MIR Corporation's Travel Blog:
Treasures of the Trans-Caucasus
Follow along with MIR Corporation Tour Manager Devin Connolly as she accompanies MIR clients on MIR's Treasures of the Trans-Caucasus small group tour.
View what other past MIR travelers have had to say about Georgia.
Days 9-10: Tbilisi
October 7-8, 2008
That same day, we returned to Tbilisi. A relaxed evening allowed us to recover from the long day of driving, and to prepare for the next day's main touring stop: the David Gareja Monastery complex. Of the 15 monasteries in the complex, we visited two: Lavra and Udabno. The 6th century Lavra Monastery is easy to access on foot and offers beautiful views, at a lower level than Udabno - I call it the non-hikers' monastery. Udabno, on the other hand, is only for the fit. To get to the upper monastery, one must walk up a steep, uneven trail for 1-1.5 hours and then walk back down for 45-60 minutes. It's a serious hike, but very rewarding, as Udabno Monastery is famous for its cave frescoes. The upper caves are not inhabited, so hikers are allowed to enter the cave and wander freely throughout the monastery. About half of our group made the trip to Udabno Monastery, the other half went back to Tbilisi in a separate bus, stopping en route for a picnic lunch. It is said that visiting David Gareja three times is equal to a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Since this was my third trip to David Gareja, I felt a bit holier than I had the previous day. That evening, we enjoyed a "farewell to Georgia" dinner with wine and live music. There was beautiful Georgian singing again, not to mention toasts upon toasts.
Photos from this leg of the tour (click to enlarge):
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