Mestia

This past weekend I may have found the most beautiful place in Georgia.  Thanks to TLG I was finally able to pick up my teachers books (three weeks into the school year, and a month and a half into my stay in Georgia).  All we had to do was take a day off school and travel to Zugdidi, find the educational resource center and pick up our books.  Two friends (Cory and Derrick) and I decided to take this day on a Friday, so that we could enjoy the perks of a three day weekend and travel out of our respective villages.

All of us have been trying to get to Mestia, a small town in Svaneti.  It is most easily accessible by a 5-hour marshutka ride from Zugdidi, so it fit perfectly in our plans.  After picking up our books we continued the voyage into the Caucasus Mountains.

When we got there the weather was not the best, as it was drizzling with no end in sight.  The weather prognosis was not good for the rest of the weekend, but we were ready for it and determined to see the mountainous region around us.  Saturday morning we set off amid fog and threat of rain to hike 8 km up the mountains, to some pristine lakes.  It was not an easy hike, as clearly Georgians do not believe in switchback trails but 4 and half hours later we made it to the supposed lakes.

The three of us up in the mountains.  Yes that's right we hiked above the tree line. 

 As it was late in the season, the lakes were more like large puddles, but the view was amazing.  After fighting through fog and rain, the skies finally opened up and we were able to see the amazing views around us.  It made the hike defiantly worth it, and made the mountains by far my favorite part of Georgia.  It was a perfect respite from village life in the foothills.