September 2015 Traffic and Income Report (36,670 Users/ $254.01)

8 October, 2015 | Blogging | 44 seen

Welcome to the 21th traffic and income report of this blog. In this post I will cover some details about income and expenses I have made in month of September as well I will share some insights about traffic numbers.

In case you are wondering why should someone publish online his/her earnings - the answer is pretty simple - I like transparency and these reports help me to observe my progress or bounces. Hopefully my reports can give some inspiration to you as well. Read:  How to start a blog and make it successful

About Income/Expenses

A quick note: Some of the links below are affiliate links.By clicking on them I might end up earning some income from that.

Income

• Google AdSense - $45.89
• Amazon Associates* - $886.94
• Sovrn - $5.18
• Booking - $13.40
• Bluehost - $0

*Amazon Associates includes Amazon CPM

Total Income: $951.41

Expenses

• Linode - $22.50
• Facebook Ads - $7.90
• New Laptop - $377.00
• New Tripod - $250
• New Sigma lens - $40

Total expenses: $697.4

Net Profit: $254.01

Thoughts on Income

About Traffic

Blog traffic report September 2015. Data source: Google Analytics

• Last September comes with a modest 6.26% traffic gain if compared to previous month (August).
• It was second month in row being above 30k monthly users
• Average daily user count: 1,222.3

Beyond the blog

• September was quite exciting month - we returned to Georgia after spending summer of remodeling our rural house in Latvia. 
• We had a two lovely short trips to Armenia and Borjomi National Park (Georgia)
• First Georgia Expat Photographer meeting was held
• I started a new photo 365 day challenge project in order to improve my photographer skills and deliver better pictures on my blog posts. 

365 day photo challenge

• During the fourth day of my photo challenge we headed to photograph Super moon above Tbilisi, what turned out to be a rescue operation

You can follow me on Flickr to see my progress in mastering DSRL, your comments are more than welcome. 

How did it go for you this month? Leave a comment, we are eager to hear!

One Day Trip To Armenia (Lori Province)

8 October, 2015 | Travel guides | 11 seen

Just shortly after our return to Georgia, in the first weekend we just couldn't sit back home and do nothing, we were eager for some travels. So we found this lovely offer on Facebook - short one day trip to Armenia for 40 GEL (it's about $17.00) and here we were heading to Armenia. Since this was not our first trip to neighboring republic we already felt pretty confident about all the border crossings, money exchanges e.t.c.

I must admit I had no clue where we are actually heading to, and that's actually the way I prefer to travel, not much planning, just basic information. I call it a true travel spirit. As it later turned out our tour guide was prepared better, and we were on our way to the barbecue festival in Armenia.

Below you will find both maps with all the places (they are just 3) and descriptions for each of the places. If you are up for a short trip travels to Armenia, I can highly recommend you this route and discover the beauty of Armenia.

So here you go - a short trip to Armenia from Georgia.

About Lori Province in Armenia

Lori  is a province (marz) of Armenia. It is located in the north of the country, bordering Georgia. Vanadzor is the capital and largest city of the province. Other important towns include Stepanavan, Alaverdiand Spitak. It is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Haghpat and Sanahin monasteries and the well-preserved Akhtala monastery, where Armenians, Georgians, and Greeks make an annual pilgrimage on September 20–21. Lori borders Tavushprovince in the east, Kotayk in the southeast, Aragatsotn in the southwest and Shirak in the west.

The province was heavily damaged during the 1988 Armenian earthquake.

Skrunda Manor and Hotel

7 October, 2015 | Tourism objects | 13 seen

Skrunda Manor is an attractive final destination in the culturally historical region of Kurzeme (Courland) in Latvia. What's use to been a manor house now is turned into a boutique hotel in Western Latvia. I know for sure they have restaurant on site and after midnight you can get a take away coffee at reception (well, don't forget about tips to the receptionist).

I visited this place at the start of June 2015, since I was a little bit in rush, I didn't photographed lovely interior they have on site, and I feel some regrets about it now.

Playground at Skrunda manor

Skrunda manor

Skrunda Manor built in classicism style with design similarities with Mežotne Palace was reconstructed in 2012 according to Eleja Castle design created by the world-famous architect Giaccomo Quarenghi. Today the building serves as home for a hotel, restaurant and conference rooms.

According to the studies of the Latvian writer and historian Arturs Heniņš, Skrunda Manor can be considered as miniature copy of Mežotne Palace and, most credibly, the design of Mežotne Palace of Johann Georg Adam Berlitz was used for its construction. Johann Georg Adam Berlitz (1753 - 1837) was a German architect who designed classicism palaces in Mežotne, Durbe and Kazdanga. In addition, a similarity with the design of Eleja Castle created by the world-famous Italian architect Giaccomo Quarenghi can be noticed both in Mežotne Palace and Skrunda Manor.

Skrunda Manor is located on a high bank of Venta River and it is built in classicism style on the first half of the 19th century. Skrunda Manor has also been referred to as a palace in chronicles and in the lists of real estate of the municipality. The company Anderson Baltic, which purchased the manor in the auction, arranged by Skrunda Municipality in 2006, has invested in reconstruction of Skrunda Manor and it also has implemented the design. The reconstruction procedure lasted five years due to its complexity and labour-intensity. Skrunda Manor received the honourable third prize in the nomination “Reconstruction” of the competition of the Latvian Construction Contractor Association “The Best Construction of the Year in Latvia 2011”. Skrunda Manor is also a member of Association of Latvia’s Castles, Palaces and Manors.

Sun beds at Skrunda manor

About Skrunda manor hotel

Skrunda Manor hotel apartments are comfortable for both adults and children. The Manor is a nice place to stay either for a short or long visit. The hotel has been awarded with the internationally recognized Hotelstars Union 4 star Superior certificate. The high quality standards and cosy atmosphere will make your stay at the hotel very pleasant. Our hotel has 12 rooms where each one is different having its own individual design. The equipment of the Manor will serve even the most demanding of guests; to comply with the quality standards, our two-storied historical building even has an elevator.

Brethren Cemetery ensemble in Nīkrāce (Latvia)

6 October, 2015 | Military Heritage | 16 seen

It was hard for me to decide should I put this place as a tourist attraction or as a military heritage, I opted for the second one. You see, things related to WW2, especially like Brethren Cemeteries is hard to call tourist attractions, right?

So, here is another one interesting place in Latvia, region of Courland you should visit some day - a memorial dedicated to fatalities of WW2. Some locals call this place just as a Mother (Latvian: Māmuļa) because of the sculpture in the middle of this ensemble.

Brethren Cemetery ensemble in Nikrace

Author of this sculpture: Līvija Rezevska

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Brethren Cemetery ensemble in Nikrace

According to sources, around 3000 war fatalities happened here during 1944-1945 for the Soviet side. 

Brethren cemetery ensemble in Nīkrāce

This site is funded by Embassy of Russian Federation in Latvia

Brethren cemetery ensemble in Nīkrāce

As you see - you guys just like me and you... it's always hard to look on such memorials for me.

Brethren cemetery ensemble in Nīkrāce

Brethren cemetery ensemble in Nīkrāce

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 Brethren cemetery ensemble in Nīkrāce

According to written on this plate Lithuanian division took part on fights here in 1944-1945

 Brethren cemetery ensemble in Nīkrāce

A typical Latvian countryside next to the ensemble

Skrunda - Embūte road

Simple Homemade Hamburger Recipe With Photos

5 October, 2015 | Food blogger | 40 seen

What happens when bloggers, who are trying out some new photo equipment and who loves to cook comes together? Right, they do a food blog. This time blogger here is just one (I do have a lovely assistant) and strong jury although.

So, lets make a really simple hamburger today.

For ingredients you will need to have those lovely buns (you can try to buy them at your local shop), for patties I'm going to use ground meat (minced meat) out of pork, but you could use beef, as I believe a real hamburger is made out of beef.. wait, what am I talking right now? Pork is just fine.

1 egg, 2 onions, and your favorite seasoning for patties.

For toppings you can use, tomatoes, pickles, salads.. just the usual stuff.. yes cheese goes in very well also.

Here is my photo recipe for that simple homemade hamburger:

Lets start with patty

Filling for patty

I took pork ground meat, added one egg, grated onion and some seasoning

Fry buns

Now, once you are done with patty making, take those buns you got from the shop and put them on pan, prehat them a little bit. This will make them to become soft and warm. Don't burn them, just a little bit to warm them up

Toppings for hamburger

Now you can prepare toppings for your hamburgers. Cheese, tomatoes, onions, some salad leaves.. you name it

Frying patties

Now make a bun sized (diameter) patties from your patty filling and put them on some fire (pan) Fry until one side is brown enough, flip it over and add some cheese on it (if you preffer)

Add some cheese on patties

Cheese will melt a little bit and will add interesting taste for your burgers

Smear some sauce for the buns

OK, I actually hadn't that special burger sauce, so I used just a regular carry sauce just to make photos look better

Add patties and those toppings you prepared before to the buns

Your hamburger is ready

I actually took that above image for my 365 days photo challenge and submitted it as the 2nd day (out of 365) photo, you are more than welcome to follow me on Flickr if you like photographies I take or you would like to see how this challenge will end.

Any thoughts on this simple homemade hamburger? Drop me some comment!

Budget-Friendly Laptops: The Top 5 Asus Models for Value and Performance​​​​​​​

5 October, 2015 | Laptop Reviews | 161 seen

Asus is a well-known brand in the laptop industry, and for good reason. Their laptops offer high-quality features and specifications at affordable prices, making them a popular choice for budget-conscious buyers.

In this article, we will look at the top budget-friendly Asus laptops on the market.

Disclaimer: Please note that this article contains affiliate links to Amazon. This means that we may earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no additional cost to you.

The ASUS VivoBook 15 is a great budget laptop for everyday use. It features a 15.6-inch FHD display, an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. It also comes with a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint scanner for added security. With a price point of around $400, this laptop is a steal.

The ASUS Chromebook C523 is an excellent budget laptop for those who need a device primarily for web browsing and basic productivity tasks. It comes with a 15.6-inch HD display, an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 64GB eMMC storage. With a weight of just 3.1 pounds, this laptop is lightweight and easy to carry around. At a price point of around $250, it is one of the most affordable options on the market.

The ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 is a budget 2-in-1 laptop that is perfect for students and professionals on the go. It features a 14-inch FHD touchscreen display, an Intel Pentium processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. It also has a 360-degree hinge, allowing you to use it in tablet mode. With a price point of around $400, it is an excellent value for a 2-in-1 laptop.

The ASUS ZenBook 14 is a stylish and affordable laptop that comes with a 14-inch FHD display, an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It also has a backlit keyboard and a precision touchpad for improved navigation. With a weight of just 2.6 pounds, this laptop is easy to carry around. At a price point of around $700, it is a great value for a laptop with premium features.

The ASUS TUF Gaming FX505 is a budget gaming laptop that is perfect for casual gamers. It comes with a 15.6-inch FHD display, an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It also has a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card for improved gaming performance. With a price point of around $700, it is an affordable option for those who want to play games without breaking the bank.

In conclusion, Asus offers a range of budget-friendly laptops that are perfect for everyday use, web browsing, 2-in-1 functionality, premium features, and casual gaming. With these top picks, you can get a high-quality laptop without breaking the bank.

Lēnas Holy Trinity Roman Catholic church (Latvia)

4 October, 2015 | Churches and Monasteries | 19 seen

Lēnu church (Latvian: Lēnu baznīca) is located in Latvia, historical region of Courland in Skrunda municipality. I first discovered this place either in 2013, or 2014, and in fact I was surprised to learn than in Western Latvia (Courland) there are actually Catholic churches (turns out - there are, and a lot)

Lenu church

At time (On June 6, 2015)  I visited this church a festival called Night of Churches happened, which basically means that this festival promotes awareness of Latvian churches.

Lēnu Catholic church

The statue of the Holy Virgin Mary at Lēnu church garden

At Lēnu church

About Lēnas Holy Trinity Roman Catholic church

The church with two towers was built in 1756 on the bank of the river Venta. It is worth seeing the confessionals which are of great artistic value, as well as the organ which was built at the end of the 18th century. The cellar holds the coffins of the last two Piltene bishops. 

Learning Adobe Lightroom Basics

3 October, 2015 | Digital Photography School | 4 seen

Adobe Lightroom is something completely new and unknown for me, I have been doing photography for some time already and actually have never done anything more with photo like cropping and resizing it. Well I have some basic knowledge on Adobe Photoshop, like I'm using it sometimes to make some simple text logos or other basic graphics for web development.

It has been some time since I got my first DSLR camera and I have done with that the some lovely thing - photographed and photographed a lot - Take for example Tourist Attractions section on my blog, or just browse photos to get familiar with my works.

At the end of September I decided to go for a 365 photo project to start exploring better my camera, and what's probably the most important to shoot in M (manual mode).

So it was the eight day of my 365 photo project, when a friend of me (very experienced photographer) visited me and we headed for a small walk to the nearby park. Since I'm into this photo project I took my camera with myself figuring out where to take that another just another decent shot in M mode, while talking about some things with a friend.

So I took the following picture in M mode (well I took more, but just this one at the end looked good enough for my project)

Before Adobe Lightroom

Sculpture in Tbilisi park

Well, OK, it is probably good enough, but I decided can I actually turn this photo to other level. So I remembered about Adobe Lightroom and all the good words a friend of me had told me about it. 

After Adobe Lightroom

Photo of Sculpture in Tbilisi park after edit in Adobe Lightroom

Now, this final result looks completely different than the original one. With help of Adobe Lightroom I had chance to balance contrast, add some sharpness and use feature I really like - lens correction to align photo horizontally(for example)

Adobe Lightroom editing mode

Editing photos in Adobe Lightroom

I'm completely new to this post-editing / post-processing thing, but after a little experiment I have find that Adobe Lightroom is my next big discovery, and during next 358 days you will see more post -processed images both on my blog and on my project page.

Adobe Lightroom tutorials

Here are few tutorials to help you start  

• Adobe Lightroom Basics (Video Tutorial)
• Adobe Lightroom Basics: 6 things you need to know getting started
• Learn Lightroom in a Week - Day 1: Workspace and Preferences

And what are your preferences? Are you using Adobe Lightroom to improve your overall picture? Drop a comment, we are eager to hear!

Temple of Saint Seraphim of Sarov (Borjomi/Georgia)

3 October, 2015 | Churches and Monasteries | 262 seen

Temple of Saint Seraphim of Sarov is located close to Borjomi (some 1.5km) in Georgia. You can get here either by car or as I prefer - by foot using Borjomi - Baghi - Tba - Tsemi road. That's actually exactly we did at the end of September during our hiking tour in Borjomi. I must admit this was not the first time for me at this place, but prior to that I didn't know the name and meaning of this place. Now I know, so the place is actually called the Temple on Saint Seraphim of Sarov and is related to Russian Orthodox church. 

Tourist sign indicating direction to the temple

It's written in Georgian, unfortunately I'm not familiar with Georgian script (but hey there is Georgian translation service available) and I cannot tell you what's exactly written there, but it should be something related with the temple, like a name.

Church house

Church icons and candles for sale

At Temple of Saint Seraphim of Sarov in Borjomi

Wooden temple on site

Actually it's a rare opportunity to see wooden temples in Georgia

At Temple of Saint Seraphim of Sarov in Borjomi

Church building at site

About St. Seraphim of Sarov

St. Seraphim of Sarov is one of the most beloved saints in the 20th century, not just in Russia, but throughout the Orthodox world. In a period of spiritual decline and darkness, his was a light that has lit up the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and continues today even brighter than ever. Almost an exact contemporary of St. Herman of Alaska (see the article, Life of St. Herman), their humble and simple ascetic personalities are quite similar. St. Seraphim is loved for his Paschal joy and love with which he embraced all creatures, greeting people year-round with the exclamation, "Christ is Risen!"; for his humble and patient acceptance of all things at the Lord’s hands, including lengthy illnesses and being beaten almost to death; for his emphasis on the acquisition of the Holy Spirit as the goal of the Christian life, using prayer, almsgiving, fasting and charitable works done for Christ’s sake as a means of achieving that goal; and for his intimacy with the Holy Birthgiver-of-God and her appearing to St. Seraphim in visions, and healing him. Holy Father Seraphim is known for feeding bears and other wild animals when he lived in a cabin in the woods; for the 1,000 days and nights he spent praying on a rock near his forest cabin (see the icon to the right); for the experience of the warmth, radiance, peace and joy of the Uncreated Light, which he allowed to envelop his disciple, Motovilov; and for countless miracles.

The future saint, Prochor Moshnin, was born in 1759 in the city of Kursk of a pious merchant family. When he was 10, the Mother of God healed him from a severe illness through her Kursk-Korennaya Icon. As a youth, Prochor spent as much time as possible in church, and used the gift of reading to devour the Bible, the lives of the saints, the writings of the Church Fathers, and liturgical books, which he continued to do for his entire life. His heart’s desire was to dedicate his life to serving God as a monk and thus, at age 19, he obeyed an Elder’s counsel to go to the Sarov Monastery, where he spent the rest of his life.

After 8 years, during which time he nearly died --- until he was healed by the Mother of God --- he was tonsured a monk, and then a deacon. While serving at the altar, he frequently saw angels, and once, on Holy Thursday, he was transported in ecstasy for several hours by a vison of Christ Himself. At age 34, Fr. Seraphim was ordained priest, and then his elder entrusted to him the spiritual care of the sisters at the nearby Diveyevo Women’s Monastery (west of Nizhni-Novgorod), which became "his" Diveyevo. He then also received permission to live by himself in the forest, praying, reading the Church Fathers, and every week, reading the entire New Testament. At age 45 he was beaten by robbers and left for dead. During his long recovery, the Mother of God again appeared to him with the Apostles Peter and John the Theologian, and said of him: "He is one of ours." After this he recovered, but was always bent over and walked with a cane. More years of seclusion in the forest and in his monastery passed, and then the Mother of God directed him to receive people who came to him for spiritual comfort and guidance. For 7 years, thousands of pilgrims came seeking assistance from the Elder, as people have continued to do throughout the 20th century, especially after his glorification in 1903. His wonder-working relics were miraculously discovered and returned to Diveyevo with triumphant joy in July 1991.

Ultimate List With Top 10 Gudauri Hotels (Georgian Ski Resort)

2 October, 2015 | Hotel reviews | 112 seen

The holiday season is approaching, and if you have chosen Georgia as your final destination for skiing, there is a good reason to visit Georgian Winter capital Gudauri. It's famous of skiing slopes, heliskiing, hiking and of course wonderful relaxation accompanied by famous Georgian hospitality service. To make your stay in Gudauri even more pleasant, here is the ultimate list with top 20 Gudauri hotels, apartments, and guesthouses to choose from.

• Be prepared to take cash with yourself, it has been countless times when I have found that bank terminals are not actually working here.
• If you are heading to Gudauri to enjoy ski rides, pay attention to those hotels/apartments which actually are located close to the slopes (many of hotels are actually near the slopes, but they come with a price attached)

Here are two hotel reviews I've stayed so far in Gudauri - Hotel Shamo, Hotel Edelweiss

Alternatively, see:

• Bakuriani Hotels - Enjoy Your Winter Holidays in Georgian Ski Resort
• 6 Best Value Hotels in Borjomi, Georgia

Please note: All hotels listed in this article contains affiliate links to Booking.com, and if you will click on them and make an actual booking I will earn an affiliate income from that at no cost to you

Marco Polo Hotel Gudauri

Featuring a fintness centre and a spa area with an indoor pool, this hotel is situated in the Gudauri ski resort. Each room has a flat-screen TV, and ski equipment hire is available.

The rooms at Hotel Gudauri are decorated in neutral colours, and come with a minibar and a work desk. Bathrobes and toiletries are provided in the private bathroom.

A variety of European and Caucasian specialities are served in the classic-style restaurant, and the cosy bar features a fireplace. Evening entertainment is offered in the Gudauri Night Bar until 03:00.

After a day of skiing guests can relax in the sauna and hot tub, or treat themselves to massage. The games room has a billiards table, with Wi-Fi available for an extra fee.

Price: ~ EUR 179 Book this hotel on Booking.com

Quadrum Hotel

Featuring free WiFi and a sun terrace, Quadrum Hotel offers accommodation in Gudauri, at 2,200 m height. Guests can enjoy the on-site bar. Free private parking is available on site. The closest lift is a 5-minute walk away.

Quadrum's simplistic yet stylish rooms offer ample terrace space with stunning views of the Caucasus mountains. Each room is equipped with WiFi, TV, private bathroom, bathrobes, slippers, hairdryer and toiletries.

Lobby bar is available around-the-clock.

Price: ~ EUR 107 Book this hotel on Booking.com

New Gudauri Suites

Located 50 m from Gudauri Ski Lift 1, New Gudauri Suites offer ski-to-door access. Guests have access to the indoor and outdoor swimming pool, health club and concierge services.

The units at the apartment have a fully equipped kitchenette with a microwave and a fridge, fully stocked upon request. Guests will enjoy mountain views form balcony.

A buffet breakfast can be enjoyed in the breakfast area. The on-site restaurant serves international cuisine.

New Gudauri Suites offers a terrace.

A bicycle rental service is available at the apartment, while skiing can be enjoyed nearby.

Price: ~ EUR 99 Book this hotel on Booking.com

New Luxury Aparthotel in Red-Co 

Set in Gudauri within a few steps of Gudauri 7 Gudaura, New Luxury Aparthotel in Red-Co Gudauri features accommodation with a flat-screen TV and a kitchen. There is a casino on site and guests can enjoy the on-site bar.

A balcony with mountain views is offered in all units.

The aparthotel offers a terrace.

Ski-to-door access, a ski pass sales point and ski storage space are all provided at New Luxury Aparthotel in Red-Co Gudauri.

Popular points of interest near the accommodation include Gudauri Lift 3 Kudebi, Gudauri Lift 9 Khada Bombora and Gudauri Lift 6 Zuma.

Price: ~ EUR 496  Book this hotel on Booking.com

New Gudauri Residences and Spa

Centrally located in the town of Gudauri, less than a 5-minute walk from the nearest Gondola lifts to the ski slopes, Hotel New Gudauri features self-catering apartHotel with free WiFi access. After a long day of skiing, guests can enjoy a warm meal at the on-site restaurant and bar.

All of the apartments here are decorated in a modern style, and come equipped with a kitchenette, a seating area with a sofa, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a desk, and a private bathroom with a shower and free toiletries. Some apartments have mountain view.

Other facilities such as a 24-hour front desk, ski storage, and a sun terrace can also be found onsite.

Price: ~ EUR 152 Book this hotel on Booking.com

Hotel Good Aura in Gudauri

Located in the centre of Gudauri Ski Resort, Good Aura hotel features a terrace, garden and BBQ. This property offers a free car park and free Wi-Fi. Hotel Good Aura provides free shuttle service to and from the cableway.

Overlooking the mountains, the classic-style rooms feature a flat-screen TV with satellite channels and wardrobe. The private bathroom is equipped with a shower, hairdryer and free toiletries.

Guests can enjoy Georgian and European cuisine at the restaurant on site or have a drink at the bar.

Price: ~ GEL 150 Book your stay in Gudauri at this place now on Booking.com

Gudauri Vano Apartments

Featuring a mountain view, Gudauri Apartments are located within a 5-minute walk of the ski slopes. Free WiFi and free private parking are available on site.

The apartments provide a terrace, seating area and flat-screen TV with satellite channels.

Guests can cook in the kitchen equipped with fridge, stove and electric kettle, and various cafés and restaurants are located within a 10-minute walk of the apartment.

Price: ~ GEL 180 Book your stay in Gudauri at this place now on Booking.com

Hotel Carpe Diem Gudauri

Contemporary-style rooms, free Wi-Fi and a restaurant serving European cuisine is offered at the Hotel Carpe Diem. It is situated in the heart of Gudauri, which is a popular ski resort.

Guests can enjoy a rich breakfast buffet each morning at the Hotel Carpe Diem. In the evenings, local and European dishes are served in the elegant hotel restaurant.

Decorated in neutral colour schemes, all rooms at the Hotel Carpe Diem come with a flat-screen TV and a minibar. All of the private bathrooms feature a shower and toiletries.

Entertainment option at the hotel include a disco club and a cinema hall. You can also relax in the on-site spa centre with its sauna facilities.

The central ski lift is just 100 metres away, and the nearest bus stop can be reached in 15 minutes on foot.

Price: ~ GEL 220 Book your stay in Gudauri at this place now on Booking.com 

Good Inn Hotel in Gudauri

Good Inn Hotel is situated in Gudauri, a 5-minute walk from the ski lifts. Free WiFi and free private parking are available on site.

The rooms feature a balcony, TV and private bathroom.

Continental breakfasts are served every morning in the property's restaurant, room service and breakfasts in the room are provided upon request.

Price: ~ GEL 230 Book your stay in Gudauri at this place now on Booking.com

Alpina Hotel in Gudauri

Located 500 metres from the ski lifts in Gudauri, Alpina Hotel offers a terrace, free WiFi and free parking.

The rooms feature a balcony, satellite TV and a private bathroom.

Guests can dine in the hotel’s restaurant, and there is also a bar on site. Skiing, horse riding, billiards and darts can be enjoyed on site or in the surroundings.

Kazbegi National Park is 25 km from the hotel. Tbilisi Train Station is 130 km away, and Tbilisi International Airport is 150 km from Alpina Hotel.

Price: ~ 160 GEL Book your stay in Gudauri at this place now on Booking.com

New Gudauri ApartHotel

Centrally located in the town of Gudauri, less than a 5-minute walk from the nearest Gondola lifts to the ski slopes, Hotel New Gudauri features self-catering accommodation with free Wi-Fi access. After a long day of skiing, guests can enjoy a warm meal at the on-site restaurant and bar.

All of the apartments here are decorated in a modern style, and come equipped with a kitchenette, a seating area with a sofa, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a desk, and a private bathroom with a shower and free toiletries. Some apartments have mountain view.

Other facilities such as a 24-hour front desk, ski storage, and a sun terrace can also be found onsite.

Price: ~ 170 GEL Book your stay in Gudauri at this place now on Booking.com

Monte Hotel in Gudauri

Situated in Gudauri, Monte Hotel offers free WiFi and free parking.

The rooms feature a balcony with a mountain view, private bathroom and flat-screen TV with satellite channels.

Continental breakfasts are served on site, and guests can also dine in various cafés and restaurants within a 10-minute walk of the hotel.

Price: ~ 360 GEL Book your stay in Gudauri at this place now on Booking.com

Gudauri Hut Hotel

Located 300 metres from the ski lift, by the ski slope, Gudauri Hut Hotel offers a fitness centre, a sauna and a terrace. Free WiFi and free parking are available on site.

The rooms offer a hairdryer and flat-screen TV with cable channels.

Guests can dine in the on-site restaurant, or use on-site barbecue facilities. There is also a bar on site. An array of activities can be enjoyed on site, including billiards and table tennis.

Price: ~ 280 GEL Book your stay in Gudauri at this place now on Booking.com

New Gudauri Apartment

New Gudauri Apartment offers accommodation in Gudauri. GoodAura Ski Lift is 100 metres away. Free WiFi is provided throughout the property.

There is also a kitchen, equipped with a microwave, refrigerator and stovetop. Towels and bed linen are available.

Guests can enjoy a drink at the on-site bar.

Gudauri Lift 1 is 1.1 km from New Gudauri Apartment, while Gudauri Lift 2 is 400 metres from the property.

Price: ~ 150 GEL Book your stay in Gudauri at this place now on Booking.com

Mariam Gudauri Apart Hotel

Mariam Gudauri Apart Hotel offers accommodation in Gudauri. The property is 1.6 km from GoodAura Ski Lift and free private parking is available. Free WiFi is provided .

There is a seating area and a kitchenette complete with a microwave, a toaster and a refrigerator. A flat-screen TV with satellite channels is featured. There is a private bathroom with a bath or shower.

Ski equipment hire is available at the property and the area is popular for skiing. Gudauri Lift 1 is 2 km from Mariam Gudauri Apart Hotel, while Gudauri Lift 2 is 1.3 km away.

Price: ~ GEL 280 Book your stay in Gudauri at this place now on Booking.com

Actual Price Index in Tbilisi Market (Georgia) - At Start of October 2015

2 October, 2015 | Living in Georgia | 10 seen

Right, this might probably sound as yet another hipster style article and probably you are right. The thing is  - during month of October I have decided to write down my everyday expenses and in the next month I will provide article on Cost of Living in Tbilisi (Georgia). Since it was start of October, I headed to Google Play store to download first expense tracking app and started to write down my expenses.

I had to visit Tbilisi Dezerteer bazaar just to buy some groceries, and I decided hey it actually would be neat if I would write down actual prices for vegetables and fruits there. So I did. I must admit it was fun and entertaining to enter that app after each purchase I made (I don't want to miss a single item).

• 1 kg garlic - 6 GEL
• 1 kg potatoes - 0.70 GEL
• 1 bunch of spring onions - 0.60 GEL (or buy 3 for 1 lari)
• 1 bunch of parsley - 1 GEL
• 1 bunch of dills - 1 GEL
• 1 kg washed carrots - 2 GEL (1.5 GEL for regular ones)
• 1 watermelon (~6kg) - 5 GEL

As you can see it's not a perfect consumer basket, but hey that's what I was looking to buy.

Goods from the Tbilisi Dezerter market

So I spent for the all above 14.8 GEL which equals to USD 6.21 or EUR 5.55 - you don't have to be a genius to tell that actually that's a pretty cheap price I had to pay for all the goodies I got. On the other hand you might argue with me telling - that the start of October is just after harvesting season and market is overflowed with goods, so prices are so low, and probably you are right again.

It will be interesting to see how prices will change in holiday season (December/January).

Currency exchange rates on October 1st,2015

• GEL/USD: 1GEL = 0.42USD
• GEL/EUR: 1 GEL = 0.37EUR

How I Reached My Google AdSense Goal To Make $40.00/mo In 19 months

1 October, 2015 | Blogging | 10 seen

Wow, that title actually sounds pretty scary - some humble $40 per month in 19 months? Poor me! Well.. in fact I don't look on that as something very scary or low income. Back in the 2014 at start of the February, my blog was just about 4 months old, I decided (understood) that to actually succeed anyhow on this money making thing I should define some goals and I created my first goal - to earn enough to break even my hosting expenses (which at that time was $40/mo)

It's Official now - in the month of September 2015 I first time crossed $40.00 Google AdSense milestone, when in total earned $45.58.

Now in the past 19 months I have learned other ways you can make some lucrative income from your blog, and Google AdSense probably is not your best bet to get those dollars rolling to your bank account, but it (Google AdSense) has been on my blog for the most time of my bloggers carrier, and there is a reason for that - I look on Google AdSense earnings as a dividend payments from stocks - they are not huge, but it's good to have them.

In fact 19 months latter I'm paying even more for hosting, it's already more than $60.00/mo I'm paying to Linode just to power my blog and some other sites which I have created: Read more: Drupal development. Most probably that it will be my next Google AdSense goal - to break even again, this time to cross $60 milestone per month.

If you are new to the blog thing, and just starting to explore it out  - you don't have to spend $60, $40 or even $10/mo for your hosting, there is a great service Bluehost offering hosting as low as $3.95/mo

Find out more how I reached other Google AdSense goals:

• Google AdSense 100 EUR Lifetime reached
• Google AdSense 200 EURO Lifetime Reached

I matter of fact I must say that I have been using Google AdSense for more than six years already:

Here is the fun fact - I have earned a really modest income from Google AdSense  - it's about $366.00 in matter of six years (I haven't withdrawn my funds yet either). But most of the money made on Google AdSense dates back to the start of this blog. For many years before my AdSense account was inactive. 

In fact I first withdraw my funds at the start of the September (2015) and spent most of the money by buying a tripod ($250) for my photography adventures and spent the rest at one of the lovely Tbilisi restaurants. Yeah, not the best fund management strategy. But it felt so good and tasty (Georgian barbeque and lemonades are just amazing).

So what took me so long to earn just $40/mo?

In short - lack of traffic - when I did set this goal traffic to my blog was about 330 monthly users (how naive I was back then), while by now I'm getting around 35,000 monthly users. During those last 19 month's traffic to my blog has grown by more than 100 times. 

While I'm getting around 50,000 page views by now - Google AdSense ad units are not set on all of my blog pages (there are posts in affiliate marketing category, I'm not using Google AdSense just not to mess uo with my affiliate income). Technically speaking if I had Google AdSense on all of my pages, I would probably reach that $40 goal some 9 months earlier, because right now Google AdSense ad units are served on about 50% of my posts.

What have I learnt during past 19 months?

A lot! And still learning. Probably the most important lesson I have learnt for a blog monetization - there is a huge difference between Display Ads (Google AdSense for example) and affiliate marketing (Reviews with affiliate links). I'm not willing sound arrogant - but Google AdSense makes pennies compared to affiliate marketing. But I really love those pennies - because I look on them as a free money from my existing content. I'm not doing any keyword research or other white hat to run for the dollars on AdSense. Well, maybe I should... I have experimented a lot on technical aspects of implementing Google AdSense ad units on my blog, with main intent to raise both CPC and CTR. As well I have learnt that your CPC (Cost per click) varies depending on your target audience - like it's totally different CPC values in United States and Georgia, for example. With first one giving a decent CPC value while the second most often giving 0 to nothing (with rare exceptions)

Google AdSense Experiments I have tried:

I have done some experiments with Google AdSense:

• Facebook boost + Google Adsense = Results
• Change of Adsense ads for better layout - Experiment 1
• Change of Adsense placement for higher CTR - Experiment 2
• Switching back to Google Adsense default settings
• Removing Google Adsense Ads From Blog For Next 10 days
• Google Adsense Experiments: Pink Vs Blue - Part 1 - Creating Ad Styles

You can learn more on experiments I have run by visiting Google AdSense tips section.

The Bottom Line

I'm looking on Google AdSense as a smart passive income which in long term can turn into something huge, for a now I''m happy I have completed my first Google AdSense goal and in close future I will setup another goal to aim. But what's actually matters - with help of such goals I feel that I have become a better blogger, those goals have helped me raise both as a person and a blogger.

There is very well written article on how to set up Google AdSense goals and make money, from which I most like that part of instead of looking on your CPC but rather how much you are actually making per blog post.

$40 per month in nothing much, you can do it better than me in much shorter time. On the other hand a decade ago (2006) more than one billion people in the world live on less than one dollar a day. In total, 2.7 billion struggle to survive on less than two dollars per day. Read more: Fast Facts: The Faces of Poverty or watch this documentary how a dollar a day can change some peoples day: Overpopulated

I'm thankful to all of you being together with me on this journey and I'm thankful being blessed to have such an opportunity to actually earn a dime.

Barbecue Festival in Akhtala (Armenia)

1 October, 2015 | Travel guides | 13 seen

At the start of September 2015, we booked a one day tour to Armenia. This trip took us to Lori province in Armenia, which actually is pretty close to Georgian border. During this trip we had a stops at Haghpat monastery, Sanahin monastery and Akhtala monastey. 

It turned out that at our final destination place - the Akhtala monastery, a barbecue festival was held. At start I did find it a bit strange - a barbeque and a monastery? Well... why not?

Akhtala monastery in Armenia

If you will look closely into above picture you will notice the smokes, that's because of barbeque is being prepared

Road to Akhtala Monastery

There were a lot of tourists both local and foreign that day visited Barbeque festival in Akhtala

Entrance gates at Akhtala monastery complex

Barbecue festival at Akhtala monastery

Or the Ancient world (Monastery complex) meet the New World (Coca Cola tents) and both are covered in the smokes of barbeque. So surreal, so true, so Armenia!

Armenian folk songs and dances held at Akhtala

Armenian souvenirs for sale

Akhtala monastery in Armenia

Akhtala Barbecue festival

Akhtala Barbecue festial

About Akhtala Barbecue festival

Barbecue Festival in Armenia was launched in 2008 in Lori region. Akhtala city has become the center of attention for many people who love to eat Armenian dishes, especially barbeque (khorovats). The barbecue festival's day is special as there is a chance to see in how many different ways Armenians can make Barbeque: “Barbeque in the fireplace”, “Barbeque on the horizontal bar”, “Barbeque in the hole” (shepherd barbeque), “Barbeque in ground oven”, etc. The guests of the Barbecue festival will get an opportunity not only to taste barbeque but also attend concerts of Armenian folk songs and dances. The aim of the Barbecuee festival in Armenia is showing and telling about Armenian traditional cuisine, and contributing the development of surrounding tourism.

Borjomi Cable Car (Aerial Tram)

30 September, 2015 | Tourism objects | 84 seen

One of the most interesting attractions in Georgian resort town of Borjomi is a cable car leaving from Mineral Water Park and heading uphill offering lovely and scenery views of Mineral Water park. Sometimes it's just enough to take that ride here to enjoy those scenery and beautiful views of Borjomi.

Cable car station in Borjomi

There is actually just one cable car available at this station. Price for a ride per person 3 GEL (as on September 2015)

Cable car interior

For me it looks this cable car stays here back from Soviet era days, but it has been at least once totally renovated back in 2005.

Glass dome house in Borjomi Mineral water park

Actually, that's a place where you can have a free Borjomi coming just out from underground spring. 

Aerial view to Borjomi gorge from cable car

Waterfall in Borjomi gorge 

If you will take a closer look through the opened cable car windows you will notice there is a lovely waterfall.

View to Borjomi valley

Borjomi cable car leaving station

Now it's up to you, should you take a ride back down (Again 3 GEL) to the park's territory or you can take a little hike up there and climb down by your own.

First Georgia Expat Photographer Club Meeting

29 September, 2015 | Living in Georgia | 7 seen

On September 19th, 2015 First meeting of Georgia Expat Photographers Club happened. As some of you already know - in the middle of this Summer Johann approached me with his idea to create a photo/travel club, and back then we established a community on Facebook. Read more on that here: Georgia Expat Photography Club

Since our community was established on Facebook (if you are up to for something in Georgia, then Facebook is your best friend) we quickly gathered critical mass of fellow expats and photographers and just logical that our next step was to plan some meeting to discuss further things and plans.

Georgia Expat Photography Club members

At the start of September I met Johann again and we decided to create and boost an event on our best buddy Facebook, things went pretty fast and after spending $5 on Facebook ads we realized there are already more than 30 people interested to join our first meeting.

We planed our meeting at local Tbilisi Hangar bar (it's pretty popular among exapts in Tbilisi) and...

...and it worked out pretty well.

Instead of more than 30 people we were nine. We spent some 30 minutes at Hangar Bar (Georgian rugby team played against Tonga at that time and it was both very exiting and very loud) and then we headed to Rike Park, but before that Johann held a small talk to all club members, informing our goals - which basically are to learn new things in photography, plan some shared trips to scenic and remote places in Georgia and to have fun.

Next hour or something we spent in Rike park, doing both photography, talking about different things, again photography... Since I'm a complete noob in DLSR world I asked some questions to more experienced members, got answers, yeah... things like that.

Georgia Expat Photography Club

What photographers do at their meetings? They photograph!

Georgia Expat Photography Club

Georgia Expat Photography Club

Professional photographer talks, as you can see things go very seriously now.. tripods, flashlights, lenses (a lot of lenses) no shortcuts here! :)

The Bottom Line

During our meeting we agreed to plan a daytrip and weekend trip this season to happen. Also one club member advised us to convert our existing Facebook page (it's all about Facebook, once you are in Georgia) to a group, so all club members can share photos on wall. Since I didn't find a way to actually convert a Facebook page to a group, I instead created a new group. So now it's actually much easier for everyone wanting to join and share some photography. And that's what I'm actually recommending - to get access to latest trips, meetings or just to meet cool people in Georgia, join Georgia Expat Photographer Club now!