I ran away to France
I ran away to France this summer.
That sounds dramatic and while it is a form of truth, I’m learning how to reframe my story in a way that is empowering, which feels especially important given this tumultuous summer. If I were to rewrite that first sentence, I’d write my story like this: I pursued an exciting work opportunity in France despite receiving devastating news that would have significant implications for the rest of my life. Sure, being thousands of miles away from a place associated with tears and reality didn’t hurt but I still forged forward with my goals. The stories you tell yourself have such a powerful impact on how you think on the past.
I spent most of my time in France in Blois, a small town in the Loire Valley, which is famous for its wine, cheese, and châteaux (castles). I was on a one month work exchange at a luxury bed and breakfast working together with the owner to look after the guests and take care of the property. Maison Loire is beautiful and elegant - the image that comes to mind when you imagine “cozy French luxury in the countryside”. The bed and breakfast housed in a renovated 19th century home that is filled with antiques carefully curated by the owners Nicolas and Alexander, whose own love story also started in the Loire Valley.
Most people’s reaction to my plans of going to France was, “What is a work exchange?”. I didn’t find this surprising as I wasn’t aware of this type of opportunity until I started backpacking internationally post university, and those who had never heard of a work exchange before were all American.
A work exchange is exactly what it sounds: you work in exchange for something, and that something can be room, board, money, or some sort of combination of the three. It’s actually quite a popular concept outside of the US (I have my own thoughts on why that’s the case); many recent university graduates will use work exchange as an opportunity to travel the world and explore different cultures in a cost-effective manner.
However it’s not just university grads - I’ve met people of all ages, backgrounds, and educations who participate in work exchange for a variety of reasons, whether that’s to have a budget-friendly vacation, explore a career break or transition, or support themselves this way indefinitely. If you’re interested in trying it out for yourself (you are never too old!) you can check out Worldpackers, Workaway, or WOOFing, the latter of which is focused exclusively on organic farming. These are the most popular work exchange websites and each has its own pros and cons.
Work exchange is such a cool and budget-friendly opportunity to familiarize yourself with the local culture and meet new people, and it’s a pity that not more people in the US are aware of this possibility. My theory is that we Americans as a society tend to focus on a very specific definition of “success” that emphasizes prestige, income, and status, which means we’re not as open to something like a work exchange that might “derail” our careers because it’s not a conventional path.
This is a generalization, I know, but I can’t help but think about how many Americans never take a gap year or think about other types of education outside of a traditional four year secondary institution. Granted there are a lot of caveats around this: not everyone has the privilege or means to even consider these opportunities in the first place - this applies to a very specific demographic of people. The more I travel the more I become educated - I see all the different types lifestyles that are possible. I see all the different ways it means to be “successful”. I see all the lives I can live.
While a significant amount of my time in France was spent being depressed (lol), I did spend some time exploring the Loire Valley and other parts of France. After all, in the wise words of Taylor Swift: I can do it with a broken heart.
Sitting with Bébé on my last day at Maison Loire.
Postcards from France:
Hello from the other side
Updates from the other side of the world
No, I'm not Adele, I'm just literally on the other side of the world in New Zealand, writing to you from the inside of my home for the past four weeks.
Home sweet home.
It's been a while, hasn't it? If you want the long story short there are some snippets of my travels online, though there's a lot of recency bias there.
A reminder to all the international drivers on their way to visit Mount Cook.
What I’ve been up to
I've been in New Zealand since February 1st. The first two months were spent living out of a car and tent; it's only been this last month where I've had the luxury of a camper van, which offers much welcomed protection against strong winds, heavy rains, and cold nights. I've never been so grateful in my life to have a real mattress - What luxury! Hearing the rain drumming a steady beat on the rooftop is steadying and welcoming - it reminds me that I'm inside a sheltered vehicle, protected against the harsh outdoor elements.
Traveling nomadically from campsite to campsite has made me appreciate the small things that I used to scoff at. I remember reading a line in a book on gratitude about a monk being fully present and grateful for something as basic as washing his hands and rolling my eyes at the idea. Now I am so grateful to be able to wash my hands. I savor the feeling of running water pouring over my hands, lathering and lavishing real soap between my fingertips - it's pure joy compared to the quick pump of hand sanitizer.
New Zealand is the first place I've been to in the world where I've felt truly alone. There are a little over 5 million people living in New Zealand (compare that with New York City's 8.3 million) and 77% live on the North Island (1/3 of Kiwis live in Auckland). As a result, the South Island, where most tourists vacation, is pretty remote. This means easy drives while navigating driving on the left side of the road and little to no traffic lights. Most of my human interaction comes from a simple "hello" when crossing paths with someone while hiking. While camping in a tent, human connection came from a casual greeting when intersecting someone in the toilet or kitchen. I've come to realize how important common spaces are, whether they be a communal coffee area in the office or a local park in the city. Living in a certified self-contained vehicle (aka it has a toilet) means that I can "freedom camp" (park almost anywhere and stay the night), but it also means that there's limited interaction with other travelers since most keep to their vehicle. For the most part I enjoy the solitude and thrive in it. But sometimes I'll treat myself to a coffee at a cafe so I can be surrounded by others or phone a friend back home.
New Zealand is also a stunning country full of natural beauty. I love driving here because it feels like cruising. The roads are sparse with other cars so it feels like I have the whole world to myself and can fully savor the feelings of wonder and awe when looking out into the landscape.
It's autumn here which is a bit of a mind bender - I'm so used to associating "April" with spring, greenery, and flowers. Instead I've got some lovely golds and reds, popping up in small patches around the island
Golden leaves on the running path in Wanaka.
Latest on the blog
There's no latest on the blog (other than this)...yet! Surprisingly, despite being a modern and advanced country, New Zealand doesn't have that many areas with cell phone coverage or wifi. Between that and packing up and moving everyday, I've been focused on driving safely and making sure I have somewhere to sleep every night. I've rediscovered my love of writing and taken a countless number (too many?) photos, so I can't wait to post again and share all my joy with you.
A visitor joins me in New Zealand! At Mount John Observatory in Lake Tekapo.
Observations on Bhutan
Bhutan always seemed to be an mysterious place whose history was filled with legend and lore. I found Bhutan to be a fascinating country to visit, a mix of contradictions and a country working to seamlessly integrate the old and the new in order to develop its presence on the world stage.
Below is random array of observations and learnings shared by my tour guides that I thought would be interesting to share, especially since it’s not an easy destination to access.
Some history
Tatksang Monastery
8th century - Guru Rimpoche, a revered religious leader born in India, traveled from Tibet to Bhutan and introduced Buddhism to Bhutan. He is highly regarded in Bhutan, almost as much as Siddhartha Gautama Buddha (usually whom we mean when we say“Buddha” although technically the word Buddha refers to someone who has attained enlightenment). Taktsang Monastery, the famous monastery typically featured on Bhutan travel brochures, is where Guru Rimpoche conquered demon spirits that were preventing the spread of Buddhism in Bhutan. It is said that he flew to Taktsang Monastery on the back of a tiger, which is how the monastery got its name (Taktsang literally translates to “Tiger’s Nest”).
17th century - The current and most prevailing version of Buddhism in Bhutan, Drukpa Buddhism is formed by Ngawang Namgya, a Tibetan lama. He is highly revered as he unified Bhutan into a nation-state and was both a secular and spiritual leader of Bhutan.
1907 - Bhutan as we know it is formed - it becomes a monarchy and the first king is enthroned.
1960s - Bhutan opens up from isolation.
What’s fascinating about Bhutanese history is that to a foreigner, it seems to be composed primarily of myth and legend, stories that seem quite fantastical in nature (e.g. story of Guru Rimpoche) but are regarded as truth by the Bhutanese. I think it’ll be interesting to see if newer generations of Bhutanese continue to accept these teachings as they get more exposure to the outside world.
While Bhutan brands itself as a peaceful Buddhist kingdom and is widely perceived as such (I find this so interesting from a branding perspective!), it is not without its controversies. Several Nepalese people I spoke with are opposed to Bhutan as the King exiled most ethnic Nepalese living in Bhutan without any reason, and these people are now refugees spread across India and Nepal. According to my Bhutanese guides, the King mandated that any Nepalese who wanted to stay permanently in Bhutan needed to adopt Bhutanese culture by learning the language and adopting the traditional dress (I’m not sure if this applies to any foreigner as well). However some Nepalese refused to adopt the Bhutanese culture and rioted against the King. These Nepalese were branded as terrorists and they and their families were exiled. I don’t know what the truth is - I only heard two sides of the story.
Government
Up until now there have been four kings, and the present ruler Druk Gyalpo (Bhutanese honorific for king) Jigme Wangchuck is the fifth king of Bhutan. His father, the fourth king, created a constitution that mandates the king must leave throne by age 60 and pass power to his son.
So far there have only been male rulers of Bhutan. The fourth king’s daughter was the eldest sibling, but there was a prophecy that said that the son, the current king, would be king. My guides have said that Bhutan believes in equal rights for men and women and thus if there is a prophecy that an upcoming ruler should be female, the government will respect that. The cynic in me wonders if there would ever be a female ruler of Bhutan as those delivering the prophecies are male (monks) and the Chief Abbot (most senior religious leader) has always been male.
While Bhutan has a military, it is not mandatory for people to join given the country’s Buddhist beliefs and desire to live in peace and harmony.
Bhutan is famous for focusing on Gross National Happiness rather than GDP. Gross National Happiness (GNH) is used to guide Bhutan’s policymaking. According to my tour guides, GNH was mostly at 90%. This was confirmed by my research; according to the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative, 93.6% of the Bhutanese population scored as “happy” in the 2022 GNH index: 9.5% were “deeply happy”, 38.6% were “extensively happy”, 45.5% were “narrowly happy”, and 6.4% were “unhappy”. According to my guides, the methodology for gathering this information is by government officials going door-to-door to assess GNH. I’m not quite sure if this is actually true (more on the calculation of GNH is here if you’re interested, but if that is the case I wonder about the quality of the data, especially because it is illegal to critique the king and royal family.
Government benefits:
All Bhutanese have free education up to 10th grade. If you perform well in your exams then the king will pay for you to study abroad at university.
New maternal leave policies were created by the current government in Oct 2023. These include an 1000 days government stipend that beings from date of conception, a minimum of six months maternal leave and 10 days paternal leave. If the mother experiences a miscarriage then she receives one month leave and if the newborn dies then she receives three months leave to grieve. If the mother dies while giving birth then the father receives six months leave. Hospitals have maternity classes for moms, and they also send out groups to the villages to teach them about maternity care and maternal care.
Economy & infrastructure
In addition to the traditional road signs, there are often road signs to remind drivers to drive safely and avoid accidents.
The number one contributor to the economy is hydropower. Second is tourism, so Bhutan greatly suffered during COVID.
Bhutan previously exported goods to Tibet prior to its invasion by China. They were closely tied given their history and shared beliefs, and as a result Bhutan does not have diplomatic relations with China. Bhutan shares a border with China via Tibet and via the Arunachal Pradesh state (claimed by Indian but a territory dispute between India and China).
All road signs are in English but not all are in Dzongkha, the Bhutanese language. Western-style advertisements and billboards are banned so it was quite nice to go for a drive and only have nature and the towns to look at - it definitely lended credence to Bhutan’s brand of being a peaceful retreat from the outside world. The maximum highway speed is 50-60 kph (30-38mph) which seems so slow! Most of the roads are quiet windy and in mountainous areas, but it still seems like a very low speed limit.
Currently Bhutan has one international airport in Paro. The primary mode of transportation across the country is by car due to accessibility, although those who can afford it can fly between the smaller regional domestic airports. Bhutan is building a second international airport in the south, as well as its first ever train station. Currently airplanes flying out of Paro can only fly to a limited number of places due to the length of the runway, but the new airport under construction in the south is supposed to expand the scope of available destinations. Both the new airport and train station are being funded by the Indian government, but they will be run by the Bhutanese government, who will pay back the loan from India.
Bhutan has some historic ties with Great Britain although they were (proudly) never colonized by the British. The British intervened when China invaded Tibet and Bhutan in the early 1700s and forced Bhutan to sign a treaty that accepted British meditation for any future disagreements between Bhutan and foreign countries. While Bhutan and Great Britain don’t have an official diplomatic relationship, they have a friendly informal relationship (both the king and queen of Bhutan were invited to and attended Queen Elizabeth’s funeral).
The Bhutanese government has a strong relationship with India given its position as a former British colony, but in my opinion there is an over reliance on India. Much is imported from India and the Indian government is the primary lender when it comes to Bhutan’s investments in infrastructure. India also has a This will be an interesting political dynamic to watch as Bhutan continues to increase its presence on the world stage: How will this impact or influence Bhutan’s decisions on building and nurturing diplomatic relationships with other countries? What happens to Bhutan if this relationship suddenly goes sour - who else can they turn to?
COVID
One of the regional sites of the Orange Army, named such for their orange uniforms.
Bhutan was one of the last countries to be affected by COVID given its relative isolation from the rest of the world. As a result it could learn from other countries’ responses to the pandemic and take away various best practices.
COVID had a really big hit on the economy as tourism is the second largest industry in Bhutan. During the pandemic, the king provided people with a monthly stipend for a period of 15 months. After the pandemic around March/April 2023 the government increased its Sustainable Development Fund (the foreign tourist fee, also known as SDF) from $65USD to $200USD per night to make up for the gap in the economy. However Bhutan didn’t see a large influx of tourists as they found the SDF to be too high, so the government reduced the SDF to $100USD in September 2023 to encourage more tourists to visit.
During the pandemic there was a large amount of unemployment among youth. As a result the King created the Orange Army to give youth purpose after graduating from high school. After graduation, youth were required to join the Orange Army for three months and perform acts of service for the country. These included creating new hiking trails in the Bhutanese Himalayas, creating safer pathways to monasteries (including a guardrail for the famous Taktsang Monastery), and repairing historical buildings. Now post-pandemic it is only mandatory to participate for three weeks.
In traditional Bhutanese dress with my guides
People & culture
It is mandatory by law to wear the national dress (gho for men, kira for women) to school and to work. Additionally, people are required to wear the national dress when visiting temple and government buildings, and certain places require an additional ceremonial scarf to be worn out of respect.
Gay marriage isn’t legal but it also isn’t illegal. The current king signed in a law banning anti-homosexuality which was seen as step forward for gay rights.
Sex and birth control
Birth control and condoms are readily available but apparently Bhutanese are shy about these matters
During COVID there were a lot of unplanned pregnancies because of the lack of birth control; Bhutan’s birth control pills are imported from India (non are produced in Bhutan) so they didn’t have access to birth control when borders were closed due to the pandemic
By law you cannot tie your tubes or get a vasectomy until you have three children. This is because Bhutan has an underpopulation problem
Most get married young, around 19. They have sex education starting from 7th grade as part of science class and have this curriculum every year until they graduate
Dating
There are no dating apps in Bhutan. People use WeChat and Telegram (two messaging apps) as there is a “Discover” function where you can find nearby people to interact with (and look at their photos!).
Prior to WeChat, they would dial random phone numbers to find people. Haha!
Karaoke and night clubs have made their way into Bhutan! In Paro they are open late until 3AM. Restaurants can stay open until midnight.
Most Bhutanese lean towards a vegetarian diet given the country’s Buddhist background. As a result of Bhutan adhering to and practicing Buddhist principles, all meat and fish is imported and primarily imported from India. No killing, no hunting, and no fishing is allowed. It’s kind of crazy to think that none of the meat served in Bhutan is actually from the country. I leaned towards eating vegetarian once I learned this, but the vegetarian dishes are all quite delicious as well!
Modernization
Bhutan opened up to the world during the 1960s and has since modernized quite rapidly.
Once they were exposed to modern technology, they quickly adapted, adopting the internet, mobile phones, and computers. In fact there is no mail in Bhutan -everything is digital! The exception is that there are still package deliveries within the country. There are only two post offices in the country in Thimphu and Paro whose primary purpose is to serve tourists who want to mail postcards. After 2008 most post offices with demolished because of the switch to mobile technology. All communication, including government correspondence, is done through email.
Most people have smartphones and every household is equipped with internet and either a phone or computer. Many Bhutanese use WeChat groups for community-level talks and gatherings. After the pandemic the government turned to QR codes and digital wallets. In this way, Bhutan is a lot more modernized than some western countries!
Even though Bhutan had closed borders prior to 1960, they will imported and exported goods and as a result did have access to cars.
One of the benefits of not opening their borders until recently is that as a result, Bhutan was able to learn from other countries’ mistakes when it came to building their modern infrastructure (e.g. city planning, road development) and creating sustainable tourism.
Many of the buildings in their major cities, filled with apartment buildings and hotels, look and are quite new having been built after the 1960s. However new construction isn’t just limited to the cities - many of the temples, stupas, and historical buildings I visited on my tour were built after the 1960s which made me wonder how we define something as “authentic”. I did get to visit older temples from the 8th and 16th century, and it was impressive at how well-preserved they were. Part of this is likely due to the prohibition of indoor photography, which limits exposure to light and knowledge of the temples’ valuables to thieves.
Most of what I saw on my tour is from the 17-20th century; not much was between the 8th-16th century in terms of sites and history that is told by the guides.
I’m very curious as to how Bhutan came up with the Drongska (name of the Bhutanese language) words for modern items, such as computers and smartphones, that they encountered after the 1960s.
It’s not just technological advancements that come with modernization and globalization - reality TV shows such as The Bachelor and Love is Blind have made their way to Bhutan! Fast food chains like McDonalds have not yet appeared, but I wouldn’t be surprised if similar businesses start popping up and introduce this way of preparing and cooking food.
Bhutan is an interesting place of contradictions trying to work in harmony together. It’s a relatively young country and still in its early days, so it’ll be fascinating to see how it will evolve over time and whether or not it’ll be able to preserve its unique heritage as it navigates the market forces shaping the modern world. One of the biggest fears Bhutanese have for their country’s future is whether the upcoming generations will leave behind their Buddhist culture in exchange for the modern world, especially since so much of a Bhutanese’s daily life is embedded with Buddhist religion and tradition.
A love letter to Tbilisi
Dear Tbilisi,
Thank you
for giving me a place to rest and relax
for giving me a sanctuary
for welcoming me with open arms
for connecting me with people who remind me that there is hope and faith in humanity, whose optimistic and positive attitudes are ones I want to adopt
for being the place where I reunited with old friends and made incredible new ones
for nights dancing in the techno scene, for meeting new people, for putting myself out there and finding some romance
for being a place where I could reset and remind myself why I am on this adventure.
Thank you.
Love,
May
A week in Tbilisi: Random updates and fun stories
გამარჯობა!
Gamarjoba! I’ve been staying in Tbilisi for the past week and wanted to share some fun stories and random updates about my time here.
Sunrise from Narikala Fortress, one of my favorite places in Tbilisi.
Creating Daily routinesWhat’s been lovely about being in one place for an extended period of time is that it feels like I can experience what it’d be like to actually live here. It’s been wonderful living in the same hostel and getting to reintroduce some sort of daily routine. I’ve been going on regular morning runs, which serve a dual purpose as a moving meditation and a way to explore the city, revisiting my favorite cafes and parks, and building new friendships.
Rike Park and its plethora of lavendar.
There’s so much greenery in Tbilisi, whether that’s green spaces in the form of numerous public parks, trees lining the sidewalks, or grape vines providing shade from the summer sun. There are also hiking trails that are easily accessible, leading up to hills as high as 1000m.
Rike Park is one of my favorite parks on the east side of the river and is right next to the futuristic looking Bridge of Peace. I’ve conducted some quick morning workouts there as it’s lovely to be working out while surrounded by gardens. One morning I ran into a local who was picking all the lavender buds from the bushes and ended up with an entire plastic bag full of buds!
I’ve also enjoyed exploring the cafe scene here and using that time to catch up on my blog and set aside some time for quiet reflection and introspection.
living the local lifeMy first night back in Tbilisi I experienced a water supply issue at my hostel. It turns out that Tbilisi occasionally has water supply interruptions and it just so happened that the outage happened while I was there. The outages don’t affect the entire city, rather they impact different neighborhoods, and they are a way for Georgia Water and Power to periodically fix the city’s water pipes. What’s a bit unfortunate is that there’s no proactive announcement about planned work, so you don’t know when you’ll be affected. Luckily I only experienced the water supply interruption twice (a couple of hours the first night and eight hours the second night) but it was an important reminder of how crucial water is to our lives and a gentle reminder of gratitude for clean water.
Each morning at my hostel, Nonna cooks a full and delicious breakfast for her guests and will incorporate some classic Georgian dishes, including khachapuri! It was such a delight to watch her make them from scratch.
Stuffing the khachapuri with cheese
Pinching the edges of the Adjarian khachapuri to give it its classic boat shape
Mini Adjarian khachapuri (boat-shaped, stuffed with cheese
Presenting “Big Daddy” - a big megrulian khachapuri (round with cheese on top)
Navigating Medical care in GeorgiaI had banged up my toenails pretty badly after a steep and fast descent down Kilimanjaro in June. As a result my toenails were looking a bit bruised and gnarly*. I texted some photos to my friend who’s a doctor, and even she balked at the sight! My right toenail ended up falling off in mid-August but the toenail growing underneath was looking a bit wonky, so I decided to get it checked out before I embarked on my trekking trip to Nepal.
A friend living in Tbilisi recommended American Medical Centers as I was looking for a doctor who could speak English. It turns out American Medical Centers has several locations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia including Ukraine and Kazkahstan. They are American-owned and managed so the whole process felt similar to visiting a doctor back in the States except that I was pleasantly surprised with shorter wait times and amazing service.
The doctor who saw me ended up being a trail runner and consequently was quite familiar with toes like mine. It turned out that my toenails were doing just fine despite their gnarly appearance and just needed some tlc in the form of lotion and filing. He promised me they’d eventually grow back to normal (bad for my future OnlyFans account 😂). His recommendation was to size up half a shoe size in order to prevent this from occurring again in the future. Luckily I have a friend visiting me next week and she’s agreed to bring me new hiking boots (thank you Shirley - my toes and I are so grateful for you!).
Funnily enough, this doctor ran in the Kazbegi Mountain Marathon over the weekend - the same marathon where Kazu, Satori, and I were cheering spectators, and he did recall hearing our cheers and seeing us out of the corner of his eye. What are the odds!
* I did not include a photo of my toe because I figured it wouldn’t be appreciated.
Buying Georgian WineI wanted to buy a bottle of Georgian wine for an upcoming home-cooked dinner with Kazu and Satori so that they could get their first taste of Georgian wine. I ended up visiting Wine Gallery, purely because of the number of highly rated reviews on Google Maps, and it was such a fun experience. The ground floor contained regular wine bottles but the basement was filled with large stainless steel vats of wine. Each vat contains a different type of wine, including wine made in the local Georgian qveri (natural) style and wine made in the traditional European style, and you can get wine on tap! The wine is sold in plastic bottles and is a lot cheaper than the options on the ground floor. The cheapest was a dry white wine that sold at 3.8 lari ($1.15 USD) for 1L! However it was made using the European style of winemaking so I opted for a qveri wine made from the same grape Rkatsiteli and sold at 12 lari ($4.56 USD).
Kazu, Satori, and I ended up enjoying several home-cooked meals together and were joined by Kenta, a Japanese traveler they met while traveling on the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan. It was heavenly “going home” each night to their rented apartment to cook and enjoy a homemade meal together.
Japanese-style meal of Temaki (hand rolls) - one of my favorites!
Rice was heavily featured at each meal - I had definitely missed it!
But, we also enjoyed a meal out together at Cafe Daphna, which I think has the best mushroom khinkali in Tbilisi. These khinkali are heavenly -richly flavored with garlic and herbs and the mushrooms seemingly melt in your mouth (I’m pretty sure butter has something to do with this).
Enjoying our last night together
Wizards are everywhere
Turns out there’s a Harry Potter store in Tbilisi! Ollivander’s store is tucked away in the Vake district (a more modern looking neighborhood) and tolerates Muggles like me.
Of course I had to step inside and take a look!
Sighnaghi and Davit Gareja
SighnaghiSighnaghi is affectionately known as the city of love. It’s a very charming town in the Kakheti region of Georgia, also known as the wine region! Alaska and I spent one day and two nights there wandering around town, which is quite small. It’s the most touristic place I’ve been in Georgia so far so one day was enough for me. The red roofs remind me of Dubrovnik, Croatia and there’s something quite beautiful about seeing the town from above.
Davit Gareja MonasteryWe drove to Davit Gareja on our way back to Tbilisi from Sighnaghi. This monastery complex is located right on the border of Georgia and Azerbaijan - in fact ~150m of the road to Davit Gareja technically falls within Azerbaijan! The monastery has been a source of border dispute between the two countries as both claim rights to the monastery due to the monastery’s historical and religious significance. Unfortunately we were not able to hike to Udabno Monastery, the upper part of the Davit Gareja complex, because access was blocked off by Georgian border guards due to the recent Georgian-Azerbaijan tensions.
Davit Gareja was constructed in the 6th century by a group on Assyrian monks who came to this area to settle down and spread the word of Christianity. What makes this monastery complex so unique is that the monasteries have been carved straight from stone! All types of rooms, from libraries to bedrooms to living areas, are carved from the stone. It was fascinating to see stairs carved from the stone and imagine hundreds of monks carefully making their way to the caves. It reminded me of the caves in Cappadocia, Turkey.
Gergeti Glacier
I spent last weekend in Stepantsminda, officially named Stepantsminda but still commonly called by its former name Kazbegi. Stepantsminda was originally named after a Georgian monk Stephan but the name was changed to Kazbegi in 1925 during Soviet rule. Given the animosity between Georgia and Russia, it’s not surprising that the name was changed back to Stepantsminda in 2006.
Stepantsminda is a three and a half hour marshrutka ride north of Tbilisi, and it’s one of the most popular places to go hiking (the other is the four day hike from Mestia to Ushguli - more coming on that soon). Kazu and Satori happened to be in Tbilisi as well, so we made the trip to Stepantsminda together.
The hike to Gergeti Glacier was beautiful. We had a very early morning start at 5am in order to beat the forecast of afternoon rain and were rewarded with a glorious sunrise and stunning views of Mt Kazbek, the third highest mountain in Georgia at 5054 meters.
When we first arrived in Stepantsminda it was lunch time, so we followed our noses to a local bakery. The owner invited us in to see how he and his brother baked the bread. It was so cool to see the bread baked in a traditional manner!
You can see the two khachapuri baking in the oven
Kazu looking very pleased about our acquisition of khachapuri (cheese-filled bread) and lobiani (bean-filled bread). We were lucky to get them straight from the oven so the ooey gooey cheese was scrumptious. The lobiani made a perfect hiking snack for our trip up to Gergeti Glacier.
Feed me Georgian food all day
I am in love with Georgian cuisine. It has many vegetable-focused dishes (very vegetarian friendly!) which was quite welcome after spending over two months traveling in Central Asia - when the focus is plov (rice with meat) or bread, you dream of vegetables other than a cucumber and tomato salad! Georgian cuisine also has a strong focus on good bread (khachapuri, lobiani, and other stuffed breads) which seems to balance out all the nutrient-filled vegetarian dishes. The fresh produce is amazing here and I definitely arrived during a good time - it’s the season for ripe stone fruit and figs and I love picking up a bag of figs on the walk back to my hostel.
Here’s a quick look at some of the meals and foods I’ve had while making my way across Georgia. If you’re in New York I recommend checking out Chama Mama. It’s a Georgian restaurant located in Chelsea that features delicious Georgian food and wine. Special shoutout to Jesse and Christine, who first recommended this restaurant, and Liz for introducing me to my first Georgian meal!
One of my favorite things about Georgia, especially visiting in August and September, is the fresh and sweet figs and stone fruit! These figs are the best I’ve had in my life.
Bread is a staple in Georgian cuisine. Here you can see khachapuri (bread stuffed with cheese) being baked in a traditional oven.
Chebureki is a fried dough stuffed with meat that closely resembles an empanada. The pastry was deliciously flaky, but the meat filling inside was quite sparse!
Look at that fig! Equally beautiful and delicious.
One version of khachapuri, cheese-filled bread, bought in Kazbegi, Georgia. We were able to get them fresh out of the oven from a bakery owned by a pair of brothers who invited us into the shop to take a look at how they bake the bread. They only make khachapuri, lobiani (bean-filled bread), and plain bread.
A deeper look into chebureki.
A very quick introduction to Uzbekistan
“If somebody wants to understand who the Uzbeks are, if somebody wants to comprehend all the power, might, justice and unlimited abilities of the Uzbek people, their contribution to the global development, their belief in future, he should recall the image of Amir Temur.”
The above quote greeted me upon entering the State Museum of Temurid History. I had held off visiting any museums during my week in Tashkent, needing the opportunity to have some downtime and knowing that I’d be back in September, but the one museum I wanted to visit was the State Museum of Temurid History, also known as the Amir Temur museum.
I had first heard of Amir Temur when visiting the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan, as Amir Temur was the visionary behind the mausoleum. Amir Temur is of Turkish and Mongol descent and was born in Transoxiana, which is now modern-day Uzbekistan, in the 1320s. He was a famous leader who founded the Temurid (also spelled as Timurid) empire in the 14th century. Depending on who you talked to and what sources you referenced, he was either a beloved, powerful ruler or a ruthless despot. I’d read that he was most well-respected in Uzbekistan, so I knew that I’d be able to learn more about Amir Temur’s story there and his influence on the culture and history of Uzbekistan.
Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of my visit to the museum as I went there right after visiting the US embassy, where I wasn’t allowed to bring my phone or any type of electronic device (I felt very proud of myself for navigating my way to the museum without a phone!). But I do have notes I jotted down in my journal that I’d like to share with you - some brief observations and reflections as I wandered around the small but impressive museum. It’ll be as if you’re in my head while my thoughts are coming in real time.
Wow. The central hall of the museum is absolutely stunning. I wish I had my phone to capture the beauty of the museum’s interior, but alas no phone. So here’s a photo off the internet.
Source: Central-Asia.Guide
MUSINGS AND OBSERVATIONSThis is less of a history museum with thousands of artifacts and relics but more of a brief glimpse into the Temurid history. It was the perfect appetizer of an introduction to Uzbek history.
On display is a letter (the real thing!) from Amir Temur to King Charles VI of France from 1402. These two rulers connected?! Why was this never mentioned in history class? I’d never heard of Temur before coming to Central Asia, yet he was in correspondence with European rulers, who we did learn about.
One gallery contains portraits of various Temurid princes, descendants of the great Amir Temur, and details their quick biographies. Amir Temur was definitely prolific in his offspring - one exhibit shows his vast and complex family tree that includes well-known historical figures such as Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal, and Babur, the founder of the Mughal empire. Amir Temur also claimed to be a descendent of Genghis Khan (who ruled a century earlier) and held this warlord in high regard.
It can get confusing that Temur can be spelled multiple ways in the English alphabet. I’ve seen Temur, Timir, and Timur, and Amir Temur was also known as Tamarlane.
This museum has been my favorite out of the museums I’ve visited in Central Asia, although most of them were in Kazakhstan. I wonder if this is because it seems like Uzbekistan has had more investments in their tourism infrastructure.
There was a New York City proclamation on display signed by Rudy Giuliani during his time as mayor of New York City. It celebrates the 9th anniversary of the Republic of Uzbekistan (it only became an independent state in 1991!).
It’s funny that portraits of Amir Temur painted by European artists portray him as very European-looking with Caucasian features, which contrasts sharply with the portraits of him painted by Central Asian artists where you see him with more Asian and Arabic features.
Architecture and art from the Temurid period deeply influenced architecture in India, as evidenced by the design of the Taj Mahal and other buildings built in India around that time.
Learned about Mirzo Ulughbek (also spelled Ulugh Beg), a famous astronomer and grandson of Amir Temur. He’s recognized as one of the most important astronomers and scholars of the 15th century (again, did not learn about him in school!). He built the Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand in the 1420s, and the observatory is considered to be one of the finest observatories in the Islamic world at the time. While he was a great astronomer, he was a poor ruler and ended up being overthrown and assassinated.
After leaving the museum, I felt excited to learn more about Uzbek history and visit more museums when I’m back in Uzbekistan in September. There’s a richness to the history here, a sense of strong Uzbek identity and pride, that feels different to the museums I visited in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan - I wonder if that’s because Uzbekistan has less of a leftover legacy from the Soviet Era.
Exterior of the State Museum of Temurid History.
Source: Wikipedia, RyansWorld - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21988099
