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My World: Through some Caucasus countries.

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
I am back home now..glad to be home!!

Jarmo, as promised earlier, let me reply, with my limited knowledge, to the question you asked earlier in this thread.

Georgia is a small country. It has aspirations to join the EU. But along its northern borders lies Russia.
Pragmatism remains the watch word here.

Caucasus affairs, as a Carnegie report mentioned, erupt like volcanoes..abruptly, last for a few days, and the world moves on!! Remember Azbakhia and S. Ossetia were never a part of independent Georgia.

During the war, Russian forces were a few kms from Tbilisi, the capitol of Georgia. No help came from outside. Just as in Crimea.

Most Georgians and Russians speak both these languages. There is considerable trade between the two countries.

Russia supplies most of the gas to Georgia.

I noticed a resigned acceptance of the status quo.

As I passed along the road to the mountains, I was told the Russian forces were 8 kms to my right; if I took the right bend!! We decided not to, and continued straight on.

McDonald's gourmet exports compete with traditional Georgian cuisine. There are the obvious ( and to me the ostentatious ) displays of Burberry's, Chanel and so on. But I enjoyed the shepards walking their herds patiently down from the mountains to more temperate climates. The cows peacefully going back to their homes at around 5 p.m without supervision.

I found gas, electricity, and mobile comms and internet in the remotest villages. Ambulance, police and fire services were all there. They might not be state of the art. But these service were perfectly and efficiently functional.

Health services are available throughout the country..free of charge.

German and Japanese cars co-exist with locally produced Ladas.

2014, tourism accounted for an income of 400 million US$. So far this year it brought in US$ 2 Billion.
The Arabian Gulf countries ( GCC ) accounting for a significant rise in the number of tourists, and per person spend.

Georgia is looking towards the west. But cannot shake of its associations with Russia.

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And a famous railway carriage. Very famous, and well known to Georgians. I didn't know about it, till I found out.

Why do you think it is famous?

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fahim mohammed

Well-known member
We shall end our travelogue of our visit to some Caucasus countries with one last image..

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Baku. Azerbaijan.

The Eternal Flame. In honor of those that died in the wars with Armenia.

Thank you for being with us.
 

Jarmo Juntunen

Well-known member
Thank you for your reply and the interesting traveller's insight, Fahim! What you're telling here is very close to the image I have of the Georgians. They have been through rough times but they are known to pull through and find the positive aspects in life. They have been subject to dirty power play from a strong and aggressive neighbour but still they survive. Thank you once again!
 
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