点评:I have a soft spot for places that have a few wrinkles.
Today’s adventure began with Kutaisi’s old cable car, gliding high above the thundering Rioni River on our way to Besik Gabashvili Amusement Park.
The cable car alone was worth the trip.
It gently rattled its way across the valley before delivering us to an amusement park that felt frozen in time. Wonderfully Soviet in character, a little faded around the edges and completely unapologetic about it.
I loved it.
The ferris wheel looked as though it had been faithfully carrying visitors skyward for generations. It creaked, it groaned and it complained ever so slightly as we climbed higher, rewarding us with sweeping views across Kutaisi and the winding river below.
What made me laugh was the “safety system.”
Before the wheel started turning, we had to hook a flimsy chain across the entrance of our own gondola. When the ride finished, we simply unhooked it ourselves and climbed out. No attendant. No instructions. I assumed that was all part of the experience.
Thankfully, we’d already survived the ride.
Nearby, the old merry-go-round slowly turned as if it had nowhere else to be. One horse, though, looked like it had wandered straight out of a Stephen King novel. It was so wonderfully creepy that I couldn’t stop looking at it.
From there we wandered over to Bagrati Cathedral, whose hilltop position has watched over Kutaisi for centuries. It was a lovely contrast, one place celebrating simple fun, the other centuries of Georgian history.
Before catching the cable car back down into town, we discovered a tucked-away restaurant inside the amusement park. By then the humidity had well and truly settled over the city, so an icy cold Georgian beer was exactly what the afternoon called for.
Sometimes the places that leave the biggest impression aren’t the newest or the most polished.
They’re the ones with a few squeaks, a few rattles and enough character to make you smile long after you’ve left.
And for just 3 GEL, I’d happily hook that chain and ride the Ferris wheel all over again.
翻译:我对那些有些“岁月痕迹”的地方情有独钟。
今天的探险始于库塔伊西的那辆老式缆车——它载着我们穿越山谷,缓缓行驶在波涛汹涌的里奥尼河上空,最终抵达贝西克·加巴什维利游乐园。
单是这趟缆车之旅就值了。
缆车摇摇晃晃地穿行在山谷间,最终把我们带到了一座仿佛时间停滞的游乐园。它有着浓郁的苏联风格,虽然有些褪色,却毫不掩饰这种特色。
我太喜欢了。那个摩天轮看上去仿佛世世代代都在忠实地将游客送往高空。当我们越升越高时,它发出嘎吱声与呻吟声,不过也让我们得以饱览库塔伊西的全景以及下方蜿蜒流淌的河流。
最让我发笑的是它的“安全系统”。
在摩天轮开始转动前,我们必须用一条孱弱的链条把自家座舱的入口给锁上。等游玩结束,我们只需自行解开链条,然后走出来就行了。全程没有任何工作人员在场。没有任何说明。我原以为这一切都是体验的一部分。
幸运的是,我们已经挺过了那段惊险的旅程。
不远处,那台老旧的旋转木马缓缓转动着,仿佛无处可去似的。不过其中有一匹马的样子,简直就像是从斯蒂芬·金的小说里走出来的。它阴森得恰到好处,让我忍不住一直盯着看。
随后我们漫步至巴格拉蒂大教堂,它坐落于山巅,几个世纪以来一直俯瞰着库塔伊西。这种景象形成了一种美妙的对比。一处是充满简单乐趣的乐园,另一处则承载着数个世纪的格鲁吉亚历史。
在乘坐缆车返回市区之前,我们在游乐园里发现了一家隐蔽的小餐馆。那时,潮湿的空气已经笼罩了整座城市,因此一杯冰镇格鲁吉亚啤酒正是这个午后最需要的慰藉。
有时候,最能给人留下深刻印象的地方并非那些最新建成的或最精致完美的场所。
它们往往是那些带着些许瑕疵、略显粗糙的地方。有点小趣味,又充满个性,足以让你在离开后很长时间里都会会心一笑。
而只需3格鲁吉亚拉里,我就乐意再挂上那个链条,重新去坐一次摩天轮。