Reflections on the Road: Twenty-One Photographs...

In November 2004, more than a year into my journey across Asia, I had the opportunity to spend a week in Georgia. Growing up I never thought I would visit a place this remote in this part of the globe, so I was thrilled to actually be here. Just as much, I was thrilled to be reunited with Dave, an American friend, who was now working at the US Embassy in Tbilisi. While I did a fair amount of exploring in the course of the week, I spent a solid portion of time sleeping in at Dave's house, eating his American cereal, and watching selections from his DVD collection. I also enjoyed a great Thanksgiving dinner with him and his coworkers, as well as several Georgian guests.

Since photographs of the videos I watched and the cereal I ate would be lackluster, below I'm posting a few shots of the country itself. Since the conflict with Russia has put Georgia on the news recently, maybe these photographs -- arranged in chronological order -- will be timely.

After walking across a bridge linking Azerbaijan and Georgia, I found a small bus bound for the capital, Tbilisi. Early in the journey we had this stunning view of the Caucaus Mountains. Note the leaf of a banana tree in the foreground.

Downtown Tbilisi, Georgia's capital

Apartments in Tbilisi

Payphones in Tbilisi. (Payphones aren't the only thing you can find side by side here; the city, which is mostly Orthodox Christian, is also one of the few places where you can also find a mosque and synagogue next door to each other.)

The Georgian Cross, also called Saint Nino's Cross, is recognizable by its wilted arms.

A cold November snow

Dave took me for a day-long drive outside Tbilisi, stopping at this famous church on a hilltop where we encountered what may have been the strongest winds in my life. In this photo the wind is blocked by the building; on the other side, however, gripping the walls was sometimes necessary to stay standing.

An old castle

A Georgian Orthodox Church

And another...

Georgia was once part of the Soviet Union and reminders of that are scattered throughout Tbilisi, including here on the bridge over the Mtkvari (Kura) River

You don't find many statues of Joseph Stalin in the former Soviet Union, but here in the Georgian town of Gori you do. This was Stalin's hometown, and many citizens feel pride at the local boy who made it big.

Hilltop view of Gori

Another view of Gori

The sign in the window tells the route of the bus; it also displays a portrait of Stalin

Two young ladies in Tbilisi

This shot was taken from a train window on the way from Tbilisi to the Black Sea port of Batumi. The train had stopped to offload a couple passengers.

Batumi

A man in Batumi

Georgian license plate

A few miles south of Batumi is the Turkish border, where I walked past a line of trucks waiting to cross into Turkey. The Black Sea is on the left.


		Joel Carillet, Gather Travel Correspondent
	Joel's column, "Reflections on the Road," is published every other Thursday to Gather Essentials: Travel. His articles, based on extensive travels in Asia and the Middle East, seek to shed light on humanity, both our own and that of others. They aim not merely to entertain and inform but also to develop a sense of connection between the reader and the world. Joel's writing and photography have appeared in several publications, including the Kansas City Star, Christian Science Monitor, and The Best Travel Writing 2008. Currently his agent is seeking a publisher for a book manuscript entitled Sixty-One Weeks: A Journey across Asia. If interested in learning more about Joel or purchasing photographic prints, visit http://joelcarillet.com/. When not on the road, he happily calls Tennessee home. Keep up with Joel's article series by joining his network, or subscribing to his content.