October 15 - Friday - Batumi, Georgia

We docked in Batumi about 7:00 this morning. Our tour today is in the afternoon, so after breakfast we left the boat and walked through the downtown area for a while.

It seems there main streets are paved, but all the side streets are torn up and difficult to navigate. We watched shopkeepers open their stores, and we saw an elderly woman pulling her cart behind her, crying out something like "packcat." We thought maybe she was selling early morning bread, but it turned out to be brooms.

Woman selling brooms

We met some people coming toward us, and we greeted them and chatted for a few minutes. The woman asked us how we knew they were Americans, and we replied that they looked like they had just gotten off the boat. It was worth a chuckle, but it is amazing that we can spot the tourists without much trouble. I suspect we stand out to others, as well.

Batumi has the makings of a charming city, with lace-balcony apartments above the shops, many colors, and beautiful cobbled sidewalks, where they exist. But in its present state, there are many rough, disheveled, peeling, and dirty places. They have been through some very rough times here.

A street in Batumi

Several blocks from the ship, we turned left and walked several more blocks (parallel to the ship). More and more people were coming out, going to work or going about their business. Traffic began to jam terribly, and the people have no patience for the jams. Many horns honked, many people snaked through the lines of traffic, narrowly being missed by traffic when it moved again. When we turned left again, heading back to port, we saw van after van, many of them plain white, opening their doors when traffic was stopped (often) and letting someone in or out of the vehicle. Vans are apparently Batumi's version of the Philippine jeepney - much less colorful, but probably more comfortable, with real padded van seats.


Vans are public transportation

 We stood on the sidewalk for quite a while and just watched, glad that we're retired and no longer depending on the flow of traffic to get us to our jobs on time. Lots and lots of activity.

As we neared the port and just before we turned left again, we came through the Muslim quarter. Several women, dressed in black with black head coverings, were busy coming in and out of their quarters and places of work.

Like the Philippines and probably many other places in the world, this is a place where you can buy a single cigarette, or a whole pack if you can afford it - but never a carton, from a sidewalk vendor who has set up a small child-size table with his - or perhaps even more likely, her, wares. It's a way to make a living in a place that doesn't have many opportunities at this time. 

Elderly woman selling cigarettes

After lunch, we took a tour called Batumi Highlights and Home Visit, driving through the city ...

Along the shore as we drove through the city

Sights in Batumi

Up on a mountain where we could see the entire city ,..

View of Batumi from high in the mountains

And then to the home of a Batumi family ...

Visit with a Batumi family

And to a surprise treat performance by a group from a local private performing arts school ...

Performance at Batumi home by local private performing arts school children

The performance was the highlight of our day, and perhaps the highlight of our tour up to this point. Wonderful group of young people, each eager to entertain us with his or her talent.

We will remember Batumi for a long time.

As we were preparing to leave the dock, a local band, the children from the performing arts school, the tour guides, and many local residents, came to the dock to bid us goodbye. What a special moment.

Tomorrow, Trabzon, Turkey!

Our flickr Batumi pictures: Batumi