More people arrive by foot than. . .

Copyright Keith Kenney, 2011

In the three days we spent in Adishi, one car arrived on average each day. One car brought us to Adishi; one carried food and passengers; and one brought our homestay owner and spouse (their brother operated the homestay in their absence). On the other hand, as many as 40 hikers arrived one evening, and the other evenings at least a half dozen people hiked down the mountain(s) to Adishi. Why? Because it takes 3-5 hours, depending on road conditions, to drive to Adishi from Mestia, the closest big town. “Big” means that Mestia has an ATM, a bank, a place to buy food, a restaurant, and so on. In addition, it costs 150 lari ($90) for the mini-bus ride. In contrast, you can hike from Mestia in one day for free. Moreover, you don’t need to carry food, sleeping bag, tent, and so on because in Mestia you can pay 40 lari ($24) for a bed and three meals, including homemade wine and vodka, but more on that later.

If someone drives you to Adishi, you’ll be bounced all over the vehicle as its tires go over rocks that rise up from the “road.” I put road in quotation marks because it resembles a hiking trail. Like a hiking trail, the road is marked by spray paint so you don’t lose your way. Also like a hiking trail, the road goes through small streams rather than over them. On the other hand, if you hike, and few clouds are blocking your view, you’ll stare at several snow-capped mountains and you’ll smell freshly cut hay. You may meet someone interesting or simply stop, rest, and paint, as one Israeli hiker did.

Copyright Susanna Melo, 2011

Many of the hikers had heard about Adishi from a Lonely Planet guide, which describes a 3-day hike from Mestia to Ushgulu. Never underestimate the power of Lonely Planet, a major source of information for the backpackers about hostels for sleeping, cheap food, and fun activities. Without backpackers’ awareness and enthusiasm for this 3-day trip, I don’t think Adishi would attract many tourists. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/georgia/the-mountains/svaneti/activities

Nor should you underestimate word-of-mouth advertising. I was surprised when I kept meeting young and older tourists from Israel. I heard, but can’t verify, that 35-40 percent of tourists in Georgia come from Israel. They come for the great hiking, tremendous hospitality of Georgians, the “authentic” experience, and for low prices. Then they return home and tell their friends. No one saw any advertising or other materials promoting Georgia. They just heard it was a great place to visit.

Copyright Susanna Melo, 2011