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| April 24th is Genocide Remembrance Day. Akhaltsikhe is almost half Armenian, so a large portion of the populace marches to the memorial at the top of the town. The night before many people march there with torches as well. |
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| It's estimated between 1 and 1.5 million people, mostly Armenian, but some Assyrians and Greeks as well, were killed by the Ottoman Turks during World War I. |
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| Zarzma Monastery is located 4km from Adigeni, the largest town in Samtskhe Javakheti west of Akhaltsikhe. |
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| Zarzma Monastery was first built in the 8th century, but the remaining part of it was constructed in the 14th century. |
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| Small parts of the old church, such as this relief, remain. There is a 10th century inscription above the entrance to the church commemorating Georgia's military aid to Emperor Basil II of Byzantium against a mutinous general. |
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| Sean and I hiked to Okros Tsikhe, or the Golden Fortress, last weekend. Okros Tsikhe is half way between Akhaltsikhe and Adigeni near the town of Bolajuri. It was built between the 10th-13th centuries and was ruled by the Jaqeli family's second-in-command. |
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| Monastery |
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| The monastery had an outhouse with a view. |
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| We found a creepy shrine in the middle of a cemetery. |
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| This is one of the best hikes in Georgia. |
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| I took Sarah to Sighnaghi for her birthday, and our friends Jared and Meagan were nice enough to take us around the Kakheti region while we were there. |
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| Kakheti is Georgia's east-most region and it borders Azerbaijan, so it has some mud springs of its own. This one is in Gurjaani, where Jared and Meagan live. |
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| Riveting |
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| Like all bubbling dirt, this mud spring supposedly has healing effects. Jared's hands are going to be so soft now. |
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| The performing arts center in Gurjaani had some peculiar paintings. |
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| We visited a beautiful winery. |
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| The wine is buried underground and sealed until it reaches maturity. |
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| The Chavchavadze family estate is in Kakheti. They produced some of Georgia's greatest artists and politicians, notably Ilia Chavchavadze, who is considered a founding father of Georgia, produced many great works of literature, and has been canonized as a saint by the Georgian Orthodox Church. |
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| If you toss a coin in the bowl your wishes will come true. |
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| Gremi was built in the 16th century and was the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti during the Georgian fragmentation. |
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| No, you aren't allowed to use the castle's historic bathroom. |
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| This lake is near the Georgia-Russian border (I think Chechnya is on the other side). |
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| I went to Skhvilisi, a village west of Akhaltsikhe, with Halis, Sarah, and Sean. |
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| This town also lost many men in WWII. |
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| Motorcycles like this one often have natural gas tanks in their sidecar (sidebox?). I'm surprised I don't here more explosions in the night. |
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| The bees! |
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| Akhaltsikhe |
