Exploring Göreme + Free Therapy Session

Tags

Cappadocia, Culture, Göreme, Travel, Turkey, Vacation, Wanderlust

Have you ever found yourself in a therapy session that you did not ask for nor are getting paid to offer? Well, I have a story on that I’ll tell you about later. We set out to explore the city of Göreme. Making our way downtown, we came across this surprisingly beautiful café with the most colourful sitting area I have ever seen. All the tables were white as well as the flowers, while the flower pots were all these different shades of pink with chairs that brought life to the place. Typical of us, we just had to stop and snap a few pictures here and there.

Of course, our plan was to wander around as we tried to locate the historic parts of this city along with any beautiful spots. We had no map or sense of direction-and that was the fun of it. Few meters up the café we spotted a high cliff from which we were sure we would have a perfect view of the whole of Goreme. We hiked up this slippery way to the cave houses that Judy refused to enter because they looked occupied. It was clear someone lived there or made frequent visits owing to the presence of household merchandise that could be seen from the window (yes I peeped). We followed different trails that wound through the valleys and hilly cave routes and there were all these pebbles and tiny rocks that made it so hard to go further up so we took a different turn and found ourselves at this expansive vine field that looked like someone’s farm. There were two options here – either go back and risk slipping down the rocky caves or run across the field and figure out whether a route exists on the other side. Across the field, an ATV bike leaving a cloud of dust behind made it easy for us to decide and that’s how we found ourselves in a picture-perfect landscape.

Rose Valley is adjacent to Red Valley and they both offer this stunning scenery of different rock formations as well as a view of the city. You could see the fairy chimneys, pigeon houses and mushroom-like rock formation paired with the cascades of colour on the rocks accentuated by the sunny day that made it look like a scene from a movie, only this one was far much better. It may seem like one is in the middle of nowhere while walking through but once you reach the top of any of the caves or hills, one is awarded with a view of the city below which offers some sense of comfort as one looks at the civilization and life going on below.

Up and down we walked enjoying our chit chat and laughter, constantly telling each other how unbelievably beautiful our views were. In every valley or stopover, one thing was consistent-The famous wish tree (or evil eye tree). Okay maybe not famous since we didn’t know about until our visit to Cappadocia. But this evil eye tree is very symbolic among the people of Cappadocia. Although there were several wish trees, there was one that had a tree of pots right next to it and a ranch of horses further below.

I can’t tell you how many pictures we took with different strangers at this particular tree and along the way. It doesn’t help that most of them couldn’t speak English but they all wanted to have memories with this pair of melanin craziness. You should see the with crazy poses we had and how we had to improvise. We were having fun, it oozed out of us. The joy was undeniable and I’d like to think that our energy is what attracted all those strangers to our space. (I suspect Judy has a crazy blog post on this coming up soon-be on the lookout

It helped that it was the beginning of winter so it wasn’t uncomfortably hot or unbearably cold and no one to dictate our pace made us enjoy exploring Goreme even more. It also helped that Judy is an adventurous soul who was willing to go with the flow and let the day take its course. She’s the kind of person who likes having an itinerary or knowing what to expect while I’m the opposite of that, I don’t make plans and discover my way at the destination yet we somehow made it work. We definitely explored Goreme inside out and by the end of the day, we can say we were officially locals-I mean we could name streets already lol!

 Now here is the interesting therapy session experience we had on this day that Judy still bursts out with laughter when she hears of a carriage or horses! As we were trying to figure out where to start with our exploration escapades that morning, we located a beautiful carriage by the road. We felt it was a beautiful insta-worthy view so we decided to do some justice.  As we were enjoying our little photoshoot, Adam, who was the owner of the horses walked to us. With a great smile, he offered to take pictures of us. As we were leaving, Adam requested that we could linkup with him after we were done with our activities that evening…

The free therapy session happened so fast. Neither Judy nor I saw it coming – We’re at a restaurant enjoying dinner. Across the table is Adam the horseman. We are having a great conversation about life and travel in general and everyone seems to be enjoying the moment. All over a sudden, Adam starts pouring out his heart, or so we thought. The conversation is taking an unexpected turn. Perhaps I should back up a little. Earlier when we met the horseman as we were taking pictures, he struck up a conversation with us being all nice and polite. So how did we get to this emotional heart pour? Wait did we wrong him?

Mr. Horseman is now consumed about my engagement and how the mister and I are making it work – I had told him earlier that I was engaged. My fiancé is supposedly Turkish, who visits me in Kenya every two or three months and we’re in the process of dowry payments before we start planning the wedding.

He tells us that he’s looking to settle down and would like a Kenyan lady and we tell him we have a younger sister who might be fit for him. Judy and I are twins. 😊 He’s already made it clear that he doesn’t like Judy (Judy is a handful and trouble), which is fine by us. I engage him anyway and turns out he is divorced (oh wow what do we even say to him? Do we ask him about his divorce and family? Do we tell him sorry that happened to him and change the topic?) Judy and I are curious, we want to get an idea of why this man who was all cheerful is sad and emotional. But again, It’s almost 8pm. We’re tired from walking around all day and this is the last thing we need. We have some wine we’re looking forward to indulging in in our hotel room. He gets all emotional almost shedding tears and says he doesn’t want to talk about it. I let it slide but he brings it up again. He’s talking about how girls from university like partying and what not but somewhere along the way the conversation takes a swift turn to how he doesn’t like being used and his kids were snatched from him. He calls one of the waiters and they have a hushed conversation in Turkish. He turns back to us with his voice getting shaky like someone who’s about to start sobbing. It’s already getting awkward and we’re ready to bounce. We ask for our bill, pay and leave for our hotel.

Love,

Joy

 

haha Joy has the most hilarious poses yet.

Oh hey, we see you.

Joy, when are you releasing your gospel song?

ooops now she is blauhing!

Judy…what’s on the ground though?

Joy  enjoying her views

Goreme open air museum

Day 2: Drifting Across the Skies of Cappadocia, Turkey

Tags

Cappadocia, Hot Air Balloon Ride, Mushroom Fairy Chimneys, Nevşehir Turkey, Travel, Turkey, Vacation, Wanderlust

This is it…. this was the day. The day that I had been looking forward to. The day I had been praying for, the day that I wanted nothing but for everything to go well and the weather to be perfect- I just wanted a fantastic day. This was to be the highlight of our trip to Cappadocia.

On this day I heard one mission- to enjoy the wonders of nature from a new and unique perspective. I had been seeking a unique combination of exhilaration and serenity for a very long time and on this day, I was prepared to let go of any fear, concerns and personal battles that had been weighing me down, I wanted to go up, up and away, I wanted to drift gently across Cappadocia’s stunning land formations at anything up to 5,000 feet. I was ready to take to the skies through one iconic way-The hot air balloon ride.

My day started at 5 am. I was picked from my hotel around 5.30 am by Ürgüp Balloons and headed to the meetup point where we joined a larger group of other thrill seekers. We had breakfast and after a little chit chat here and there, we were divided into several small groups based on the colour of stickers that were handed to us during our pickup from the hotel. We then headed to our take off destination at around 6.00 am. Yes, we wanted to witness the Hot Air balloon set up process but most importantly we wanted to catch the sunrise!

 After some minutes of unfurling and inflation, the balloon was ready. Into the basket we hopped.  We were set for take-off.

As we ascended, I realized I have never felt like this… I felt light, I felt butterflies, adrenaline rush… I felt fulfilled.  Here I was doing an activity that I had been dreaming about. I felt like for once I was doing something right in my life.

I may have been up on a Fixed Grip Chairlifts over the snow topped mountains of Georgia but I have never seen anything close to this.

We gracefully rose over the peaceful charming geological rock formations of Cappadocia, up to the skies and down, beautifully navigating through the entire picturesque fairy chimneys, the valleys scattered with pigeon houses, orchards and vineyards that formed a spectacular and surreal landscape  below us,  leaving us hypnotised.

The different colours of the diversified landscape along with the sight of other glowing balloons gently rising into the sky as the sun began to peak over the horizon was breathless. Everything from gracefully floating through the sky with a stunning panoramic view of Cappadocia to the bird’s eye view of the beautiful land formations below was simply mesmerising! An utterly sublime gift idea to gift oneself.

Our thrilling journey lasted about an hour before touching back down. Upon landing, we had a

-Champagne Toast

– A Beautiful Gift Set

-A souvenir medal and

– A personalised Flight Certificate

A Hot Air Balloon Ride is an experience that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. Escape the crowds and experience the thrill of seeing the world from above by taking to the skies. If you can, do it alone (no friends, no partners, no family). You also need to soak in and absorb every single moment of the ride without any distraction. It is a fantastic way to reboot your brain, enhance your relationships, and even make yourself more productive! Also, Joy “ditched me” and did the balloon ride solo on her first day in Cappadocia-prior to my arrival meaning I did this activity alone.

However, Joy and I explored Göreme together later that afternoon and it was hilarious! Check out my next post for a giggle.  Also, I felt that My Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Experience is more deserving of its own post, hence the post split.

 

Lots of Love

xx

Day 1: The Gorgeous, Enigmatic Cappadocia Red Tour

Tags

Avanos, Cappadocia, Culture, Devrent Valley, Friendship, Göreme, Monk’s Valley, Mushroom Fairy Chimneys, Nevşehir Turkey, Pasabag, Red Tour, Tourism, Travel, Turkey, Vacation, Wanderlust

 

I arrived in Nevşehir Turkey at 9 am meaning I had the privilege of seeing a lot of magical formations through a bird’s eye view. If you read my previous post then you can tell that this is one wish come true!

Before travelling to Cappadocia, Joy planned our activities for the entire stay in Cappadocia. Since her first destination was Istanbul, she was lucky enough to meet a tours and travels company that offered us a great package at an amazing fee.

I am one who loves to pre-plan my trip’s activities to avoid missing out on what’s fun and important but with this trip the idea was to be as random as possible and do most of the things by ourselves.

Upon arrival in Nevşehir, I was picked from the airport and directly headed out to our Day 1 activity –The Red Tour. I was to meet the rest of the people along the way since I arrived in Göreme  at around 11 am. And sure, thing I had the best welcome surprise; they had Joy hiding in the tour van- kind of and I must admit seeing her after almost 10 years was all sorts of exciting along with a sense of ease and peace. This moment had been a long way coming and we were happy to grace the van’s silence with giggles and fits of laughter!!! Clearly, no distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other’s worth!

Joy and I picked the Red Tour mainly because we had an interest in the famous Pasabag – Monks Valley and Devrent Valley. However, the package covered most attraction sites on the Northern part of Cappadocia with our first stop was at the Avanos- Sultan Ceramic Pottery workshop, then to Devrent Valley and finally Pasabag/Monk’s valley.

Avanos Pottery workshop

 

Let’s just say that Sultan Ceramics in Avanos is the place to be if you are one who spends a reasonable amount of time in your kitchen and you love to host.

 

As it is a culture in Qatar to host guests and friends especially among locals, I have always seen beautiful earthenware variations in stores. Turkey has always topped the list in beautiful earthenware production so I was here at the Sultan Ceramics Pottery to marvel and learn one or two things about pottery in the Turkish culture.

The Ceramics Pottery workshop which is located in the old city of Avanos, whose name in ancient times was Venessa overlooks the longest river of Turkey, the Kızılırmak (Red River), that also separates Avanos from the rest of Cappadocia.

The city of Avanos is basically famous because of its production of earthenware pottery. The ceramic trade in this district and its countless pottery factories date right back to the Hittites, and the ceramic clay from the red silt of the Kızılırmak has always been used.

 

During our tour at the pottery, we were lucky to learn a lot about the ceramic production process, how quartz is incorporated in the production of certain ceramics, the firing process, the colouring and glazing process which is done by hand.

 

Lucky were we to also watch the potters at work using the kick wheel, a technique that has not changed over its generations.  As it is known, Turquoise is a very precious and significant stone in turkey and this pottery had a specific luxurious collection that was alluring due to its turquoise colour and design.

Although photography is restricted inside the pottery, I can assure you that this collection was more than welcoming. My favourite selection, besides the turquoise one was the of items like the wall clock and wall décor that had moon powder incorporated in them during their production making them glow in the dark-how cool!

According to the potters, the Hittite designs which originate from the Hittite era are very important to Cappadocia and the natural Hittite wine/water jug is termed as one of the city’s main ancient historical symbol.

 

Devrent Valley

 Hey Look: It’s a seated camel!

Devrent Valley

 

 

This valley to me is still bewildering- it’s like a gorgeous puzzle. To date I still can’t believe how rocks can naturally form into such unusual shapes. Looking at those fantastic shapes felt like gazing at the stars! So beautiful yet enigmatic. The valley resembles a sculpture zoo made by nature with various animal shaped rocks.

 

Devrent valley also nicknamed as ‘Imagination Valley’ locally, has some of the best formed and most thickly clustered rocks in Cappadocia. We were able to see prominent rock animal shapes of a camel, snake, seal, and dolphin. There was also one rock pillar which resembled Virgin Mary, holding Jesus Christ (I don’t know if my imagination was running too wild but I saw it).

 

 

From out tour guide I was able to learn that most of the rosy rock cones were covered on the top by flat, dark stones from harder rock in order to shelter the cones from the rain. This resulted to a process called differential erosion as the surrounding rock was eaten away, leaving the sheltered parts.

 I am still in awe!!

 

Pasabag / Monk’s Valley (The Mushroom Shaped Fairy Chimneys)

 

hey Joy…we made it!

This valley is one of the reasons why I even travelled to Cappadocia! Yes, just to see rocks lol.

 Famed for its three-mushroom shaped fairy chimneys, Pasabag, or ‘Pasha’s Vineyard’ is basically a place that I would best describe as out of this world!

Adorned by the enchanting landscape and stunning earth pillars located within a vineyard, these unusual rock formations got their name: The fairy chimneys, from the early inhabitants of Cappadocia who believed that these were the chimneys for the fairies who lived under the ground.

This site which is also called Monks Valley carries the most famous natural beauty and symbol of Urgüp Valley. The name Monks Valley was derived from some cones carved in tuff stones which stand apart.

Pasabag / Monk’s Valley (The Mushroom Shaped Fairy Chimneys)

The mushroom shaped fairy chimneys sheltered a number of cave dwellings and chapels once used by Christian hermits. The most prominent of which is a tri-level chapel dedicated to St. Simeon (Simon) and a hermit’s shelter, built into one of the fairy chimneys with three conical heads. The entrance of the cell is decorated with antithetical crosses.

A little play…ha!

Fairy Chimneys/Pasabag

 

 

Göreme Open Air Museum

 The Göreme  Open Air Museum was also part of the tour but I missed out since the rest of my ‘tour mates’ explored it prior to my arrival.  Joy and I decided to explore it the next day (Day 2) as we figured it would be a fun way to spend time just the two of us as we catch up. See my next post on how our Day 2 unfolded…

Lots of Love

XX

 

Sultan’s Pottery

Hittite Wine Jug

Sultan’s Ceramic Display

A little something we saw the potter make.

Devrent Valley…I play too Much!

Making Joy do funny poses

Devrent Valley

Outside Sultan’s Pottery

We are trying to steal shots and Joy is enjoying it

Pasabag / Monk’s Valley (The Mushroom Shaped Fairy Chimneys)

Pasabag / Monk’s Valley (The Mushroom Shaped Fairy Chimneys)

I can see you!

Let’s Explore Turkey: Cappadocia

Tags

Cappadocia, Doha, Qatar, Tourism, Travel, Turkey, Turkey Nevşehir, Vacation, Wanderlust

I am in love with cities I haven’t been to…. literary!

I visualize their beauty…the hidden gems within the culture of different people living in such cities and how fulfilling and exhilarating it would be if I ended up there. Will they wow me or disappoint?

Unlike meeting new people, a new city cannot speak, therefore I am elated by how I have to learn about it more slowly and methodically. How I have to find out the hot spots, which sides to avoid, the best places to eat and socialize. I question everything about such new cities just as I would question a new beau on our first date, all in the desire to learn every nook and cranny of its being.

Turkey’s Nevşehir was one of those cities-Cappadocia to be specific. I had been fantasizing how whole I would feel if I found myself amidst the fairy chimneys or even experienced a simple bird’s-eye view!

How did I even get to know about this destination? Well, my very good friend Joy who I learnt is as spontaneous as I am with a thrill for random unique destinations casually brought it up. And the moment I hit Google and saw how dreamy this place was, I knew I had to go explore each and every corner of Cappadocia.

I couldn’t believe the beautiful formation that looked like they were sculptured by man. How could nature create such perfectly beautiful land formations? I just want to go connect with this fascinating occurrence! I already knew the air there felt and smelled different…

My mind was set and although the planning wasn’t the easiest particularly due to the fact that my Qatar Resident permit was almost expired, I aced it…got my visa and was Cappadocia ready!!! What was more exciting about this trip, besides the dreamy fairy chimneys and fresh air is that my girl Joy was coming along. How insane!! Don’t you smell trouble?!

Our days in Cappadocia were just surreal…exciting…and full of adventure. We explored some places by ourselves and opted for day tours to some destinations.  In details I will share our entire experience from the day I landed in Cappadocia Turkey to how I ended up in Istanbul. And of course, there is an exciting post on How we became an attraction site in Cappadocia literally!

Look out for my next post on Cappadocia Red Tour.

Lots of Love

XX

Oh No… I Am Ageing!

Yeah not news but it is defiantly scary!

What a way to break the silence.

 

Okay right now as I am writing this post, I am seated waiting to board on my way for a quick vacation.

What prompted me to write instead on breathing in and just relaxing since it’s vacation time? Well my sore feet triggered this article. Okay not triggered…. inspired.

If you are familiar with Qatar’s Hamad international Airport, then u have an idea why my feet are on fire literally.

A quick walk from departures to c24 feels like going up Mt. Kenya. What’s interesting is I gym 3-5 days a week so I am supposed to be fit right? I am equally surprised. Not to mention I get the same feeling of exhaustion when I run on the treadmill.

 

Anybody figured out what causes this feeling? Or am I ageing already?

 

Share your remedies and look out for my next post about my exciting trip!

 

Lots of love

XX

 

Embracing Qatar’s Cultural Diversity

Tags

Arabic Bread, Arabic Culture, Culture, Diaspora, Doha, Facts, Food, Identity, Kuboos, Life, Pita Bread, Qatar, Qatar Cultural Diversity, Qatar Culture, Traditional Arabic Culture, Travel

I remember how mama would smack me hard for attempting to touch food with my bare hands. Growing up proper etiquette was no bargain. When it came to handling food, etiquette rules etc both my parents were stern.  Days with my dad meant washing your hands every second-there is no one I know who is as thorough as my dad when it comes to washing hands (whether he is handling food or not). There is no one I know who gets as worked up as my mum when you mishandle food in her presence or better put attempt to touch her food with your bare hands. Such are a few traits that I seem to have inherited . I wash my hands countless times a day… I get sad if someone tries to hand me food touched by their bare hands…I thoroughly clean my cutlery etc etc.

Shocked was I when I moved to this part of the world and on the first week of my new job someone was kind enough to treat us to homemade sweets. Surprisingly everyone in the office was comfortable with dipping their hands into the bowl of sweets and touching a number of sweets as they tried to identify  what seemed more appealing-there was no serving spoon in sight. Then on a different occasion we had pot luck and we all had to dig in (literally) and eat from the same plate. Yet again there were no serving spoons in sight!

Then there was a moment in a restaurant when the waiter served us hot Arabic bread with his bare hands. To date, I am still finding the right words to explain the look on my face on that day. Then on a random day we were driving around and came across  a shop selling fresh Arabic bread aka Kuboos or Khubz /Arabian pita bread/flat bread, everyone coming from the shop had their unwrapped bread floating on their hands.

After almost four years of living here, you don’t expect such things to be a big deal right? Truth is I have lived with the constant battle between rejecting food offered/served with bare hands and appearing rude, or eating the food and dealing with my feelings later. Most of the time the latter wins-because I have come to learn that this are innocent cultural diversity traits. I am now aware of the fact that the people around me may in fact see the world differently. Here people eat food from a common plate with their bare hands. If you are lucky to eat from your own plate, then the bare hands will do the serving, and there is no big deal about it. Back home, sure we do eat using our bare hands especially when it’s Ugali but serving food with bare hands isn’t a common scene.

While I am certainly  enjoying some aspects of Qatar’s cultural diversity such as food, language etc,  I am still learning to adjust to most of them.  Do you live away from home? What are some of the things you are still learning to adjust to?

Lots of Love

XX

 

Day 3: Paragliding in Gudauri Skii Resort

Tags

Culture, Europe Vacations, Paragliding in Georgia, Paragliding in Gudauri Skii Resort, Tbilisi Georgia, Tourism, Travel Georgia, Travel Tbilisi, Vacation

After sharing with you our exciting two day experience from exploring Georgia, I promised to share what happened on Day 3 in my previous post. I however decided not to share the blog because it’s more of a rant post. I mean I am still upset about that day-Much as we were excited to paraglide and that was among the main reason behind our trip, that didn’t happen. Reason? We still can’t find a logical answer.

That does not beat the fact that we enjoyed our drive to Gudauri and took pretty amazing photos. I don’t know if I will ever find enough words to describe the views, the feeling and the experience of being in such a landscape. The scenery and air were different, beautiful. The mountains here were well defined and the winding roads allowed us to get the best views and to basically be in the moment with nature.

Generally our journey was fantastic, we saw beauty, experienced nature and most importantly brought with us memories we will cherish forever.

Lots of Love

XX

Valentine’s in Bakuriani , Georgia

Tags

Bakuriani Georgia, Europe Vacations, Georgia, Skiing, Snow, Snow Bikes, Travel, Vacation, Wanderlust, Winter

Day 2 : The Snow Encounter

Sitting at my office desk, I would lean back, fold my arms and blankly gaze at my PC. With everything minimized I would peer deep into the desktop’s background and silently wonder how satisfying it would be if I ended up in a place with such beautiful snow capped peaks and snow covered pine trees…and then went ahead to wish teleporting was real!

Just like day 1, Davit had planned an exciting full day excursion for day 2.

Destination? Bakuriani. Mission? Skiing. Sounded like a cool plan, right?

We set off from Tbilisi to Bakuriani at 9am. The drive was long-approximately 2 hours 45 minutes (based on Doha’s lifestyle, anything more than a1 hour drive is a long drive). The drive was scenic, full of unforgettable views – the landscape, distant curvaceous mountains creating a beautiful skyline, lush green wheat plantation farms etc plus Davit was entertaining enough with his stories.

1 hour 30 minutes into our drive we started seeing peaks covered with snow. The sight was more than fulfilling…a clear indication that the day would be memorable.

In 2 hours we started seeing snow by the road side and soon after pine trees sagging with snow started appearing. Within a blink of an eye our view had changed- it had transformed into something I only saw in Christmas movies- white grounds and snow covered pine trees!

There is nothing we wanted more than a pull over. To simply exist in that movie like scene for a few minutes. And that was the first time I laid my hands on snow- made a snow ball…played snow dodge ball and was up close to branches n leaves covered in snow. I experienced the exact feeling I had been longing for while I was seated in front of my PC. It was enchanting and magical to see and touch snow. I thought I had seen it…that was it…little did I know something more gratifying awaited.

We embarked on our journey and after cutting a few corners, I saw a miracle!!! Cabins covered in snow…snow bikes…people wearing thermal clothes..There was snow everywhere…a completely white environment…This was serenity…this is what I wanted to see…this is where I wanted to be. And then I saw  my desktop background in reality….curvy snowy mountain tops. It felt like waking up in heaven… literally. The bright white blanketed ground, a cold breeze, and the odd feeling of entering an entirely new world. The excitement was real!

We had a the best time riding snow bikes…the adrenaline rush of being on a speeding snow bike in a place I only thought existed in my PC was priceless!!! We literary had all mountains to ourselves.  Then there was a moment of laughter and fear when Em fell off her bike and Babz wouldn’t stop teasing-but what is fun without fear?

Next in the activity list was skiing. The ski resort was 5 minutes away. Ah I was living my dream…i skied..we skied. We had fun and after 2 hours we were all exhausted. Our bodies ached and so did our stomachs.

We had lunch in one of the cabins where we were welcomed with a shot of cha cha (chang’aa) dispensed in a horn. We wrapped up our day and headed back to Tblisi.

The day would not be complete without a taste of spring water outside Borjomi Mineral Water Company on our way back….

Then later wine from our then favourite place and some Kachapuri- hotel Tfilis.

And that’s how Babz , Em,  Niyi and I spent our 2018 Valentine’s day!

Day 3 was all sorts of woow, excitement, drama and scare! Know why in my next post!

Lots of Love

XX 

Wow Tbilisi!

Tags

Bridge of Peace Tbilisi, Culture, Georgia, Kartlis Deda, Leghvtakhevi Waterfall, Mother Georgia, Narikala Fortress Tbilisi, Rike Park Georgia, Sololaki Hill, Tbilisi Old Town, Travel Georgia, Travel Tbilisi, Vacation, Wanderlust, Winter

Day 1: The City Tour

Whoa! This was fun,

Em and I decided to go on a trip….then Em derailed Barbz and I derailed Niyi, and our trip was made of four young, exuberant humans…

The moment the idea of travelling to Tbilisi was aired, I knew I was going to enjoy my trip. What I didn’t anticipate is that I will fall in love with everything I encountered. Our trip began on Monday 12^th,  our flight was scheduled for 8.45 pm but for some reason there was a 1 hour delay. We landed in Tbilisi on 13^th at 2 am Georgian Time and were picked by our amazing tour guide Davit (highly recommended if plan on visiting Tblisi. You can find him here). Our hotel was at the base of Mother Georgia in the heart of old Tbilisi where everything shouts beautiful history-thumbs up Em for finding us this gem. We had a few hours of sleep and by 2pm we were out for a city tour.

Right from the architecture, the wineries, the food, weather and landscape, the city radiated its own charm.

City Tour Highlights

The Bridge of Peace

Our tour officially started here on this beautifully bow-shaped erect bridge along the Kura River which connects Old Tbilisi and the new district. The Bridge of Peace which leads to the newly constructed Rike Park has a contemporary design and colour that gives a warm contrast to the old architectures of the city. The glass and steel bridge is fitted with thousands of LED lights that are switched on 90 minutes before sunset, illuminating the Kura River and the buildings on both banks.

Tbilisi_ Bridge of peace

Tbilisi_ Bridge of peace

Rike Park

Our journey to fame began here…lol….well you know being black is the new cool! As we were trying to marvel at the city’s beauty from the park, people kept approaching us requesting for photos, and a little chit chat about where we were from and what not. Turns out the country does not receive a lot of visitors from Africa…eem let’s just say black visitors. Therefore, in honour of the three African celebs (us) a song was presented by two amazing guitarist’s right before we were snatched for another photo shoot, okay not photo shoot but the photographer was a professional-does that qualify?!

Rike Park

The Mother Georgia Statue

For the first time I went on a cable car. Don’t dare ask where I am from. In Africa we climb hills by foot and in Doha hehe we go up the dunes in dune buggies. So hey! It’s a big deal.

The excitement of being on a cable car paired with the great views and the anticipation to get up the Sololaki  Hill where we would meet Mother Georgia ,explore Narikala Fortress   and take pictures of the beautiful Tbilisi was just beyond our world.

Mother of Georgia is a statue of Kartlis Deda, erected on Sololaki  hill in 1958 . The statue which is dressed in the Georgian national dress holds a cup of wine in one hand and a sword in the other. The wine is a representation of the Georgian hospitality while the sword signifies their love of freedom.

According to what we learnt from Davit, Mother Georgia is perhaps the most important woman in Georgia: she is their protector, a standing definition to visitors like us of what Georgia is, has been and will be.

Tbilisi_Mother Georgia

 

Narikala Fortress

Down to the right of Mother Georgia is this ancient fortress that dominates the Old Town’s skyline. We only got to see the fortress from a far as it was getting rainy and late. I was however keen to learn why the fortress looked damaged-yes it is ancient but….According to Davit, the Narikala Fortress suffered major damages during the 1827 earthquake, and what we were now looking at were some of the old leftover parts of the wall. The St. Nicholas Church, which was standing in this fortress, was also destroyed but was restored in 1996.

Tbilisi_fortress Narikala

Old Town

We were anxious to go down the hill by zip lining but unfortunately the facility was already closed, so we opted to walk down the hill to old town. Here, the buildings seemed very old (most buildings in Tbilisi are over 200 years old) but with eye-catching balconies and colours. Most of them were being renovated but with the same concept retained. We were all drawn to the Love Lock Bridge (similar to the one in Paris) though we didn’t have any locks to lock, then we proceeded to the b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l waterfall Leghvtakhevi before we headed to the Sulphur baths locally known as Hamamms where we encountered a beautiful performance from two natives playing on an accordion –they instantly elevated our journey to fame by happily posing for a spontaneous photo with us. By now we were all starving, Davit was kind enough to take us to Tiflis restaurant where we had a lovely meal and wrapped it all up with the most refreshing red sweet wine ever! Okay so far that’s the most delicious wine I have tasted!

Lookout for our day 2 adrenaline filled escapades in my next post.

Lots of Love

XX

Tbilisi_Old Town love lock bridge

Tbilisi_Old town water fall

 

Tbilisi_ Bridge of peace

Tbilisi_Rike park light moment

Tbilisi_view from Sololaki

Tbilisi_Hammams

Tbilisi_ hammams

Tbilisi_Kura River

Love Lock Bridge

waterfall Leghvtakhevi

waterfall Leghvtakhevi

Tbilisi_Old town _ Em and I serving that Kisii Pose…

Falconry: Qatar’s Sport and Heritage

Tags

Falconry Sport, Falcons in Middle East, Qatar Culture, Qatar Falconry, Qatar Pigeons, Qatari Culture, Qatari Heritage

 I have been sharing posts on a couple of things I find interesting about Qatar  for quite some time now. A few months ago I  mentioned I will run a series of content dedicated to Qatar simply because it’s my current country of residence and there is a lot around me worth sharing.

The culture and how the country uses various concepts like building designs to express how the natives feel or what they treasure most wows me. The naming of sand dunes and value placed on Pigeons, Oryxes, Falcons and Camels is on another level.  I understand we Africans also love our cows, chickens, sheep, elephants, lions and what not but hey, by the end of this post you will also be in awe!

Did you even know that the Arabian Oryx is Qatar’s national animal? I will tell you more in my next post.

Today I am keen on the Falcon. A bird highly treasured within here to an extent there is a falcon hospital. As if that’s not interesting enough, the falcons own Qatari passports and can travel the world with their owners’ aboard in the cabin. Each falcon is charged almost three times the normal excess baggage rate.How bout dat!

I can candidly admit that one of the most fascinating interactions I have witnessed between nature and man here in the Middle East is that which takes place between the falcon and its handler.

Regarded as the national bird for Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries, the falcon is seen as a symbol of force and courage in much of the Middle East, while falconry in Qatar is considered a national sport and has a falconry association that has been in existence since 2008.The association holds hunting and falconry events including competitions such as the Annual Qatar Falconry Festival which attracts falconers from around the region and around the world. As of today, there are approximately 2,500 to 3,000 falcon owners in Qatar.

And like any other commodity of high value, buying a falcon can be expensive. The price of a falcon can go up to QAR 1 million, (Quick math that’s around USD 274,650.00 or KSH. 28,111,566.02 ) depending on characteristics such as its beauty, physical appearance, origins, strength and more.

To determine a falcon’s beauty, one needs experience. Not anyone can do it. There are details one needs to pay attention to – the body; the nose, specifically the nostrils, they should be big; the shape of the falcon’s head; and the wings etc.

The falcons passing through the area of the Arabian Peninsula are considered some of the most beautiful and finest breeds. However, a falcon’s beauty and strength is not everlasting.

The older the falcon gets, the weaker its eyesight and wings become; just like us.

Despite that, a falcon can live up to 20 years.

Amazingly, there is no age requirement to begin practicing falconry. The sport is also not restricted to men alone; there are female falconers in Qatar as well, both locals and expatriates.

To the people of Qatar, it’s more than a sport; falconry is part of their national and cultural identity. It offers a glimpse at how Qatar used to be.

Lots of Love

XX

 

*Images by Falcons Doha Qatar