Have you ever seen different colors in the sky during sunset? Have you seen different colors every time sunset rolls around?
I was visiting Georgia (a country) in 2016 for a shoot. That was my first trip abroad. I was excited and nervous about it. One of the reasons was the language barrier. Russian and Georgian are the native languages there. Only a few people can speak or understand English. However, I communicated using sign language and Google!
Thanking humans for Google!
Being a vegetarian, I was worried about how I would survive. What if there isn't any decent vegetarian food or a Subway nearby?!
Subway has been a savior for me for years, whenever I visit a new country.
Georgia is a very beautiful country full of history, beaches, landscapes, fancy clothes, super-tasty food, good quality dairy, pulses, and fruits.
That's how I survived!
I stayed in Batumi and Tbilisi, and got a chance to visit the Rustavi International Motorpark race track!
Batumi is a small town on the coast of the Black Sea.
The architecture is a combination of European and Asian styles, towers, statues, and buildings created by some brilliant architects. This is especially visible at night when the majority of the buildings are lit up.
From my hotel room's balcony, I could see the beautiful sky. It was the most fascinating sight ever.
The beach was 10 minutes' walking distance from my hotel. So I would take a walk to the beach every evening with my earphones plugged in. On my way, I could see the whole of Batumi.
Local shopkeeper lady who doesn't understand my language but was always so kind to cooperate and give me the stuff I wanted to buy, the local shop was full of beautiful white bridal gowns. I'd never seen it until now. Shops selling super-ripe fruits, Khaja puri—a must-eat local delicacy, and an abundance of pizza. Everyone loves pizza, it seems.
I would sit on the beach and look at the sky in the evening. I had never seen such a beautiful sky before, full of orange, blue, purple, black, violet and so many other colors.
To my amazement, even though people don't understand English or Hindi, they are huge fans of the Super Star of Indian Cinema- Mithun Charkraborty, who is very popular for 'Jimmy Jimmy' song. Whenever I interacted with locals and told them I was from India, they would start singing the "Jimy Jimy" song.
Song for reference: https://youtu.be/ZUdJQSUcK_Y
Also, the Indian television show 'Balika Vadhu' was very popular there. The show is based on child marriages in India, which was dubbed into Russian or Georgian, I couldn't understand it.
Show reference: https://youtu.be/lW0Kx6AcbeI
My next visit was to the Rustavi International Motorpark race track. It was the first time I had been on a racecourse. Apart from racing cars, I saw a lot of unique car designs there. How exciting! Right!
From there, I moved to Tbilisi. I stayed there for 15 days.
Tbilisi is the capital city and one of the best cities in Georgia to visit! It is surrounded by hills and mountains.
One of the best ways to appreciate this unique place is to wander the streets of Tbilisi.
You'll come across over-renovated and hyper-modern buildings on your walk through the city, but you'll also find yourself in a maze of backstreets surrounded by ramshackle buildings that are beautiful in their own right.
Make sure that you walk (or take the cable car) to the Narikala Fortress, where you can take in the breathtaking views of the city.
There are more reasons to love this city! Women working in 24X7 stores.
Believe it or not, this fact filled me with surprise and amazement. I live in a country where, apart from metro cities, women don't step out at night alone or late at night.
Since our childhood, till today, we have been taught not to step outside after 7 or 8 pm or when it's dark, as it's not safe out there. But in this country, it is safe. Men would never relate to what I am trying to say, but I am sure all women will.
I wish I had more time to explore this beautiful country! I am hoping to revisit this magnificent country.
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