TravelStream™ news feed for member lbmarek on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/lbmarek en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 29 May 2008 11:29:44 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1212074460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1212074460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1212074460/tpod.html Thu, 29 May 2008 11:29:44 -0400 Onto the next adventure!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Chicago, Illinois, United States

It has taken me until now to finally see a connection to the three places I have lived since leaving Milwaukee. A member of my host family in Dilijan Armenia knows of my host family in Bukhara. The wifes worked together at the polytec college there. The Programs Manager (and the first person I talked with) at the cat shelter I volunteer with here in Chicago is decended from people who immigrated from a village just outside of Vanadzor Armenia. How small is the world? How is it that the three places that I lived outside of Milwaukee can be connected through people like this?
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1179351420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1179351420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1179351420/tpod.html Wed, 16 May 2007 17:51:48 -0400 Onto the next adventure!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Well, yesterday was my one year anniversary of working at the American Dental Assocation in Chicago. I am nearing the two year anniversary of having to leave Uzbekistan. Wow, two years ago I didn't know what country I would be living in. Now, the most interesting thing happening is that I bought a bed that I have wanted for a very long time. But, don't think I am sad about this. I am finally feeling a little settled. Heavens!! I moved 9 times in about two years! (Wauwatosa, WI to Milwaukee, WI; Milwaukee to Tashkent Uz; Tashkent to Bukhara, Bukhara to Vanadzor Armenia, Vanadzor Armenia to Dilijan Armenia. Dilijan to Milwaukee, Milwaukee to Buffalo Grove IL, Buffalo Grove to Chicago and then to another apartment in Chicago.) I still do a few things that I learned how to do in Peace Corps. I wash my clothes using a hand crank portable washing machine because I actually like to wash my clothes that way now. Strange, eh? I cook as much as possible. I even have started to make ice cream from scratch. I want to try making peanut butter from scratch next. In my spare time, I volunteer at a no kill no cage cat shelter. I have also adopted three special needs cats from there. Why special needs? Because there was nothing I could do for the animals over there. I made a promise to myself I would do what I could for them when I got back to the states. And so I have. As for work, I really like my job and the people I work with. I also love looking out one window and seeing Lake Michigan and looking out another and seeing Michigan Avenue. And it is tourist season. Well, that is about it from this girl. Life is still good. A little slower right now but, that is what I wanted when I joined PC.
Take care! Laura
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1107790020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1107790020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1107790020/tpod.html Fri, 14 Jul 2006 14:52:36 -0400 Onto the next adventure!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Chirkchik, Uzbekistan

Hello! I tried to send out a mass email instead of doing this but... technical difficulties. Oh well. So, there we were at the Sanitorium last Friday waiting to be picked up by our host families. I felt like a pet waiting for its new home. I had all my shots and had my water distiller and other supplies and the host families were all excited about picking up their Americans. My host family is a mother, father (who works ALOT) two sisters and a brother. The older sister and brother are twins aged 15 and the younger sister is 12. The house is more like a compound. That is typical. There is one building that is for bedrooms, a living room (ours has no furniture in it) and a formal dining room. I walk outside down some stairs across the covered drive and up some stairs to go to the family room/eating room which has a tv and a low table that I have to sit at with my legs underneath me. that is it for that room. The next room is the indoor kitchen which has a stove, a refrigarator, and herbs growing in pots. Then you go outside and down the walk to the shower room/furnace room which is the warmest room in the house. Next to that is the outdoor kitchen which has a stove and then the pit toilet. All I will say is two things: We have toilet paper (the brown crepe paper like stuff but we have it) and aim was never an issue before. So, the buildings line two sides of a courtyard that has fruit trees and chickens. The other two sides are a fence and your neighbors house. No one knows English. So, some days it is frustrating and other days it is fantastic how well we can get our point across. I can tell when the family is talking to me without them saying my name because they all of a sudden will raise their voice like I am hard of hearing and not dumb and speak slower. When I don't understand something (which is often) I can have up to three family members yelling the same question three different ways at me. AAHH!! But, for the most part I think I do pretty well with dealing with that. I usually don't become frazzled unless it is the end of the day and my Uzbek brain has completely shut off. I did snap once but they didn't understand my two words anyway so I laughed and just tried to work through it.

I walk a mile to where my language class meets for classes. Sometimes the entire mile is covered in ice. Sometimes in mud. Yes, this is along the main road in the town. My town is so small we don't even have a post office. So, we take a 20 minute marshutka drive into town. Basically that is a mini van filled with people going the same direction. I have mastered how to say stop in Uzbek. On the trip I see a donkey cart or two. that's pretty cool.

OH! I had wondered how my first name would be changed again. You know.. I have nicknames with certain people or groups. Well, the older daughter in a family is called a Opa. So, my host sisters call me Laurapa. I like it. :)

My first Saturday here my host mom took me to the market so she could buy a birthday present for her mother who's birthday was that day. After that, I wanted to just go home and have a rest. I misunderstood!! We went right to her mother's house and guested (basically partied) for 7 hours!! It was the first time I sat at a low table. Food was served constantly and groups of people would come and go. I think I met something like 60 people and only one of them spoke english. So, I did a lot of smiling and nodding and laughing and shoulder shrugging.

Training is going okay. WE have new trainers for the Healthy volunteers. Yes, they call the health volunteers "healthies" They so want to make sure we learn what we need to. but, I feel like i am back in school because of all the books I have to read to learn about the health system here. I will probably end up in a rural place that may or may not have electricity. so, no email out there I will have to travel into a town. But we shall see. A current volunteer came in and talked to us when we were at the sanitorium. I was able to sit and talk with him at breakfast one morning and he said that building libraries for the health sites would be a fantastic secondary project and would allow me to travel around to other sites. Woohoo! Now when I say build a library.. I mean getting together MAYBE twenty books at each site. Yes, in Uzbek.

Next weekend I am going to Bukhara! It is a10 hour train trip away. I am excited! It isn't in the budget but our main person is going to make it happen. That is so cool!

Thanks so much for the news back home! If I did not reply to an email you sent me it may be because I read it a day when there were 8 or so volunteers behind me waiting for one of the three computers at the internet cafe.

I know I am forgetting a lot of things. But, you have probably read enough for now. OH! The weather. It is cold and damp here. It rains one day, freezes and snows the next. My room (had been the formal dining room in the house) is VERY warm. So, I am either hot or cold. This has given me a bit of cold. being under the weather makes me a bit homesick. But, I asked our head guy if homesickness ever gets better and he said that it depends on how I handle it and being homesick just means I have a lot to appreciate back home.

OH! I saw the Super Bowl LIVE!! We went to the American Ambassadors house and watched it. Yup All sixty some of us. Hehehehehehe!!

Take care! Lots of love!! Oh and any people I called who has cell phones... please let me know how badly that hurt your phone bill!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1126628460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1126628460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1126628460/tpod.html Thu, 27 Apr 2006 10:04:14 -0400 Onto the next adventure!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Yerevan, Armenia

I made a trip over to Yerevan today because the internet access at my site is now pretty much non-existant. I did go to Vanadzor last weekend and did some emailing but, not nearly everything I have wanted to do. So, I am resorting to sending actual honest to goodness letters. Speaking of letters! I received a package from a former UZ-18er! Thank you so much Kjestine!! I laughed at all the Hello Kitty things you mailed me! And I have one piece of Hello Kitty stationary hanging on my wall now in a frame I made from the box it came in. I cried too because I miss my village people from that training. But, I hear from the UZ-18ers fairly often.

I haven't been to Yerevan in nearly a month! You can see Mt. Ararat from Yerevan. It is the mountain that Noah's ark is supposed to have landed on. Mt. Ararat had been a part of Armenia at one point and is now a part of Turkey. I love seeing that mountion. It is huge and snow capped.

So, I now work at the Dilijan Medical College which is a college where nurses are trained. I am slowly translating the course titles into English so that I know what is being taught there. My host mother, Guyana, works in the kitchen at the college. I managed to get into a bit of an arguement with the library my second day at work. I tried to tell her that I wanted to go through and look at each book (shelf read: make sure the books are in correct order) to start to learn their cataloging system. She said that would be too hard for me because I don't know the Russian or the Armenian alphabet. I said that I did know both alphabets and she told me to read from one of her books then. Well, I don't preform when demanded to. So, we went around and around like this until some students came into the library and we had a break from each other. So, when the students left, I took the russian catalog book and began to read the subject headings. I choose the russian one because I am more familiar with the russian alphabet at this point than the armenian one. She was impressed and said I could take the two books and teach myself the catalog system and when I was done, i could come back. Not bad! Well, on Monday of the next week, she came into the faculty room and was telling the teachers who were there that I can read russian and armenian. (I can. Kinda) On Thursday of last week, my counterpart (Manush) had me come into her office so she and I could talk. After a moment she saw I was having difficulty finding armenian words so she called for a foreign language teacher to come into the office to translate. Well, the entire conversation was about how I am learning armenian too slowly and I need to get a new tutor because my tutor can't teach me the medical terminology. I am not sure if that was what my counterpart was really saying or if that was what the translator thought I should do. At any rate, I think the translator was not a very good translator. I was so annoyed! I was crabby the entire weekend because of it. But, then I went to work yesterday and I felt better about things. Manush asked me into her office again and asked my opionion about the curriculum. I don't have the language skills to answer that yet. I can understand most of what she says. I can't reply. very frustrating. but, then I go home and I talk with my sister-in-law Anna and I feel better. Anna is great! Her son Narek just turned 3 on Saturday and she has a three week old. I help out where I can. Believe it or not, I iron the swaddling clothes for Aron, her 3 week old. Yup, they swaddle babies here. Four layers of clothe wrapped around the babies. No diapers. Well, I have seen women use diapers with their babies but, I have also seen them re-use disposable diapers after they wash them out. Huh. Anna wants to lose weight after this second baby. I live in a country where they believe that drinking water will make you fat. I drink 2-3 liters of water a day. Anna said to me that I drink a lot of water. I told her I like water. She said it will make me fat. I said, nope, it won't. she asked what do I know that she doesn't know? And I told her that in America I drank a lot of soda and no water and gained weight. when i left america, cut down on how much soda I drink and increased how much water I drink. She asked if she could drink water too. I said sure! then yesterday she said again that she doesn't know why but armenians believe that drinking water will make you fat. I said that water has no calories (I looked that word up and felt like an idiot because it is the same word in armenian!) Calories are what makes you gain weight. and I told her if she drinks water, it will help her to produce milk for her baby. we shall see what happens. We make faces at each other and tell each other we are crazy. The latest thing is we kick each others behinds. She says I am too tall for her to kick. So, I stoop down. We also talked about bras the other day. She showed me her bra has bumps on the inside to help massage her which is supposed to help her produce milk. I told her about our nursing bras in america.

Showers: I do have hot water at my house and do not need to take a bucket bath. After you shower and come out into the family room (the shower room is off of the family room) whoever is there says "Anush" or "Apress" Basically kinda like congratulations. Well, one time I came out and there was only Narek watching cartoons in the room. I thought I wouldn't get the usual greeting. He turned toward me, smiled and said Apress Lola. He

Narek loves those cartoons. His favorite are the Bugs Bunny ones. We have satellite tv and we get a French channel called Boomerang that shows American cartoons. He will walk into the living room and say "Mushika! oozumes Mushika!" Cartoons, I want cartoons!"

We also get a Georgian channel that shows American movies duped over into Russian. I watched a Clint Eastwood Man without a name movie yesterday. You know, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Those kind of movies. So, I watched that while ironing. Speaking of Georgia. I hear that they have a grape motive decorating everything. Well, on my walk to work the other day, I looked down and noticed on the manhole cover, a grape motive. Hmm.... I wander if that was manufactored in Georgia? I don't see grape motives anywhere else.

whew! I had a lot to say. I don't know when I will be writing in here again. maybe once a month. Take care everyone! Laura
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1118262480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1118262480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1118262480/tpod.html Thu, 27 Apr 2006 09:57:51 -0400 Onto the next adventure!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Vanadzor, Armenia

Well, here i am in Armenia. We all flew out on June First and split up in Instanbul. Kjestine and Trish missed there flights so I got to spend a little more time with them because they stayed in the hotel I was in. Zack and I were able to stay in Instanbul one night. The next morning, I wandered around a little and found a couple of mosques and took pictures. I also found a Burger King which Zack and I ate lunch at that day. It was heaven!! Then we flew from Istanbul to Munich Germany and had a two hour layover where we drank German beer!! Then we flew back to Armenia. We were on the very first flight from Munich to Armenia. We got flowers when we landed. WE also got visas when we landed. Gee, this government didn't have to ask their president if we could get a visa. By the way, Peace Corps, Uzbekistan has been suspended. All volunteers should be leaving the country soon if they have not already. It is because of the visa issue. So, we arrived in Armenia at 4am. Ugh!! Then we spent the night in a hotel and were picked up the next day by current volunteers. I went with Allison to Berd which is a four hour marshutka ride across the country. What a beautiful country it is!! I sat and read books with a cat curled up on me and thunderstorms going on all day outside. I also met other volunteers and played pingpong. Very nice. Gotta go! I of course will write more later! Again Jodi, love your dirty hippie ways!! Take care JOE!!! Miss ya Caroline but glad you found shoes your size again!! TRAVIS!! They have COFFEE HERE!!! Good stuff!!
Take care!
Laura
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1108361640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1108361640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1108361640/tpod.html Thu, 27 Apr 2006 09:56:28 -0400 Onto the next adventure!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

This past week, the Health Volunteers were split up. Some of us went to the clinic and some to the medical school and some to a grade school/high school. I went to the grade school/high school. It was about what I expected. They had electricity they did not have heat but they were raising money to get the heat taken care of. The students were all delightful. We sat in on a 5th Form health class (which is what I would be teaching. Well, health anyway) and then we sat in on a 11th Form class and asked them about their health education. During that session, it became rather humorous because Timor (one of our technical instructors) speaks English and Russian. Our language teacher (Delfusa) Speaks Uzbek and Russian and a current volunteer (Sun) who came with us speaks Uzbek and English. Timor would ask the students a question in Russian and if he became involved in the answer and didn't take time to translate for us, Delfusa would translate it from Russian into Uzbek for Sun and Sun would translate it into English. Of course Timor would give a more detailed translation when his conversation was done. When we introduced ourselves to the classes, they would call me Lola. Timor said that is probably what I would be called in Uzbekistan.

This weekend, 16 of us went to Bukhara. It was a 12 hour train trip there. We were broken down into groups of 4 so that we wouldn't stand out so much. Well, we got to the trainstation in Bukhara and then got a taxi to our hotel which peace corps had set up for us. Back home my mom had said that when she visits me here, she would like to stay in a bed and breakfast. Well, that became a joke in my familyl. What the heck is my mother thinking!! I joked about that in the taxi (sorry mom) on the way to the hotel. Hmm... can't find the hotel. Hmm... this english speaking man that we just found has a nice place to stay in the old town. Hmm... what would peace corps say. So, we called peace corps made sure we could stay there and then, lo and behold!! It was a bed and breakfast!! too funny!! Then, we got a phone call at the hotel. It was a peace corps volunteer living in bukhara. We made plans to meet him and he took us around the old town. I was able to see the Minaret. (I just know I spelled that wrong) and many of the old buildings. The Minaret was there when ghenghis khan came through this area. He destroyed everything in the town except for that. Now all the old buildings are places to sell stuff to the tourists. Bargain! You have to bargain. I walked into one place and found something I liked and she told me $15 dollars, what you pay? I said 8. She said no $12 I said $8 no 12. So, I walked out. She came running after me!! Okay, $10. Okay. so, I bought it. There is a man here who sells nearly every spice you can think of. I had seen pictures of him before. Now, I have my own picture of him. His shop is just a window. but it smells wonderful! I bought some spice choi (tea) yum! And right across from him a place to get fur hats. But, when you walk into the back room there are all these beautiful handmade rugs!! Bargain bargain bargain!! He is willing to give us (the peace corps volunteers) the rugs and then we can pay later. good to know!! Very nice people. Really!
Food. Food is pretty bland here. Personally, I really like a lot of the food. The national dish is osh. Rice, carrots, some pieces of meat and sometimes raisons. Wonderful! An atkins diet would not work here because all we eat are carbs. Rice, potatos, bread! They love there bread. It is called non. You can not place the bread upside down on the table. That is disrespectful to the bread. You can not waste any of the bread. I don't know what my family does with the tiny pieces. generally, they are not thrown away. And shashlik! Love shaslik. It is like a shiskabob.
We have a lot of soups here. Usually with potatos and carrots. All of the food is made with cottonseed oil. If your stomach has handled it this far, you should be okay. I should be okay.
One of my taxis was pulled over for nearly hitting a car. (center line? what center line? Really, they often cross that center line. we call the front passenenger seat the death seat.) We were not asked a single question because they only wanted to give him a ticket. I have never been in a taxi when it was pulled over before.

Oh! and I completely understand that americans are the best joke of the day. I have small pictures of some of my friends that I carry around with me. When I think of it, I put their pictures in front of something that seems very Uzbek and take their picture. I know, I am a freak. I did that at the hotel. as soon as I snapped the picture, I heard giggling and turned around and there was a boy and a worker of the hotel (b&b) laughing at me. I showed them what I had in my hand and they just shook their head.

Oh! we should not shake water off of our hands after we wash them. Water is precious here and shaking it off disrespects it and invites bad luck.

Take care!
Laura
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1146141660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1146141660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1146141660/tpod.html Thu, 27 Apr 2006 09:15:52 -0400 Onto the next adventure!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

I never did make it back onto that plane in December. I just couldn't do it. I loved living overseas but I was so tired and just wanted to rest. I figured all this out as I was packing to go back to Armenia. I started crying because I couldn't get everything into the one bag I wanted to take back. So silly! I had gone home on vacation with a large carry-on and a huge purse and a suitcase and I just wanted everything in the suitcase. I took that as a sign that I really didn't want to go back. I guess I never really got over Uzbekistan. Armenia was the country I had wanted and it turned into the rebound country. It treated me so well and I just couldn't stop thinking about the country that kicked us out.

For the past 5+ months, I have been living with my parents and looking for work. A friend of mine from my Uzbek training group offered me her apartment to stay in until I find my own if I decide to look for work in Chicago. So, 60 resumes and 10 interviews later... I was offered a job at the American Dental Association. I will be working in downtown Chicago!! I had nearly gotten a job at the American Library Association in their Office for Intellectual Freedom (they help defend the First Amendment in Libraries and the position was in charge of Banned Books Week which encourages people to read books that other people want banned from libraries) They had a temp in the position and after a long process, decided to stay with the temp! BOO!! I did work as a temp myself for a couple of months. And then, my old job called me to let me know that my replacement had quit and could I come back while they look for another one? Of course!! And wonder of wonders... a project I really wanted to do was still waiting for me.. untouched.

Peace Corps taught me how to be a better daughter. My parents keep telling me they never thought that we could get along in the same house for so long. I clean, I do dishes, I cook (all things I didn't do before) Basically, I act like an Armenian daughter in law. That would be my host sister in law's influence on me in Armenia. She taught me well.

Yes, I miss my host family. Because I have been in limbo for so long, I don't feel I can grieve for them yet. One regret I do have for leaving the Peace Corps was the way that I left. I didn't go back and say goodbye to my Armenian friends. I just couldn't get on that plane. But, that's just how it goes. I will have to live with that regret and hope that they understand or someday will understand, or at least not be upset with me.

My idea of what makes someone my friend has changed. Before I left, I went out of my way for a lot of people. Few people went out of their way for me but the ones who did, I treasure even more and remain in good contact with them. There is more to that idea of course, but I will leave it at that in this entry.

So, here I am, back at my old desk where this adventure began and looking ahead to my next adventure. I love my life!
Take care! Travel Safe! and Have Fun with Life!
LB, Lor, Lola, Lolita, Laurichka, Laura Beth
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1135354860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1135354860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1135354860/tpod.html Fri, 23 Dec 2005 11:29:38 -0500 Onto the next adventure!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

When I got to Chicago, my brother begged me to stop talking while he was driving to his apartment. We got to his apartment and I took off my shoes so as not to tramp snow all over the place. I had been wearing the same clothes for 4 days and had not taken off my shoes in three days. he asked me if I had any clean socks. Nope. He went and got a candle and lit it and then went and found me a clean pair of socks. :) He also suggested that I could wash clothes in the washer in the basement. That night we watched several movies. I stayed up until after 4 in the morning and only slept for three hours when I did sleep. I was able to wash clothes in the morning. I have discovered that one of the things i do miss in armenia is a clothes dryer. Oh! It is so wonderful to have clothes dry less than an hour after they had been washed. mmmmm! we rode the loop into downtown chicago and wandered around on Michigan ave. then we went into a chocolatier and had hot chocolate and a chocolate mouse! HEAVEN. I was surprised that the pedestrians stopped and waited for the walk light to change! In yerevan, the walk light could signal a pedestrian to cross even when the cross traffic is still zipping by. so, we cross when there is a break in the traffic. I also am a little pushy in crowds now too, I am afraid. And fire escapes on the side of buildings! and school buses to take children to school!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1133967720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1133967720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1133967720/tpod.html Sat, 10 Dec 2005 10:22:01 -0500 Onto the next adventure!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Tblisi, Georgia

I found out that not only was the airport fogged in... but Francio (the man Romanian who sat next to me on the 11 hour bus ride from Yerevan to Tbilisi) said that the airport was also upgrading its air traffic control system. It should be completed by the end of the year. On the way back to Armenia, I just might have to do the long bus ride again! Normally, the bus ride should be about 5 hours (by taxi) to about 8 hours (by marshutney) Well, Austrian Airlines rented two very nice western style tour busses and even bought food for us to eat! It took us about 5 hours to reach the Armenian/Georgian border where we sat for 4 hours while both countries checked every persons passport and then the Georgian side also went through each bus looking for anything that might be smuggled in. They even checked some of luggage which made one of the Austrian Airline employees livid! She didn't want any of our luggage checked. But, one man's suitcase was opened. Of course, it took 20 men standing around watching this to happen while the owner of the suitcase opened it up. After everything was checked, we finally were able to keep driving to Tblisi. It only took us another two hours to get to the airport there. Then, it was onto Vienna and then onto the US. The thing which struck me at about 4AM when we finally reached Tbilisi was how much garbage there was being pushed around by the wind.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1134227700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1134227700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lbmarek/uzbekistan-2004/1134227700/tpod.html Sat, 10 Dec 2005 10:20:09 -0500 Onto the next adventure!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Chicago, United States

I am at my brother's apartment in Chicago. He did a triple take when he saw me at the aiport! He couldn't believe how much weight I had lost! I talked for non-stop for the first two hours I was home. Yup, I hadn't sleep since Yerevan a good 40 hours or so earlier, and I was a chatterbox when I got to Chicago. I was amazed at the amount of lights I could see from the plane. Holy Cow is Chicago BRIGHT!! of course I remembered that, but seeing it was a bit of a shock to me. Also, the Christmas decorations! There are very few Christmas decorations up in Armenia right now! And then I land in Chicago and the airport is just FULL of decorations! I stopped and stared for a minute. On the way to my brother's apartment... he stopped and bought me an iced peppermint mocha with whip cream from Starbucks. YUM!!
]]>