Family Vacation + Georgian Cowboys

In my region, Guria, we have the best of both worlds: mountains and coast! This summer, I got to go with my host family and extended family for 9 days to the mountain resort of Bakhmaro! 

Bakhmaro is the highest alpine climactic resort in Georgia, at over 2,000 meters above sea level! Therefore, it made a perfect getaway from the suffocating summer heat of my site near the coast! It also is unique in its air: air from the Black Sea mixes with mountain air, and is supposedly very good for people with respiratory problems. This mixing of air creates very impressive mist, that rolls in down the mountains every day. Here is a video I took of the mist coming in:

As you come into Bakhmaro, you are treated immediately to amazing views:

The houses in Bakhmaro are all wooden, and give the feel of old fashioned mountain living. The house my family stayed in looked like this:

I got to have a good taste of Georgian big family vacations; there were 8 of us (plus 1 baby) staying in this small house! But it was a really great way to get to know my host family and extended host family!

Every day I went on small hikes in the mountains surrounding Bakhmaro. There are many little paths to discover that lead up to smaller villages, so it is a very walkable place! Here are some of the amazing views I got from these walks:

To get to the other side of town, it is necessary to cross this bridge, which I lovingly named the 'Bridge of Death":

Gurian horse riders:

The Guria region is famous for its horse riders, and this was very apparent in Bakhmaro. All the locals ride horses as normal transport, as well as for business, going around on horseback selling local products to visitors. Walking down the main road, you will find horses barreling along, young boys expertly clinging to their backs.

Gurians were actually the first Georgians to go to the United States. In the 1890's-1920's, Georgian horse riders, mainly from the Guria region, participated in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Shows. They were called "Cossacks", because at that time Georgia was under Russian rule, but were in fact Georgians!

Gurian riders with Native Americans at a show

To learn more, read this really interesting article: http://cbw.ge/georgia/west-georgians-left-a-legacy-in-cowboy-culture/

Furthermore, on August 19 every year, riders from all over Georgia compete in a horse race that celebrates the Transfiguration of Jesus. The race takes place in Bakhmaro. Last year, a woman (!) from Poti won the race! I really want to go this year!

Sunset Mountain:

In Bakhmaro, there are several mountains that are popular to climb, because of their views. My family and I climbed Sunset Mountain (მზის ჩასვლის გორა). When it is clear, you can see the sun set over the Black Sea. My host cousin said that he had only ever seen this once in his life! It was cloudy when we went up, but nonetheless we got good views of the mountains!

My host brother, Gio, the proud mountaineer

made it!

Bonfires:

A central part of the evenings in Bakhmari is the bonfire, when families and neighbors gather around to socialize and eat. Our neighbors had a couple of these gatherings:

Mushroom hunting:

Mushrooming is also a very popular activity in Bakhmaro. I went along on an excursion and actually succeeded in finding a couple of mushrooms. My host mom knew the difference between poisonous and edible ones, and I always asked her before picking one. Here she is inspecting one:

All in all, it was a great way to relax and bond with my host family, and I definitely hope to go back!