My Impression of Tbilisi Improves with Time

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008--Tbilisi

My impression of Tbilisi improves the longer I stay. It has so much potential. And it obviously is slowly changing for the better. One problem it will always have to live with is earthquakes, however. I walked through an area today with grand old buildings that are too damaged from previous earthquakes that they will not be able to be restored. They will have to eventually be replaced.

Eduard told me today about the government letting them buy their apartment after Communism was gone and they had their independence. He said they paid a token amount (maybe $20) and took over ownership. He said that most people, like him, have all their wealth in their homes, since pensions have gone down with inflation and costs have increased to western levels. But he was happy that he knows he can sell his apartment, currently worth maybe $90,000, and move to a smaller, cheaper one in the suburbs if there comes a need for money in an emergency.

I wonder if the lack of restoration of apartment buildings throughout town is due to the way they were sold to the occupants after independence? With most buildings, the exterior and the interior common elements are in poor condition in general and are falling apart in some instances. Maybe they never set up associations with dues to bring in money to maintain those areas. Of course, no one will spend his own money to improve the exterior of a building that isn't completely his.

I was so tired today from not sleeping enough last night. I drank a liter of cola around 18:30 after returning from my outing for the day. I guess the caffeine did it. I couldn't go to sleep at 23:00, so I read until 00:30. Then when I did go to sleep, I was awake again from 4:00 to 5:30. Finally, I slept again until 8:15.

I explored some older areas of town today. Mainly, it was areas that have been developed into sidewalk cafes and souvenir shops for tourists. I tried to go to the Art Museum and actually paid to enter. However, only one gallery was open, so it took me only 5 minutes to see what they would allow me to see. I returned to the room and napped for 2 hours in the afternoon.

I went to eat a "national dish" of Georgia tonight only to find that it is the same as Chinese dumplings or what are called momos in Nepal and northern India. They are spicier with pepper here, though, and they are larger. I enjoyed them, but I would have preferred that they be something completely different from what I already know from elsewhere.

I needed a haircut, and I waited in India and Turkey because I had gotten my hair cut in those countries before. Tonight, I went across the street to a local barber who was very efficient and good. Now I should look nice for the rest of my trip (which only has one month and 2 days to go).

Tomorrow, I will leave for Kutaisi for 2 days and then to Borjomi (and Bakuriani) for 2 days before returning here to Tbilisi for one night on the 9th. If I don't post, it will be because of problems finding a computer.