From: Thessaloniki, Greece
[I thought I would write a bit about my overall experience in the Caucasus. I'm planning on doing the same thing for Central Asia, but haven't really gotten to it yet. Some more pics forthcoming too.]
I loved the South Caucasus. I spent a rushed two weeks there, but it really should have been at least four.
The area has tons to offer. The capitals of the regions are varied and interesting: wealthy, atmospheric Baku; lazy, charming Tbilisi; kinda-ugly-but-still-cosmopolitan Yerevan. Outside the big cities in the region, there are more than two dozen distinct cultures to explore: Persian-speaking Mountain Jews in Quba, Muslims in Georgian Tusheti, blood-feuding tribes in Svaneti and Rachi, and the Turkified Adjaran people. Regional food is incredible, varied, and pretty cheap for what you get (especially Georgian cuisine -- delish). The drinks (wine in particular) are plentiful and really good.
For me, I also liked finally being able to use my Russian. When I got to Azerbaijan, I realized that six weeks of learn-as-you-go Russian in Central Asia had finally paid off. I won't insult Russophones by claiming to actually speak their language, but I found myself able to get by pretty well. As a result, I had some interesting conversations with people about their lives: I heard both the Azeri and the Armenian perspectives on Karabakh, and learned about village life in Georgia. Definitely a step up from the inevitable "where are you from? ... how many children do you have?" chitchat I got in Central Asia.
The best thing about the region is being able to see weird and exotic sights without really having to trek too far. Making a meal in Karabakh was top of my list, followed by our trip to Georgian wine country, and then probably the cold mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan. The Caucasus is fun, but in a pretty accessible way.
But while I was charmed by the region, I did find myself thinking about its uncertain future. After all, it seems like every country there is gripped by vicious conflicts.
In Georgia, the overarching conflict is with Russia, onetime political master and, until recently, a close ally on the international stage. Since independence, however, Georgia has become increasingly Western-leaning, and recently announced their intention to move towards EU membership. The move met with fierce opposition from Russia, who has used their economic might to put the hurt on Georgia. Here, Georgia slapping Russia in the face:
[I thought I would write a bit about my overall experience in the Caucasus. I'm planning on doing the same thing for Central Asia, but haven't really gotten to it yet. Some more pics forthcoming too.]
I loved the South Caucasus. I spent a rushed two weeks there, but it really should have been at least four.
The area has tons to offer. The capitals of the regions are varied and interesting: wealthy, atmospheric Baku; lazy, charming Tbilisi; kinda-ugly-but-still-
For me, I also liked finally being able to use my Russian. When I got to Azerbaijan, I realized that six weeks of learn-as-you-go Russian in Central Asia had finally paid off. I won't insult Russophones by claiming to actually speak their language, but I found myself able to get by pretty well. As a result, I had some interesting conversations with people about their lives: I heard both the Azeri and the Armenian perspectives on Karabakh, and learned about village life in Georgia. Definitely a step up from the inevitable "where are you from? ... how many children do you have?" chitchat I got in Central Asia.
The best thing about the region is being able to see weird and exotic sights without really having to trek too far. Making a meal in Karabakh was top of my list, followed by our trip to Georgian wine country, and then probably the cold mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan. The Caucasus is fun, but in a pretty accessible way.
But while I was charmed by the region, I did find myself thinking about its uncertain future. After all, it seems like every country there is gripped by vicious conflicts.
In Georgia, the overarching conflict is with Russia, onetime political master and, until recently, a close ally on the international stage. Since independence, however, Georgia has become increasingly Western-leaning, and recently announced their intention to move towards EU membership. The move met with fierce opposition from Russia, who has used their economic might to put the hurt on Georgia. Here, Georgia slapping Russia in the face:
The overarching Georgian-Russian conflict is exacerbated by several secessionist movements. Although it's a small state, there are no fewer than 3 independent regions within Georgia: Adjara (peacefully autonomous), Ossetia (actively and violently seeking separation) and Abkhazia (de facto independent since the brutal war in 1992-3.) Russia, happy to weaken Georgia and eager to extend its own political reach, has taken the side of the separatists in each of the conflicts.
The combination of the secession movements, backed by Russian military and political support, has been a lot for Georgia to handle. I couchsurfed a week ago with Alex, associate editor of Tbilisi's only English-lanugage daily -- he's very up-to-date about the conflicts in the region. He said that both the Abkhazi and the Ossetian situations seemed permanently on the brink of war; when we spoke, there had been several casualties in both locations every week for the past month.
Georgia isn't the only one with conflicts on several fronts; Armenia is sandwiched between two hostile Turkic neighbors. With no sea access and only two international borders (Georgia and Iran), it has a marginal geographic position. The national income is propped up by remittances and investment from the diasporan Armenian community. And the country has a big burden to bear: Armenia has also been the sole support (financially and militarily) for the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since the end of the war.
The Karabakh conflict isn't just an Armenian problem, of course. On the Azeri side, the country has to deal with over a hundred thousand refugees forced out of Karabakh and Armenia proper during the conflict. When, and how, these displaced people will be dealt with is still unclear. And in the midst of the uncertainty and conflict, of course, the NKR itself doesn't even exist in the eyes of the international community.
The South Caucasus will be an interesting region to follow over the next decade. I hope that the political problems get resolved... but it's still an incredible (and largely safe) place to visit in the meantime.
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