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Dreams of Debed

The Debed Canyon region of northern Armenia is one of the most magical places I have ever seen, with gorgeous scenic landscape, beautiful little riverside villages and ancient cliff-side monasteries.

Tbilisi to Kazbegi

From the streets of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi and heading north on the Georgian Military Highway, a view inside the Mtskheta monastery, passing the lakeside monastery of Ananuri, the odd round-shaped war memorial, the impressively situated Tsminda Sameba monastery overlooking the village of Stepantsminda, the hike to the foot of Mt. Kazbegi (which at 5,800 feet did not cooperate and stayed hidden in the clouds, hence my messing around with silly flower pictures), and back down via the monastery once more.

The last few pictures…well a group of us decided to drive out in an Englishman’s camper van to find the cave monasteries of Davit Gareja south of Tbilisi. After many wrong turns, serious off-roading, and getting stopped by bewildered remote outpost border guards while accidentally driving up to the Azerbaijan border (note the desert landscape), we eventually found the right road…which was impassable with our vehicle and would have been a 15 mile trek on foot in the heat. So no cave monasteries that day, but as with all absurd road trip adventures, some great memories and new friends.

Georgia on my Mind

It is said that Georgia is the birthplace of Europe. And indeed, the term “Caucasian” to refer to white people was coined in 1800 by German scientist Blumenbach, believing as he did that the Caucasus mountain range including where Georgians live was the original source of the race (an assertion that remains controversial to this day).

Originators or not, the little mountain country of Georgia, far on the eastern flank of Europe, was one of the first countries in the world to officially adopt Christianity in the 4th Century and took its name from St. George (and its flag from St. George’s Cross.)

Although cut off from the Roman Empire and invaded by a succession of Arabs, Persians, Mongols, Turks and eventually the Soviets, Georgian cultural integrity and autonomy remained surprisingly strong and resilient, one of the only countries (along with southern neighbor Armenia) to successfully resist the conversion to Islamism to which all of its other neighbors succumbed. This is nowhere as evident as walking down the pretty streets of capital city Tbilisi, where the Georgian women flaunt revealing low-cut tops and cleavage that would be unthinkable in neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan, almost all of them with a prominent cross pendant nestling proudly within their bosom (a cultural fashion statement very reminiscent of Lebanon’s Christian community.)

Predating Christianity and of interest to lovers of Greek mythology, Georgia (or as it was then known, Colchis) is the land where Jason and his band of Argonauts traveled to in search of the Golden Fleece.

Although beset in the 90s by rampant corruption which plagued so many of the former Soviet Republics, and currently undergoing an uneasy truce with Russia over the breakaway province of South Ossetia, Georgia is a country on the way up. With a beautiful sights both natural and cultural, world-famous wine and cuisine, and genuine hospitality, Georgia is slowly emerging as a place with the bright future to match its historic past.

From the Caspian to the Caucasus

Thanks to oil, Azerbaijan is doing quite well. Even their police cars in the capital city of Baku are all shiny new BMWs.

Most of the country, and even its wholly unappealing coastline on the Caspian Sea, is flat barren desert. Except for its northern and western borders, where rocky wastelands give way to the rising green hills of the Caucasus mountains.

An hour south of Baku are a curious archeological treat: mud volcanoes. Little mounds of mud that bubble and ooze out of the earth for no apparent reason.

In the latter pictures, the soothing hills of Sheki, including a few interior pics from the Palace of Sheki Khans (Khansarai). Contrasting with the baking temperatures of lowland Azerbaijan, Sheki is a wonderful, laid-back mountain town, the perfect place to simply relax and enjoy the cool mountain breeze and wonderful Azeri hospitality.

Would You Buy From These Folks?

Gotta love those honest Indian shawl merchants:

Lakeside Life of Leisure

The British during the colonial era were not allowed to purchase land or houses in Kashmir. Lured by the valley’s irresistible beauty and cool summer climate, they creatively resorted to building houseboats on Dal Lake instead, now almost all converted to antiquated, semi-luxurious tourist accommodations.

Here are shots from my houseboat (bedroom, dining room and living room) and a casual paddle out on the adjoining Nagin Lake at dusk:

Floating Veggies

Even at 5:30am, I was the last one there. Half an hour of pre-dawn rowing through winding canals, I arrived at Dal Lake’s morning vegetable market before the sun had even considered cresting over the jagged Himalayan peaks. And found myself immersed in a sea of floating Kashmiri salesmen and produce:

The Canals of Kashmir

The Kashmir Valley in northern India is a fascinating place. Rocked by 20 years of violent unrest in an often bitter territorial tug-of-war between India and Pakistan, peace and prosperity is now slowly starting to burgeon in this enchantingly beautiful land.

The regional capital of Sri Nagar straddles Dal Lake, where small paddle-rowed sikkaras weave their way through a myriad of lush canals to stilted shops, hidden gardens, floating markets and old colonial houseboats…

Viva Calcutta

With a flight from Delhi to Calcutta costing 2 rupees plus tax (1 dollar = 47 rupees), who could resist a quick return to this sweltering Indian city on the river?

How to Say Sylviane in Cyrillic

So my little sister Sylviane joined me for the two weeks on the Ukraine portion of the trip. Here are a few Cyrillic Sylviane snapshots (repeat this 10 times quickly):