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It was 5:30 in the morning as I reluctantly rolled my delirious self out of bed. ‘I don’t start work until the afternoon. Why am I doing this?’ The struggle was all so real, but I had made a commitment to join two friends in climbing the hill to the TV tower overlooking Tbilisi to see the sunrise at least once. I had already put it off several times, but now the friends I had promised were set to leave the country soon, so this was our last chance. I stumbled down into the kitchen and immediately began making strong coffee. Very strong coffee. I drank one cup and then a second, hoping the effects of the caffeine would mask the effects of sleep deprivation for a couple hours at least. I then put on my pair of old, muddy hiking shoes and exited the door.
I walked along a few uphill roads for about ten or fifteen minutes until I reached a small park with a staircase at the beginning of the trail. Despite my desire to be back in my bed, I couldn’t help but appreciate walking through the city in silence for once. Being outdoors in Tbilisi usually came with the sounds of construction, car horns, and the revving of struggling engines trying to make their way up a steep hill, but at this hour the city remained asleep. My other two brave and tired companions, Etienne from Canada and Sara from Denmark, were already there. We groaned a ‘good morning’ to one another and began ascending the stairs.
Although I had walked this path to the tower a few times before, I had never done so in the dark. There was no light source, and since the trail is steep and covered by trees, it was nearly impossible to avoid slipping and tripping frequently. However, the coffee was finally starting to kick in, boosting my focus and energy. We continued upward as the path switched between dirt and rock.
Finally, after about thirty minutes, we reached an overlook just before the tower, and decided that this would be our spot. Next to us was a bench and table (which we then occupied) as well as a makeshift workout area in the forest constructed out of pipes and truck tires. It was an odd sight to see, made only more surprising by two middle aged men already using one of the pipes to do pull ups. We waved at each other, all seemingly surprised to see other people here at this hour, then they continued their workout. My friends and I, on the other hand, were simply content with sitting down and waiting for the sun.
Down below, the whole city was illuminated in light, with the Sameba Cathedral glowing front and center. Slowly, the dark night sky on the horizon began to brighten. It was just a faint pink-orange, but quickly it became lighter and lighter. All of the sudden, all of the city lights shut off at once and within minutes were replaced by that of the now visible sun. We all started, watching Tbilisi slowly rise out of its slumber. Cars started appearing on the streets and the previously still construction equipment kicked into motion.
We stayed, taking in the fresh morning air, until about 7:30 when we decided it was time to head down. The path that had been nearly impossible to navigate was now laid out quite simply in the light of day. Soon, we were back down in the city streets, said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I was still feeling a bit tired, but I finally accomplished what I set out to do and it was absolutely worth it.
By William Martinsky
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org