TRAVEL-REPORTS
When War Comes Too Close for Comfort
Today Georgia declared a state of war with Russia. Luckily, I’d left on the 26th of July to come home to England and surprise my family. I travelled by bus and train. I’m planning to start to travel back towards Georgia on Monday. I hope that by the time I intend to get back to Tbilisi (around the beginning of September) - the situation will have quietened down.
I have secured my visas for onward travel into Azerbaijan, Iran and Pakistan, but if I can’t get to my bike which is in the basement of my friend’s (the architect) house, then I will be stuck and delayed. I am extremely frustrated and angry at the occurrences.
I have many friends in Georgia who I am worried about. Luckily, I can easily get information about the situation through emails and such. Having spent the best part of the last year in Tbilisi, I have a connection to the country, and I feel sad and frustrated that the people become pawns in this game of politics.
It sickens me to hear the familiar language on the news as people scream and flee from bombs and gunfire, and images of elderly people bleeding and lying-in rubble. It’s an absolute shame on the perpetrators of this disgusting behaviour. Not only this but the politicians don’t have the decency to admit responsibility and the media spews fragments of news giving a confusing picture to the world.
People who live in Georgian villages are mostly poor people who live self-sustaining lifestyles and are still recovering from previous conflict. Tbilisi looks something akin to an Eastern European city but you scratch the surface and realise that the truth is somewhat different.
The images you see on the news of bombed apartment blocks, once the fires have been extinguished, most likely won’t be fixed. They will remain in that same state for years as there is no money.
Fragile is a word I would use to describe the situation in Georgia right now. This is a country where I have seen development happening. I met a lot of young people with aspirations and dreams for their country and their futures. It would be sad to see this crippled by stupid political manoeuvres and actions.