Tusheti Mountains

For our last excursion in Georgia before our move to Egypt next month, we took off on a three-day jeep tour of one of the most remote regions in the Caucasus Mountains. Tusheti is in northeast Georgia, bordering the Russian regions of Chechnya and Dagestan. It is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles and is about seven hours from Tbilisi. The road is rough and narrow, over the Abano Pass, the highest drive-able mountain pass in Georgia (9,350 ft).

The Tushetians are sheep and cattle herders. During the summer months they keep their animals in the high mountains, but when winter comes they move to the lowlands with their herds. Very few families live year-round in the mountains as the roads are impassable until the snow melts.

While the Tushetians are Christians, by custom they do not eat pork while in Tusheti, but do partake when in Telavi or Tbilisi. 

Except for the jeeps on the ground and the solar panels on the roofs, much of what we saw looks little changed from the 16th century. Enjoy the pictures below.

A Good Stretch of Road -- Wide and Level

Mostly, If You Fall It Is A Long Way Down

It Is About 50 Miles Of This

Waterfalls Everywhere

Lunch Stop Along The Way

Ron, Margaret, Karen, John, Julie with Roman the Guide (in back)

This Is How The Military Gets There

It is notable that most of the buildings are constructed of flat, slate-like stones, without mortar, sometimes with wooden balconies added on.

Typical Tushetian-style Defensive Towers

A Chechen-style Tower -- Narrow With Pointed Top

Through the narrow gorges of Tusheti you find small villages scattered along the mountain sides.

Shenako Village, Where Our Guide Is From

Zemo Omalo Village -- View From Our Guesthouse

Inaccessible By Road -- Hike or Horseback To Get Here

BIG Sheepdogs -- Caucasian Shepherd

Dinner At The Guesthouse

Breakfast

The Church In Shenako

Mountain Flowers Everywhere

In spite of being Christian (Georgian Orthodox), the Tushetians still retain some older customs. The next two photos are of a "holy place" that women are not allowed to approach.

Here are a couple of short videos taken from the car. Neither one really gives you the feeling of how scary this road can be in the rain or when meeting oncoming traffic. But, maybe you can get the idea.

Istanbul Family Reunion (1 of 4)

We're just back in Tbilisi after a week-long vacation in Istanbul with the Pitheys. It was the first family reunion for Julie's family in quite a while. Mom, Rita, and brother Jim with his wife Irma flew in from Los Angeles on Turkish Airlines flight 10 -- one flight and about 12 hours on the plane. Our daughter, Erica, and her husband Giga arrived at the same time from London, and the five of them spent one night in a boutique hotel near Ataturk airport. Julie and I came in the next afternoon and Julie's brother Ed, who lives in Istanbul, met all of us in a van with his whole family; wife Teri, and kids Hannah, Abram. Makenna, and Valor.

It was a long commute over to the Asian side of the city, but we arrived safely at Ed's new apartment where we settled in for a couple of nights. That first afternoon Teri made a great Thanksgiving style dinner with turkey and fixin's.

Teri Making Dinner

Sitting Around the Apartment

Giga Relaxing

Jim & Erica

Grandma Rita at the Apartment

The next day, Saturday, we hiked out to the bus and rode in to Kadıköy where we caught a ferry across the Bosphorus to the European side. At Eminönü we walked through the Spice Bazaar. It was horribly crowded, but we made it out alive with olives, nuts, cheese, and apricots.

Waiting at the Bus Stop

Julie & Erica

Having a Snack at Kadıköy before getting the Boat

Ed & Rita

Snacking at the Spice Bazaar

Shopping Done, Goodies in Hand

A Cup of Turkish Tea on the Ferry

Jim & Irma

Riding the Ferry

Dinner was at a nice cafe where Ed was invited to play the clarinet with the band. We had a sampling of exotic Turkish specialties and a nice relaxing evening. 

Our Dinner Restaurant

Jim, Irma, Giga, Makenna

Erica & John

Julie, Rita, Teri

Ed, Julie, Jim

Ed Playing for his Dinner

Rita & Jim

Short Video of the Restaurant Atmosphere

Easter Sunday we attended services at Ed's church and moved our bags into Taksim. Jim, Irma, Julie and I took up residence for six nights in a two-bedroom apartment on İstiklal Avenue,  and Erica and Giga checked in to the Suzak Residence Hotel nearby. Teri and Rita headed back home while Ed took us to over to his old neighborhood, Kanlıca, and then on to Bebek to his favorite pizza place.

At Church

Riding the Ferry, Again

Monday was our first day of hard-core tourist activities. We started out (John, Julie, Jim, Irma, Erica, Giga) by catching the funicular down from Taksim and the tram to Sultanahmet where we wandered into Topkapi Palace. From there, dodging the carpet salesmen, we picked up Ed and Rita at the tram stop and walked to the Basilica Cistern. Feeding cat food to the fish and wandering among the columns underground made us hungry enough that we had to stop at a nearby cafe for lunch. 

Julie & John

Irma & Palace Guard

Strolling outside the Palace

Rita in the Cistern

Our Lunch Cafe

After lunch we strolled into the Blue Mosque before Ed and Rita headed back home.

Blue Mosque Interior

Blue Mosque Ceiling

Erica, Rita, Giga Outside the Mosque

Julie with Brothers and Mom

The six of us had enough time to wander through the Grand Bazaar, looking and shopping. By the time we finished, we were all on sensory overload and headed back to the apartment where our dinner consisted of cheese, olives, nuts and various other snacks we picked up along the way.

Erica & Giga

Irma & Jim

Julie & John

And... Where's Waldo?

If necessary, click "Older Posts" (below) to see part #2