Day Six

Obscurities

Today we left Stepansminda and spent a day driving and sightseeing. We first had to traverse the Military Highway nearly back to Tbilisi. On the pass, we stopped at one of the many honey stands along the road, to sample and buy. The honeys come in a wonderful array of tastes and colors. 

Roadside scenes

We think these are shepherd camps.

That is a flock of sheep. 

Before getting back to Tbilisi, we turned to the West. The landscape became more agricultural, with miles of grain fields,  and corn plots instead of potato patches in the villages. 

Our first stop was the outdoor museum site of a very ancient rock city. In the early centuries before Christ, a temple and palace city was carved into these sandstone rocks, with brickwork and wood beams augmenting the caves and holes. Today only the caves and whole are left. After thriving for many, many centuries as part of the old Silk Road, and trading with all the major empires east and west, including the Greeks and Romans, the city was sacked by the Mongols in the 1200’s and 1300’s, and then withered away. It’s decline was also due to the introduction of Christianity, because the temples of the city had served various pagan gods of the elements and a fertility goddess. After the pagans religion was obsolete, some churches were built, but the city did not survive. Now tourists scramble over the rocks to peer into the many holes and caves, wondering how people lived back then. 

Doors on the church

Ancient wine Celler

Current wine Celler, with Georgian wines to taste and buy.

Roof work in the wine tasting building.

The River and where the village used to be below the city in the rock. Now grazed by horses.

From there we went to see another Atlas Obscura site: abandoned cable cars and station in a manganese mining town. 

And one more Obscure sight for the day: a tiny monastery on a 40 meter tall pillar of rock.

Access, only for inhabitants.

We wondered who would want to climb that rock in the first place, to which we had no answer, but I decided the fellow who did looked down and said, “Nope! Not doing that!” and just stayed up there. 

At the base are a small church and museum/shop. This is inside the church.



Part of the monastery grounds.

Then we made a winding way to our hotel, around potholes and cattle…..

We have a calm and competent driver. 

…. and through, around and up to our hotel. It is… um… a Cultural Experience. As in, no amenities……, but the beer, wine, and food are excellent.