On the way to Georgia

Not the USA, not a person I’ve hidden somewhere around the world – but a fascinating country full of history and traditions wedged between Russia (over the Caucasus mountains), Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan,Turkey and just across the Black Sea from Ukraine. Should it be described as European (as the people seem to want) or Asian? Or is there another possibility?

Leaving home with plenty of time to deposit luggage in time for a 10.30p.m. flight was no effort and I was even ready JUST before I needed to be, but I hadn’t really taken into consideration the joys of spending almost a whole day travelling when the flights were not really long enough to catch a minute’s sleep. Thanks to the good friends who, as ever, saw I was safely deposited at the correct terminal, I was able to correct my own error and get from T3 to T2 at Heathrow without panicking- all underground, something I was later to contrast with the brightness of Istanbul’s airport.

The flight was easy, though Turkish Airlines promised amazing food was less than exciting. I managed to watch the whole of ‘La La Land’ before dozing for a few minutes and then hearing the ‘seatbelts for landing’ announcement.

Off to find out about the free tour as soon as we landed I must have walked for miles (and it was still not 5a.m.!), was given a free meal ticket and found out where to go for the tour. That meant leaving the airport so going through passport control queues… made it with time to spare, only to be told that while they would take us out it would be to a movie set where we would have breakfast as the roads in the city centre and the places of interest were busy/closed for Labour Day holiday.

The weather was not exciting, breakfast was OK but not exciting and the ,ovie set was drear (all these negatives – I think I was actually really tired by now!). The bus was OK, though as were my fellow travellers and the guide.

But the most exciting photographs will not inspire, I suspect!

Even what looked like an attempt to recreate Isfahan looked tired.

Back to the airport where we were soon through all the controls and ready to relax until the next flight was called: that was going to be a few hours.. so, desperately in need of somewhere to sit, I found Burger King, cashed in my free meal voucher (the choice was limited but could have been worse!) and sat there for an hour: all good!

A wander, a chat with the lady travelling to Boston from Malaysia, an ice-cream, all helped to pass the time before the Tbilisi flight was called. I was really glad to know I was being met at the airport!

The flight was easy, food uninspiring again, though I was impressed they managed to serve a full meal on such a short flight in a very full plane.

And no sooner had I woken from a very short doze than we were landing. A much smaller airport, less far to walk – all felt good. And I was beginning to feel excited, too – even better.

I had been told to expect a driver called David – and there he was smiling a greeting as I walked out. He helped me get a decent exchange rate for local currency (GEL – the Georgian Lari) which comes to about 3.3 to the GBP, 2.8 to the Euro.

David’s first question was ‘Which hotel are you staying in?’. When I gave him the address, he looked worried, ‘Oh dear,’ he said,’I’m not sure how we’ll get there: it’s in the centre and the roads are closed because of the riots’……aaah! Called the hotel: no problem – and nor was it though the roads were really busy

The Glarros Old Town is a very modern hotel between the oldest parts of the city and the centre, so is actually very near the site of the riots which are normal here at present. But they have not bothered me.

After what felt like an almost forty-eight hour day, I checked in, went to my room and slept! Tomorrow I would explore the city a bit and find a SIM card…