Welcome to Kutaisi, one of the three main cities in Georgia, located between the capital Tbilissi and the coastal city of Batumi in the Imereti region. A charming place built along both sides of the Rioni river and connected by several bridges and a funicular. The city is virtually divided into two banks by the river, one on which is located a hill offering magnificent scenery of the Caucasus mountains. I can only recommend you wander through the streets of Ukimerioni. You will be lost in a recollection of different memories. The place feels familiar but you know you did not have been there before. The agency of the streets has a charm similar to rural Japan but the way the houses are build feels like those in north Africa with their forged fences and colored walls. If you feel tired, do not worry as there are a lot of benches, maybe more than people who could sit on them, while the gentle breeze flows thought the hanging clothes.
If you plan to visit Georgia, Kutaisi is the best place to take a break before new adventures. Order an americano from the various café (there is a great culture of coffee here) while petting a stray cat and then look at the bright red pomegranates and fresh vegetables from the stalls of the Green Bazaar. Tourists and locals use the same restaurants and café, everyone is at home here. You don’t have to worry about change too, as you can change your euro or dollars to the Georgian Lari around everstreet. I don’t have any recommendations for restaurants, their prices are similar and the quality of ingredients competes in the same way. Beans named Loubio (who share almost the same name as in Arabic Loubia) is a huge part of Georgian diet. They trade the use of sandwiches with one of pastries stuffed either with meat, cheese, eggs or smashed beans. One loubiano (bread stuffed with beans) is enough for half of the day. That being said, Georgian food is rich and
meals are made to be shared. You should avoid making the mistake of ordering a khachapuri all for yourself. Outside of the specialties like Khinkali (steamed and stuffed dumplings) and Badrijani Nigvzi (fried eggplant with walnut paste), the freshness of the fruit and vegetables is outstanding. You will maybe notice that people ride Japanese car, some even being right-hand drive. Subaru is a pretty popular brand here. But those are not the only cars who will gain your attention as even american cars are modified. I suspect a street racing scene which the roads on the hill offer a particularly convenient circuit for drifting. But I couldn’t find it in time. At the end of the day, shining rays of the setting sun will reflect on the old buildings and music plays in the fountain next to the city mall. Some things are the same everywhere and there is a cinema named Sakartvelo on top of the mall with all the recent releases where a film festival also takes place every year at the start of October. If during the daytime the presence of stray dogs (and cats) is part of daily life, I can only recommend you to be careful after 2 am when they start roaming around chasing cars and the few adventurous travelers who didn’t read those lines.
Your stay in Kutaisi is an experience in itself, but you can always grab a map at the Kutaisi Tourism information center, visit the Bagrati cathedral who will be watching you from the hill, explore the Prometheus cave and the abandoned Sanatorium of Tskaltubo before taking the minibus to your next destination. The bus fee will be 20 Lari that you will pay directly to the driver.
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