .I set up my sleeping mat and stayed there for the night .”First time in Georgia . First time alone so far away from home …5000km .” those were my last thoughts before falling asleep .

The Morning …

Slowly I opened my eyes to find a Russian guy looking at me …I can understand that completely – Some foreigner sleeping in a bus stop on a mat – Must have been very interesting for him . My first words to make this less awkward were “hello” , “privjet ” and whatever the first words were to come out of my mouth . I told him that I had traveled a long way here and am on my way to wherever life leads me to .After the first contact I offered him some cigarettes that we immediately smoked and started my journey to a new place .So I went to the other side of the road to hitchhike while smiling at him . Soon another Russian guy joined him and they just stood there looking at me making conversation to each other.

It took me 10 minutes to get on a car and the driver seemed very nice so he asked me where I was going – so i told him – I don’t know , Id rather know where you are going  ?

We didn’t have much to talk about so I just looked at the landscape that was amazing : the green nature , the small roads , small farms , lots of caves  , a river by the road and the big hills we were surrounded by . But I didn’t see the whole road . I fell asleep halfway until we arrived to the capital of Georgia  “Tbilisi” .

We said our goodbyes and I stepped of the car in the middle of the city somewhere with no direction , no plans with just the new culture surrounding me and me just standing on the road smiling 🙂 It was 11 am .