The Journey Continues

 02-23-22

The layover in New York is a bit more than four hours; but eventually people begin lining up for the Turkish Airlines flight from New York to Istanbul.  There are actually two lines, based on your row, and there was never an announcement that it was time to line up.  Ah well, Eman, my new friend, and I wait patiently and the lines are moving.  I'm in 13K and she is in the 16th row, so this is the parting of the ways for us.  Her flight to Jordan (ironic, right?) leaves less than an hour after our scheduled arrival time!  I sure hope she makes it!  On the way into the plane everyone receives a package of sanitary products, wipes, masks, and sanitizer!

The first thing I notice is that the headphones are in a bag that specifically says it is not plastic!  Whatever it is make of biodegrades within 100 days!  Or, as they put it "When abandoned to the nature, it turns into beneficial to the nature within the first 100 days." 

Turkish Airlines feeds you better than any other airline that I have flown!  We aren't airborne very long before dinner appears and it is huge!  Shepherd's salad, grilled chicken breast, veggies, potatoes au gratin, moutabel (eggplant), a delicious roll with butter, and glorious cheesecake.  I ask for the Turkish red wine that I enjoyed on the last trip and the flight attendant goes off to find some.  He comes back with the French merlot and I say okay; but the Turkish wine is better.  He tells me to keep the merlot and he'll bring me the cab-syrah later!  And he does!  

There are many different kinds of entertainment offered on our individual seat-back screens. My first film is "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" and it's great! My second selection is a Hugh Jackman flick called "Reminiscence" and I make it about half way through before I decide I don't care what happens to these people!  Not even Hugh Jackman!  However, my next choice is "The Martian", Ridley Scott's movie with Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain.  I missed it the first time around and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I do want to do some research and see if the science really holds up!

Before you know it, it's time for breakfast!  (Well, time doesn't pass quite that fast on a nine-hour plus flight, but never mind!)  There's scrambled eggs, spinach, tomatoes, green pepper, fruit salad, cheese, more tomato, cucumber, and another super roll with butter and Smucker's strawberry jam!  Somehow I couldn't face any more wine, though!

When we land we are not taken to a gate.  Instead we deplane in the drizzle, down slippery metal steps, and scurry to a bus that takes us to the terminal! And there's another small opportunity to get damp before we get inside.

The Istanbul airport is the largest in the world!  Thankfully the signage is great and through passengers don't have to fill out the health form that is required of others! This layover is more than five hours and it would have been great to blog then, but my battery wasn't up to the challenge.  Gate assignments aren't made until shortly before scheduled boarding times and it's hard to find a seat near the big signs that will tell you your magic number.  I walk a little, but it's not as much fun when you have to carry all your stuff with you! Finally gate D5 appears next to my flight and it's upstairs and quite a hike.  One sign said the walk would be 7 - 15 minutes and I'd already done quite a bit of walking!  

Once at the gate passports and vaccine cards are checked and after a while we head down the walkway.  Again, there was no announcement, people just started walking up and scanning their boarding passes! This plane is not as spacious or comfortable as the past one.  I'm a little afraid that my pack back won't fit between my seat and the back of the seat in front of me!  It barely squeezes in but there's no hope of putting away my passport, so I stash it in a zippered pocket on my coat.  There is a little screen that hangs down every three or four rows, butt I opt for reading instead - and catching little cat naps.

Never let it be said that TA missed an opportunity to feed you!  It's only a two and a half hour flight but we get a complete meal!  We have stuffed peppers with rice, labneh, strawberry mouse, roll and butter, and a cup or water plus a beverage of your choice!

Look!  Unlike New York and Istanbul, Tbilisi's weather does not include rain!  First stop is passport control and the lady doesn't want to see my QR code that I was assured on line would be necessary! It all goes quickly with seven people checking us in. And it's straight down to baggage claim.  I watch the carousel swirl by and think to myself that I'd be annoyed if the bag that is on the inside lane, and blocked by two others, were mine!  And it is!  But I retrieve it anyway and head through the "no items to declare" arch and head out in the world.  There are lots of drivers with names and hotels listed but I don't see mine and at first I don't see Ammar either!  That changes quickly as he's already spotted me!  I got a text from our driver and I respond to him asking where he is.  He turns around and is about two feet from me!  I guess I missed his sign as I passed by.

Anyway, we head to his taxi and head into town.  Along the way he pulls over and gets out of the car too inspect his right front tire.  Hmmm, not good!  We drive to a tire place where he eventually gets is taken care of and we're off to our adorable hotel!  It's the Boutique Hotel British House.  I'll include pictures later.  The charming manager upgrades us to a suite and carries one of our bags upstairs.  Ammar takes the other one and my back pack and I'm content to let him!  We are finally "home" and are ever so pleased.  

There are lots of cool knick knacks and such all over the hotel's office but this interesting take on a ship in/on a bottle caught my eye! More later!

After unpacking, sort of, and exchanging Valentine's gifts, we decide that Ammar should take a nap while I blog and then maybe we'll get some dinner. I couldn't think about another morsel going into my mouth at first.  Maybe that will change in a couple of hours!  We'll see.  The bed is very comfortable and the room is just the right size.  Life is good!