Hotel Dzveli Ubani Tbilisi

... super "wow" things to see (my opinion), in the way of buildings, etc., but it's a great place to hang out. It has an extensive outdoor cafe life (a number of which have their own little fountains), some interesting sculptures around town, flowers growing in public areas and so much of it looks and feels much more prosperous than Tbilisi. Armenia in general is a much cleaner country, and that holds true for Yerevan as well ...

... in Tbilisi so early, it is dark outside so we just change some of our Euros to Georgian Lari (1 EUR = 2,3 GEL) and accept Luka's invitation to spend some time at his sister's place. A 16-story building does not leave leave the best impression - darkness, broken glass in the windowframes. But there is light in the apartment and no broken windows and Luka's sister being an artist gives some excuse to the mess in the apartment. After ...

... Luckily, there were enough angry people from my Almaty flight that they held the Georgian plane for us. Trying to get through passport control, I had to spend 30 minutes arguing with the woman that no, I don't need a visa for travel to Georgia. After pleading and yelling, I finally got through with a, "If you get into visa trouble in Georgia, don't tell them it was me who let you through." Arg. I got to Tbilisi around 2:30 am and to my ...

... local lemonade I can recommend to anyone [tarragon,pear,...]). At Politeknikuri Tamar has good news: she managed to reserve (the only) hotel in Vardzia - thus off we go. We are however a bit late for a maschrutka to Akhaltsikhe and we have to take the 11.30 one (12gel). On the bus there is a funny Iranian travelling salesman complaining about high prices and praising his 7-children family. We pass through the region around Gori which is being intensively renewed after the war - there ...

Gamarjobat, ich bin heute erfolgreich in Tbilisi angekommen. Urspruenglich hatte ich ja ueberlegt erst einmal noch irgendwo ins Land zu fahren, da ich aber an einem Bushof ankam, von dem keine Orte angefahren werden, die mich interessieren, habe ich das sein gelassen und mich hier in einem Homestay (fuer 12 Euro ...

... of the disused plants include steel and cement plants. Have an interlude in a service station toilet, which has two loos, with a low partition. Meets resistance from Natalya, but MP and DP use together, running out of light halfway through. Natalya must have used it on her own later, also with no light. Maybe she had a torch with her. Stop just past Zestanumi for 10 minutes. Think is another breakdown, but is just to transfer ...

... us oddly. "What that hell they were looking for - these aliens"... The driver handed me through the window a bag with a black familiar shirt that made Michal's day. What can be better than that? She got a T-shirt she believed she will never see again, in the middle of a day that was dedicated only for shopping and filling the bags. I thanked the driver, putting a bill in his hand. We turned back to the train station. Our next destination - "Bazruba" market. When we ...

... tiny former-soviet republic in order to get closer to the USA and its allies. I'm not sure that naming the main highway from the airport after the American president is one of these efforts, but it surely cannot destroy. In sleeping Tbilisi the most bolding landmarks we could see in the late hour we arrived, besides the weird "lighthouse" on the hill nearby, were the countless number of churches. They're lightened with colourful bulbs and are impressive ...

Hommikuks jõudsime ilusasse mägilinna Telavisse. Tbilisist oli see ca 2h sõit. Meid jagati kahe öömaja vahel ära. Üks grupp sattus ühikasse ja teine (mina kah:) linna parimasse hotelli. Mõlemad grupid olid rahul, sest ühikas asus otse veinikeldri peal ja oli osa veini tehasest :) Meie kahekordne buss tekitas kohalike seas elevust. Meile anti mõni tund ...

... since. The place stinks and is filthy - some of our fellow passengers found a half eaten mouldy meal in their wardrobe - nice! Things improved hugely though once we'd left the hotel. We went straight to the Sunday art and antiques market and managed to get some very nice traditional Georgian drinking horns and bowls - we've started as we mean to continue. To celebrate our purchases we went for dinner and then to sample the delights of ...