I'm in Georgia right now, I cannot really begin to tell you all how much this country rules. Although it's been a while since I've written anything, I'd really like to write about my recent hitch-hiking experiences. Yesterday my friend Phillip and I were in this place called Mestia. It really is like a fairy-tale. Not only is the scenery gorgeous but every second house has it's own personal tower. That's REALLY cool. And I'm not talking little lump in the hill - like 15 metre tall tower!!! They're REALLY cool. Unfortunately there were a lot of dogs... and I don't really like dogs... so we didn't REALLY see what they were like close. But if anyone wants to build a Svaneti tower, please, let me know, I will move in with you and cook from time to time as long as I can hang out in it at least every other day. But... I've gotten distracted. I wanted to talk about Georgian hospitality. So yesterday, Phillip and I went walking to this glacier. We were pretty tired because the day before we walked to this cross - which was REALLY tiring. So to the glacier we went. We hitched a ride in a truck to get past the boring part, walked another 2 hours and then arrived. Cool. It was really beautiful and the water was really cold - like, it hurt my feet and it tasted like dirt. Not good. But we walked back and then we saw this 'bus.' We were talking about hitching a ride and I said that I thought it was an ambulance - he said no way. Anyways, we decided to see about a lift. BUT, before we could find anything out, they started wildly signalling to us 'wanna ride??' YES!!! Well, it was an ambulance. And it was working as an ambulance with a girl who had a HEAD WOUND!!! So we rode in the back of an ambulance with a patient. Awesome. Today, we arrived in Kutisia (or something like that - look at my map.) and really didn't know where to go. This guy stopped and said 'do you want some help, where are you going??' We said to Chanchinadze street, and he looked puzzled. But we didn't worry, because he was with the police. He said he'd call his friends and they would help us out. Phillip and I were a little worried, but after not too long, three really big fat mafioso looking guys showed up with pistols in their belts. I was really scared. I mean, he did SAY he was with the police... but what does that mean??? After about another 5 minutes, police cruisers started showing up. We hitched a ride in a police car not only to our homestay but THEN to one of the main tourist attractions. 6 kilometers out of town. If that's not awesome, I don't know what is. After that, we left the monastery and were looking for something to do when this guy invited us over for coffee. We sat down and before we knew it, he pulled out a bottle of chacha. For those of you who don't know, chacha is a deadly 65% homebrewed vodka... which when you have about 4 shots of with some beer in about an hour, you get pretty messed up. Even if it's at 2:00 in the afternoon. So, Georgians rule. If you meet one today, take them out for some chacha or something like that. If they suggest fried chicken or going to Atlanta, kick them between the legs. Because every Georgia sucks, except for the one with the Stalin Museum. Oh yeah, I went to the Stalin museum. Apparently, he was a really good guy. Won the war, generally rose to power in a nice peaceful period of Soviet stability and was loved by all. Seriously. NOT. If you EVER come to Georgia, go to Gori and check out the Stalin museum. If for nothing other than to see the paintings by the door that show a young boy Stalin lecturing the peasants about socialism and working together. Ohhhhh - and the 14 year old is also 'educating' a large group of workers in the same way. Because workers and peasants generally listen to 15 year-olds when they want advice on how to organize themselves. Go Stalin.
