It was time to get finally to Bakuriani, we were only probably one ride away and this was actually the case. A worker from Bakuriani was taking us and even dropped us in our hotel. While driving in the mountains we were driving up the mountain in serpentines. So many curves and after each curve it was getting more and more snowy, so beautiful. Marla was very happy to finally see the snow, I was also very excited. It was great seeing her like that!
We were having some great conversations with the driver who spoke Russian with us, even though I was able to understand some things which was very cool!
Arriving in the hotel
The weather was perfect, the sun was shining and the snow was just everywhere. When we arrived at the hotel, everything was great. It wasn’t the cheapest place to stay, but we wanted to have something nice to enjoy with each other and the lower temperatures to the most. It looked a little bit like a hut in the woods, but in a way bigger. The room we had was great, we had a balcony and a great view over the city and the mountains, very beautiful.
The bed was also comfortable and we just felt directly comfortable and relaxing in the bed from the last knights.
We didn’t had a kitchen, but a water cooker. The water cooker developed to a liter kitchen over the days. It was possible to cook noodles and other things in it, of course we cleaned it before leaving.
Checking out the town
Bakuriani isn’t big, mainly it’s being used for tourism purposes. I wasn’t in the best mood, so Marla had to kind of push and motivate me for my luck. Probably for her it wasn’t as enjoyable at first.
We went to the ski resort, which ended up being a beginner hill, to check out prices and everything for the next day. I was surprised by how cheap it actually was, 30 Euros per person for a day with renting everything and riding for a few hours down the hill. There it depended on how many rides you would have. There is also another ski resort with bigger and more slopes where they are selling daily tickets. For Marla it was perfect though to start with the beginner hill.
We’ve been talked to by many people wanting to sell things, like people doing snow bike rides, but they were not the nicest people and we wanted to just check out the slopes before doing anything. Marla wasn’t excited about that. I didn’t feel like doing it, but didn’t want to do it at the end anymore. I wasn’t explaining myself the best, but due to the bad mood I was in, I wasn’t really able to do that, which could have escalated the situation maybe.
Hiking through snow
After a not such good time at the bottom of the beginner hill, we decided to go explore the town a little bit. Marla was finding a park where we could be gone and so we did. My mood wasn’t changing at first, we went there and walked through the snow. To break the ice a bit, Marla was throwing snowballs at me and yeah we ended up having some fun there at the end and were doing some pictures in snow as well together.
I liked that the situation and mood was getting better and that we both were overcoming the situation.
My shoes were wet and I was getting cold so we were just buying some things to eat and went back to the hotel to relax. It was basically quite a chill day. While eating some noodles with a great tasting sauce, I don’t really know the ingredients. Marla was managing it very well with the water cooker, which was cool to see. The noodles tasted quite well.
Let’s go skiing
In the morning of the second day we went out quite early and went skiing. First we rented the skis and then we went to the beginners hill. Marla was on skis already, but the first time doing something like that. We went buying the ticket and putting some money on it. We went up and I just tried to teach her how to do it. I have been skiing since I was a child, so for me it was just normal to do it.
The hill was quickly done, but it was perfect for beginners to be fair. The lift was in good condition, but the people working there were not my favorite, let’s say it like that.
Marla was quite afraid at first, but ended up gaining more confidence. It was great seeing that I was able to make progress and that she enjoyed it too. For a moment she wanted to quit, but ended up being even more motivated. We had a lot of fun! For me it wasn’t the most amazing hill at all, so the skiing itself wasn’t satisfying as much, but doing it with her made me actually feel good.
When we were done, Marla was quite exhausted and we went buying each other a hat, which I was losing along the trip sadly, quite unsatisfying to be honest, because I liked the hat.
Exploring the rest of Bakuriani
The little town had more to offer and we went another day to the other slopes. We had to walk around three kilometers and when we arrived it was a completely different level. Way more professional and way bigger. Prices were fair, but we were there quite late, so buying a daily ticket and renting everything wouldn’t make that much sense.
The vibe was great, with a lot of music, motivated people and sunshine. It was an uprising region, many hotels are coming to life and it is probably just a matter of time that the region is packed by tourists.
We were relaxing in the sun a bit, but Marla really wanted to go up, so we did. Driving up with a lift without skiing was indeed new and weird for me, but seeing her smiling made it good right away. We got on top of the mountain and had a stunning view. Seeing Bakuriani from the top and also being able to see the other slopes in the distance. With us there were other people as well, who did the same thing as us.
The slopes on top were nearly empty, because they were not the easiest slopes to begin with.
We were spending some time up there and enjoyed the great view with the sun involved, before it went down again.
Getting ripped off
We went afterwards to a restaurant, which was of course expensive as all others in the town. Due to tourism it’s not possible to find cheap restaurants for the standard of Georgia. The design was amazing and from the outside you could see the chefs creating the Khinkalis (Georgian Dumplings) and it just catched us.
We ordered food and it was coming after quite some time. The food was okay by price, but quite small portions. The staff was unfriendly and the worst was that there was a fee of 18% on top of the food, which felt just like a rip off. At the end we paid of course, but for myself cooking together something would have been better. It wasn’t terrible, just in comparison to the price and the fact that I am not a fan of restaurants anyway it wasn’t mine.
Last time in Bakuriani
We made ourselves comfortable, sitting in the garden on a swing, relaxing in the room and wandering through the town. We didn’t do as much to be honest, but we both enjoyed the time and each other. Getting further with some things and just having a great time with stunning views and amazing weather.
Bakuriani wasn’t something I knew before but for sure is something I like a lot. Alone it is probably not as enjoyable, but with the partner it’s perfect I believe. Marla also seemed to enjoy it there. The whole experience wasn’t cheap when comparing it to the rest of the country, but still we enjoyed it a lot and can’t wait to go back to check out the big slopes!
What’s up next?
Next week you are going to read about the hitchhiking experience to Tbilisi and the first time in the capital city, so stay tuned!
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