~~ Two Sisters ~~
Once upon a time, there were two little girls,
Who lived far apart, in two different worlds.
~
But “Girls!” said God, “You two are soul sisters,
And one fine day, I will give you both misters.
~
Your lives will collide, in the warm land of sand,
All of your troubles, together you will mend.”
~
So when they met their hearts just knew,
I’m sister one and you’re sister two,
~
The years rolled on,
They both moved away.
~
But their soul journey,
Was forever here to stay.
<3
My darling soul sister Valeria is visiting us in Tbilisi with her mister, Jordi.
This is a double delight for me because:
1. My Val is visiting
2. My Val has a darling
For the first time (ever, actually), Val and I can double date. And yes, we’ve known each other for years. Don’t ask, but feel free to draw parallels between the arid deserts of Dubai and our love lives… 😀
On another note, how quickly life changes, don’t you think?
Where were *you* in life a year ago, hmmm? See? 😉
Why everyone’s raving about Georgia (the country, not the State).
Georgia is like a geographically-condensed version of everything beautiful Mother Nature and history has to offer and many places can be accessed via day-trips, especially if you are based in Tbilisi, the capital.
You can go north for skiing and gorgeousness, east for the wine and love (yes, love) and gorgeousness, south for the desert and gorgeousness, and west for the beach and gorgeousness.
From Tbilisi to the land of love & wine – Kakheti
Our destination today is the Kakheti region, on the eastern side of Georgia.
The one for wine and love 😉
Georgia is a very religious country and, even if you are not naturally so-inclined, you will soon discover that this sentiment can be rather embracable when you get into a taxi or a marshrutka as, you might find yourself praying to God, white-knuckled and clutching anything that feels strong enough to stop the vehicle from projectile-vomiting you, via shattered windscreen, looking like a red and white zebra, to a rather unappealing tarmac as your texting-and-smoking-driver flies down the road at lightning speed.
Don’t get me wrong, this could be a good thing if you re in a hurry, especially if you aren’t particularly keen on living.
We, however, are very keen to live and since our other favorite safe mode of transportation in Tbilisi, the train, is not very suitable for our day trip, we opted for our other favorite company of choice: GoTrip.ge.
I have also found them through word-of-Facebook’s-mouth and have been very happy with their simple and efficient service.
Our driver for this trip is Emeliane.
We didn’t know yet how the day would unfold and how we would be the witnesses of a very touching act of immense kindness, of which Emeliane would be the leading star, bringing a magical story about his ancestors full circle.
Day trip From Tbilisi to Bodbe Monastery to Sighnaghi and back
Sweet Emeliane tells us (in Russian – our Val is translating as she’s fluent in Russian – as well as many other languages, but that’s another story) that this first stop is not officially on the itinerary but he wants us to experience traditional home-made bread and cheese so it’s his little pit stop gift for us.
The smell of fresh-baked bread is truly mesmerizing and putting aside my gluten-free eating habits, I follow my nose and know I will be tearing off the bread with my hands and munching away very, very soon because I am a woman of honor who keeps her promises. Allow me to explain.
A pinky-promise all visitors must make before coming to Georgia
The food here is superlative. Being a good friend, I had already warned Val about this.
Being a better friend, I made us do a pinky-promise and we solemnly swore on the following:
Georgian Promise for Tourists
We will not think of things such as calories, gluten or sugar during our stay in Georgia.
We will indulge in a shame and guilt-free manner on all the deliciousness that Georgia has to offer.
So help us God.
Amen.
Between the covers
My loverboy has a habit of always reading about the author before reading a book. He says you need to know where someone’s coming from to deeper understand the context of what they are saying (what a genius! *sigh*). Taking this exploring-the-creator-first approach to heart, when the bread and cheese selling family offer to show us around their garden, we accept.
The garden is well kept, the smell of gorgeous flowers making my head spin, the dogs and chickens looking happy and healthy. Yep, we will definitely buy something from this lovely family who seems to take good care of their fortress.
Val is already giggling and spreading her wonderful, glittering sparkles with every step she takes, as always.
We buy some cheese and bread and are set for the rest of the trip.
Getting married in Sighnaghi, Georgia – the City of Love
It’s taken us almost two giggle filled hours to get from Tbilisi to Sighnaghi.
Sighnaghi is also called ‘The City of Love’ as it has a marriage hall which works 24 hours a day.
Think Las Vegas!
Minus the ladies of the night.
And minus the yucky neon lights and gaudiness.
And minus the wedding-factory feel of cheapened love.
Hmmm, actually perhaps *don’t* think Vegas 😀
Perhaps the only thing it has in common with Vegas is the lack of red tape. All you need to get married in Georgia is a notarized translation of your passports (takes about half an hour in any notary office unless there’s a line of people). The only additional thing you might need is a document from your embassy, but that’s required only if you are divorced.
Yep, it’s that easy.
A fact I keep repeating to and hinting at and joking about to Jordi and Val. Ehem 😉
In addition to all of that, this sepia filtered, charming city has been completely renovated and it makes you want to put on a corseted lacy dress, get a lacy umbrella, which you will be holding with your white gloves, and sit on a horse-drawn carriage next to your Rhett Butler-moustached beau as he gallantly drives you around, the sounds of hooves clapping as they hit the road paved with cobblestones.
Yes, it really will incite feelings of romance, even if you are a Virgo (no offense dear virgins).
Easiest way to get married
Did you know that in some cultures back in the day, people got married as they wished to? There was no lavish wedding ceremony, no religious figure confirming to you that you are, indeed, officially married and no permissions were required from the government.
Some just made a promise to each other and some just jumped over a broom.
Well, I’m SO happy that those days are over!
Love and marriage is now controlled by government or church or mosque or any other institution that regulates these things, or parents.
Marriage should be between a man and a woman!
All religions and strict cultures have absolutely guaranteed happy, joyful unions by allowing religious institutions and/or government to control, regulate and oversee marriages.
Thanks to this rigid control, everyone who adheres to this man-woman union is blessed with joyful, happy, healthy marriages which last forever.
Check out these figures:
Divorce rates in state-confirmed marriages: 0 %
Divorce rates in religious marriages: 0 %
Divorce rates in heterosexual marriages: 0 %
Happiness levels in heterosexual marriages: 100 %
Happiness of children of heterosexual couples: 100 %
Need for therapy in children or adults in who were born into heterosexual marriages: 0 %
See?
Good job government, state, religions and parents! Please continue to stick your someone-else nose into free will, human-heart business!
Be a tree-hugger!
You know, if you have to walk everyday with the sole purpose of getting to work, whether you want to or not, you will lose weight and your cardiovascular system will thank you for it.
This is just like hugging a tree; whether you want to or not, you will refuel your energy and your soul will thank you for it. I always steal a cuddle whenever I can and you should too!
Bodbe Monastery in Sighnaghi
This is the second time my loverboy and I are in Sighnaghi.
Just like some books that you really look forward to revisiting over and over again, I’m delighted to be back again in Sighnaghi, especially since the weather is warmer and the colors have changed so much.
Main building at the Bodbe Monastery
This main building was still under construction while we were there.
But perhaps there wasn’t a ‘do not enter’ sign anywhere.
Perhaps we snuck in and took a peek.
Both times.
We head inward and towards the right into the darkness. Soon we have to turn off our phone-torches as, just like many things in life, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
We find ourselves at the other side of the new building and – WOW – we come across behind-the-scenes art heroes of Bodbe!
All that intricate stone carving that covers the huge monastery top to bottom is HAND-CRAFTED!!
We watch as the stone mason first hand-draws the outline of the carving using his talented hand and an old fashioned pencil, then starts chipping away. How beautiful!
So many unsung heroes, we are so in awe of all this effort and I am very happy to see his warm smile as he notes our appreciation of it all.
Finished product.
Beauty!
Heading towards the hidden therapeutic spring in Bodbe
We’re heading down through the narrow but stunning stairs in the Monastery to do a short hike.
Upon completing this hike through magical looking forest (full of invisible faeries, no doubt) you come upon a spring which is not immediately visible, supposedly very healing and definitely freezing!
A magical story of family, death, prophetic dreams, and, of course, love…
Dear Emeliane has been waiting for us at the parking lot near the spring so we don’t have to trek back up since we have a few more stops to go to and have to be wise time-wise.
We get into his car, hit the little, quiet road that leads from the spring back to the Sighnaghi Wall and have been only driving a few minutes through the lush greenery when suddenly without warning, Emeliane pulls to the left of the road and stops.
We’re trying to figure out why we have suddenly stopped on the opposite side of the little mountain road and Emeliane is already out of the car, walking into the forest. Our eyes follow him and we see not one, but two little reasons why.
There, in the middle of pretty much nowhere, were two heart-melting puppies. They looked absolutely terrified, as alone as two babies can be, stuck to each other trembling, praying innocent puppy prayers for their mommy.
The other puppy ran into the bushes on the edge of the cliff in a panic leaving his braver brother behind.
I believe animals feel energies and this cutie is immediately aware of that sweet lifeline of love that spreads from Val’s heart, which is infinitely full of love for any cat, dog, bird, human around that is happy to receive some.
We are all out of the car, feeling torn about the little dogs. Emeliane tells us many owners just abandon puppies they don’t want to take care of. The thought of how devastated their mother must be is also making us feel stomach-kicked.
The panicked puppy who ran away when we got out of our car is hiding beneath thick bushes right on the edge of the line where the ground turns downwards and becomes a cliff, its sheerness barely disguised by pretty greenery of all shapes and sizes. We all take turns and various approaches to try to lure the little doggy back out. I’m terrified that if we get closer, puppy will fall down in a panic.
Emeliane, on the other hand, is not! He walks quietly to the bushes, sweeps down, and gently grabs the panicked puppy.
Sweet Emeliane had mentioned that he had just lost his own father two weeks ago. Unfortunately, both myself and Val know how he is feeling. He continues to say how the loss of his father is also felt deeply in his family, especially by his two children.
He knows these two beautiful little beings will spread joy no matter where they go.
There is no question about what must be done with these babies.
And, just like that, on a little drive between a holy spring of the grounds of a blessed monastery and the walls of the old city, the destiny of these two puppies collides with that of a grieving family.
Together they will mourn their losses.
Together they will heal, with love.
The ancestral story comes full circle
Emeliane tells us a story.
His grandfather had a dog who was rather temperamental with others, but fiercely loving and loyal to his owner. When his beloved grandfather passed away, the dog was right alongside the family in terms of feeling the deepest of grief. A few days after, the family members went for a walk in the nearby forest.
They took the dog along with them.
But the dog just disappeared into the forest!
Devastated and guilt-ridden over this second loss, they searched and searched and searched for hours… but the dog was nowhere to be found. It got dark, it got late and they called it a night and decided to come back early the next morning and resume searching.
But this was not to happen because on that particular night, Emeliane’s grandfather appeared to Emeliane’s mother in a dream and said, “Don’t search for the dog. He is gone and he will not return.” And he never did because they never did find him.
I told Emeliane that when his grandfather was taken by the angels, the forest had also taken a dog away from them. With the passing of his father, the forest had now gifted them with two new puppies. This exchange of love and life had come full circle in two generations.
I believe his father, grandfather and grandpa’s dog were watching and smiling as they pulled these strings from the other side, as our loved ones do when they cross over.
Why here?
Because it has a great view plus paragliders to watch AND it’s a great spot to climb the Sighnaghi Wall which surrounds the city. The food was yummy too – yay!
Across the street and on to the great wall.
I remember my friend George, who loves to stir up trouble on FB by merely stating the truth (kinda like Wikileaks but in a not so dangerous way) once posted this, “Why do girls get on their tippy toes when taking a photo? Is being a ballerina in style?” It had made me giggle because I was just going through all our holiday photos with Val those days and had been thinking tippy toe photos had definitely been called for, but I’d totally missed the memo 😀
Little tour of Sighnaghi
We’ve walked along the wall and Emeliane has picked us up and off we go to our last stop – Sighnaghi, the city of love.
We drop by this little grocery and buy some nuts and sweets.
The wedding hall in Sighnaghi – open 24 hours a day. Why can’t other countries make it this easy, Mr. & Mrs. in less than an hour.
Guest House Art
Georgia is a country full of art and passion and love. You will notice this in the amount of shows, concerts, plays that are available throughout the year, and even on the stunning street-grafitti.
We discovered Guest House Art during our first trip here. It is owned by Susanna and she’s an artist and every item under this roof reflects her craft – the paintings, the pillows, the repurposed old furniture. You can spend hours admiring all of the details.
If you want something very different and quirky, GO HERE!!!! Here’s their booking.com link.
Going back from Sighnaghi to Tbilisi
Oh my – a journey that started as five is now seven. What a blessed day this has been.
PS: No, I did not keep changing into different costumes–this story has photos from the two different trips we took to Sighnaghi during the year. Umm, did anyone even notice?
Thanks for coming along with us today & much love to all of you <3
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Come join me, read, giggle, comment on any of the below. The ones I use the most are Facebook and Instagram.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PS: HappyHipi is my personal blog.
If you love love like I do, click away to check out my other passion, my Crazy Love Stories website, where I interview real couples and share the stories of how they fell in love. These stories aim to spread the energy of love into the world one heart at a time <3
Website: Crazy Love Stories
Facebook: Crazy Love Stories
And if you have a crazy love story of your own to share, hit me up!
With much love <3
Bianca Basak
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi there, I loved reading your story. My soon to be wife and I are planning to get married in Sighnaghi, Georgia. I have been in Tiblisi once, but that’s about it. I have a few questions that I need to ask. Because we both are divorced , from what I was reading you said something about getting the divorce documents notarized in the embassy. Well, what if we do it here? Does it have to be in the US embassy? How long does it take to do that when we go to the US embassy ( Assuming you are an American) . About translating our passports : could we do it in Sighnaghi, Georgia , or do we have to do it in Tiblisi? Last, but not the least: Do we have to get a guide since we don’t know the language. Thank you for your time. Fataneh & Kiumars
Hello Fataneh & Kiumars,
First of all, I congratulate you on your love and am wishing you a long, healthy and happy union ahead <3 Isn't love just wonderful?
So, the translating and notarizing of your passports: I would do that in Tbilisi where there are many more notary & translation offices. Just get that ticked off your list in Tbilisi and give yourselves more time to relax and enjoy these special moments in Sighnaghi.
Regarding a guide: The lovely girl in the wedding office who carried out the ceremony didn’t speak English at all. We had out bilingual friends with us who kindly helped us through, but the vows were fully in Georgian 😀 Good thing we knew how to say ‘yes’ in Georgian (‘Ki’ FYI). So, although you still can probably make it through the day, I still would suggest that you do get someone to keep you company during the day and do the translations.
About the other issue: Unfortunately, I can’t help you there because we were both getting married for the first time, so we didn’t need to get any documentation showing that we were divorced.
I personally would call or email the USA embassy in Tbilisi and ask them what the process is and how long it would take. I would then find out what the process would be to get it done where you are now then compare the two. Sometimes doing things through embassies is surprisingly easy and sometimes it’s much easier to get it done where you are. Best to figure it both out then compare.
Glad you enjoyed reading the story <3 Please let me know if you have any other questions.
And happy Valentine’s!
Hello! Nice article! My unique concern with Sighnaghi is that it is often cloudy! So based on your luck you may not see much. Otherwise, it’s a lovely spot as you explained ❤️
Would you mind if we share your story into our website easyweddinggeorgia.com?
Hello Flo and thank you <3
We had very good luck in the beginning but it did get cloudy the day we were leaving. It was January though 😀 And please do go ahead and share the page, that would make me very happy if more people hear how delightfully easy it is to get married in Georgia. And the wedding hall in Sighnaghi really is such a sweet place--I hope it hosts many more happy unions <3
And I just checked your website--great wedding services you have there and seems like serving the country I grew up in - UAE 🙂 Good luck with all of it!