Wine and Weapons in the other Georgia
Back to Signagi, heavily restored and promoted as a centre for Georgia’s fledgling tourism industry. Views of the old, sunbaked chuch steeples and the long medieval city wall will make any camera smile. Tonight, I am partaking in Supra, the ritual of traditional Georgian feasting. A long table has been gathered, crowded with all the abovementioned menu items, and I sit next to the Tamada, the toastmaster. It is his responsibility to propose toasts, blessings, and designations. The fun part is that each toast necessitates the emptying of a full wine glass. Beer drinkers might want to know that Georgians toast their friends with wine, their enemies with beer. The first toast is made, Nick translating the ceremonial language, and we slug back the wine. Since grapes and their skins are not separated, the sweet white wine has the colour of whiskey, served in a constantly refuelled clay jar. The four men at the head of the table bust out into a traditional polyphonic Georgian folk song, their harmonies perfect, the volume pure. No sooner has the glass been filled than another toast is called, this time using a horn that, once drained, is filled up and passed around for each member to make a toast too. You can see where this is going.
Several glasses in the gut, I’m standing up and using the finest flowery language I can muster to praise Georgian hospitality, Georgian food, Georgian language, Georgian wine. I draw attention to its unfortunate challenges in the political and economic sphere, but assure my esteemed guests there is no doubt Georgia will triumph, and take its rightful place as one of the most vibrant and distinct nations in the world. I praise my film crew, who have spent the last week capturing my experience and joy. I praise my co-host, my production team, our guides, the sun, moon and stars. “Georgians have a rich tradition of being warriors, and it’s people like Nick and his tourism company, that are the new Georgian warriors of a new age, the Information Warriors spreading your traditions to lands far and near!” As Nick translates, he cannot help adding “You’re good at this.” I slug back the horn, and soon enough I’m standing and singing at the top of my lungs. It is clear that these men are not performing; they’re living, breathing, and drinking their cultural tradition, in a way that strongly makes me want to reconnect with my own.
Next morning, I strongly want to reconnect with whatever’s left of my skull. Naturally, the evening spilled over into the cobblestone of Signagi, and I’m thankful I managed to escape before four more jugs made their appearance, even if my director Peter did somehow manage to get into a drunken knife fight. Some guys get all the luck. For the first time in 28 episodes, I’m forced to stop the bus on the winding steep road out of Signagi, and run for the bushes. Ian Mackenzie, editor of Brave New Traveler and the newest member of the Word Travels team, helms the Puke Cam, my Brave New Breakfast splashing against the nettle bushes. The drive back in our pimping van is fraught with overtaking on blind corners and hills, but maybe a head on collision would make the pain stop. I’m interviewed later that evening by a journalist from Georgia Today, who explains that Georgians can hold their wine like no one else. Certainly better than me.
This week, I learned a lot about a splendid little country that far exceeded my expectations in every shape and form. From the bathhouses to the toastmaking, the heavy metal show to training gym, I’m reminded that the best travel comes from authentic encounters, when locals involve you in their normal way of life, and treat you more like a friend than a tourist. They realized, as we do, that this is an opportunity to introduce “the other Georgia” to a curious, oft-confused world. An opportunity I hope these words do justice to.
Special thanks to Nick from Explore Georgia , Ia from Caucuses Travel, Arterri and Lasha from the Georgian Martial Arts Foundation.
Hotel Tiflis
June 11, 2009
Georgia
