Where the Wild Things Are

Until a few years ago, the region of Upper Svaneti in the Greater Caucasus on the border with Russia was despised by travelers. The Svans are considered very regionally patriotic and tradition-conscious, which includes family feuds and banditry. The former president Saakashvili put an end to the predatory dealings of some family clans, renewed the road and had a ski lift system built. Once you're here, it's hardly surprising that the magnificent landscape quickly attracted tourists. There is now a tourist infrastructure that in some places is reminiscent of Swiss Alpine resorts - but only in some places. At the latest, when the beaten-up off-road vehicles standing in a traffic jam on the main road from Mestia are overtaken by a wild galloping guy, you know where you are.

Under the now very pleasant and hospitable conditions, we were also drawn here. We survived the several-hour marshrutka ride (minibus shared taxi) quite well. Even if the departure was delayed by an hour and a half due to a lack of passengers and our nerves were already strained before we even started.

We have been here for two weeks now. And it quickly became clear: There are no wild things living here! We made a first stop in the village of Mazeri. The family boarding house there was a bit quieter than our previous accommodation - sometimes a bit too quiet for our taste. On the first morning, we jumped out of bed at 6 o'clock to catch the best time of day for hiking and photography. With our hiking boots laced up, we expected our breakfast at 7 o'clock - and had to wait another hour and a half until our hosts started setting our table. The Georgians are late risers! Their facial expression when we asked for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. the next day spoke volumes. Only with a lot of persuasiveness were we able to agree on 8 o'clock. A few days later, we will find out that it is even difficult to find a bakery that opens before 8 o'clock.

We enjoyed our two-day hikes with a view of the impressive double peak of Mount Ushba despite the late start.