Tbilisi Revisited

So again it is Tbilisi. It's been almost a year that I was here the last time and I arrived exactly one day after their elections in Georgia. Sakashvili claimed that he won and wouldn't give up his chair, on the other side Ivanishvili said his party the Georgian Dream was the winner of the elections..so business as usual..nothing new! When I spoke to people I noticed that most of them voted for a change. They were not happy anymore with how the things were running here. Despite the fact that Georgia is a safer place now than it used to be 9 years ago when Sakahsvili came to power, people think that many innocent people, oppositions, landed in jail during his regime. I don't know if that is true..but I do know that one of my friends had to do some jail time because of a tax issue. That was a bit harsh I think. But I have no idea how a Russian-backed billionaire will come up with a solution for these good people of Georgia. But I do know that some things have to change. Too many beggars on the streets, especially small kids that break my heart. Yeahh..I know I became a softy after becoming a father of a beautiful daugthter. But believe me, there were less beggars in Arbil than here.Which maybe isn't so unlogical but still..
I ended up at the hotel Sharden Villa, which is situated at the entrance of the Leselidze street that leads to the nice cafes and restaurants. Right next to the Freedom Square. It is a three star hotel but it was clean and nice. Breakfast was okay and staff was friendly. Price was maybe a bit expensive for its class. I paid 360 GEL for two nights, which is like 210 USD but everything else was sold out. So I didn't want to stay back at Betsy's like the last time.
I don't know what it is but I seem to attract the dumbest taxi drivers all around the world. In Arbil I had the pleasure to share a taxi with a dancing driver..where the music was so loud that you couldn't tell the guy where you were driving to. Here I was blessed with the dumb ones. I wanted to visit a customer at Tsereteli Ave. House number was 126. I gave the driver the address and he told me he knew where it was. No problem then. After we started our drive I told the driver that I wanted to visit first another customer who happened to be on the same street just a few blocks further at house number 140. When I told him this..I swear the god, the guy reacted liked I asked him the hardest math question and he pulled the car aside and started thinking...!!!! He looked around and started to ask people..dude..- it's just a few blocks further..I thought you knew the freaking address???? Are you tripping or what?
But other than that..it was nice here..the city is beautiful and they have nice restaurants and cool jazz cafes with amazing jazz musicians. But three days is enough and I need to get back home already.

The Arbil Experience...

After six days of dusty and sandy joy life in Arbil I was sort of fed up and just wanted to get back home but it appeared that getting out was harder than getting in. But I will tell about it later..

Arbil was not that bad actually..we went out with friends at night..to restaurants, malls and hotel bars. We drank almost every night..it was fun. Nonetheless you have to be careful with what you wear or where you go. One of our Iraqui friends took me and a friend of mine to a restaurant that used to be one of those places  visited by Saddam when he was in Arbil. You couldn't tell from the outside that it was a restaurant because there were just walls surrounding the building and no sign that said 'Please, welcome in'..There was some sort of reception and you had to get yourself registered at the entrance before getting in..apparaently there was also a dress code that I wasn't aware of because I had my baggy shorts on and a plain T-shirt. The guy at the reception wouldn't let me in telling our friend that I was not dressed accordingly. He wasn't yelling or anything but wasn't friendly either. As in all places around the world the rule wouldn't change here: money opens every door and voila...I could go in..shorts or no shorts...! That being said..the food was great. Kebab without end..but it was good meat. No regrets there. The Iraqui friend drank Johnny Walker and I had a Miller beer or maybe two. After the restaurant we went to my hotel where we crashed at the hotel bar and had some more beers and enjoyed a good Champions League match.

Actually I think we got lucky with the hotel which isn't maybe the cleanest in Erbil but still it was ok because from what I heard from other friends they had no bar or liquor at all in their hotel. So lucky us! 

And it was cheap..we could smoke and drink at the hotel..no one cared..

So the last day we went to this Mall called Family Mall and ate at the Lebanese restaurant where the food was okay but nothing really exciting. But the Mall was nice with all kinds of shops..mostly Turkish brands. We had a really late flight and we decided to go a bit earlier to the airport and I'm glad that we did so because the security was tight there and we had to stand in cue.

(That's how I felt when they didn't let me in!!)

 The taxi took us to airport entrance, which is like 1 km away from the airport hall where you get checked first. Luggage control and body check..the whole nine yards. I was so lucky because I had some valves in my luggage and each time I ran through the x-ray scanner they took me aside and asked me to open the bag. So much fuuuuuunnnnn!! NOT! Happened to me three times the same night and after the third time I was sick of explaining to the security guy what a ball valve is. Once we got to the airport hall we proceeded to the passport booths and the guy looked at my passport for like 5 minutes..finger prints included..Dude..enough already..just let me get back HOME!! But other than that..I will miss the friendly security with their Kalashnikovs and the hairy, smelly customer..scratching between his toes while talking to us..and the friendly Kurdish receptionist trying to explain me that they will fuck me .oopps...I mean charge me 3% of interest if I wanted to pay with my credit card..bye, bye Arbil..I hope we never meet again!

Arbil...Alexander the Great was here..so am I!

Leaving my daughter and wife sleeping in bed I arrived in Arbil, one of the oldest cities in the world, at 04.00 in the morning and it was really hot outside. I took the flight from Istanbul with TK as usual and the plane was completely booked. I sat next to an American in business class and the guy was sitting in my seat, which I didn't mind at all, but he was stinking with alcohol so much it got disturbing. When he opened his eyes the guy looked at me surprisingly wondering what I was doing next to him..I told him 'man you are so wasted'..his comment was..'I would like to say I'm not but I guess I am' and the he doze off instantly again..it was a 2 1/2 hour flight listening to this jerk's snoring but the worst part was the smell. I took a taxi to the Van Royal Hotel, which claims to be a 5 star hotel but we both knew that it was not, and paid the driver 20 USD. When I entered the lobby at 05.00 there was not a soul at the reception. The whole lobby was empty and despite my 'hello' nobody cared to answer. But then I heard a snoring coming from the corner where there was a couch. I saw that the receptionist was having a nap back there..I went straight over to the guy and kicked him awake from his sweet Kurdish dream. 'You have a guest and I want my room. Now get up!' ..He stood up instantly and went to the receptionist's desk and 10 minutes later I was in my room. First I check the bathroom. It looks clean. Then I check the minibar. It is full with liquor. And finally check the bed. Looks clean but has a hard mattress. No problem. I can live with that. Arbil is one of the safest cities in Iraq but that doesn't mean you should be careless when walking around. Every now and then you encounter with guards or soldiers wearing Kalashnikovs which gives you a queasy feeling because you're not used to it where you come from. People seem friendly and forthcoming. I will be staying for a week here so I will continue with Erbil with my next post.

Bucarest...casinos and massage parlours..

I took an early flight from Istanbul to Bucarest choosing my favourite (attention: sarcasm!!) airline again: Turkish Airlines. Not that it renders excellent services or anything but it helps me to collect miles so I can fly for free (for free means that there are still plenty of taxes to be paid!!) By the way, they have once more proved what assholes they are....
I was going to go berserk over TK here but to be honest..I totally forgot what I was mad about in the first place because I am writing this Bucharest blog 2 months after my visit. It didn't stuck with me so it must have been nothing big..but that's typical me..getting mad over small things sometimes, but five minutes later I can't even remember what it was. not really a resentful person am I? Is that a good thing or a bad thing that I have a memory of an armchair?

So I stayed at the Z Executive Boutique Hotel, which is a small boutique hotel, as the name itself already says, situated in the city center but it is hard to find for taxi drivers since it is in a side-alley. However, the hotel itself was really nice, rooms were really clean and the city view was really beautiful, especially at night. Totally recomendable. Bucharest is really nice. They have a splendid old city. Nice big buildings. Some fake Arc de Triomphe. Cool parks. Endless massage parlours. 
I guess prostitution is a big problem here. Oh no, all of them Romanian prostitutes are actually in Germany, so all is okay. 

I was there for an exhibition and make some customer visits. The exhibition turned out to be a total joke. It was a one-hall event and it was only half full. Don't even let me start with the number of visitors because that was a jape too. However, people are totally friendly and I had a great time. I went to a casino with a colleague and I must say it was fun. You get yourself registered and then you can enjoy free meal. Hey, I even won a few bucks. I like Bucarest a lot. I think it is a great city with friendly people and nice things to see. 

It's been a while..

Destination:Skopje

Airline:Turkish Airlines

First time going to Macedonia and I am impressed by the airport. It was even better than the airport in Belgrade and this is a smaller country. I met some interesting people in Skopje and the city is culturally diversified due to the ethnic mixture. But I was positively surprised. It is a small city with nice cafes and big statues. They are definitely proud of their Macedonian hero Alexander the Great because there is a huge statue in the middle of the plaza....wasn't he Greek? I thought he was Greek..hmm.. OK, let us not delve into sensible and deep waters here..since this is a very touchy subject for both countries. So as you will understand I was also in Belgrade but due to the laziness factor I didn't blog from there. Kerouac would definitely be proud of me. 

I am staying at the Hotel Arka, which is situated next to the old Ottoman Bazaar. The bazaar consists mostly of Albanian and Turkish minorities. First day I was there the receptionist advised me not to stroll around at night in this area, which of course sounds very inviting for a hotel claiming to be 5 stars. Naturally, I didn't listen to her and it turned out that walking alone in such alleys at night was no problem, however it is not recommendable indeed. It didn't look safe because it was dark and 2-3 youngsters were staring at me meanly and saying something, that I didn't understand. Everybody was really friendly here but there is always one jackass who spoils the whole bunch. But the old bazaar itself was quite interesting since it still looks ancient. I believe, if I had encountered this place some 2-3 centuries ago it would looked the exact same way. The bazaar leads straight to the old Ottoman castle which is impressively overlooking the city. But it was not open for a visit. Although a sign says it was closed due to repairs a friend told me that this was not true. There were some ethnical clashes because the government wanted to build a church inside this old Ottoman relic and the Albanian opposed to it strongly so it resulted in some dispute between Christian and Muslim minorities. They clearly considered it as a provocation. I don't know if that was true but hey..just chill everybody. Religion is a one big fat lie! There you have it.
Anyways, the city itself bears these old Ottoman marks practically everywhere. There is a Hamam or a Medrese or some other building. When I listened to street talk I could clearly hear people speaking in Turkish. Different accent but still Turkish. So I guess the Ottoman is still present here one way or another. 

The food is typical Balkan food. It is quite delicious and I didn't think it was very expensive. I mean I ate a lot and they charged me 10 Euros only. Taxis are also very cheap. Skopje is a small city so anyway you go they  charge you something between 4-5 Euros maximum. 

So what else can I write..hotel was good, food was good, people are friendly. Almost everyone speaks English. I enjoyed it and will definitely come back. 

The show must go on

It's been a while since I made my last input in this blog and please accept my apologies for being a lazy bum. While I wasn't writing I was either travelling or violating my Playstation..anyways, since my last entry I've been to India (Delhi, Goa and Mumbai), Italy (Milano), Germany (this doesn't count..it's my hometown but worth an entry) and Romania (Bucarest). My next trips will be Austria (Vienna) and Azerbaijan (Baku again..), maybe some Balkan country and hopefully Spain (Barcelona..this will be my vacation but I am sure something will come up that is worth an entry here). But I am very keen to see Baku because last time the whole city was one big construction site due to the fact they were trying to speed up things for the Eurovision Song Contest. This is a big deal for the Azerbaijani to promote their country, or better said, the city Baku. But then again, most of the Azerbaijani live in Baku anyway..
So let's see how far they got with the buildings and everything.
But for now..please hold the line...I gotta go and beat the crap out of someone..on Playstation 3!

Pissed off in Bratislava

Airline: Turkish Airlines
Destination : Bratislava (via Vienna)
Duration of stay: 5 days

This time I was heading to Bratislava accompanied by a colleague. He’s supposed to help me out on the exhibition that will take place in this small European city. Since there were no direct flights to Bratislava we had to land in Vienna and rent a car that would take us to Bratislava. Costs? Around 50 Euros. Both cities are separated by 70 km. First day, we go to the exhibition hall and see how our booth is developing. Pretty simple; no gimmicks. Looked okay. The rest of the day we have off so we do a little sightseeing strumming to the city streets. What can be said about Bratislava? Some of the buildings are in decay but nonetheless it is a European city but you could still feel the effects of the communist regime. At least, that was what I thought when I saw the tram that looked pretty old to me. We took a flat for one week and the building looked like a survivor of WWII. But the flat itself was nicely decorated and it was huge. High ceilings and nice furniture. I took a room with twin beds whereas my colleague, who happens to be my superior, took the king size bed. Douche! The agency that rented the flat was placed inside the same building and was run by two nice looking girls. I hate to make any sort of generalization in life and I did fare pretty well with this philosophy so far. However, I need to say one thing about the girls here. They are all BEAUTIFUL. I don’t know how that happens but one thing is a fact: They have good genes!

The city itself was nice too. It looked like any other European city. The old city has a nice flair. Old buildings, a nice castle, nice opera house, chic restaurants, a nice park, etc.. People speak English…more or less. But I will touch this topic later on..
The second day we started with the exhibition where we are presenting products to a non-present audience. NOONE CAME to our booth.
That sucked but what sucked even more was that my colleague was pulling out a valve from the box (and that thing is heavy! ) and I heard a sound that went ‘click’!. My colleague crumbled with pain and he couldn’t move. He moaned with pain trying to stand up but that was not possible. I helped him to a chair where he sat half-assed (literally) and moaned with pain. Poor chap. We waited 20-30 minutes but it didn’t get any better. It was obvious that this guy needed to be in a hospital. So I went to the doctor of the exhibition ground and tried to explain him the situation. But surprise, surprise! No Hablo English Sir…of course, he didn’t say it in Spanish but I guessed he was trying to tell me exactly this in his native language. So I pulled the guy by his sleeve showing him the direction to our booth. Doctor took a look at my colleague and said one thing that I understood immediately: Ambulance! Holy Fuck!
So ambulance it was…but what a bunch of idiots they were…they were almost killing my colleague. They tried to carry him by picking up by his sleeves but the guy couldn’t move. And none of them spoke English. However, the doctor of the ambulance spoke bits and pieces of German and was fluent in French. I tried to explain them with my humble knowledge of French that the guy needed a shot of painkiller. The doctor checked him there and said: No hospital necessary. Your friend needs to rest. I will give him a painkiller and in 4-5 hours he will be fine.
4-5 hours??? My ass!
So we went to our flat where the crew from the ambulance helped my colleague to put him to bed. My colleague kept mumbling all sorts of swear words but that didn’t change the fact that he was chained to this bed for the next hours. So we waited. There was no point for me to going back to the exhibition. The day was a waste anyway.  I checked upon him a couple of hours later but he was sleeping so I went out to eat something. Found a Pizza-Hut. Good enough. I did some shopping for the flat. When I got back to the apartment my colleague had some news for me. To be honest I expected him to be up and walking around but he told me the magical words that doomed me for the whole week: Dude, I still can’t move!!  Oh crap, crap…
You want to know something else? Sure…I need to take a piss. Whaaaaaaatt?? How am I supposed to carry this 100 kg guy to the loop? No way Jose. So I did the next best thing: I got him an empty bottle and he filled it completely with his yellow fluid…for a moment he was a happy man.
But the news kept getting better: Dude, I’m hungry…can you prepare me something? Sure, so I made him a sandwich and that was pretty much the routine of the whole week. I went off to the exhibition in the morning, leaving him sandwiches and something to drink and of course…empty bottles. After a week the apartment was stinking urine and the room was filled with bottles full of piss. There were everywhere bottles and I couldn’t touch them.  I know what you’re thinking. What an ass!! Hey man, I don’t get that much of money from my company and there is no clause in my contract that says: nursing the boss is obligatory.

However, when the exhibition was finally over my buddy still couldn’t move and all our intentions to get him into a hospital failed due to the fact that the ambulance doctor showed up each time saying that my buddy was going to be fine the next day. Five days passed and there was no improvement in sight so I called the airline and arranged an ambulance that would take us to airport in Vienna. To make a long story short: We landed safely in Istanbul and another ambulance took my colleague to a hospital. He had somehow managed to hurt a disc in his back and that was pretty risky. He got better a month or so later. So what do we learn from this? Learn Russian when you’re travelling to former communist countries, get a travel-health-insurance and do not lift heavy objects, especially when you’re old and weak and not as strong and muscle-built as this blog writer.
Soundtrack of this trip: You can’t save me – Richie Kotzen