In America, the tomatoes have a plastic feel to them and don't smell. The tomatoes from Kahetia were so fragra nt that I could smell them meters away. Moreover, they practically burst open from the lightest touch and somehow tasted sweet and slightly salty at the same time. In short, they were probably the fruit that Eve lost Eden for.
After this we drove on the military Georgian road, which was considered to be one of the most beautiful roads in the world. Along that road we passed the Zhinvali water storage, which was incredibly beautiful.
On the road there we discovered several fascinating things. One- that Georgia is so fertile that even hats grow on their trees.
Two- cows don't adhere to our rules about roads being for cars. As far as cows are concerned- roads are great sleeping areas.
And three- there is a French man with a camel stuck in the middle of Kazbegi. No one knows how he got there or why. He just appeared one day with a camel.
Afterwards, we drove to the Russian border, which was frankly cold and windy. There, we saw the construction of a new church. Apparently it was being built by monks. I knew that in ancient times monks built churches, but it was still strange to see them operating heavy machinery. The view was fantastic, though.
After this church we went to the Gergetian Church of the Holy Trinity. This church was so peaceful and calm that I cried from the emotion. Built on a cliff, in a terribly inhospitable region, it stood as a shelter from not just the wind, but also from life.
However, this feeling of protection wasn't meant to last because the last leg of our journey was completed on a 4WD on a barely existent road. We used one to get to the church, but going back was even worse. We were thrown about so hard that I felt my lungs in my throat. My mom even hit her head on the ceiling of the car from the bumps. It was a very extreme experience. Here is what the road looked like:
I kind of lost it when random horseback riders appeared on the road as well.
And when we randomly started driving through the village and swerving between houses...
After we survived this ordeal, we relaxed at a guesthouse. There were several other groups staying there from all over the world. I met an American, some people from Israel, Lithuania, a Georgian historian archaeologist. We all gathered for dinner and it was so fascinating listening to everyone talk. Everyone was on an equal level and we all wanted to get to know each other. I encountered a similar atmosphere during my college orientation. It was so refreshing and exciting to be so at ease. Someone had a birthday and shared the cake as everyone celebrated. We taught another person to drink chacha. The Georgian historian showed us his book and explained ancient Georgian symbols. I attempted to solve the problems in the Middle East with an Israeli and an American.
It was a wonderful end to the day and I hope that moments like these won't be few in my life.
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