Once upon a time on Turtle Lake in Tbilisi…
Sometimes incredible, sometimes strange, events happen in our lives. Decide for yourself which category to place the one we're about to tell you about.
One summer day, a real international scandal almost broke out on Turtle Lake in Tbilisi. It happened like this.
It's summer, it's hot. City residents and visitors alike flock to the water, to the beach. And so, on that day, the shores of Turtle Lake were quite crowded. People were sunbathing, swimming. In short, they were relaxing as best they could.
Two families, a Georgian and a Russian, were lounging nearby.
Let's get to know them better.
Archil, the Georgian dad, is quite large, with a distinct beer belly. His mom is also quite large. They're both sitting on the shore. Their two teenage children are swimming.
The teenagers clearly no longer needed such intrusive parental care, but mom is mom.
So, from the shore, you could hear the following constantly:
- Don't swim too far!
- Come ashore!
- Sit in the shade, or you'll get sunburned!
- Don't swallow that water! Who knows, maybe there are nasty germs in there!
- Don't throw stones, you might hit your brother or sister!
Then she turns to her husband:
- Archil, please keep an eye on the kids! I'm going to feel sick!
The disgruntled husband grumbles:
- I've been eating away at them since this morning...
A little further away are the Russians, obviously tourists. Everyone wants to relax on the beach. Here are a mother, father, and a boy of about five.
The mother is also on guard, keeping watch over the nimble boy and constantly barking out commands:
- Don't go too deep, or you'll drown!
- Take your finger out of your nose!
A lifeguard in a red T-shirt is keeping an eye on things. Since everything is quiet and calm for now, he's sitting relaxed on a lounge chair.
A rather large Iranian family appears on the beach: a man, his two wives in traditional dress, and five children of various ages. The children are noisy, chattering in their own language. The whole family immediately goes to the water. The wives, too, fully clothed.
The Georgian and Russian women look at each other and come to the same conclusion:
- Those poor creatures! They can't even take a proper swim.
- Yes, their religion is strict... I hope they don't blow us up here...
The Russian mother calls her child away, saying, "It's time to eat."
The lifeguard is distracted by a phone call.
And then a small green snake, only about 40 centimeters long, appears on the surface of the water. It approaches the shore and lifts its graceful head.
The Georgian mother was the first to notice it and screamed at the top of her lungs, as if she had seen a real monster:
- AAAAAH!
- Children! Over here! Over here!
Then the Russian woman chimed in:
- Son, where are you? Get to shore quickly! Snakes! What if there are sharks here?
The lifeguard jumped up and grabbed the radio. But he still didn't really understand anything.
The Iranian rushed to the shore, his wives following him. Their wet clothes were in their way. One of the women tripped and fell. She was struggling, frightened, probably unable to swim. She had forgotten everything in fear.
The lifeguard jumped into the water to save the Iranian woman. She fought him off, shouting, "Haram!" That is, "forbidden." Custom and religion forbid touching another man's wife.
The Iranian husband saw this and rushed back into the water, enraged and furious.
There was noise and shouting all around. An international scandal was brewing!
From the other bank, a second lifeguard rushed to the rescue in a red boat, shouting, "Hold on!" And the snake turned and swam back, away from the strange people...
And suddenly, the Iranian baby, frightened by everything happening, the noise and screams, standing in the shallows, began to cry loudly.
Without understanding what was happening, the Georgian father rushed to the baby's aid, shouting:
- Don't be afraid, I'll save you!
And he pulled the child to shore, protecting him from the imaginary danger.
At that moment, the second rescuer arrived. The participants in the incident were looking around, checking the situation.
The women pounced on the rescuers:
- What's going on here?! You're not working at all, you've bred snakes, you know! Where's the Ministry of Emergency Situations? Where are the city authorities?
The Iranian husband didn't keep quiet either. He shouted, not very politely in English, that you can't touch other people's wives without permission.
Somehow, everyone calmed down, but the vacation was over. They gathered their things, children, and wives, and headed home. This little snake almost sparked a full-blown international conflict, and at the same time, tested his ability to act. After all, people panic, regardless of nationality.
And then this Georgian dad showed his mettle! He kept his cool in an emergency and rushed to save someone else's child. A real superhero!
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Автор чудесно передаёт атмосферу этого места — прогулки по берегу, вид на город с высоты, лёгкий ветерок и спокойствие, которым так хочется поделиться с друзьями.
Я впервые пришла сюда на закате после долгого дня прогулок по Тбилиси и до сих пор помню, как вода искрилась в лучах солнца, а люди вокруг улыбались, делясь своими историями. Особенно вдохновили советы от местных — куда лучше смотреть виды, где посидеть на траве и как поймать самые красивые кадры.
Спасибо автору за тёплую и живую историю!
А вы уже бывали на Черепашьем озере? Какие моменты там запомнились вам сильнее всего — прогулка у воды, закат или тёплая компания? 🌅✨