Random Thoughts: Tusheti

We had only one full day in Tusheti. Our guesthouse, the Shina, was in Omolo, and that became the base for our excursions on foot as well as by car.

This is the Shina Guesthouse, one of many in Omalo; our room was on the 2nd floor on the back side. We had a small balcony and three beds. Did we mention that the cost was 70 GEL (about $30) per person and that included breakfast and dinner. Both meals were more than you could eat. Our breakfast was always bread, cheese, tomato, cucumber, quince preserve, chachapuri, and omelet and sometimes coffee cake.

The butter was the deepest of yellows and was made there at the guest house! There was an inside kitchen, but mostly the outside kitchen was used. Below is the butter; probably the best butter we have ever had.

The outdoor kitchen is where the majority of food was prepared that required cooking. It is a wood stove that really puts out the heat and hence is in a quasi outdoor environment. Even though the village is higher than 6,000 ft it is still warm during the day.

This is the dining room where we ate. We also had the option of sitting outside if we wanted.

This is a general view of Omolo from the "sacred hill" where no woman of childbearing age was supposed to go. There was no camping allowed on this ground either, however, cows and horses roamed freely, as did children. Omalo is the major village in Tusheti and, during the summertime, absorbs lots of tourists. We saw groups of Georgians, Russians, and even a dozen Israelis.

We should say something about the buildings and the history of villages in Tusheti. First, there doesn't seem to be a published history so we cannot read about these people and tell you very much. They were and probably still are pagans. The Tush People have been in these mountains (just a few kilometers south of Chechneya) since the 2nd century BC. A Georgian historian writing in the first half of the 17th century said that the Tushs people came to the region because they were escaping serfdom and the imposition of Christianity. This would have been in about the 3rd or 4th century AD. There are basically two populations with different languages but that would appear to be the only difference.

There were once many more villages than exist now. The ruins of homes and towers made of shale can be seen doting the landscape nearly every where there are no trees. Shale was and is readily available for building along with some wood. The towers were defensive in nature and all through this northern part of the country, from Shatili to Svaneti to Tusheti - all needed to provide a defense from invaders from the north. Ordinary houses would be lower in the valley, where they could cultivate gardens and easily get water. When they feared an attack from marauders, they would gather their animals and retreat up the hill to wait out the siege in the hilltop towers; animals lower in towers and the Tush above.

The Tush were farmers and herdsmen, and remain so today. The winters are severe here and once the snow flies, as early as September until the end of May, these villages are totally cut off from the rest of the world. In the fall the herds are moved south over the pass and down into the lowlands only to be returned in the spring to the lush pasture lands. The vast majority of people also leave, with only a handful remaining over the long winter.

Tourism has motivated some Tush to start repairing the stone houses and towers. Some are even being turned into guesthouses. To say that tourism supports the area is an understatement. While we were in Omolo there was a constant stream of four-wheel drive vehicles arriving and departing.

These two men were digging out what had once been the lower floor of a building. The good slate was put off to the side and the broken stuff was being hauled away in a wheel barrel.

This is a view looking down from the Omolo towers toward the village.

Marty converted this shot to black and white just because it seemed to suit the photo's subject better than color.

Now it is time to talk about our full day in Tusheti. After breakfast we headed out of Omolo to Darto to see that village and to go for a hike. The roads are DIRT and dirt means dust, whenever we were passed by another vehicle we closed the windows until it seemed the dust had settled...even though we were extremely careful about this, we soon were covered in dust, as was Dato's car!

Below is Dartlo with one of its towers and David walking toward the bridge. Marty seldom appears in these pictures because she's the one behind the camera! We'll have to do better!

This view gives you more a sense of the Dartlo houses. Many of these are receiving some renovation or reconstruction work. The feeling to this village is quite different from Omolo.

The dog above is one of many Caucasian Shepards we saw. These are great herding dogs whose ears have been clipped because they may fight with wolves as they defend the herd. The clipped ears make it harder for the wolf to grab on.

High above Dartlo atop a mountain is Kvevlo, the tower refuge for Dartlo village. We decided to hike up the elevation gain of more than 1000 feet to it. Trekking distance was over a mile, with switchback after switchback, and we certainly felt the trek; it was quite a workout for us!

Part way up to the towers!

From the towers, ruins visible along the bottom of the photo. Looking north toward Chechneya.

Some folks take the easy way up, riding! These folks probably started in Omalo before we left.

Freshly shorn sheep at Dartlo. Yes, we saw quite a few sheep being shorn. It was quite an operation with about five guys with clippers making short work of the process. These ewes (mostly) are huddled together for safety and probably comfort.

Wool everywhere!

After our trek we needed food; here David and Dato wash the tomatoes and cucumbers we would eat with smoked meat and bread. The water was icy cold and we enjoyed being right beside it for our lunch.

Out next stop was another village along a side road. It was down lower by the river and had no road down, just a trail. Our feet had taken a beating coming back down from Kvevlo, so Marty voted to not trek down, even though it looked like a very interesting village in a beautiful setting. No one vetoed her decision!