Georgia 🇬🇪 Tsalka (Dashbashi) canyon. 20 July 2026

We continue driving to Tsalka (Dashbashi) canyon.

Tsalka (formerly Dashbashi) Canyon is a spectacular 7-kilometer gorge carved by the Ktsia-Khrami River through volcanic basalt.

Historically a significant religious and royal center of the Trialeti region, it has evolved from a Bronze Age settlement into a major eco-tourism hub featuring the renowned 240-meter glass "Diamond Bridge".

The area has a history dating back to the Bronze Age, as evidenced by archaeological sites like the St. Ilia Cyclopean settlement. The village of Dashbashi (historically called Akhalkalaki) was once the royal seat of Trialeti dukes and the rulers of Sabaratiano.

The German settlement in the Tsalka and wider Trialeti region began in 1857 with the founding of Alexandershilf (now the town of Trialeti). Swabian German Protestants, fleeing religious persecution and the economic aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, migrated to the South Caucasus with the permission of Russian Emperor Alexander I.

German colonists established the settlement just a few kilometers upstream from the Tsalka Canyon area. They introduced advanced agricultural practices, dairy production, and European-style architecture.

The community built the Trialeti Evangelical-Lutheran Church, featuring distinct German stone craftsmanship and a classic bell tower.

The Soviet regime banned religious worship, heavily damaging the interior of the church. The town was renamed Rosenberg in 1921 and Molotov in 1941.

Following the Nazi invasion of the USSR, Joseph Stalin ordered the brutal deportation of Caucasus Germans to Central Asia and Siberia. Ethnic Georgians from other regions were subsequently resettled in their empty homes.

During the 19th century, the Tsalka area saw an influx of Caucasus Greeks immigrating from the Kars region of Turkey. By the 1980s, they made up the vast majority of the population in the Tsalka municipality.

Following World War II, the Soviet government built the massive Tsalka Reservoir (now the largest in Georgia) to supply electricity to the region.

The site is world-famous for its striking emerald waterfalls and the massive, high-altitude Diamond Glass Bridge.

Firstly, we walked over a 240 m long sky bridge that is hanged on the top of 280 m deep canyon. Here there are options for a bicycle ride over the canyon and a swing that are one in the lifetime experiences. We do neither, it was great to walk the bridge, stop at the bar in the middle of the diamond. It was incredibly hot. I think they must fix the aircon as the rubber connecting the glass can melt.

Afterwards we walked 1.8 km down to the canyon where we got close to the waterfall over the cliff. 

Mariam's Kinkale versus my ZA socks.

The spot is cool and relaxing, but coming back to the visitor center isn’t that easy. We hike up to the parking and we drive back to Tbilisi. The tour finished around 18:00 in Tbilisi airport. Just boarded the flight to Istanbul.

Georgia 🇬🇪 . The Didgori Battle Memorial. 20 July 2026

Our tour starts at 11:00 from our Hotel in Tbilisi and Miriam is once again our guide. Yay. The first stop is a viewpoint to the river Vere valley.

The valley looks so peaceful and onr cannot even see the river, however in June 13, 2015 a devastating flash flood in Tbilisi occurred when torrential rains and massive landslides caused the River Vere to burst its banks. 

The surging waters and mud ravaged the Vere Valley, washing away houses, completely submerging the Tbilisi Zoo, and heavily flooding major infrastructure including Heroes' Square. The tragedy claimed the lives of about 23 people. It also devastated the city’s wildlife, hundreds of animals drowned in their enclosures, while many dangerous animals including lions, tigers, bears, and wolves, escaped onto the city streets, forcing citizens to shelter in place. 

One of the most iconic images of the disaster was a rogue hippopotamus wandering through the flooded intersection at Heroes' Square.

In the aftermath, the city mobilized thousands of volunteers to aid in the cleanup and recovery efforts. The Tbilisi Zoo was partially rebuilt before eventually relocating to a safer, much larger environment on the outskirts of the city, and the destroyed Mziuri Park was restored. The tragedy also forced a nationwide reckoning on environmental management and urban planning.

I asked whether women play rugby in Georgia. I was told no and understand why, the women are beautiful and petite but Anamari who was assisting Mariana, learning to be a guide told me there are the 'mama men' they did everything during the war, farming, looking after the home. Both Mariana and Anamari kept us interested, they are knowledgeable and yet so young. Very impressed.

The Didgori Battle Memorial is a sprawling open-air monument complex located on Mount Didgori in Georgia, commemorating King David the Builder's "miraculous victory" over the Seljuk Empire on August 12.

It stands as a profound symbol of the liberation and unification that birthed Georgia’s medieval Golden Age.

The Central Pillar: A colossal column shaped like a traditional deda bodzi (the ancestral centerpiece pillar of medieval Georgian homes) anchors the site.

Giant Swords: Dozens of massive 4-meter-tall steel blades are driven directly into the earth. They simultaneously mimic grave crosses for fallen soldiers and the symbolic laying down of weapons after a hard-fought triumph.

The Watchful Owl: A stone amphitheater rests below the main ridge, guarded by a bronze owl sculpture representing vigilance over the battlefield.

Dismembered Warriors: Dramatic, bronze sculptures of fragmented soldier bodies are scattered across the hillsides to capture the raw chaos of medieval combat.

Georgia 🇬🇪 LAST day breakfast. 20 July 2026

Food to start the day, after the DailyJ for me, so affordable. Everything on the table, 2 juices, apple and peach, 1 americano (best is i have learned to drink them without milk) 2 omelets, 1 with bacon, the other veggies, salad, mayo, tomato sauce including 2 large loaves of bread for R132.

My favorite bakery. I would be as big as a house. Had to seriously hold myself back from buying the sweet pastry with cheese. Looks like a sweet empanada. After the 8 kinkales yesterday!! Glad i did not for the sake of my waist, but sorry I did not have just one more.

We are packed and ready to go on our last tour to Tsalka (Dashbashi) canyon..

Georgia 🇬🇪 Recovery day after the Final. 19th July 2026

Our Bolt driver recommended this restaurant. It is called Our Home or Our House and it's known for its kinkales

So we got on the other metro line from Freedom Square to Varketili. Walked to the restaurant in a residential area. Georgia is a country of contrasts and Tibilisi goes from huge new buildings to run down buildings, many empty that look damaged by the various earthquakes.

Lunch was great, kinkali are picked up by hand and eaten by biting around the edges sipping the sauce and eating the sides with the meat, all by hand. One generally leaves the ends as it is a race as to how nany kinkales one can eat. Once again, after a lot of kinkales, (they are very tasty) I had the mushrooms with cheese and Michael had the pork with potatoes. The nicest vanilla cream for desert. 

Bursting after way too much food, we walked back to the metro station, caught the metro back and went for a walk to digest the food.

Children play in the fountains.

A Georgian Orthodox Church 

We walked back to the hotel and had a sleep. Once awake we went to our favorite coffee place. I had a matcha and Michael a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and a hot chocolate. Madeleine never disappoints.

We figured that as we only flying at 21:10 tomorrow we would take advantage and go on another canyon hike. Passes the day and we get to see awesome sights. So our driver and guide will fetch us at 11:00 and take us to the 

Georgia 🇬🇪 U 20 World Cup, 1st and 2nd, South Africa vs France. 18 July 1026

So we won South Frica 16, France 5. Yay. It started raining at 20:00 pm and having an umbrella and a raincoat helped. We stayed reasonably dry but the astro turf was a different story. France and South Africa slipped and slid through out the match.

Very close match with France keeping up the pressure until the last minute.

Stunning fireworks before the match and after the match.

South Africa running onto the field.

Kevin Foote the coach of the SA under 20s kindly posed for a photo with me. He is a friend of Johno from my DailyJ, the weight and cardio regime I have been following for the last 2 and a half years to maintain strength, cardiac and muscle fitness. "Life years should equal health years".

The national anthem

So we decide to go to the Biltong bar to celebrate and the Bolt we ordered could not find us now we him. So he charged us a cancelation fee which I since have got back. Our next driver helped us by telling us our location was floating in the air (go Google maps, assuming Bolt's navigation system is based on their algorithms) and where he had stopped. He also told us about a great restaurant for kinkales and how to eat them.

The Biltong bar was full and very festive. Met some lovely people. A journalist from Azerbaijan,  a student doctor from Shri Lanka,  a graduate doctor from Australia and a computer coder from South Africa in Georgia for 3 years unable to leave as she lost her passport and there is no embassy in Georgia. Home affairs in SA has been unable to help her. As she says Georgia is a great place to be if you are unable to travel anywhere else in the world.

We got home at 3am, its been a while since we have had such a late night. Go Bokke!!!

Georgia 🇬🇪 U 20 World Cup, 3rd and 4th, New Zealand vs England. 18 July 1026

Anthem

Hakka