This was not a tourist activity. This was the real Caucasus — raw, beautiful, and deeply moving. The Guruli family gave us an experience we will carry for the rest of our lives.

I have ridden horses in Patagonia, Iceland, and Morocco. This was the best. The horses are extraordinary, the mountains are cathedral-scale, and the family warmth is unmistakable.

I was terrified of horses as a child. Within twenty minutes I felt completely safe. By the end I was crying — not from fear, but from the beauty of it all.

We brought our teenagers expecting them to be bored. They talked about nothing else for the rest of the trip. The Guruli family made us feel like we were visiting relatives.

The glacier expedition is not for the faint-hearted. But if you have the fitness and the nerve, it is the single most spectacular thing I have done in twenty years of travel.

Betlemi Hills was the highlight of our Georgia trip. Lunch at the mountain cafe with those views — absolutely unforgettable. We are already planning our return.