Blog Archive: October 2022
Racha trip
| Living in Georgia | 9 seen
Unforgettable Fall break from QSI Tbilisi to the picturesque region of Racha. From lush vineyards to charming wooden cottages, from hiking above the clouds to stumbling upon a defunct cable car station, our adventure had it all. So, fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a virtual tour filled with nature, culture, and a touch of rustic charm.
Taking advantage of the convenient 30-minute flight from Tbilisi to Ambrolauri with Vanilla Sky, our journey began with anticipation and excitement. Racha, known for its breathtaking landscapes and warm hospitality, was the perfect destination for our Fall escapade.
Our first stop led us to the enchanting wineries dotting the Racha region. Surrounded by rolling vineyards, we indulged in the flavors of local wines, each sip telling a tale of the terroir. The hospitality of the winemakers and the serene ambiance made it an experience to remember.
For our stay, we opted for the cozy wooden cottages that added a touch of rustic charm to our getaway. Nestled amidst nature, these cottages offered a perfect blend of comfort and tranquility, providing an ideal retreat after a day of exploration.
No trip is complete without…
Sadmeli Winery & Guesthouse
| Hotel reviews | 25 seen
Located in Sadmeli village, close to Ambrolauri town in Georgia's Racha region - Sadmeli Winery features a garden, terrace, spectacular views towards the valley, and free WiFi throughout the property. The guest house has family rooms.
We booked a one-night stay at this place in mid-October 2022, during our Fall Break (at QSI Tbilisi) trip to the Region of Racha.
We arrived here by plane from Natakhtari (Tbilisi) to the Ambrolauri airplane. Shuttle service was organized for a small additional fee. In total we paid about GEL 330 for a stay in a family room, with a shared bathroom, our price included delicious on-demand supper with a bottle of local cider (from the vinerary and taxi transfer fees from and back to the airport)
I was happy playing again with a drone.
The surrounding views are just breathtaking.
Decent. No flat-screen TV and shared bathroom. But for a one-night stay - quite Okay. Bit reminds me to stay in the Georgian dessert some time ago when we stayed in a place that was running on solar power - Hotel Dalis Mta
We were served dinner on demand, with local delicacies - cheese and cider. The local…
Top 20 Best Selling Laptops with Intel core i9 2023
| Laptop Reviews | 158 seen
Laptops with this powerful but bit pricey, Intel core i9 processor has been around for a few years already.
Made for gamers, graphic editors and business professionals - ASUS, ACER, and DELL are the top brands for Intel core i9.
Intel Core i9 powered laptops come with a price attached. You should be ready to spend about $1,250-3,000 in 2023, to get one.
A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on the Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income from that. The prices for laptop computers listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product Advertising API and are updated daily. For actual prices please refer to the product page on Amazon.
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 (2022) Gaming Laptop, 15.6” 300Hz IPS FHD Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, Intel Core i9 12900H, 16GB DDR5, 512GB SSD, Per-Key RGB Keyboard, Windows 11 Home, G533ZM-ES93- Aspect Ratio:16:9
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 - ROG Boost up to 1752 MHz at 140W (115W + 25W with Dynamic Boost)
- MUX switch - GPU MUX switch lets the GPU communicate directly with…
Why should you buy an apartment in Georgia?
| Living in Georgia | 49 seen
Recently I have been a lot into the Georgian real estate market - I'm currently gathering funds to buy an apartment in Tbilisi and later resell it for a profit.
Scouting Potential Apartment Investment in Tbilisi (Samgori Ecocity)
In this article I will lay out some information regaridng buying a real estate in Georgia (Tbiisi / Batumi/ Gudauri or other) I found with the help of TBC bank. I was considering using loan at the local TBC bank to finance such purchase, but now with potential co-investor not looking on bank loans anymore.
Feel free to contact me via blog or Linkedin if you are interested in Tbilisi, Batumi or other real estate investment in Georgia
The real estate market in Georgia is growing - more and more people are trying to buy housing for various purposes. For many, renting a home is a stable source of income that has a fairly solid relative share in the monthly budget. Many are now trying to buy a house in areas and geographical areas that are quite growing and consequently prices will rise in the coming years. In this case, buying and selling the same house becomes a…
Ambrolauri Airport
| Airports | 27 seen
Ambrolauri Airport is a small regional airport serving Ambrolauri, a town in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Georgia. The airport is owned and operated by United Airports of Georgia, a state-owned company. It has been open in its current form since January 2017 and can serve airplanes with up to 50 passengers capacity.
I first learned about this airport back in 2016, but first tried at the end of 2022, during a Fall break trip to Racha. We booked a round-trip flight here by Vanilla Sky and enjoyed a 35-minute flight from/to Natakhtari airport.
Ambrolauri Airport is located at the edge of Ambrolauri town, in the historic Racha region on the right bank of the Rioni between the Racha and Lechkhumi Ranges and at an elevation of 544 m (1,785 ft) above sea level. The region is of tourist interest and it is the cradle of one of Georgia's pre-eminent wine varieties, the Khvanchkara, named after the village of origin 10 kilometers west of Ambrolauri.
Since 2017, Vanilla Sky Airlines flies several times a week between Ambrolauri and Natakhtari Airfield near Tbilisi with a 19-seater Let L-410.
Former Georgian President Mikheil…
Buying Real Estate in Racha (Ambrolauri district)
| Real Estate | 135 seen
Racha is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains.
Ambrolauri serves as the seat of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti regional administration and of the Ambrolauri Municipality and had a population of 2,015 in 2021. The city is served by a small, but very convenient Ambrolauri airport, with a few weekly flights to Natakhtari (Tbilisi), thus making the city and the whole region of Racha - attractive for real estate investment.
At least, these are my thoughts after my first trip to the Region on Racha, and visiting the cities of Ambrolauri, Nikortsminda, and Agora at the end of 2022.
Despite being mountainous and with cold winters, Racha is home to some of the best Georgian wines (Khvachkara), there are many small family-run chateaus and a booming tourism industry with guest houses. camping, gleaming, and hotels developing in Racha. I agree, Racha has some great potential.
While sipping Kakhetian Wine from Alazani valley in Racha, and staying at a cozy cottage I come up with a quick idea - how about we buy some property here, not even…
Natakhtari Airfield / Airport
| Airports | 78 seen
Natakhtari Airfield is a small domestic airport located in Natakhtari, close to Tbilisi, Georgia.
It is privately owned and operated by the parent company of Vanilla Sky Airlines, Service Air. Domestic flights to Batumi, Mestia, and Ambrolauri are served from here. Free shuttle service is available from Tbilisi city center for Vanilla Sky flights.
We have been huge fans of Vanilla sky airlines, for Tbilisi - Batumi flights, which previously were scheduled from Tbilisi international airport, but seem to have been rerouted via Natakhtari airport (at least in 2022), and that's how we discovered this small, cozy airport.
Free parking spaces in front of the temrinal building. Also free shuttle service available to the Tbilisi city center. A taxi ride with Bolt cost about 25 GEL to get here. (prices as of 2022)
Natakhtari Airfield is located about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of Georgia's historic capital, Mtskheta, a popular tourist destination. Located in the Mukhrani Valley, it serves private flights and a number of small scale charter and scheduled domestic flights by Vanilla Sky Airlines.
I'm huge fan of this cozy airport. 45…
Scouting Potential Apartment Investment in Tbilisi (Samgori Ecocity)
| Real Estate | 51 seen
For the past couple of weeks and months, I have been working toward my Tbilisi real estate investment idea.
Now I have a potential co-investor and we are looking to buy one apartment in Tbilisi (or Batumi) under construction, wait until it is completed, and sell it for a profit (hopefully).
As I had done initial market research for some potential value deals in Tbilisi, I found this quite an interesting offer located in the city outskirts but meantime well connected to the rest of the city - Samgori Ecocity project by Meti developer company.
Invest in Tbilisi Real Estate - New Projects under construction
I held initial talks with the developers and was quite satisfied with the offered terms for apartments at Samgori Ecocity, Now was the right time to go and see all for myself. I was offered a $650 price per m2 - white frame. 0% interest monthly installments up to 20 months.
This morning I was in the gym when decided to shout out a message to Ralph, a German friend here in Tbilisi. I just didn't want to go alone but wanted to have good company. Also, we weren't met for some time. Ralph agreed, and in a couple of hours, we were wandering…
Invest in Tbilisi Real Estate - New Projects under construction
| Real Estate | 53 seen
A few months ago, I came up with an idea to crowdfund a real estate under construction in Batumi and sell it for profit once completed. I was contacted by a potential investor from Canada, and we kept shaping this idea more and more until we are already ready to make our first co-investment.
High Risk / High Return Investment Opportunity in Batumi Real Estate
A few weeks ago I went again to Batumi, to re-check the situation with Batumi real estate, and did some findings, some were good and some were not so good, I raised my concerns to the potential investor.
Because myself being located in Tbilisi, I decided to make a quick look at Tbilisi real estate market with a focus on new projects under construction.
For this focus, I decided to look at a few properties across Tbilisi city, not prime locations, but lower prices. Because of the lower price we could afford to buy a more spacious apartment, which we could sell with a good profit margin to families with kids or rent it out for long term or Airbnb.
For this quick research, I was using korter.ge website, the more digging in would be required, contacting developer companies or dealing…
Blog 9-year anniversary
| | 4 seen
Wow, time flies, today on October 10, 2022, we are already celebrating 9 years since I launched my personal blog at ReinisFischer.com
Over the years the blog has grown into something big and had become a part of my daily life - many topics have been covered, many more will be covered, many friendships have been established, and many more will be established.
Almost 6 million users have visited this blog over the past 9 years. With 20% coming from the US, 10% from India, 6% United Kingdom, 4% Philippines and 3% from Canada.
The top 10 articles are about some of the best-selling laptops and average salaries across the European Union.
For the years to come, I will focus more on my investing adventures with crypto and stocks, photography, and video.
My body weight this morning was 108kg - I hope I will be under 100, before turning 10
To the next 99 years.
Batumi and Tbilisoba
| Living in Georgia | 7 seen
A quick day trip to Batumi and back by Vanilla Sky from Natakhtari airfield, stay at the Hilton hotel with heated swimming pool + some bits of real estate investing, returned back to Tbilisi and voted at Latvian Parliament elections 2022 at the embassy, the next day visited Tbilisi city festival.
Enjoy the show and thumbs up!
MyHeritage DNA test result
| Genealogy | 613 seen
Today I finally received the DNA test result from MyHeritage. The result was quite surprising - I learned I have 56% Baltic, 18.8% Ashkenazi Jewish, 15.85% Balkan, and 8.7% North and West European DNA.
Before the test, I assumed my Baltic (Latvian) heritage will be about 75%, maybe 60%, but seeing 56% left me quite surprised.
I knew about Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry (my grandfather), so no surprise here, the biggest surprise though comes from the 15.8% Balkan ancestry.
Knowing that 18% Ashkenazi Jewish comes from my paternal grandfather I was left wondering, that probably 15% Balkans also comes from one of my paternal grandparents. I was left wondering, from whom then, as I had no idea about Balkan heritage before.
I have my thoughts - thinking either my grandmother (from my father's side) or my great-granmother from my mother's side has Balkan ancestry.
The DNA test revealed a few matches, I was surprised not to see zillions of Jewish relatives here, just a few very distant relatives, which leads me to think that for tracking Jewish ancestry I should use another service, service…
Dumas Restaurant Tbilisi / Axis Tower
| Restaurant reviews | 126 seen
Dumas is a French Restaurant with a Southern European accent, located on the 36th floor of the landmark Axis Tower in Tbilisi.
Looking to impress your date, business partner, or simply good coffee - Dumas restaurant is the way to go.
Named after the famous French writer Alexander Dumas, the restaurant offers guests an authentic food and beverage experience that is fresh and flavorful. The ‘Dumas’ open kitchen serves up French and Mediterranean cuisine transitioning its menus throughout the day to please the most discerning gourmet palate, complimented by incredible panoramic views of the city.
with seating areas both next to the window and away from it
I bet sunsets are just magnificent here
Being vegetarian for already a year I try out strange soups, even pumpkin soups, and this one was just brilliant
One of the fancoest places I have latelty discovered in Tbilisi.
Minimum Wages Set to Increase in Baltic States in 2023
| Macroeconomics | 94 seen
In 2023 minimum wage is set to increase in all Baltic states. Estonia will have a minimum wage of EUR 725; Latvia - EUR 620 and Lithuania - EUR 800.
During the past 5 years minimum wages across the Baltics have experienced a steep increase, and in some cases even doubled. When compared to 2018, Estonia's minimum wage has increased by EUR 225, Latvia's by EUR 220, and Lithuania's by a whooping EUR 400.
Despite pretty decent increases in the Baltic States, minimum wages here are still among the lowest in the European Union. See: Minimum Wages in European Union 2022
On the other hand, it seems that the Baltics will reach EUR 1,000 gross minimum wage in the next 3-5 years. It seems either Lithuania or Estonia will get there first.
Also, I believe the minimum wage will double in all three countries by 2033. And my bet is Estonia EUR 1,500, Latvia EUR 1,300, and Lithuania EUR 1,600.
Now, let's see if I'll be able to take at least the Latvian minimum wage from dividend stocks and options trading by the end of 2023.