The Sophomores in Uplistsikhe

On Friday, 3 October, at 7:45 AM  sharp, the school buses were loaded with sophomores, ready to leave and drive towards Uplistsikhe. It took about 1 hour and 20 minutes to arrive at our first destination: the Uplistsikhe Orthodox church. In the bus, most of the students were listening to music, talking, or sleeping. It was a peaceful and quiet morning, with a hint of interest in what we had to see. In addition, when we arrived at the first stop, everyone was very excited and full of lots of energy. We disembarked from the bus to look at the beautiful scenery while waiting for our tour guide. 

          At the church, the tour guide spoke about the architectural history, the name, and its past. Despite the windy and cold weather, everyone listened attentively and with great interest in the topic. We examined the rock-hewn architecture, carvings, and walls, as well as their interaction with nature. The scenery was fascinating: the church blended beautifully with the surrounding nature, since it was carved into a cliff, creating a beautiful color contrast. We climbed onto the rocks safely and carefully, explored the place, took many pictures, and then went inside the church. It was small, but incredibly rich due to its cultural significance and unique frescoes. 

           The next stop was about 40 minutes away-the Uplistsikhe Chateau. This restaurant was a huge space where we ate, talked, played games, and took walks to relax and enjoy the environment. This restaurant prepared great traditional Georgian food and had a very welcoming atmosphere thanks to its amazing staff. The class stayed there for about 3.5 hours. 

           And at last, we returned to the school parking lot at around 5:30 PM. Most of our phones were running out of battery, because we took many pictures and videos to capture these incredible and cheerful memories. Our classmate, Nina Kurdgelia, says that: “I think this is the best field trip we have had in the last 3 years. This church is also the oldest place we have visited, and this is the most we have hiked. It is an absolutely gorgeous sight and we all have enjoyed it very much.” Yes, we were all exhausted at the end, but we had no regrets! 

Written by Ano Kvaratskhelia

Edited by Elene Mosiashvili