They say it's the journey, not the destination... but after 26 hours of air and layover time, I was more interested in the destination... Tbilisi airport at 3:30am. I was so tired, I almost didn't notice the constant near-misses the 90-mile-an-hour taxi had on the way to the hotel. I say almost. I had chosen the front seat in order to have a better view, but thankfully my exhaustion dulled my anxiety.
I napped for a few hours in the hotel and then began to get to know Tbilisi a bit. In two short days, I have withdrawn money from an ATM, purchased a cell phone and eaten in several fantastic restaurants... oh, and walked all over the centers, new and old, besides visiting the huge market and buying a few clothes to fit in better. This is an incredibly beautiful city, panoramic views of mountains, a river running through the valley, ancient and solitary churches perched like sentinels on hilltops. It reminds me of Spain before the EU poured money into it to get it up-to-speed with the rest of Europe... slightly decaying, charming, a bit provincial but obviously in the process of getting spiffed up. I will not be surprised if this country becomes a tourist magnet in the coming years.
Tomorrow I head for my assigned city, Sachkhere.
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