Under
cover of darkness the authorities uprooted Mr. Stalin, threw his
communist ass on the back of a flatbed truck, and drove off into the
night (Georgia
Knocks Stalin Off His Pedestal).
Later, alligator. Might want to go ahead and rename the square in
order to complete the circle.
I
was fortunate enough to meet three gentlemen from Belgium in the
village of Kazbegi interested in a hike part way up Mt.
Kazbek (5047 m, 16655 ft). Our destination was either the
beginning of the glacier or, weather permitting, Betlemi Hut, a
former meteorological station. Ideally, I would have preferred to
make my way to the summit but seeing as this is a three or four day
affair and requires the use of ropes I had to content myself with
half-assing it.
The
myths and legends associated with this extinct volcano are as thick
as the mist we encountered on the way. It seems the cave not far from
Betlemi Hut was the prison of choice for Amirani (Georgia's
version of Prometheus)
the insolent son of a goddess that had the audacity to share fire
with mere mortals. The cave is also reputed to have housed the tomb
of Christ, Christ's manger, Abraham's tent, a golden cradle, a monkey
paw, Merlin's cap, and Excalibur (I may have added the last three out
of a childish sense of blasphemy). Apparently, only the pure of heart
are permitted to view these objects while all others that attempt to
do so perish or go blind. Since I have no desire to do either I
decided to postpone my cave visit for a few years. I figure by then
I'll have had a chance to purify myself through pain.
