We have arrived. Our trip here was long. We were to get up at 3:15 a.m. to catch a 3:45 shuttle to the airport. However neither of us slept that well and I was up by 1:30 and Ron a short time afterwards. We flew direct to NY and changed planes. Our plane was on time and pulled away from the gate then came to a stop on the tarmac where we sat for three hours waiting for storms to pass through. Water and peanuts were served. Bummer! We arrived in Istanbul just in time to race to our connecting flight. We made it; but our luggage didn’t. It seems they won’t arrive in Tbilisi until tomorrow. Tim Grewe met us at the airport. Ron is replacing Tim who is now going on to Cambodia to work. We checked into Betsy’s Hotel. We managed to stay awake through dinner at the hotel but weren’t long for this world. We went to bed at 8:30 then woke up three times and talked, read, checked email, etc and then fell asleep afterwards. That's how it goes when you travel for thirty hours and are in a time zone with an eleven hour difference. In a few days to a week, life will return to something normal, so to speak.
Our hotel is great. It was started by an American ex-pat who has since retired. However it definitely caters to American tastes. Breakfast and dinner are included. Meals are served communally so you meet people quickly here. The dining room is quite small as is the hotel. It originally had about twenty-five rooms but now has a new wing which is where we are housed. I like it because it is small and nicely appointed. All the rooms seem to have balconies with great views of the city as we are perched on a hilltop. Last night’s meal was Georgian: veal in a wine and fruit sauce, and four salads: greens with wonderfully ripe tomatoes and cucumbers, egg salad with mayo and red bell peppers and carrots, eggplant salad and sliced apples, grapes and another yet to be identified fruit. Since we were ready to do a face plant into our dinner plates, we skipped dessert: apple pie, fresh fruit or ice cream. This morning we were pleasantly surprised at breakfast: four kinds of cold cereal, hot oatmeal upon request, eggs prepared any way you wanted, toast, French toast, pancakes, bacon, all upon request. Oh yes and bad coffee. There is an espresso bar in the lobby that opens at 9.
however. The bathroom is also large. After being in Italy where the bath rooms were so small you had to be careful not to step into the toilet when exiting the shower, this is pure luxury. They even have wash cloths which again is quite unusual outside of the US.
The weather yesterday and today is gorgeous: sunny and warm. The morning is cool. How perfect and how welcoming. At 9:00 this morning Tim picked us up for a half day orientation at the Embassy: an hour long security briefing tour, meeting with various folks like the mail room clerk to get a mail box assignment, tour of commissary, etc. Afterwards we went to the Goodwill, which is a huge store that is similar to Fred Meyer back home. They have a very large grocery section that really surprised us with what is available. There seems to be no limitations here. In addition to the food section there was a gardening section for tools and household goods. Everyone mentions how expensive things are here. I haven’t been able to determine how expensive yet as I haven’t done any shopping.
Afterwards we ran by Tim’s house for a brief tour. We met his gardener and housekeeper whom we will employ once we have moved into the house. The house can be seen easily from the street which reminded us of Sri Lanka. Most private homes seem to have a secure entrance so there was a high wall around the house. There is a small front yard and we didn’t have time to see the back which I think is mostly patio. Inside the house is quite new and well furnished. There is a large formal dining table that looked like it would serve ten people and a smaller table for eating in the kitchen. The kitchen was large and the pantry is a god send with loads of storage. The floor plan is open with the living room and dining room being one large room. There is a bathroom on the first floor. Upstairs on the second floor is a large landing and three bedrooms and a full tiled bath, and a laundry room with washer and a dryer! We never used a dryer in Sri Lanka since we had sun every day we were there. On the third floor is a large master suite with bath, walk in closet and a large storage room. Needless to say we are thrilled to get this house and to have it furnished. Apparently all the Embassy staff houses are furnished similarly. Tim said everyone has the exact same dining room set. It is all dark wood furniture with upholstered couches, etc. Tim moves out in mid October and the maintenance crew will repaint the interior walls white then we will move in. We will reside at the Besty for three to four weeks, which is typical when going to a new post.
Today I read about ‘supras’ which are feasts that have a very specific ritual of toasting with wine. Each supra will have a toastmaster and the description of the toastmaster’s and guests’ roles took three single spaced type written pages!!! According to what I read you never stand around drinking at a supra. You NEVER drink wine except after the toast has been made and only then. You are to drain your glass at that point. A single toast can take 10-15 minutes. It is a disgrace to get drunk at a supra. These events can go on for hours and there can up to 20 toasts at an event. I cannot fathom how one stays sober with 20 glasses of wine but will report back after we attend a supra. Welcome to Georgia!
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