On The Topic of Fall

In step with my last entry (less about romance, more about autumn), let me tell you about my trip to a magical land they call Mestia!

Mestia, those are the Svan towers there.

Mestia, or Svaneti, as it is also known, has been at the top of my Must-Do List from the moment I arrived in this blessed little land of Georgia. You can follow the link to the wiki-page for a more thorough history of it (cause, let's be honest, we all believe what wiki says), but here's my experience of the place.

I've never seen this many colors in nature!

I really should have made more of an effort to go during the summer, when I had nearly 100 (more like 60, but still) days of nothing to do. It would have been nice to do more hiking and exploring. But alas, as my procrastinating self would have it, I waited until it began to get cold.

Thankfully, while it was a very short trip, the timing turned out to be great. With fall dawning, the scenery all the way there was literally breathtakingly picturesque, literally. This is about to be a pathetic run-down of what I know about Svaneti, but here you go: Svaneti is the highest inhabited point in all of Georgia. Svaneti also claims to be home to the highest mountain of the caucuses (a claim I have learned to be false; the point is Mount Elbrus and is actually located in Russia. In truth, you can only see it from Georgia, but in true Georgian spirit, they claim it anyway).

Svaneti was so isolated and recluse for so many years that during the Turkish-Ottoman times, when Georgia was conquered by Turkey, many relics and important artifacts from pre-Christian times were stashed away here, in the belief that the region would be too recluse to be found and too inhospitable to be conquered. Many of these remain here, but sadly I didn't get a chance to seek them out.

The Svan towers were built primarily as look-out points, in case of invasions. Eventually, and I think still, they are used for food to last into the harsh winters. Additionally, (I learned from my host sister who is very intelligent and knowledgeable about Georgia), the towers create a barrier from the snow rolling down the mountains. This barrier allows for a relatively snow-less area to gather; also apparently the towers are quite warm in comparison. I was there in early fall and I can tell you, it was SOOO cold (for a Southern Californian).

Ushba Glacier, that we never reached.

Due to their unique geographical location, Svaneti, to this day retains it's own sub-culture, to some degree. And while all Svanis speak Kartuli (or Georgian), they have also preserved Svanuri, a spoken dialect, very different from Kartuli.

At a resting point. We almost look superimposed.

We spent only 1 night here and we did some intense hiking while we could. We tried to get to the Ushba Glacier in this picture, but failed pathetically. Although, with a good attitude and a pair of local youths to guide the way, we found the top of a spectacular looking point. It took us nearly 3 hours to get up and a bit less than 2 to come back down. My body ached for days, but it was absolutely worth it.

On our way back, a taxi-friend of ours hooked it up with a free ride, a few apples, and a guided tour. It was fantastic. I took as many pictures as I could, but honestly, they just don't do the majesty of it all justice. Anyway, there are more pictures on FB, if you're interest. What I know for sure is I want more autumns in my life. What I fear is that no autumn in my future will live up this one.