Georgia: Batumi (October 31-November 1, 2018)
26.
Are my ears deaf? · 1
27.
The setting sun is a magician.
· 7
28.
Batumi City Tour · 15
29.
The Tale of the Golden Fleece · 20
30.
Batumi at night · 28

Georgia: Zugdidi/Mestia/Ushguli (November 2-4, 2018)
31.
The False Accusation of Salt and Alcohol · 36
32.
This driver's self-sacrificing attitude is something to be emulated.
· 42
33.
Why do philosophical questions suddenly arise? · 50
34.
We keep going around saying “Poop, poop!”
· 56
35.
Things like this should go to a museum… … .
· 62
36.
Alcohol is autumn.
· 68

Georgia: Zugdidi/Tbilisi (November 4-5, 2018)
37.
Everything is an experience! · 75
38.
The hotel doesn't even have a sign… … .
· 82

Armenia: Yerevan (November 5-7, 2018)
39.
Landscapes Created by Cumulus Clouds · 91
40.
I can clearly see my past life.
· 100
41.
Heroes are something different.
· 106
42.
Even though I came to play, I was busy.
· 112

Armenia: Khor Virap/Sevan/Dilijan/Gosh (November 8-9, 2018)
43.
A terrifying thing to imagine · 120
44.
Travel makes friends.
· 129
45.
Lake Sevan Landscape · 139
46 Masterpieces of Medieval Architecture · 148
47.
Why do you ask that? · 155

Book Introduction · 160

My trip to the countries of the Caucasus Mountains, Georgia and Armenia, lasted exactly one month, from October 24 to November 23, 2018.
Originally, I planned to travel to the so-called three Caucasus countries, including Azerbaijan, during this one month, but due to the visa requirement for entry into Azerbaijan, I ended up only traveling to Georgia and Armenia.
The itinerary covers Tbilisi, Kazbegi, Shuamta, Gremi, Kvareli, Sighnaghi, Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, Vardzia, Batumi, Zugdidi, Mestia, and Ushguli in Georgia, then travels to Yerevan, Khor Virap, Sevan, Dilijan, Gosh, Echmiadzin, Garni, and Ashtarak in Armenia, and then returns to Tbilisi, traveling to Tbilisi City, Mtskheta, Gareja, Norio, Tsalka, and Chiatura in Georgia.

The records were so extensive that they had to be divided into three volumes.
Soon, 『In Search of the Treasures of the Caucasus 1』 is a record of my experiences while traveling through the Kakheti region, including Tbilisi, Shuamta, Telavi, Gremi, Nekresi, Kvareli, Sighnaghi, and Bodbe in Georgia, as well as the Ananuri, Gudauri, and Kazbegi regions, as well as the Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, and Vardzia regions.
『In Search of the Treasures of the Caucasus 2』 is the story of traveling to Batumi, Zugdidi, Mestia, Ushguli, etc. in Georgia, then crossing over to Armenia, settling in Yerevan, and traveling to Khor Virap, Lake Sevan, Dilijan, Gosh, etc.
『In Search of Treasures of the Caucasus 3』 is about visiting Echmiadzin, Ashtarak, and Yerevan in Armenia, and then returning to Georgia to visit Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Norio, Gareja, Tsalka, and Chiatura.
The content included in this book, 『In Search of the Treasures of the Caucasus 3』, continues from Volume 2, and a brief introduction is as follows.

As Armenia is the oldest Christian country, there are many old buildings worth seeing, such as old cathedrals and monasteries, and there are also many sacred relics, such as the Spear of Longinus, which pierced Jesus, fragments of Noah's Ark, and the bones of John the Baptist.
They can be seen in the cathedral of Echmiadzin, the ancient capital of Armenia.
When visiting Echmiadzin, it is worth recalling the stories of Tiridates III, the first person in the world to legalize Christianity, and the nuns Hripsime and Gayane.
Reflecting on this, it becomes even more fun to visit these Etchmiadzin cathedrals and monasteries.
Armenia, like Georgia, is very proud of its wine.
Georgians and Armenians each claim that their country is the origin of wine.


In fact, Armenian brandy is world-famous, just like French cognac.
Food is not only famous in Georgia, but also in Armenia.
Especially the food suits our taste very well.
Unlike the surrounding Muslim countries, these countries are Christian and allow people to eat pork.
Pork skewers, especially when paired with Armenian cognac, are heavenly.
The mountains of southern Armenia are very beautiful, with their high altitudes, snow-covered peaks, and soft, feminine lines.
The view of the snow-capped mountains as I drove through the snowy mountains on the way from Armenia to Georgia is still unforgettable.

Not only that.
There is a Garni Valley in Armenia.
This is a place where the world's best columnar jointing and the valley scenery are breathtaking.
People often only see the ancient Greek temple of Garni, and when they look down at the Garni Valley from there, they say, 'What a beautiful view!'
But this is clearly wrong.
You must go down to the Garni Valley below the Garni Temple side road.
Could such magnificent and diverse columnar jointing exist? While Korea has columnar jointing in places like Jeju Island, Mudeungsan Mountain, and Pohang Jeongja, their scale and diversity are limited.
The columnar joints here are a must-see.


Meanwhile, back in Georgia, Mtskheta, Gareja, and Chiatura, places I left out last time, are also places I really must visit.
If I had returned home without seeing them, I would have really regretted it.
The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, where Jesus' clothes are said to be buried, and the Jvari Monastery, famous for the Nino Cross, are also memorable places.
The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is a sight to behold in itself, but the view of the old city of Mtskheta from the Jvari Monastery is also a delight to the eyes.
The Lavra Cave Monastery in Gareja and the Udanov Monastery, which you can visit on a mountainside adventure across the Azerbaijani border, are also well worth a visit.


And Chiatura, which I stopped by on the day I returned home, is also one of the places that must be included in the tourist list.
Like the Udanov Monastery, the monasteries on the Pillars of Chiatura are monasteries that defy common sense.
How could they have come up with the ingenious idea to build a monastery in such a place? How could they have transported food and water all the way there? Here, we learn that the extraordinary ideas of the ancients became reality.
How magnificent is the human mind! Everything I've discussed so far is a treasure held by the Caucasus.
This trip was a journey to discover these treasures of the Caucasus.
I strongly encourage all of you who read this book to set out in search of the treasures of the Caucasus.