The students at Westford University College pursuing BA (Hons) in Business Management with Liverpool John Moore’s University embarked on a 4-day international tour to Tbilisi, Georgia from 14-17 September 2022. Georgia being an ancient country at the crossroad of eastern and western civilization offered a unique learning opportunity for the students to explore the culture and picturesque landscape in four days of memorable experience.
Westford University College organizes many such tours for the students across programs to learn beyond academics engaging the students in inter-cultural learning as well as enriching their horizons to explore new frontiers by exchanging thoughts and ideas across borders in Georgia, a country at the intersection of Europe and Asia is the former Soviet Republic that’s home to Caucasus Mountain villages and the Black Sea beaches. It’s famous for Vardzia, a sprawling cave monastery dating to the 12th century, and the ancient wine-growing region Kakheti. The capital, Tbilisi, is known for the diverse architecture and maze-like, cobblestone streets of its old town.
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The tour started with Jvari Monastery (6th – 7th BC), the most important religious centre and an architectural masterpiece of medieval Georgia. The students enjoyed a breathtaking view from the church that stands proud over the city of Mtskheta overseeing the merging of two of the biggest rivers in Georgia, Mtkvari (Kura) and Aragvi. The tour also included a walking tour for over hours exploring places on foot.
The hallmark of the trip was exploring Mt. Kazbegi on a fleet of four-wheel drive cars to reach Gergeti Holy Trinity Church is located at an altitude of 2170 meters and enjoys breathtaking views of Mt Kazbegi.
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The students enjoyed the trip and interacted with their peer group of students across cohorts and with Westford Staas well as new local friends and explored the rich cultural mosaic of the museums and breathtaking landscapes. The tour included visits to the wine factories to witness the traditional homemade wine manufacturing juxtaposed with modern European machine-infused technologies. The team also attended a hands-on master class on making traditional Georgian breads and other delicacies apart from the visits to the city of love, monasteries, museums and breathtaking fun and joy experiencing the snowy mountains.
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Shehnaz Jahangir BA (Hons) in Business with |
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My happiest moment in Georgia was travelling with my friends and exploring all the beautiful sights together. Some of those lovely places were the Mtskheta monastery, the Kazbegi mountains which stood tall and were snow-capped, and the Gergeti trinity church which was a sight to behold, it made me feel very peaceful and the environment was very serene. Later on in our journey, we got to try the regional food of Georgia. When I tried the khachapuri I was in awe because it was such a delectable delicacy and their honey tasted so silky and sweet. My trip to Georgia was very pleasant, from the beautiful mountains to the hospitable people, everything was so refreshing that I would go there again for that lively experience. |
Hitein Rajesh Rao BA (Hons) in Business with |
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My trip to Georgia was a trip filled with excitement, jubilation, and astonishment. Like many of my peers, my journey started when I stepped out of the Tbilisi International Airport. Over the span of _ days, my friends and I visited many monasteries, churches, monuments, and other major areas of the country, which were filled with history, dating back to the 3rd or 4th century as informed by our tour guides. Being a history buff myself, I was completely taken aback in a positive way to see how Georgian culture has evolved through the centuries. Another gleeful and cheerful moment I enjoyed with my friends was when we would go and explore the city by ourselves late at night and enjoy the vibe of the city, laughing and joking around till sunrise. Although the trip was short and sweet, my friends and I became very attached to the country and have vowed to come back sometime in the near future. |
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