This trip was a little different, as the primary motive was to get our Covid-19 vaccines. (After our second dose, I’ll post about getting vaccinated in Georgia). Our appointments were in Ozurgeti, the capital of Guria, which we chose in part because we had never been there and I had recently read Emily Lush’s post about interesting things to do in the area. I have some friends from the area and it seems to inspire great loyalty. Now that I’ve visited I can see why.

The 5ish hour drive from Tbilisi was slightly complicated at this time by the 11 PM curfew, but G was able to leave work a little early and we made it out of the house by 5, giving us enough time to get there comfortably. The highway has been improved since we last went to Western Georgia, so the drive was faster and easier. There are multiple roads from the main highway to Ozurgeti, and we took the one from Lanchkhuti. The road was in pretty good shape, but the narrow twisty mountain road after dark was giving me conniption fits. We probably should have taken a different route at that hour. I’m sure that area has beautiful scenery when it’s light out, though. We had pre-booked our stay at Komli Guesthouse, and we definitely should have called Lika for directions earlier on the drive. GoogleMaps will get you VERY close to Komli, and then it will send you driving around in circles rather than getting you the last two minutes. Honestly, if you listen to Lika and not GoogleMaps, Komli is very easy to find, even in the dark. Even though we arrived late she had a feast waiting for us, including Gurian wine, some of the best badrijani nigvzit (eggplant with walnut) I’ve ever had (and that’s my favorite, so I can judge), bamboo pickles, and the Gurian version of chakapuli made with beef and cilantro. Everything was delicious, and we quickly decided that we would add board to our room while we were there. I was a bit nervous about staying in an “historic farmhouse”, but Komli understands both Georgian hospitality and the hospitality industry, so the beautiful old room had a comfortable bed, clean modern bathroom, and wasn’t the slightest bit musty while still being full of character.

Komli

After staying up late chatting with Lika, we woke up on the late side on Saturday morning. We had a massive breakfast (featuring a huge pot of wonderful homegrown tea), and met Lika’s family, friends, and neighbors–everyone was very nice. We agreed to do the tea tour, and Lika told us about the history of tea in Georgia and Guria and her family’s history. We then went to pick some tea from her tea bushes. It’s easier than I thought, and actually quite nice (when you don’t have a quota). We then visited the area where they’re constructing an eco-friendly straw house on the property. Throwing mud at the walls seems quite fun. There’s a rivulet through the property, so Lika has constructed a little boat and you can go on a “mini cruise” which was nice and relaxing. The colors of the bamboo grove were surprisingly bright and pretty.

Picking tea

After a relaxing morning and early afternoon, we went into Ozurgeti proper to get our vaccines at the clinic. The vaccination center was on the 4th floor, so while we were being observed post-vaccine, we had a lovely view of verdant green mountains. We decided to go for a drive and see the scenery while we were out and about, so we picked a road to follow for awhile. Seeing a village with some interesting architecture, we looked on GoogleMaps and realized we were already closer to Batumi than Ozurgeti! We decided it was worth a visit to the Black Sea so we continued on to Kobuleti. We checked to see if our favorite fish farm had survived the pandemic (It has and they’re doing pretty significant renovations). Then we went to the beach and I played in the sea for a bit. We took another road back to Ozurgeti, making a loop. I knew Ozurgeti wasn’t far from the Black Sea, but I was still surprised by how close and accessible it was. If you drive (or are a marshrutka master), I would highly recommend staying in or around Ozurgeti for a beach trip that avoids the hustle of the beach towns.

Playing in the Black Sea

We had hoped to spend more of Sunday in Ozurgeti and explore on the way back, but it turned out we needed to return to Tbilisi sooner than expected, so we took the road back via Chokhatauri, which I think is the main road. Before we left Komli, we bought some of her tea to bring home and continue enjoying.

Even though there “isn’t much to do” in Ozurgeti, we didn’t do nearly everything and would be happy to visit again. Gomi Mountain, the Ozurgeti Theatre, and some Soviet mosaics still await us on our next trip to Guria!