Day 28 - 19th June ,2012 : Tbilisi, Georgia

There was hot water in the corner of the compartment like in all Russian trains in which I had travelled earlier. I took out a tea bag from my packsack and the conductor, who saw me, brought hot water in a cup which had decorative handle. I enjoyed the cup of tea so much so that I went to sleep again. The terrain was beautiful in the morning. There was greenery everywhere; there were small vegetable fields and small villages with a cluster of houses. I could see a few herds of sheep, cows and farmers working in the field. Yesterday, Nismi told me candidly that Azerbaijan has progressed in last ten years because of the oil money and that otherwise it was a poor country before that. Also Soviet time was better.

Last night the Engine changed diesel to electric.  We reached the Azerbaijan border and the train stopped. First the custom officers came and checked the compartments with stick. One such officer came and asked me to open my packsack but changed his mind as I did. He said its okay and backed out of the compartment. A cute girl was sitting on the corridor seat and was looking at me. I took a picture of her as a souvenir. Our passports were collected and I was called to an empty compartment where another officer was sitting with a portable computer equipped with a camera. He took my picture, checked his records and then stamped my Passport. They were all courteous. This is a better way then getting down, standing in the queue. This is a better way then getting down, standing in the queue.

After that the train started to move again. A woman from the adjoining compartment brought a large number of Pastries and other bakery products for my breakfast. I was overwhelmed but returned most of it except two pieces, thanking her I told her I did not eat a lot of sweet. She was from a large family of nieces and nephews and they were going to meet there grandmother in Tbilisi. There was another family coming from Canada. There were a lot of children around(speaks English) who talked to me and passed their journey. 

The train conductor Arzu was a short woman but was very hard working. She was on her toes all night. She made sure that the toilets were closed when the train stopped and opened when it started moving. She made sure there was no waste lying around and that the compartments were kept clean. I had taken a picture of her in Baku last night and showed it to her. She liked it and requested me to mail it to her. 

Women conductor in train from Baku to Tbilisi

At 11 am, Azerbaijan time, the train stopped at the Georgia border. The Georgia custom was easy. There was no checking and the Immigration process was also quick. There were no photograph or anyother hassles. Unfortunately, Georgia is a poorer country as compared to Azerbaijan. I have seen richer countries with stringent checks at customs and immigration. At 12.40pm Azerbaijan time and 11.40 p.m. at local,  the train reached the station. 

Railway Station Tbilisi ,Georgia

The platform was an old structure but the insides seemed to be newly renovated. I went in stood in the queue outside the money exchange counter. There was an Englishman with his Japanese girlfriend and a young Japanese young man standing in the queue before me. The local money here was called Lari. It was a fairly easy process at the bank counter .After exchanging our money, the four of us who were standing in the queue came out together. We were searching for accommodation. The Japanese girl had some information about a good accommodation and so took out her iphone  for directions.  

Homestay Tbilisi, Georgia

When we reached, we climbed the iron stairs and met the person who owned the place. It would cost 10 lari per bed and they asked me to join them. The accommodation was near the station. I had never stayed in such a place. Drawing rooms and other big rooms were converted into bedrooms with folding beds and sofas. There was a Japanese tourist already staying in one of the rooms. I also saw an old lady, a mother with a bent back, holding an old sick while sitting on the sofa with a man. At first, I did not particularly like them but gradually I did. They were very affectionate. The man’s name was Vazh. The mother was very hard working. She boiled water for tea or coffee, cleaned the kitchen and did other things around the house. There was only one bathroom and makeshift arrangements for a toilet. The prices were extremely low. 

Old Tbilisi

Later Vazh made tea which was really just more hot water than tea. He also served some bread, margarine and some butter. This was the welcome drink. It was a friendly family but facilities were ramshackle and difficult to describe. I took an hours rest and then took a shower. I went to Station and booked my train ticket to Yeravan, Armenia for 22nd June. The ticket cost me 36.40 lari. The train was scheduled at 10.16pm and would reach the next day at 7.35am. I examined my ticket and got confused when I saw two different departure times for the train. I went back to the counter and was explained that one of the departure time was the one at which the train would leave from the previous station, i.e. Batumi. The evening was cool and pleasant so I decided to explore the huge shopping area around the station. The super market was not very big but there were other electronic shops and food courts. After a lot of search, I asked for a pizza and coffee. Though the meal cost me a hefty 950 lari, the pizza was not that good. The cheese had a distinct taste, one I was not accustomed to. I met two Indian workers there who gave me some valuable information. The metro ran on two lines. Bus number 37 would go to the top of the hill. They told me that a bus went to Batumi for 20 lari and that I could spend a day there. I thanked them and came to the supermarket to buy tomatoes (tomatoes were eaten a lot here and were served as a national dish), 2 apricots and a big bottle of water. I then walked back to my accommodation. Its location was well landmarked and so it was hard to forget the way. Everything was available near the station. It 9 pm but the sun had still not set.