Tbilisi is Awesome

I signed up to take the LSAT exam in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, in June. I live in a region of Azerbaijan that is relatively close to Georgia; not including the time spent at border control, it takes about 3 hours to get there by car.

I heard from other PCV's here in Azerbaijan that Tbilisi was the land of milk and honey, were the roads were paved with pork and xacapuri (a cheesy bread dish common on Georgia) and the rivers were flowing with beer and Georgian wine. I took the marshrutka from Zaqatala to Tbilisi and I pretty much instantly fell in love with the city. It's gorgeous. The place is nestled in between hills and is divided by the Kür river (which also flows through Azerbaijan and ends up in the Caspian Sea).

(btdubs this picture was taken from the ferris wheel at the top of the mountain overlooking the city)

I only spent a few days in Tbilisi, most of which were divided between meeting/hanging out with new people, studying for the LSATs, and then finding the test location to take the friggin test. (In retrospect, I should not have combined my first trip to Tbilisi with taking such an important exam (Distraction FAIL!))

One of the first things I noticed as I was walking around the city was that there was a giant ferris wheel at the top of the hill in the city. I thought it would be similar to the one we have in our Heydar Park in Zaqatala... I thought wrong. It turned out to be just one ride of many in an amusement park that was built on top of the mountain. The ferris wheel had enclosed cabins WITH AIR CONDITIONING from which you could see the entire city below, it was such a wonderful view. I love amusement parks in America (I've always wanted to be a roller coaster tester...those people whose job it is to ride the coasters and then judge their awesomeness). But it wasn't until I was in the Mtatsminda Park that I realized how much I missed amusement parks. Summers in the US for me are filled with trips to Six Flags or to the beach or to a water park...all of which I didn't really know was missing until I went to this park in Tbilisi. I was so in awe of the rides that I didn't even get on any of them, I just walked around the park in shock that it existed. I did get a chance to take a few awesome pictures like this one though:


I only spent 3 days in Tbilisi and I can't wait until I go back. The food is delicious and cheap, the people are friendly, and the culture is really interesting. I had never heard of the city before I came to Azerbaijan and learned more about this part of the world, but I am so glad I did. If anyone reading this blog post is thinking about making a trip to Tbilisi, let me make that decision for you: GO! (And if you do go, make sure to try the lobiani!)