Snowbound in Georgia

I've been in Batumi almost six days now. It snowed for two and a half days of that and now we are suffering the consequences. While a few of the streets in the city are clear, many are not and last night when we went out to dinner we saw crews of men using shovels to break up the frozen slush on the roads.

It is very beautiful...and rather a study in contrasts...snow covered palm trees at the beach! I've walked out to the beach the last two days, just to get out of the hotel.  It is a workout, as the snow is 12-18" deep, and much of the way to the beach is unbroken. There are a few beaten paths, but the snow has melted and refrozen, so it's pretty treacherous. I prefer walking through the snow even though it takes a lot of energy.


Santa Barbara Church in Batumi...
more Spanish than Georgian

 Yesterday was bright and sunny--sunny enough that I got a bit of sunburn from the reflection off the snow. So I went down to the beach. It is all beautifully rounded, flat pebbles and stones...2-4" in diameter, and lots of them. Very little sand at all. It is hard to walk on as it is uneven and the pebbles shift under your feet. There is very little wildlife.  All I saw were about half a dozen very large grey and black crows, who were quite aggressive. I didn't even see any water weeds or anything living washed up along the shore. Except for one wizened old man in a bright red jacket doing yoga on the "beach" (rocks)! There is an oil terminal just around the point and that may be why I don't see any creatures.

We are all ready for the training, just don't know when we can do it. It was sunny enough here at the coast to melt quite a bit yesterday. Apparently in the hills, it's no such thing. Yesterday, we had a meeting with the two field coordinators (who visited orchards with us last week) yesterday to go through my training Powerpoint so we are all on the same page. One of them told us he walked almost 20 miles because there was no transport. Our driver took them back after the meeting yesterday afternoon...it took 4 hours to go 18 miles.

We are still hoping to start training on Tuesday, if it seems like people can get here. This will be training of trainers with some university people, the field coordinators, and other ag folks. They will be the ones who train the farmers, and the way it is looking, I will not be here for any of the farmer training as I have to leave on the 31st. They don't think the roads in the hills will be passable before then.

Today, hopefully we will go out to the demo plot down here so I can see the damage and tag the trees we want to use as examples. And we're supposed to meet with her excellency the Minister of Agriculture of the Adjaria Autonomous Region. The CNFA greenhouse guy is supposed to be here today to help them with their collapsed greenhouse. I hope we do something, as I'm getting tired of the hotel.

 

It's a very fancy hotel, a Sheraton with a big casino. The whole thing is oversized...huge high ceiling and all marble, polished stone floors, and whatnot. The entry and lobby is about 4 stories high. It is clearly more about style than comfort. Most of the chairs are very stylish but devilishly uncomfortable. And the decor is very odd.  Huge blown up pictures of rock stars on the walls...none of them look happy. Then very oversized decorative items. Most of it looks like gigantic military hardware...huge grenades, missles, landmines, etc. Then, in the huge cavernous lobby of the elevators (a different lobby than the entrance, there are deer heads on the wall with what looks like moss all over them (all fake of course) I do not get how it all goes together. Maybe I just have no style!

There are not a lot of guests, so the staff is VERY attentive. Too much so sometimes. Every time I order room service or laundry or anything, I get at least two phone calls asking me if everything is alright. They are very sweet, though. They call me Mrs. Cindy. Most of the women and a lot of the men are at least a foot and a half shorter than me. I feel like a giant.

The food is good. In the hotel there is this enormous buffet breakfast with everything under the sun...Mediterranean/European/ American, whatever you want.  It has the mediterranean olives/cucumbers/cheese array, plus croissants, other pastries and breads, even chocolate covered donuts (not so great), plus all the eggs, bacon, potatoes, etc. Plus cereals of all kinds and assorted fresh and compote fruit, juices, plus plus plus. And I swear there are no more than about 20 guests in the whole hotel. But it's all there every day. 

View from my hotel window at about 8 AM this morning

Most people don't get up very early so there may be more people than I think. I usually eat around 8, and there may be 1 or 2 people in the whole restaurant. I think most people don't get up until 10 or so...it's dark until 8:30 AM, so I can't blame them. And they appear to stay out very late.

View of Adjari Mountians from Batumi, 9:30 AM

I have not quite figured out the meal schedule. Most people apparently don't eat much breakfast, but they also don't eat lunch until 2 or 3 or 4 PM. So I eat a big breakfast because I am never sure when I'm going to get the next meal! Then dinner is late...as late as 11 PM one night! Very Mediterranean that.

My colleagues have figured out I am not a night owl...it's been just Mamuka and me here for the past couple of days and last night at about 7 PM he came to get me and said what about dinner? I don't think he had eaten since breakfast! I'd gotten a bowl of tomato soup midafternoon. They make this marvelous tomato soup...just a bit spicy, and very rich tomato flavor. It is supposed to come with cheese and sour cream, but I pass on that...it's great as is.  They are big consumers of dairy products...all kinds of cheeses, butter, cream, sour cream...all full fat, of course.  Still a bit much for my somewhat battered stomach. I've recovered from whatever ailed me...I think it was a virus as it lasted a couple of days...just a bit hesitant about too much heavy food. 

I think the guys have begun to think I don't eat meat, which is astounding to them.  They eat a lot of it, just like in the Middle East. I do like the food...especially what is called Khatchapuri (sounds like it should be Indian).  It is like a thick pizza crust with several kinds of cheese, butter, sometimes potatoes or eggs baked into it.  It is really rich...but they go through  it like nothing and then have the main course!

There always seems to always be a LOT of food. I don't apparently eat enough for them. And I am still zero for zero on paying for meals (except the few times I've oredered room service!) Last night since it was just Mamuka and me, I really tried but still got the standard answer...I could pay "next time". Except "next time" never comes.