Class of 2026 Chronicles: Tao-Klarjeti Edition

The much-anticipated Class of 2026 senior trip to Tao-Klarjeti has ended. To say that this excursion was eventful would be an understatement … Whether it was forgotten passports, or Eka Mas’s (many) attempts at communicating with the Turkish staff, this class of seniors experienced all of it!

Now, where to begin? 

Right off the bat, the seniors were told to gather at Gegeshidze Park at around 6:30 AM. Despite everyone constantly complaining about the meetup time for a week, everybody showed up on time with big smiles on their sleepy faces. After successfully splitting up into four different buses, the very long journey ahead came to a start. For most students, a big chunk of the ride out of Georgia was spent sleeping, compensating for the hours spent awake in excitement the previous night. The first stop was at a tiny restaurant where the students ate their breakfast and drank some tea.

Moving on quickly, the class reached its next destination soon enough: Georgia’s border.

Everyone got their passports and documents ready when, all of a sudden, a nervous-looking Natalia Abuladze emerged from the crowd. Turns out, the passport she brought with her had expired. “The moment I pulled out my passport and glanced at my photo, my heart sank”, she says. “There was no one else to blame, which was the hardest on me”. However, with her friend's encouragement and Zuka Mas’ exceptional comforting skills, the problem was resolved - Natalia would call her mother and her non-expired passport would be delivered to her at the border in a few hours. Luckily, Zuka Mas decided to stay and wait for her passport with her. 

Natalia, Anastasia, and Zuka mas walking around Akhaltsikhe

Just when everything seemed to be going smoothly again, a second problem arose: Anastasia Peikrishvili did not possess the right letter of authority, and she was denied entry. Seeing as the teacher has just faced a similar problem, they thought of the same solution for Anastasia. To sum up, Anastasia, Natalia, and Zuka Mas stayed behind

at Akhaltsikhe while they waited for their documents to be delivered.

Natalia recalls these events and says, “Afterward, along with Zuka Mas and Anastasia, the whole story became a funny anecdote”. The rest of the class passed through passport control and continued with the road trip. 

Despite the many hours spent on the road, we still made two stops after crossing the border: Tbeti and Doliskana. These were two monasteries that everyone instantly fell in love with. After listening to Sandro Mas’s speech about the historical importance of the buildings, the students had time to roam around and explore the interior/exterior. All around, one could hear hundreds of exclamations about how many inscriptions were in old Georgian and how wonderful it was. Feeling hungry from the lengthy trip, Eka Mas brought out Lobianis and Khachapuris, and a small picnic-like moment was shared between everyone.

Some Students Playing Mafia After Dinner

Finally, after eleven hours on the road, the class arrived at the hotel and had dinner. It was during this time that Natalia and Anastasia, who were previously left behind, finally made their way back to the group, arriving at the hotel. Everyone was very excited, so, after dinner, some decided to play Mafia, some decided to simply chat outside, and some simply decided to go to bed after such a tiring day.  Overall, the first day was a great, but a little nerve-wracking experience for everyone. The only problem was the language barrier, which soon turned into a humorous aspect of the trip as Eka Mas was trying (and failing) to communicate with the young staff.

Students and Eka Mas posing in front of the Oshki Cathedral

The next day, everyone woke up at 9 AM and went to the cafeteria to eat breakfast. Of course, breakfast was followed by the Turkish delicacy that is tea. Once again, the students had some time to relax and enjoy each other’s company before departing for the next destinations. The buses’ first stop was the monastery of Khakhuli. Despite its beauty, the students quickly realized that it was turned into a mosque - nobody was allowed to enter with shoes. Some disappointment followed this discovery, but after seeing the next two monasteries - Ishkhani and Otkhta - the class went back to feeling very ecstatic and proud of their culture. However, it would not have been a Class of 2026 excursion without more problems; Ketevan Ediberidze, one of the seniors, realized she had a fever mid-journey. She had to go back to the hotel early with Eka Mas. Meanwhile, Keto’s peers were overcome with the excitement of visiting the Yusufel village. Once they got there, everyone split up into groups and roamed the unknown city. It was very fun, as the students were allowed complete freedom for a full hour and went to eat whatever they wanted.

P.S. Turkish pizza tastes amazing! 

Students in line to pay for their snacks

After shopping in small supermarkets and spending very little money on food, the day was concluded by going back to the hotel, eating dinner, and playing a lot of games on the terrace. 

The view from the Bana Cathedral

The second morning in the hotel, everyone awoke fully rested and ready to take on the lengthy trip once again. After breakfast, goodbyes were said to the amazing staff, and the suitcases were packed into the buses. However, this did not mean that the field trip was coming to an end - there were still many things left to do. The class visited two more cathedrals: Oshki and Bana. One of the students said, “The monasteries made me realize the greatness of our past … they helped me better perceive how developed we were at the time!”  

The field trip to Tao-Klarjeti was not just another way for the students to have fun; it was a means of communicating with the past and developing a better understanding of their cultural background. 

Written By Lile Kervalishvili

Edited By Natalia Abuladze