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I arrived in Georgia on June 16th, and I'm writing just a quick note as internet access is intermittent here.

According to our sources in Georgia, (Irakli's brother Achi works for an internet service provider here) the main internet trunk line to Georgia goes through Romania. It seems internet service is often interrupted because someone or some firm in Romania accidently digs up the line. Fortunately, the trunk line service provider offers 1 month free for every 1 hour of downtime. Currently, Georgia has accumulated 203 years of free service!

I arrived safely in Georgia early Tuesday morning, after 4 flights starting early Monday morning. My itinerary was Cluj to Timisoara (both in Romania), Timisoara to Munich, Munich to Vienna, Vienna to Tblisi, capital of Georgia, where I was met by a happy Irakli and his brother Achi. I'm thanking God for a safe trip but the real miracle is that my luggage also made it.

I had an 8 hour layover at Munich. I was somewhat dreading this as I was very tired from my recent trip to Moldova and getting up early for the plane, but I was delighted to discover that there was a spa in the airport hotel! So, I spent my layover taking saunas and jacuzzi, swimming, and sleeping on the lounge chairs poolside! What a fabulous blessing, and all for only $30 EU, all day pass. I will visit them again on my return trip home as I have a 6 hr layover there. It really pays to peruse the advertising flyers at the airport kiosks, which is how I found the spa.

I arrived rested and refreshed, ready to tackle Georgia. It takes real fortitude to survive the dreadful traffic, suicidal pedestrians, never ending feasts, terrible air pollution (from smoke belching Soviet era trucks and ever present buses) AND rough roads featuring potholes larger than your car.

Today we will visit a park in Tblisi, which is at the base of Europe's largest and tallest TV and cell phone tower. During our last visit, we tried to visit this area, but couldn't get the car up the hill due to the traffic and potholes. There was a police car in front of us but they couldn't make it either! One wonders if mounted police would be a better option for this area but apparently Georgians are very fond of their cars...rather like Californians in this regard.

Speaking of how California is like Georgia, we were deluged with rain. Due to the poor conditions of the road, great pools of water collect everywhere, and some of them are quite deep. Driving thru them at the customary high speed of Georgian drivers creates a sensation that reminds me of surfing. However, in California we use a surfboard rather than our car.

The Georgians use their cars for everything: Hotel, picnic table, store (displaying goods for sale), truck, tractor, business office, bus. In particular, they are 'masters of logistics', managing to transport the most outlandish items while driving like a maniac, weaving around ever-present potholes, wandering cows, other cars, peasants, donkey carts and slow moving trucks. Although there are some newer cars, many are 30 to 40 year old Ladas, the workhorse of Soviet era transportation. The fact that there are so many still on the road is a tribute both to the sturdiness of their original construction and the ingenuity of Georgian mechanics. Of course, poverty also plays a part, as one must simply make do rather than buying anything new.

Anyway, we'll spend some time in Signahi, a lovely, recently rebuilt town in the countryside, then we will be off on our trip around Georgia. Provided the Romanians don't dig up the trunk line again, I'll try to send some more travel blogs.

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