Tusheti images by various authors collected by Pridon Beroshvili

pridon-tushet, originally uploaded by grijsz.

See more photos here:

http://www.akhmeta.ge/gal/Tusheti/fototush.htm

Alsan

angler, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Fresh trout

fresh-trout, originally uploaded by grijsz.

Photos of Svaneti's Mountains by Akaki Jobava

Wonderful !

Lets have a break

tush-pferd6, originally uploaded by grijsz.

in Tusheti. I'll be back here in two weeks.

Horses in Khevsureti

IMG_0810.JPG, originally uploaded by Pepela.

Find more photos on Khevsureti at http://khevsureti.blogspot.com

Svaneti by Mira

Swanetia, originally uploaded by mira_dudel.

I found a couple of wonderful photos from Svaneti at Flickr by Mira from Poland. See these and other photos from Georgia and Ukraine here:

http://flickr.com/photos/16569519@N00/page2/

Swanetia-dzwonnica;),
originally uploaded by mira_dudel.

Kvavilievis Kvekhana / Land of Flowers

I do not know, how do you like or not the short videos I included here on this blog. I like very much the contrast between the static html and the moving images with its sounds in that little window.

Here is one of the longest (3min06sec) and biggest in download time so be patient and enjoy a song, wich got already a classic in Georgian Culture: Kvavilevis Kvekhana by Dshalo Bagrationi, performed on a rainy evening in the hospital house of Shaban Niyazov in Kabali by Shakhid Niyazov and one of his sons.

Professional photography from Georgia

I relax most, when Cafe Kala is almost empty. Thats pretty rare. A good time is about 1 pm. Today I ample read my favourite weekly, Georgia Today, and found an interview with the remarkable team of two photographers Sophie Sitwell and Maria Lanevski.

Later the day I remembered the interview and found their website, with much pleasure I surfed through their works: "Georgia is blessed with natural beauty and you can see it when traveling to Khevsureti, Tusheti, Adjara, Racha and so on. You simply cannot stop taking pictures here!" That's absolutely true, but even a beautiful Georgia, would lack something without the wonderful documenting of Sophie and Maria.

Something I enjoyed as much, was a brilliant series of a Ball of the US Marine Corps in Tbilisi, sroll far right: here

Websites:

Cafe Kala http://www.info-tbilisi.com/kala/
Georgia Today http://www.georgiatoday.ge/
Sitwell&Lanevski http://www.photography.ge/

Who knows cheap reliable guesthouses in the Regions of Georgia ?

A lot of backpackers crossing the borders to Georgia but information on reasonable and reliable home stays, small guesthouses, Bed and Breakfasts at local families is very poor.

I am collecting information on possebilities to stay cheap but safe for a night or two in the Regions of the Caucasus.

If you remember telling your Uncle from Mestia or Ozurgheti, that he could easily provide a couple of beds for tourists, please contact me, or post in the comment section.

Please submit also contact details, like Region, Village, Contact person, possible Meeting point, Mobile number and or E-mails.

Please use this form to submit info on a new B&Bs, guesthouses, guest rooms in Georgia



Best regards, Hans

I shiskgei lamunabon

A short Ossetian folksong performed by Shakhid Niyazov from Kabali, Georgia

Dear future German Blog Reader

...something beside the Caucasus

1. Why do have Germans the second biggest top level domain pool in the world,
just next to the .com-top level domain ?

* .com: 51.701.541
* .de: 10.000.000
* .net: 7.676.583
* .uk: 5.039.470
* .org: 4.677.451
* .info: 2.953.088
* .eu: 2.004.764[2]
* .nl: 1.929.767
* .biz: 1.402.182
* .it: 1.162.416
source: Wikipedia.de


Because they like to publish !

2. But why 99% of Internet-Germans do not blog, even do not read blogs ?

Because they do not know, what a RSS-FEED is and what a RSS-READER is, and if they hear about it, they think it is something very tecknologikal and maybe dangerous.

So, how to become a blog reader, maybe short there after a blogger:

1. Install a good webbrowser, f.e. http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/

2. Install a RSS-READER (a little tool, that let your browser follow new posts on any chosen blog) Here how to get one into your Firefox-Webbrowser:

Go to: http://sage.mozdev.org/install/

(You now can install on that page the RSS-Reader SAGE by clicking on: Click here to install)

After install: Shut down your firefox webbrowser and restart your firefox webbrowser !!!

Now, you already can open SAGE (<Click on TOOLS in the top bar of Firefox, then click on SAGE>) , but it is still empty, because you did not bookmark any blog yet.

Go on a good Blog, f.e. http://georgien.blogspot.com

Bookmark this blog (thus let SAGE read that's Blog RSS-feed) by clicking on the sign of the LENS.

When SAGE found 1 or more feeds, just chose one of those, and click YES.

Whenever the writer of http://georgien.blogspot.com wrote in a new post some news on Georgia, your SAGE shows you the existense of the UPDATED blog by showing it in FAT BLACK LETTERS.

So, hit from time to time the RELOAD button in the top of SAGE and he will check your observed blogs on new postings.

Now, you are following multiple regulary updated great individual webpages (called:Blogs) under one wing, under SAGE.

How to find interesting blogs ? Go here and search

http://blogsearch.google.com

And if its a worth cool blog, then don't forget to bookmark that blog in SAGE. (Details above)

>Puhh, I think I should not post this ABC on a Blog ?? ;-)<

If I bored you to death, and this was probably all nonsense, then you will maybe like ideas
like this: A very great post by Robert Scoble on his blog:
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/07/10/the-next-web-is-the-human-web/

Lagodekhis Khevi and an Azerbaijanian Folksong

"Dalap duiashag"
Performed by Shakhid Niyazov and his son, Kabali, Georgia
River: Lagodekhis Khevi, Lagodekhi, Georgia

Shakhid is 29. His father Shaban Niyazov is a Mullah in Kabali. He has 3 sons, speaks 7 languages, works as the trainer of the youth soccer team of Kabali, is a former Turkish Champion in wrestling. Azerbaijanians in Kabali feel as true Azerbaijanians but count Georgia as their homeland.

Breed on car styles in Georgia and Azerbaijan

Breed had his fun in Tbilisi with some public car racings in the City Center of Tbilisi. Shit, that I that day drove away, as I always are in turmoil, when I see the youngsters with their "Street Car Racing Team Georgia"-Stickers thundering 160 in their tuned Ford Fiestas 50 km/h streets...

I could not comment on his wordpress-blog, so instead my short comment here:


Hi Breed,
thank you for your great analyze, and the cool writing skills, wich I would like to have too...
Yes, the Kebabs are also a reason ;-)
Georgian men like beer just as a refreshment, it does not count as alcohol really. There are quite some good beers here, if you stay for a while longer, try the Natakhtari-Beer, I lately prefer this. Have you been on that huge open public beer bar along the Embankment, next to the Beer-factory, where drivers stop and have their beer, next to the Patrol Police ?

Imagine also the 2 different lifes of an average German car, lets say an Opel Vectra. His first 8 or 9 years he spends in a paradise on German streets, good fuel, slow riding, oil and filters perfecto. The second life turns out to be a cars hell: Race speed driving full time, cranking engine, full load, battered tyres and brakes, but still working, what no German garage could believe... it's just so funny...

Best regards, Hans

Lehrbuch der georgischen Sprache vom Helmut Buske Verlag

Neulich habe ich es zum erstenmal in der Hand gehalten und es machte einen sehr guten Eindruck. Das neue Lehrbuch der georgischen Sprache von Lia Abuladze und Andreas Ludden vom Helmut Buske Verlag ist kürzlich erschienen. Für alle Liebhaber georgischer Sprache und Kultur in meinen Augen ein "Muss".



Dazu ergänzt ebenfalls vom Helmut Buske Verlag ganz vortrefflich das Wörterbuch Deutsch-Georgisch und Georgisch-Deutsch von Michael Jelden.

Two very personal reasons to love Georgia, thus Sakartvelo

1st



2nd



Thanks to Peter Bormann, Bern, Suisse
for these nice images ! ...And he also enjoyed Georgian wine:

Tusheti by Ella from Khakhabo

Two images of Tusheti by Ella from village Khakhabo. Thank you, Ella !

Georgians: I search for a reliable guide

I hope, that some Georgians read this blog from time to time...

I search 1. for a reliable guide for Svaneti. It would be good, if this guide is himself a Svan, but not nessecarily, if very familiar with the Svaneti Region and with the local Svans. The guide would lead foreigners for tours between 3 days and two weeks. He should have a basic knowledge of English or German or both. If any interest contact me:

I further would like to meet an experienced teacher of Georgian language, who also does know a good English or German or both to discuss possible tasks to teach foreigners Georgian.

Merciless

A swallow


A swallow


A hedgehog


One of the hundreds of kills of dogs on Georgian roads every day


A nice shot for the boys and a bad one for nature

But there is some hope, at least for maybe the Brown bear in Georgia. He is much in Danger as I posted here
NACRES and Alertis are gathering information on captive bears in Georgia, they will analyze and try to find solutions for this difficult problem. Here is a appeal of assistance by Mr. Irakli Kutsia from NACRES.

Appeal for Assistance: Information Needed On Captive Bears

Dear Colleagues,

NACRES in partnership with ALERTIS is implementing the project – Captive Bear Assessment in Georgia.
The goal of the project is to study the captive bear problem in Georgia, create a comprehensive data base and develop an action plan to address the issue. On behalf of the NACRES I humbly ask you to help us in gathering information about bears kept in cages or other forms of captivity in private homes, parks, gas stations or restaurants in any region or town of Georgia.

In case you have such information, please, be kind to email me directly at irakli.kutsia@nacres.org Please, indicate the location where you found a bear and exact address if possible. Our team will visit the bear, study its condition, interview an owner and put the file into our captive bear data-base, which is being created by NACRES as a first step in trying to help solve this problem. Thank you in advance for your time and cooperation! Your help is greatly appreciated!

Irakli Kutsia
Assistant Program Coordinator Captive Bear Assessment
Project NACRES Tel: 53 71 25
www.nacres.org

...man weiß nie, wo der Tag endet und das Heimweh nach Georgien

...Wie´s halt so ist: Man weiß nie, wo der Tag endet. Am Samstag hatten wir uns nach Borjomi aufgemacht. Da kam der langerwartete Anruf, daß mein Mann (huch?) sein neues Auto am Dienstag in Poti abholen muss. Die Fragen: Ich muß am Dienstag/Mittwoch nachts am Flughafen sein. M. hat nicht soviel Geld dabei, um die Autoabholung zu bezahlen. Wo läßt er seinen alten Lada, wenn er mit dem neuen Auto nach Tbilissi zurückfährt? Haben wir alles mit einer wunderbaren Tour gelöst. Zuerst: Borjomi vergessen. Zu einer Verwandten nach Agara gefahren, dort einen anderen Verwandten aufgelesen, der uns nach Khaschuri gefahren hat und den Lada zurück nach Agara bzw. später nach Tbilissi fahren sollte. In Khashuri sollte am Montag eine andere Verwandte ankommen,- sie hat dort eine Datscha- und Geld mitgebracht. In Agara übernachtet (nach der Supra zum Frühstück; 3 Wodka mit auf den Weg).

Von Khaschuri aus mit dem 02.40-Nachtzug nach Poti gefahren. Sehr interessante Erfahrung,hihi. Zuerst diese Mischung aus Schimmel- und Katzenpissegeruch, die aus der Lüftung strömt und dann morgens nur durch schwüles Sumpfland (da kannte ich Poti noch nicht!). In Poti dann endlich ein Hotel gefunden. Dort ereilte M. um 17.00 Uhr ca. der nächste Anruf: Es sei ein Versehen, außer ihm wurden 30 Leute fälschlich benachrichtigt, daß ihr Auto da sei. Kurz vor Amok! Also getreu unserem Gelöbnis, nie wieder mit diesem Zug zu fahren (kam übrigens nicht von mir zuerst) abends mit dem Bus über Kutaissi nach Agara gefahren.
Sämtliche Verwandte aus dem Bett geklopft, Kaffee/Tee/Wodka abgelehnt und innerhalb von 10 Minuten im Lada gesessen (!!! erstaunlich !) und nach Tbilisi gefahren.ca 01.30 nachts dort angekommen, vor Übermüdung schon schwer sehgestört.

Den Dienstag dann mit Geschenke kaufen und Schwimmen im Tbilissi-See und Abschiedsschmerz verbracht. M.s und mein Handykredit war alle und es fehlte die Energie oder was auch immer, um dich vom Kiosk aus anzurufen. Schade. Nächstes Jahr komme ich aber wieder, für öfter reicht das Buchhändlerinnengehalt leider nicht. Schon das erste mitbekommene Gespräch in der Kölner S-Bahn, geführt von zwei Anzugträgern, handelte von Stellenabbau und wie man den Betriebsrat kleinhält... zur Erklärung: zufällig bin ich auch im Betriebsrat und habe morgen Sitzung. Aber ich versteh das grad nicht mehr. Kulturschock? Kann ich nach nur 3x Georgien etwa schon Heimweh haben? Nein-hatte ich schon nach dem 1. mal 2004. Naja. Es ist jedesmal wieder ein gutes Training für eine bekennende Unspontanikerin wie mich. Ich hoffe, meine Mail war nicht zu lang und unverständlich, das wäre mir ucherchuli (mein neues Lieblingswort).

Ein Auszug aus einer wunderbaren E-mail, mit freundlicher Genehmigung der Autorin Alexia

Greetings from the Caucasus

A meadow near Sno


Village Kanobi (? I am not sure on the name)


Zminda Sameba


Lagasa, Dshuta



Khevsur, Dshuta


Truck, Georgian Military Road at Cross Pass


Summerflowers