Just Skra-tching the Surface

Aside from a week full of our regularly scheduled programming (detailed in part 1), there were a few moments of fun:

On Thursday morning we had to do some paperwork in Gori and afterwards had a couple hours to ourselves. The first thing I did was find a drug store to purchase baby wipes, these are vital due to the fact that I might only be showering twice a week. A little wipe in all the right places can go a long way towards keeping you feeling fresh as the happy smiling baby on the packaging.

After the necessities were purchased, it was tourist time. We headed to the Stalin museum and got a different take on history. For those who aren't living near Gori and are likely unaware, Stalin was born in Georgia in the city of Gori and thus they have a museum which is type of shrine in his honor. We didn't get the full experience because almost everything was in Russian or Georgian; however, it wasn't hard to tell that there was nothing in the museum that criticized Stalin in any way. I don’t think I’d ever heard Stalin portrayed positively so to get that feeling was interesting by itself.

Stalin museum in the background, Stalin's birthplace in the foreground

Me and the original comrade

Gori church and fortress in the background

Following our tour of the museum we wandered the city and saw part of an old fort as well as a few churches. The final stop was at the Georgian War Museum where another volunteer and I (hello Bronywn) walked through and looked at the pictures and memorabilia depicting Georgia’s involvement from WW1 through the most recent conflict in 2008. Once again the information was all Russian and Georgian but looking at world history from a different perspective is still enlightening. For the most part WWI and WWII were foreign affairs for the US. In Georgia and other countries it wasn't just the soldiers engaged in combat who died. Civilian casualties were common and the people were on the front-lines themselves. The most memorable display was from the 2008 conflict with Russia where they had a picture for every person who died in Georgia as well as photographs of the damage done to both buildings as well as peoples. The history of Georgia is one of conflict, these people know what war is.

Clustermates doing homework down by the river

Sunset on the river

Aside from a few evening trips down to the river with my clustermates, Saturday after training was our next chance to get out. Once again we decided to stick around in Skra and wander through the local bazaar. When I am wandering through these street market/bazaars I am often transported back to Brazil or any other developing country I have visited. There really is no difference between a street market in India, Brazil, Peru or Georgia. There is definite comfort in the chaos of people selling assorted goods and fresh foods.

After getting tired of the market Alex and I met up with Daniel and Liliya from a different cluster and we hiked up the Gori fortress in the center of town. It’s a short walk up but a great places to get away from the city and admire the views along with the ruins of the ancient fortress. It was a great place to end our first week Gori.

Lilya, Alex, Daniel and I on top of Gori fortress

View of Gori with the Upper Caucus range in the clouds on the horizon

Yours truly striking a pose

Daniel, Alex, and I at the entrance to the Gori fortress

Alex back in Skra showing off the the local scene

Finally we have arrived at Sunday, our one day to rest and be free from training. During the week I had inquired about a train that I had seen on Google maps and our LCF mentioned that there was a train from Skra to two other cities west of Georgia. The idea of traveling by train through Georgia really stuck with me and so I started to plan my first day trip in Georgia. I decided to head to the town of Borjomi with my clustermate Jim and it was the best decision I could have made. After being in Georgia for two weeks I was still feeling like I had yet to really get out and experience the country for myself. Everywhere I had been so far was basically a controlled environment with several other trainees. I was ready for the real deal.

Jim and I met up at the train station around 8 AM hoping to catch the rumored 8:20 train. An hour later we were still waiting. The train finally came at 9:45 (we assumed it was late, however, we have been told that 9:20 is its new scheduled time). Our journey was full of beautiful panoramas with tall mountains and green valley floors. The train basically followed the same course as the river and the views alone held my attention. After about an hour of travel the train took a turn and we began to head back up into one of the mountain valleys towards Borjomi. Slowly the mountains closed in around us and an hour later we had arrived.
A fellow Peace Corps volunteer from the 2014 group (G14) met us at the station and agreed to show us around. His name was Matt and he had been working in NYC in the Bloomberg administration before he joined PC. He took Jim and me to a great restaurant where I of course ordered more khachapuri and Khinkali and ate past the point of satisfaction. Next we started a walk through town and up into the mountains.

Our arrival in Borjomi

I just can't seem to say no

After 15 min of walking we were suddenly surrounded by trees and the city was out of site. Being enveloped by nature is one of the most serene experiences that is never lost on me no matter how many times I go out on a hike or to camp. The train wasn’t too difficult but it had rained plenty on Saturday so there were some pretty slick and muddy parts that kept things interesting. I’m not sure how long we hiked for but before I knew it we had reached the top of the mountain. Matt led us to several overlooks and the views were amazing. It definitely felt like we were getting to experience the real Georgia. In addition we were also having a great time talking to Matt about his experience and perspective on life and service in Georgia. The more we chatted the more excited I became for the next 2 years.

The view of Borjomi from the top of our mountain

Once we finished enjoying the view, we made our way down from the mountain we met up with Ryan another G14 who had just come into town to visit Matt for the day. Together we walked through town and Matt showed us where the natural springs were where we could fill up our bottles with the famous Borjomi water which was surprisingly carbonated and had a strong smell of sulfur. Apparently back in the Soviet era Borjomi was a popular location for people who were ill- sort of like Florida is for old people these days. This spring water is said to have many medicinal benefits. I can’t say I feel like a changed man, but I will say I it hasn’t made me ill yet.

Fortress where we met Ryan

Following our city tour Matt treated us to some food in a nearby cafe and we chatted some more about the Georgian PC experience. Finally it was time for us to head home but the last train had already left so our only choice was the famed Georgian marshutka. We've heard plenty about the marshutkas (marsh for short) and were excited to have our first real marsh experience. Like good mentors Matt and Ryan walked us through the whole experience. Our journey would be a tad tricky because the marsh was headed to Tbilisi and we’d need the driver to drop us off on the side of the highway near Gori.

Matt and Ryan found the correct Marsh for us an explained to the driver where we needed to be let off. Ryan even paid for our tickets. They joked that they felt like they were sending their kids off on the bus for their first day of school. Once all the seats in the marsh were claimed Jim and I climbed onboard and settled in for our journey. The entire trip went quiet smoothly. I was glad to have recently traveled in India because although the driving was a bit erratic it paled in comparison to what I had experienced in India and I felt at ease the entire way.

Before we knew it the driver was slowing down and telling us that our stop was here. We did as we were told and proceeded to make our way down some stairs to the road headed into town were we flagged down a taxi and made the rest of the journey back to Skra. As I walked back to my house I felt like I could check off one of the unwritten requirements for PST and was ready for another week of assimilation into my new home.

P.S. I added a link on the side of the blog where you can submit a question for me if you have any!