Why You Should Go to Sarpi

This was going to be a list of the top ten places to visit should you find yourself in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, but then I realized that those places I'm not supposed to go-- breakaway republics, medieval fifedoms in the mountains, gorges that double as terrorist hideouts, etc-- might have made the list if they'd had a chance. So instead, I'll just describe one of the coolest places in Georgia really quickly, and then offer some links to blog posts about my favorite places here, and you can decide for yourself. Frankly, it's way too late in the game for me to start putting any "research" or "effort" into these posts, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Cool place of the day: Sarpi


Sarpi is the border town between Georgia and Turkey along the Black Sea coast ("Sarp" on Turkish maps). From the beach, you can see lines of semis waiting to drive through customs, two mosques, mountains, and-- some have told me-- dolphins. In fact, my friends pretended to spot dolphins the entire time we were there because they knew I'd whip around and drown myself in a desperate attempt to get a peek. There were no dolphins. My friends suck.


One cool part about Sarpi is the rock beaches. Yes, there are rock beaches up and down most of Georgia's coast, but rest assured-- they're here too.


Another thing: the water is clear. If you were considering a dip in the fetid oil slick that they call Batumi harbor, try taking a 20-minute marshutka to Sarpi instead.


It's sunny and hot, too. For anyone who still thinks that Georgia and Siberia are neighbors, I invite you to come sample their 90-degree weather this summer, which is a welcome departure from last year's 104-degree weather.


Also, the jellyfish don't sting. After a test application of the underside to our arms, we established that they were not painful, merely gross. While there were jellies galore the first day, there were minimal ones the next day, so maybe you'll get lucky and avoid the whole gelatinous debacle all together.

And now the other places you should visit:

1) Chiatura-- Former Soviet model town, now just filled with crumbling signs of USSR glory. And cable cars.
2) Ratcha-- Mountainous region on the border with Russia. Come see the nature!
3) Vani-- Destination of Jason and the Argonauts, with a museum to prove it.
4) Samtredia-- There's... um...
5) America