It’s a strange feeling to try to leave Svaneti and go to Tbilisi, for the first time.
Winterizing is an important part of it. Replace gates and fences to keep out cows and pigs that can wreck havoc on your fruit trees. (Our pears are the juiciest, tastiest pears I have ever eaten. They are hard on the outside). For the first time ever, I can now open the gates with ease when driving in or out.
Place all items under the roof that shouldn’t be soaked by a winter’s worth snow: firewood in bags, uncut wood to use later, scrap metal and more. Extra locks on gates and warnings for the neighbors to stay away.
Installing and buying outdoor video cameras that are all-weather on the house and cafe. These cameras need their own modem inside, so I can watch what they are seeing from my laptop or mobile phone anywhere in the globe. The installers from Zugdidi are waiting for extra cable from Tbilisi. They’re late and we’re also late.
It’s a long and tedious process to close the shop. It starts with not buying or receiving any more products, and then minimizing what’s left. All must learn to live with the fact that their goods are running out. We are also trying to minimize any outstanding credit that the villagers owe us. We know we can’t reduce this to zero without repomen making threats. But we have a solution that will satisfy everyone and give us peace.
Packing everything to leave or take. Clothing, food, books and papers, electronics, etc., are all different categories. Lists of lists. Boxes, bags, suitcases, backpacks, straps, tape, string. We have only one car to fill. We will certainly do so, including the roofrack.
We say goodbye to all our neighbors and friends we can, and also make a final (for the moment) visit to school with coffee and cake, and reminisce. Yes, we will be back! We’ll be back, but not for the teaching or the shop. Someone else has to take these batons up and run on.
To keep the curious out, weld new door hinges onto the still-roofless burnt-out house.
It seems that in the midst all of this, we are experiencing the worst water flow for years (often stopping completely) and the most frequent power outages. Another thing to make you tense. Some events are driving us away and others are holding us back in an endless tug-of-war. We won’t miss the water or power issues.
We will be reunited with so many of our friends and relatives in Tbilisi, Kakheti, and elsewhere. We haven’t had the time to catch up with them for 12 years. The renewal of old friendships is a precious thing. I think some people are wondering if we’re still together, since we haven’t been seen anywhere else but in Svaneti. We’re still together, and we will prove it.
There are still a few days left until our departure to the south-east. The Big City is calling us, but the Little Village has a hard time saying goodbye. Here we are.
BLOG by Tony Hanmer
Tony Hanmer is a writer and photographer who has been working for GT since 2011. He has lived in Georgia and Svaneti, respectively, since 1999. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with nearly 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/groups/SvanetiRenaissance/
He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti
Read More @ georgiatoday.ge