Don Curry arrives

Don Curry doesn't believe in slowly and gradually approaching a new country, a new city. He prefers to dive right in. So even after the supposedly short night in his hotel room in Tbilisi, he had planned a full day program that would keep him busy from breakfast until evening. Jetlag and difficulties adjusting to the climate should not get any room at all. The intended time of two full days for Georgia's capital was much too limited to use it sparingly.

His stranded situation at Istanbul Airport yesterday only worsened this situation. But today showed itself to be much more reconciling. Tired and exhausted, Don Curry waited until 5:10 when the departure gate for his new Tbilisi flight was announced. The gate was right next to his oasis with the artificial trees. So he could doze a bit and recharge his batteries before moving to the gate. The flight actually took off on time - another positive sign, and despite the short flight time of just over 2 hours, breakfast was even served.

Once Don Curry had collected his luggage and left the internal airport area, a man standing across from him was holding a sign with his name. So the hotel transfer worked perfectly. His English-speaking pick-up stayed with Don Curry for only a few minutes. He escorted him to a taxi he had ordered, paid the driver, and completed his service. The driver only spoke and understood Georgian, so Don Curry could fully concentrate on the surroundings and traffic situations, even if 'concentrate' was not particularly easy after such a long sleepless night.

The journey to the capital was relatively short because the airport is located right on the outskirts of Tbilisi. Don Curry quickly recognized that the driving style here was rather southern: temperamental, slightly aggressive, and with frequent use of the horn. It didn't come close to Indian conditions, but Morocco or even Albania could definitely claim a similar traffic culture. Don Curry also observed that driving in Georgia can be extremely creative. When the taxi driver accidentally missed the timely turn to the hotel, he simply drove the 50 meters backward through the one-way street until reaching the hotel junction.

Now the luggage was quickly unloaded, a hotel staff member was already waiting. As always, Don Curry loves hotels with a nice view, which means that these houses are above others, sometimes even above almost all other houses. Accordingly, the bellboy had to carry Don Curry's luggage up several flights of stairs until the hotel building right next to the Bethlehem Church was reached. There were still stairs to be overcome in the hotel, but then Don Curry finally reached his destination: he had arrived at the first hotel of this trip. And he had chosen something special for this beginning. A small, fine hotel with a few rooms, located in a medieval residence building. But what fascinated Don Curry the most was that each room was furnished according to a specific theme. None of them resembled another. Don Curry's room is called 'Vienna' and is furnished in the Viennese Art Nouveau style around the year 1900. Corresponding furniture, lamps, carpets, and many large-format artworks enrich the room. For a very special effect, the upper two meters of the room walls are completely covered with mirrors; this makes the room appear infinitely large in all directions. Don Curry could stay here. And he regretted very much that Turkish Airlines had deprived him of (albeit a short) night in this wonderful ambiance.

He reached his hotel around 11:00 am, briefly tested the bed for some catching-up sleep, and then started the originally planned full-day program fresh and refreshed at 1:00 pm. He wanted to start with lunch at the renowned Cafe Littera, one of the very few restaurants in Georgia recommended by Michelin. Unfortunately, it was unexpectedly closed, so Don Curry simply let himself drift into the nearby old town, where he soon found himself in a kind of 'food alley.' Dozens of street restaurants had taken over a narrow old town street for about 100 meters, so that only 1 meter remained in the middle for passing pedestrians between the separate restaurant areas. Dedicated employees of all restaurants tried to invite passers-by into their establishments. But Don Curry found that too touristy. He turned into the next side street and suddenly found himself in the midst of a film crew. He just heard the word 'Action', then saw the cameras beside him, and tried to quickly and inconspicuously get out of the recorded scene. Whether Don Curry now possibly has his big appearance as a 'passer-by' in a Georgian documentary or soap opera, he will probably never find out.

Meanwhile, he was drawn to the currently trendiest restaurant in Tbilisi according to Tripadvisor: the Rum Roof Kitchen on the roof of the Ibis Hotel. There he found a completely stylized, very hip and youthful location, where he felt almost a bit too old. The centerpiece of the restaurant is a first-generation VW bus that had been completely converted into an original, brightly colored tropical bar. Accordingly, the restaurant specialized in tropical cocktails and matching, rather non-Georgian dishes. Don Curry chose a Barbados burger, a homemade lychee lemonade, and some water to create a good base for the final giant cocktail 'Alo Cubano.' As the retractable roof of the restaurant was closed during the enjoyable slurping, and Don Curry sat directly under the Georgian sky, he could truly feel like in a tropical Caribbean night.

Feeling elated, he hurried back to his hotel, once again struggled up the numerous stairs, and was pleased: Don Curry had arrived. Not only in Georgia, in Tbilisi but also in the long-awaited feeling of vacation and relaxation. Who still remembers the last night at Istanbul Airport? Don Curry's thoughts were more about all the things he would experience and admire tomorrow. The journey had truly begun...