Hopping off our crowded minibus, we grab our 40L backpacks and start walking towards our accommodations. The city is surrounded by hills, mountains, and forests. A chill is in the air and the fall foliage is giving us a show. We miss this weather.

The man, the myth, the legend: My Dad

Time for a not-so-quick-shout-out. My birthday was in August and my dad (who works for Intercontinental) made us an offer we could not refuse: a hotel room in a city of our choosing. How awesome is that?! After weeks and weeks of deliberation, we chose Borjomi, Georgia.

This is also the guy who is watching our dog (Benny) for one year, opening our mail, helping fix things on our rental house, and much much more. Our adventure would not be possible without him and the many others back in the states who support us. Thanks everyone!

Crown Plaza Borjomi ★★★★★

Yup, you are reading that right. After some questionable AirBNBs we have achieved the ultimate: 5 stars. This hotel is glorious. There is a bottle of wine with a hand written note waiting for us when we check in. I mean… it’s addressed to Dean, but we claim it. We are in heaven. The bed is beyond comfy. There is an aroma therapy sleep spray to put on your pillow before bedtime. Our balcony looks out into the forest. I don’t know why there are 4 saunas, but there are. Did I mention that one night in Prague is the equivalent to three nights in Borjomi?

Let’s dive into the attractions of this amazing city, shall we?

Borjomi Mineral Water Park

Being a guest at the Crowne Plaza, we have free access to the Borjomi Mineral Water Park next door. The park dates back to the 1850’s and there is quite a bit going on inside. Kristin describes it as a Coney Island in the off season. There are rides and games for the kids, but all of these are shut down in early October as the cold weather starts coming in. Luckily everything we love is still up and running.

Hiking trails run throughout the park. With a few stands selling juices along the way, you can follow the creek that runs through the wooded valley surrounded by changing leaves.

Walk for an hour (only about 3 km) through the park and you end up at the Tsar’s Sulfur Baths. Make sure to bring your swimsuit to take a dip in this water that, according to the sign, is a constant 30-32 degrees Celsius. Pro tip: the warmest spot is right under the spouts in the pools.

Sitting under one of these spouts we meet a man named Luis, from Madrid, who is traveling around the world and sharing his art. Amazing, right?

We are lucky enough to be recipients of this art which comes in the form of music. It’s hard to describe as there are no instruments involved and it isn’t exactly your stereotypical singing. To me, his voice morphs into a didgeridoo and we sit back and enjoys the sounds, while the sun shines on our faces. Thanks Luis!

Need some wine?

Not up for a long hike? Feeling a little lazy? At the entrance to the Park take the path on the left to visit a wine cellar. Stop in and say hello to Sofia and she will give you a little (or a big) taste of Georgia. We try a few different types of wines and alcohols, while Sofia talks about the old ways of wine-making and also her love for the country of Georgia.

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park

Hiking in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is another must for your Borjomi vacation. I wish we had a few more days because the park lets you rent everything you need for camping, and it is quite inexpensive (see below). We are still fortunate enough to go on a short hike through this beautiful national park.

The 75 Cent Train: Borjomi > Tbilisi

I am not exaggerating when I say that this may be the best 75 cents I have ever spent in my life. After asking a local what time the train to Tbilisi departs, we arrive at the Borjomi train Station. Standing in front of the train 15 minutes before it leaves is myself, Kristin, and and elderly woman with a couple bags. This doesn’t seem right, but this is where we are told to be.

The elderly woman gathers her Hulk strength and pulls open the doors to a passenger rail car and hops in. We do the same, because why not? Eventually, about 4 others hop on the train including the conductor. We think this means we have a whole train to ourselves for the next few hours, but we eventually learn that there are many stops along the way to Tbilisi.

Meeting a friend

On one of these stops, a man gets on and sits across the aisle from me. I am working on this very blog and he strikes up a conversation. His name is Temur and we get to talking about our transportation, which is an old soviet era train. He tells me a story about how once the train broke down in the middle of nowhere and it took a few hours to get it up and running again.

We talk on and off about Georgia, history, religion, work, traveling, and he also gives us some tips on getting around in Tbilisi. Instead of arriving in Tbilisi like a couple of lost puppies we can now navigate the city like a pro. Thanks Temur. Too bad we didn’t get a picture together. I need to get better at that.

Getting around Tbilisi is a breeze, but we arrive at our place and encounter another first for the trip. And it’s not a good first.