An Adventurous Trip To Batumi

Hello all, hope you are all having a good day out there. Today I thought that I would describe my experience about the most exciting trip I had after coming to Georgia. The place is none other than a beautiful city in the coast of Black sea called the Batumi. Actually before beginning on with the experiences I had in the city I would like to tell about how this plan started. It was a warm day out here in Tbilisi and after finishing up with my classes in the university I was just thinking that how cool it would be if we go on a trip somewhere out of Tbilisi. That night we were discussing about where to go and what to see and after hours of discussions this place, Batumi was confirmed as our destination. Four of us planned to go together to Batumi and now the problem was how to reach there. There were a variety of options for us to reach Batumi from Tbilisi like buses, trains and private cars. We decided to go to the places in person and enuire about the tarrif and other details. We were looking for a fast, economic and comfortable means to get there. We first enquired about the mini buses that are available the details that we gathered are that the mini buses are frequent, they went directly to the centre of the city and it was economic like 20 GEL for one way but the drawback was its not that comfortable because the buses will depart only after the entire bus gets filled and it is hard to be like that during a long travel. Next we enquired about the private cars, the cars are comfortable like they were mercedes benz cars but it was too expensive like 200 to 300 GEL for a car to go and come back. The best thing about it is you don't need to worry about not knowing the city because the cab driver would escort you and will take you to all the places that you need to see and he will take you back home. At last we went to the train station to enquire about the train. The train tickets are not that expensive, it costed around around 23GEL one way and the trains had coupe for four people with places to sleep and a television that was comfortable. The only thing to worry was that the train would not go to the centre of Batumi, we may have to get down at the station called Markhinajuri and from there we had to find our way to Batumi. We decided to take the train route as we thought it is a trip to enjoy and to have some adventure. Moreover this is the first we are leaving in train to such a far distance away from Tbilisi. We booked the tickets a couple of days later for the onward and the return journey and we planned to stay for two days in the city of Batumi. As Batumi was an autonomus republic the trains from Tbilisi did not reach Batumi and thereby Markhinajuri was the last station. Our train was at night 10'pm and therefore we had to make necessary arrangment for the journey. There was also another transport means that is available which was not in our list. It is a flight to the Batumi International Airport, flights generally connects Tbilisi - Batumi.

On the day of journey we were so excited about the trip. We didn't have any kind of plan after reaching Batumi all that we knew was we were going there to have some fun and adventure. We gathered together in one of my friends home that evening with all our baggages packed. Since it was an overnight journey in the train we thought that it would be better if we carry some food with us as we were not sure that if any food will be available on our way or not. We thought of making some Indian food and taking it along with us but as it got late to get ready we were not able to make any. We went down to the bank to draw some cash and keep with us that would help us in the rest of the journey. We hired a taxi to the railway station and it was not a long drive. we were able to reach the railway station located at Vukzali in less than 20 minutes. It was like 9-30pm when we reached the station and we went into a market there to buy some drinks and snacks for the night's journey. After coming out of the market we went inside the station and on the monitors our trains platform number was not displayed. We thought that it would take time for the train to arrive and therefore we were wandering around the station just to kill time. Me and my friend went inside a book stall were we found quite an interesting book and we bought it. As we came down to the main hall in the station it was almost 9-55pm but still there was no display about the trains platform on the screen. As we had just 5 minutes for the train to depart we thought of enuiring someone about it. We went to gaurd who was standing next to us and asked him if the train has arrived and he gave us a shocking reply. He said that the train was ready to depart in less than 5 mins and he guided us to the platform in which the train was waiting. In a hurry we were searching for our wagon and it was in the very front of the train. Identifying our wagon we boarded ourselves into the train and found our coupe. The coupe was really good and it was worth the money we spent for the ticket. It was for four persons and it had place for each of the four to sleep. Althought the berth's were not big enough to stretch our legs fully it was a good one with pillows and blankets. The door that we could lock from the inside gave us some extra security. There was even a telivision in which movies were played in Georgian therefore it was of no use to us. As soon as we boarded the train and dropped iur baggages inside our coupe the train started to move. We thought at that time that we were lucky enough or else we would have definitely missed the train and our entire plan would have collapsed.

So the train started its journey and so did we, we were dreaming about the excitement awaiting us. We were recalling some old memories, sharing some thoughts with each other and also talking some useless stuffs to while away the time. As it wa night we couldn't see anything outside our window. The train went non stop crossing the borders of Tbilisi. Once it crossed Tbilisi the place was so deserted couldn't even see a house and our train had to stop for a long time at a station or two. We ate the snacks and drank the juices bought by us in Tbilisi and we were waiting for the train to reach Batumi. Once or twice we got out of the coupe and was standing in the corridor of the train getting some fresh breeze. The train was really good and it was really pleasant to travel in it. It became late and we decided to sleep for a while as we knew that the train would arrive in Batumi very early in the morning. We got into our births and had some quite sleep for sometime. The train reached Makhinajuri the station we were supposed to get down as scheduled on time at 6am. We were able to recognize that we had reached our destination because we were able to see the silent coast of the black sea on the othe side of the sea we were able to see the light filled architectural wonders of Batumi. We got down from the train and all that we could see were lots of brokers or agents who were running small guest rooms and houses for the tourists who visit Batumi. After talking with one or two of the brokers a lady took as saying that she would arrange us a room for 20GEL. We got onto a bus at the railway station and as I remember its number was 10 and it goes all the way down the Batumi Boulevard. The first difference we noticed once we noticed when we got down at Markhinajuri are the buses. In Tbilisi all the metropolitan buses are yellow but here all of them were green and even the ticketing pattern is different because back in Tbilisi we used to use plastic transportation cards for travel and here we had to buy a ticket from the driver by paying money. It could also be purchased from certain shops and for a particular distance a person needs one ticket and for certain places that are at a long diatance a single person needs two tickets. The tickets needs to be inserted into the machine hung in one of the bus rails and the machine prints a number and punches a hole in it making it invalid for future use. Single tickets are available for 1 person and also 2 persons. As we were travelling towards the centre of Batumi the lady who was with us started describing about the place in Georgian. The bus went down the Boulevard and even further away somewhere near a park which the women said that a construction of a new boulevard is on progress she asked us to get down and made us walk for 10 minutes. As any other tourist we were expecting for some place to stay in the centre of the city from which various tourist spots are easily accessible. She took u into a home and made us meet the owner of the place and for our surprise the owner asked for 80GEL per day and we were shocked. We told that this lady who was with us said that its only 20 GEL but the owner of the place said that it was 20GEL per head. We were so disappointed not only because of the money but becaue the woman has wasted our time and it was almost 8am. The place had nothing but jut 4 beds and a bathroom and none of us liked it. So we told her that we dont want the room and we walked away but the agent women came running behind us because her commission might be lost for the day if we didn't take a flat through her. For that she started building up her own story that most of the people doesn't give home to the black people and they don't like them as well. I was really shocked on hearing this but I didn't want to argue with her that I'm not a black but I'm an Indian. The conversation lasted for like 10 minutes and I was totally mad at her but compelling us she made us get on a local mini van. Then occured an embarassing event, usually when we get on a mini van here we used to close the door manually but in Batumi the process was automated and the control wa with the driver but I didn't know that. I was the last to get into the mini van and I was pulling the door hard to close it but it didn't move an inch. I kept trying harder but all I got was a grease stain in my hand, the driver started saying something as the mini van began to move I thought he was asking me to close the door and I was keen on doing that but only after a while I realized that he was asking me to go and sit because the door will close by itself. I felt really embarasing at that moment and it took me sometime to get over it. The lady asked us to get down at a place which we really didn't know but she took us somewhere where there were many resedential apartments and she was like going into every possible home and making a deal. She showed us a home that had a room with many beds and a common bathroom. The place was stinking really bad and we all went mad this time we said her clearly that we don't want her anymore and we would find a place to stay by ourselves. She asked us for 5GEL for spending her time with no other go we gave her the money and we approached a taxi driver asking a place to stay meanwhile the lady came again and told that she will take us to a place for the final time that is in the center of the city near to the beach. We agreed and we all boarded a bus that took us to the place where we actually wanted to be. As we were four we thought of a plan that 2 of us would go with the lady to see the home that she is about to show and the other two would go and enquire about the fare in a hotel. In the hotel they said that it was 100 GEL for a day but the room was good enough with two double cots, a dining hall and a bathroom. Meanwhile the owner of the place the lady took u was a really good women, an angel at that time. When we said her that we were students from Tbilisi, she said that her daughter was also studying in Tbilisi and was in the same place we were residing back in Tbilisi. She told that its enough if we pay her only 50GEL for one day. It was really cheap and the flat was small but very lovely. It had a double cot with a small single cot in the bedroom, a hall with telivision and sofa and a good bathroom. That was way to enough for us and the house was located near the beach in the very center of the city. We liked the place so much and after a long hunt for a place to stay we finally settled ourselves at 11am. 

We decided to take a nap, relax ourselves and then to move around the place. We slept for about two hours had a refreshing bath got ready and we decided to go to the places at distance first and then visit the near by places the next day. We left from our home at 1pm to a bus stand where we waited for a bus. A bus arrived and we asked the driver if the bus goes to Sarpi which was our first spot to visit. The driver an old man but was very kind he said that there is no bus to Sarpi from the place where we stood. He asked us to bord the bus and he would drop us at a point were we could get a bus. We travelled a short distance in the bus and at a point he asked us to get down, told the bus number that we had to board and showed us the way to the bus stand. He was a really good man. We waited for our bus to arrive and after a couple of minutes we got the bus. It was a bit crowdy but we managed to get in the bus and it was long journey that took us almost an hour. The road which we travelled was filled with scenic beauty, on one side we could see the green trees and on the other side it was the vast blue Black sea. It was really exciting to travel in the road and on the way to Sarpi we saw a fortress on the roadside and we decided to visit it on our way back. After an hour the bus reached Sarpi. It is a place situated in the very end of Georgia and it makes the Georgian border with Turkey. All the vehicles passing by land to Turkey from Georgia had to pass through Sarpi. It was really good to see a border of another nation, It was like a border gate of Georgia where the Georgian flag was flying and on the other end it was the gate of Turkey with a flag of Turkey flying in it. It was even possible to see the difference in relegion between the two countries standing there. In the Georgian border we were able to see a church and on the Turkey border there was a mosque. Taking some cool pictures there to keep in memory that we went to the very border of the country we got down to the pebble shore of Black sea in that place.There to our surprise we saw a Jelly fish for the first time. Unfortunately it was dead and we were able to catach it with our hand. We were amazed at seeing such a rare organism for the first time in real. After a while we were feeling really hungry and therefore we went to a hotel and there we ordered some breakfast to eat and after filling our stomach we were ready to depart back to Batumi. We hopped on the same bus and as it made its way near the fortress that we saw on our way towards Sarpi we got down. We went inside the fortress without any idea of what it is inside. The fortress was a really big and inside there were sites of archealogical excavations. The valuables that were found during the excavation process are kept inside the museum which is situated inside the fortress. The fortress was rectangular and the walls were made of stone surrounded all four sides. People were able to climb the fortress and walk on it upto the entrance. There were many local people visiting the place along with us. After spending some time there we didn't get any bus so we hired a taxi and went to a park that is located near the Batumi University. Now we were at the Batumi Boulevard and its one of the most amazing roads that I've ever seen. The place was decorated with plants and other ornamentals so well that I don't have any words to describe it. 

Getting down from the taxi we actually went to the Oceanarium were we had to get tickets inorder to see the show. The tickets costed us like 12 GEL per person but it was worth it. Inside the oceanarium there was a spectacular show by Dolphins and its something that I would not forget for the rest of my life. After the show got over we went to the park nearby, It was a big one with a small lake in the center. There were boats in the lake to row and it was just 2GEL for 30 minutes. We took a boat bought some pop corn from a nearby shop and we hopped on the row boat. This is the first time we are ever riding a row boat all by ourselves. Till now we have used only pedal boats and therefore it took us long to get acquainted with ateering the boat. It was a hard job and all of us were almost exhausted but we figured out at least to an extent the art of steering a row boat. After this lovely boat ride in a lake with a warm evening un shining it was really feeling good. Finishing with the boat ride we got walked down the park were we found some children theme park ride like some merry-go-round and stuff. We went for a child ride in one such thing and it was fun..!! We spent some more time in the park and as time went by we left the park and started to walk to our home. We were having a look at the streets and shops of Batumi and after sometime we reached the place where we were staying. We had a coffee and waited till night because the boulevard will be magnificient with its lights on.

At about 8pm we started from our home to have a walk at the boulevard. The entire place was filled with lights and the cold breeze from the Black sea was really refreshing. We saw the Batumi theatre glowing with lights and in front was an awesome fountain. There stood a big cathedral which the locals said that it was a special cathedral to the president of Georgia however I'm not sure of this fact. It was beautifully decorated in colorful lights and It has a big clock on the top. It was a amazingly decorated cathedral I've seen so far. Then we thought of getting a cycle from the boulevard as the government has installed cycle stands there from where we could rent a cycle for 20GEL for 24hours. Unfortunately by the time we reached the boulevard it was too late and it was closed. As we entered the boulevard an amazing dancing fountain was welcoming us with a warm dance. It was so amazing that we stood there almost for about 30 minutes enjoying its dance for the music played. There were even stairs to go to the centre of the fountain. We climbed the stairs and standing in the center of the fountain we were enjoying the dance of the amazing fountain as an appreciation we even recieved drizzles of water falling all over us.  We even got an amazing view of the moon the same night. It was a full moon day and at the top of the Sheraton hotel that stood tall the moon was shining behind it like a big round light. It was really spectaculor to see the moon in such a way.

We moved further inside the boulevard and we saw an amazing 3D art drawn on the ground. It was like a dragon that is sleeping inside a hollow mountain. It was a really cool work and from the view point we took some really cool pictures with the dragon. Right behind this art work was a number of white pillars built in a curve just in an artistic pattern with a number of statues. It was a cool location to take pictures. Moving inside further we came to the shore of Black sea, It was really scary in the dark to see the sea. The water was pitch black and made no noise but luckily we got to see an another  marvellous sight of moon casting its light on the sea and the still sea water reflecting it back. We moved further to have a look at the famous alphabet tower and the other buildings in light nearby. It was too late by now and we planned to return back home. On our way back home that night we went to a restauraunt to have dinner. We had some turkish shaurma's, burgers and pizza, after the dinner we walked our way back home jumped on to the bed as we were really tired walking all day long. We planned to wake up early the next morning and to have a day fully at the beach. Inspite of keeping an alarm we woke up late again and it was like 9am. We had our train back to Tbilisi at 3pm so we got ready went to the boulevard again. It was naturally beautiful in the morning and we went through the same places we wandered the last night. There were some spectacular buildings in the area like the alphabet tower which resembles a shape of the DNA with Georgian alphabets engraved in it. The public service hall of Batumi is also architecturally wonderful in the shape of a big wine cup. There was a giant wheel near to the shore of the Black sea and unluckily it begins only at 4pm and we didn't get a chance to get in the giant wheel and have an aerial view of this beautiful city. As we walked near the giant wheel a person from a boat called us and the boat was on the harbour for sale. The person was not an Georgian and he invited us to have a little chat and it was really cool to stand inside the boat and to have a look at wide blu Black sea from it. After sometime we got down and walked along the shore taking some beautiful pictures and spending some time. Now it was time to have fun in the water and we got down into the pebble shores of the black sea. We kept our first step inside the water and it was freezing cold however it was hot on the shore and the sun was shining brightly. We spent some time playing in the water and we were wet and in this water also we were able to see Jelly fishes. After some time we got out of the water and walked for a small distance to get a bicycle for ourselves. Actually getting the government bicycle is a big process but there were people on the boulevard who were lending bicycles for rent for 10GEL an hour. We got a cycle that was so cool, it had four wheels, a roof and two seats with steering wheels. It was fully red and it is one of the coolest and funny bikes I've seen. We pedalled the bicycle in the boulevard for an hour exploring the shores and after an hour we returned back to the same spot, bought ice creams for ourselves and started walking to a restaurant on the shores of the Black Sea and we had some Shaurma standing on a platform above the black sea. The place had even some telescopes that are coin operated to view the beauty of the Black sea. The buildings of the famous hotels like Radisson Blu and University hotel are some architectural beauties of Batumi that should be made a note of. The university hotel also has a giant wheel on the top of the tower which according to my guess has not begun to function. 

We walked our way back to our home as it got late for our train. We left the home by 1pm and the owner was a kind lady and she was always smiling and waved us good bye. We went to the bus station and boarded the bus to the Markhinjuri railway station. We returned back to the station the same way we came inside Batumi. We waited for the train to arrive and it was an express train without any coupe facility but the train would reach Tbilisi in 3 hours. Batumi gave us a lot of amazing scenic beauties and it gave us another one as we departed back to Tbilisi as well. The sunset over the Black sea was so amazing . It was looking like the same what we used to see in sceneries. It is one of the sights which I would never forget with the orange sun, boats sailing and the beautiful black sea. The train was also so comfortable with good seats and enough space to spread the legs. Thinking about all the fun we had in Batumi we reached Tbilisi, got down at the railway station and we thought now its time to return back to our normal life. In the Tbilisi railway station there were a number of Taxi drivers seeking us for a fare thinking that we were foreign to that place. We got into a metro and got our way back home.

Even as I was writing this article I had the same excitment that I had during my journey. I was recalling and cherishing all those good moments that I had during this wonderful journey. All I would like to say is that Batumi is definitely a place to visit and I bet that you would cherish all the memories that you would get during this journey for the rest of your life.!