My bus trip started from Mesdia (7am) to zugdidi (10 am). My Polish friends were ready to take overnight train to Tbilisi, while I went with my solo venture to Akhaltsikhe. There was not enough information to find out whether I could make to connections to get there on one day, but I gave it a try anyway.
I had no choice but ti pay for the full fare to Tbilisi but getting off at khashuri(4pm). I then quickly asked around and jumped upon a bus to borjomi in 10 minutes. I got to Borjom around 4:30 pm, and my bus driver called out the bus to Akhaltsikhe just at the time it took off. The bus arrived at Akhaltsikhe at 6 pm and the other bus driver dropped me right next to the hotel. The hotel rooms here are pricy so I plan to stay only one night.
I dropped off my bags and wasted no time to check out the old town, including Akhaltsikhe Castle and St. Marine's Church. Unfortunately, the castle was totally rebuilt so not much trace of the original materials. It's museum containing pieces of pots, weapons, etc., yet no photo was allowed. I pursued the staff to let me in 10 minutes before the open time so I can catch the minibus to Vardzia leaving at 10:30 am.
While I was touring the castle, I asked a Georgian tourist to take my photos. He mentioned the possibility to talk to their tour guide to ride me to vardzia and then Tibilisi. I toyed with the suggestion but decide not to because their schedule was too complicate (to pick up an Armenian group on the way).
Akhaltsikhe is a small city of about 50,000 and the capital of Samtskhe-Javakheti. The city has been around for at least 800 years, and was a regional administrative center for the Ottomans from the sixteenth century up to the Russo-Turkish War. Until the twentieth century Akhaltsikhe was majority Armenian, but today, unlike most of the province, it is majority Georgian.
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