Discovering Medieval Monasticism in Georgia:
A Guided Tour
Monastery Tour 2008
What to Bring
Dear Friends, Gamarjobat! Welcome to Georgia!
Georgia is an exotic
and fascinating country, at the vocal point of interest for global politics,
international trade, modernity and antiquity. While the tourist industry
is still in development, now is the perfect time to become acquainted with
this land, its people, and traditions. The itinerary reflects a focus on
the monasteries and architectural monuments of Georgia’s
medieval period, yet we hope to explore all the delights of fine cuisine,
beautiful countryside, traditional music and arts, and of course, the famous
Georgian hospitality.
Our intention is to lead a tour that shares the sights, sounds, and history of Georgia – through visits to monasteries, churches, fortresses, modern cities, and small towns – and the people in each locale. We will meet with specialists of church frescos, architecture, liturgical chant, folk songs, folk-lore, and depending on the interests of the group, learn to sing some of the famous Georgian songs ourselves.
Tour package amenities…
Among the many things that Georgia
is famous for, the tradition of welcoming guests is paramount. We guarantee
that you will be the honored guests at several traditional supra feasts throughout
the tour, both in homes and in restaurants – an occasion which calls
for the best in home cooked meals, homemade wine, toasts, and song. Excellent
food is a priority for the tour organizers, and did we mention that Luarsab’s
family is involved in the Tbilisi restaurant business?
In general, breakfast will be served at the guesthouses and hotels around 8am with a leisurely morning departure at 9am, times to be determined by our schedule on each day. Lunches, usually at restaurants inbetween destinations, will be around 1-2pm, and dinners in restaurants and homes, will be around 7-8pm. All food, drinks, and of course wine are included in the tour package.
You have all secured flights to and from Georgia. Either Luarsab or I will personally pick you up at the Tbilisi airport, and we will also arrange for taxi service back to the airport for your departure.
Other helpful tips…
Georgians wear a lot of black, but don’t let that stop you from dressing
like yourself. It will be helpful to take into consideration however, that
while on tour, we will sometimes meet with clergy and will frequently be
visiting active religious sites. A general rule of thumb is to wear comfortable,
business-casual clothing (skirts/slacks for women, khakis/jeans for men)
with comfortable shoes for plenty of walking.
Visiting Georgia during the summer means packing for warm, sunny weather, but be safe and bring a sweater, jacket, and knit cap just in case – it may be warm during the day, but evenings can be cool, especially for our overnight stay in the high Caucasus. Temperatures in Sighnaghi during the day will be in the upper 80s, during the evening it could be in the 50s. In the high Caucasus, it will be about the same temperatures, with less humidity, with a higher chance of summer rain and clouds in the afternoons.
When visiting churches and monasteries, it is appropriate for men to wear long pants and short sleeve shirts, and shoes (no sandals). It is suggested that woman wear long skirts (though wrap around skirts are often provided now outside convents), shirts that cover the shoulders, and colorful head-scarves. Being respectful of the Georgian Orthodox custom will be a priority for our pilgrim group, as we wish to cultivate a sense of respect and reverence for local traditions.
What to bring…
Sunglasses, sunscreen, sunhat, flashlight with extra batteries, small bath
towel (not provided at homestays), toilet wipes (also available in Tbilisi),
camera with accoutrements, mini-disc recorders or other recording devices
for music/conversations, journal, insect repellant, travel board games,
musical instruments, and songbooks (if you like to sing!). It is best to
bring your own pharmaceuticals, but there are also many pharmacies in Georgia
with over the counter drugs (we will have a supply on tour). Especially
recommended is immodium or similar stomach bug medicines to get through
the initial adjustment to food in a new country.
Airports
Traversing the globe naturally takes its toll. We understand that after arriving
in Tbilisi you will be quite tired, and we look forward to whisking you
straight from the brand new, state-of-the-art airport to a hotel (a 15
minute drive). After passing through customs, with a letter of invitation
that we will supply you (no visas necessary for 3 month tourist visits),
you will find me waiting in the reception area (probably the only blond
person in the room, I won’t be hard to spot!)
Luggage – Laundry
We would like to travel somewhat light, so it would be best to bring one
medium sized suitcase, with a backpack/daypack for day-trips. For some
reason, laundry is quite expensive and difficult to do in Georgia, but
we have contracted someone to do laundry for us while we’re in Tbilisi.
Expect to be able to do some essential laundering at least once on the
tour.
Bring something from home…
As much as we will be the visitors in Georgia, and treated like kings and
queens as a result, Georgians will be curious to know more about us – who
we are, where we’re from, and what we do – and tour participants
will be equally curious, so bring photos of family and friends. Also, Georgians
love cultural interaction, so if there are any songs or games, or stories
that you have from home, be thinking how you might be able to share these.
Small gifts from your hometown (postcards, goodies, tapes/cds of local
music, etc) are always well appreciated by the owners of guesthouses and
B&B’s, local musicians and specialty guides that we have occasion
to meet.
The language…
Georgian is like no other language, and therefore won’t look or sound
familiar to European or English language speakers. It is one of sixty languages
in the Caucasus language group, and is the most widely spoken of the four
languages in the “Kartvelian” sub-group. A small phrasebook is
available via the internet at http://www.survivalgeorgian.com/ for $10.50
plus shipping and handling and is a valuable purchase. Many of you will be
interested to tackle the beautifully scripted Georgian alphabet, designed
to translate the Bible sometime before the fourth century AD.
Make a connection…
If you are interested in establishing contact between your hometown and a
village or city in Georgia, bring letters of invitation from your local
government and we will invite local government officials to receive them.
Georgians are looking to the West for friendship and support!
Contact
Internet access will be available at any number of internet cafes in Tbilisi,
but outside of the city, internet will be blessedly absent.
- John (Georgia) +995 99 36-53-72
- Luarsab +995 99 54-82-29
- John (States until June 8th, 2008) (802) 922-3264.
The Georgian postal service is not always reliable, and post offices are limited, even in Tbilisi. It may be best to save outgoing mail until your return to your home country.
A few key phrases…
- Gamarjobat - hello
- Nakhvamdis -goodbye
- Gmadlobt -thank you
- Didi madloba -thank you very much
- Diakh -yes
- Ara -no
- Tu sheidzleba - please
- Tualeti -toilet
- Restoranti -restaurant
- Sastumro - hotel
- Sad aris - where is?
- Ratom? - why?
- Romeli? - which one
- Ra ghirs? - how much?
- Vin? - who?
- Es minda - I want that one
- Puri - bread
- Qeli - cheese
- Ghvino - wine
“Tu sheidzleba, erti ghvtismshoblis troparia sheidzleba vigalobot am sauketeso lamazi da mnishvnelovani tsmindani eklesiashi?” - If it wouldn’t be too much to ask, would it be possible to sing one hymn to the Holy Theotokos in this most incredible and beautiful of holy churches?
“Joni, tu sheidzleba, gaacheret tkveni sagaloblebi da tsavidet khachapurze, ra!” - John, will you please quit singing and let’s go get some more khachapuri (cheesebread), okay!
A final thought…
There is a saying in Georgia that “Guests come from God…” meaning
that no matter who arrives on the doorstep, whether friend or foe, they must
be welcomed as if they were sent from God. Hospitality is paramount in Georgia.
Sometimes, this means that we change our schedule in order to accommodate
extraordinary events that warrant our time. Spontaneity and the willingness
to be flexible will make our tour in Georgia more enjoyable!
Please contact us if you have any questions, and we look forward to meeting you in Tbilisi as part of the 2008 Monastery Tour to Caucasus Georgia!
Gamarjos! Blessings!
John A Graham
Luarsab Togonidze
Aurelia Shrenker