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Lets ConnectElona Karafin2021-02-18T20:59:34+00:00

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elona

‎⁣↠ ⁣إلونا ♥ #nyc 🎗 cancer Survivor⠀⠀⁣
↠ Philanthropist l Luxury Travel Blogger | Avgeek 🛩⠀⁣
⠀

Tbilisi means ‘warm place’ in Georgian 🌝 I

Tbilisi means ‘warm place’ in Georgian 🌝 I am standing in front of what I was nearly 100% sure is a Mosque ...⁣
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... but it’s not! ⁣
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It’s actually an ancient bathhouse. ⁣
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Legend has it - in the 5th century, King Gorgasali stumbled upon the sulphur springs in [what is now] Tbilisi and he was so impressed that he built an entire city around them! ⁣
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Eventually, his son would make Tbilisi the Capital of Georgia and the sulphur pools would become a tradition for centuries to come. ⁣
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The Orbeliani Bathhouse was even visited by the poet Alexander Pushkin in 1829. There is a plaque on the entrance to the bathhouse that shows a quote from Pushkin, where he describes the baths as ‘luxurious’. Now there is a room named the A. Pushkin Suite! ⁣
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Private rooms for 1-6 people start at about ~$34 and there are many unique add ons like massages and body scrubs 😉
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Have you ever been in a bathhouse? ⁣
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📸: @tourdelust ⁣
📍: @travel.tbilisi

A few [impressive] fun facts about Georgia 🤓🇬🇪: ⁣
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- The name is actually NOT Georgia, it’s Saqartvelo, according to the locals 😉⁣
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& this is how it’s spelled: საქართველო⁣
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- There are THREE alphabets and all of them are included by UNESCO in the world cultural heritage! ⁣⁣
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- Georgian is among the oldest languages & the alphabet system is very sophisticated ✏️⁣
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- Georgia is the birthplace of wine! Archeologists traced the worlds first wine creation to 6,000BC in what is now Georgia 🍷⁣
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- Georgia was home to Joseph Stalin. ⁣
Quick history lesson: Stalin was the secretary-general of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and, ahem, a controversial figure to say the least. ⁣
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Did you know any of these facts? What caught you by surprise? ⁣
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📍: Leaning Tower of Tbilisi⁣ @travel.tbilisi
📸: @tourdelust

From the outside it looks like an old, run down ho

From the outside it looks like an old, run down house. So run down, in fact, that I bet you wouldn’t even think to go inside 😦⁣
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Only after a few seconds ... through the front door and up a flight of stairs - you are in a life sized caleidoscope: hues of yellows, blues and reds covering you from head to toe as the sun peaks through the stained glass 🌈 ⁣
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Gallery 27 is a small shop / gallery with handmade artwork from more than 100 locals from Tbilisi and also from different regions of Georgia! A little, but beautiful location for photos & to buy souvenirs. ⁣
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You have to go when the sun is out and peaking directly through the windows (that’s when the colors are illuminated so well) this was shot around 4:15PM & times will vary depending on the time of the year.⁣
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Tell me what did you like best in the Georgia series? 🤩 if you haven’t seen everything, all the stories are saved in my Georgia highlight. I hope you enjoyed following along!⁣
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📍 Gallery 27, Tbilisi ⁣@travel.tbilisi
📸: @tourdelust

Interested in visiting Georgia 🇬🇪? *SAVE THI

Interested in visiting Georgia 🇬🇪? *SAVE THIS POST* for reference & swipe ➡️ for more info! ⁣
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Practical Information:⁣
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Georgia is fully open to vaccinated travelers from any country in the world! ⁣
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Non-vaccinated travelers have to enter from one of the countries listed in this post, with a negative PCR test done within 72 hours of departure. ⁣
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On arrival, you isolate and get re-tested on the 3rd day. The test is about ~$30 and results come within 12-24 hours. ⁣
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Currently, there is a 9PM curfew for driving & even walking. If you’re outside without a permit - you may get fined. On weekends, restaurants and non-essential businesses are closed (cafes are open only for take out).⁣
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Masks are required to be worn everywhere & police officers stop people & sometimes give fines to those not wearing one.⁣
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Tell me what else you want to know!⁣
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Please keep in mind that requirements are changing daily so make sure to visit the official government website for the most up to date information! ⁣
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Travel is a personal choice & if you’re ready - please keep yourself and other safe by following ALL the rules 🙏🏼⁣
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📸: @tourdelust⁣
📍 @travel.tbilisi

pssst, did you know? Central Park cost more than A

pssst, did you know? Central Park cost more than Alaska 😮 New York State paid about $7.4 million dollars for 843 acres in 1853 & in 1867, the US bought the 600K square miles of Alaska for $7.2 million.⁣
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As the old saying goes … success in real estate depends on 3 things:⁣
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Location, Location, Location. ⁣
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And speaking of location, Central Park is bigger than the country of Monaco, which, by land mass, is 500 acres large! ⁣
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& that’s a wrap for cherry blossom season - see you soon from a new country 🤩 ⁣
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What are you looking forward to most this week?
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📸 @tourdelust 🌸

Things I’m looking forward to this week:⁣ ⁣

Things I’m looking forward to this week:⁣
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Driving to the airport ⁣
Checking my bags⁣
Holding my boarding pass ⁣
Standing on the moving walkway ⁣
Flying ⁣
Flying⁣
Flying⁣
Flying some more⁣
Ticking off a new country from the list ⁣
More flying ⁣
😏⁣
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Guess where? I’ll send a few winner(s) a postcard 📮
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Swipe for more photos ➡️📸: @tourdelust

Did you know: the first time Japan tried to send c

Did you know: the first time Japan tried to send cherry blossoms (their national flower) to the U.S. as a sign friendship … it almost started in a diplomatic crisis? 🙈⁣⁣
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In 1910, the Department of Agriculture recommended burning the 2,000 trees sent from the Japanese after finding insects and diseases in the trees. This nearly caused a diplomatic disaster!⁣⁣
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2 years later, the first US cherry trees were planted as a gift of friendship from Japan 🌸 ⁣
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Over 3,000 trees and 12 varieties were shipped from Yokohama to Seattle before getting transferred to DC. ⁣
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Guessing with no insects that time around😌 ⁣⁣
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Save this post for the location: Engineers Gate, Central Park (90th St & 5th Ave) 📍⁣⁣
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Have you seen cherry blossoms this year? ⁣⁣
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📸: @tourdelust

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