Tbilisi: Basics & Travel Tips

The Georgian Language

აბსოლუტურად დარწმუნებული ვარ, რომ მე შემიძლია ვთქვა, რომ საქართველო მთელ მსოფლიოში ერთ-ერთი ყველაზე ლამაზად დაწერილი ენაა. 

I always attempt to learn some basic phrases of the local language before traveling to a foreign country, but Georgian was a particularly tough nut to crack. The Georgian alphabet (one of the most beautiful in the world) leaves translators with the tough task of creating Latin-alphabet equivalents, none of which really do the language any justice. There are also many glottal sounds in Georgian that have no English counterparts, making mastering pronunciation as difficult as finding a good phonetic rendering.

Luckily I found two fantastic teachers in a pair of 12 year old Georgian-American seatmates on my flight from JFK to Baku. During the first meal service of the 13-hour flight I learned that the catering company had neglected to load the special vegetarian meals onto the plane. My two neighbors, who would be connecting in Baku to Tbilisi for their annual summer vacation with their Georgian grandparents, took pity and decided they would share their snacks with me if they could teach me Georgian. The rules were simple: every word or phrase I wrote (and pronounced) correctly would earn me a pretzel. I think Catholic school students facing nuns with rulers had an easier go than I did, but hunger is a remarkable motivator and by the end of the flight I had eaten my fill of the salty snack.

Public Transportation in Tbilisi

No Georgian will expect a tourist to be able to read or write the Georgian alphabet, but having accurate pronunciation is important, especially when taking public transportation in Tbilisi/Georgia. (Notice how all of my examples of the Georgian language also involve public transportation- there’s a reason for this!) Of the three main ways to get around Tbilisi (Metro, Bus and Marshrutka- essentially a mini-bus), only the Metro has signage in both Georgian and English. You can’t show up to Didube Marshrutka depot and expect to see English destination signs in the front windows. You’re going to have to ask someone which Marshrutka is going to Mtskheta (yes a whopping five consonants, including a glottal combination, kick off the name of Georgia’s former capital) and if you can’t pronounce Mtskheta correctly you won’t get anywhere!

The Metro only has two lines, but it’s quick, clean and efficient, whisking you away to within walking distance of most places you will need to go. The ticketing system is simple and very similar to New York’s. You must first go to a ticketing booth in a Metro station to purchase a plastic Metromoney card. The card costs 2 GEL and then you can top it up with however much money you please. The card can be refilled at electronic kiosk machines, but the initial card must be purchased from the booth. To access the Metro, simply tap the Metromoney card on the sensor at the station entryway and the cost a single ride will be deducted from the card. (The card also works on the newer city buses and Marshrutka, but these modes of transportation also except cash- exact change only.)

The buses in Tbilisi are yellow and unlike the Marshrutka they only stop at designated, well-marked spots along the route. A Marshrutka follows a set route, but the driver will pick you up and drop your off anywhere along this route. Marshrutka also run domestically from Tbilisi to any city in Georgia, as well as internationally to Baku, Yerevan, Istanbul and a 32-hour journey to Moscow. Personally I preferred the Metro and yellow buses in Tbilisi proper and only used a Marshrutka for longer distances outside the capital.

Georgian (Vegetarian) Food

Is Tbilisi a vegetarian-friendly city? Hmm. Well, my Georgian friend Zviadi kind of treats my vegetarianism like some phase I’m going through and while there are certainly vegetarian options when it comes to Georgian cuisine, most entrees involve meat of some kind. This leaves breads (usually stuffed and/or drenched in melted cheese) and desserts- tasty, yet not the healthiest of food groups.

Khachapuri is a staple of Georgian cooking and it is truly a delicious indulgence. In it’s most traditional incarnation, Khachapuri is a boat of warm bread, filled with cheese and them topped with a pad of butter and a freshly cracked egg that you stir into the cheese before eating. It’s out of this world, but will also send you into a food coma and can’t be eaten everyday.

Kiwi Vegan Cafe, Tbilisi’s first all vegan restaurant, is a veritable oasis in the sea of meat-on-a-stick joints in town. The food is not only healthy and flavorful, but the cafe also hosts programs that bring attention to issues like sexism and homophobia in Georgia. There’s also blazing fast free WiFi, so catch up on texting everyone back home while enjoying some great food and know that your money is also supporting some good causes.

Fresh Orange and Pomegranate Juice Everywhere

Fresh juice stands are ubiquitous in Tbilisi and for good reason. Though the prices are high (by Georgian standards), there’s nothing quite like pressed pomegranate juice. Not only is it rich in anti-oxidants, but the energy boost is akin to three shots of espresso. Drinking fresh juice like this also makes you realize just how processed everything is back in the States. POM claims to be “100% pomegranate juice,” and yet it feels syrupy and too sweet compared to juice I drank in Tbilisi.

Georgian Wine

While no one would mistake me for a sommelier, even my uneducated taste buds can tell that Georgian wine is the best in the world. Georgians are very proud of their wine; there’s a sign at the airport announcing that there are 5,000 kinds of wine in Georgia and you’re not allowed to leave until you’ve tried them all. The good news for budget travelers is that you can purchase high-quality wine for low prices. The red semi-sweets were my favorites, but honestly everything I sampled was great. If I have to bring a bottle of wine to a party in New York, I always grab a bottle of Georgian wine and it has never failed to impress.

Sweets on a String

The first time I saw Churchkhela I assumed the waxy looking cylinders on a string were candles, but I later discovered they are traditional Georgian candies. I can’t say that the colorful treats look intrinsically appetizing, but I was persuaded to try one and after I got used to the texture I grew to like them. Churchkhela is started by placing either walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or raisins on string, much like one would thread popcorn for a Christmas tree. The string of nuts is then dipped into a gelatinous fruit juice mixture (usually grape, but other fruits are used too) until the liquid thickens around the nuts or dried fruit. You then simply bite a piece the gummy encased nuts off the string. The closest thing I can compare it to is a fruit roll-up with nuts inside, though without all the sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Churchkhela are popular to take on hikes as the nuts provide plenty of protein and aren’t fruity coating isn’t overly sweet.