Making Arrangements for a Busy Travel Weekend

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2015--Kiev

I'm a bit nervous about all the travel aspects that must work out this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  I'm trying to have everything planned, but there are so many factors involved:

Friday, the 19th:

1.  I must get to the airport and check in with my flight.  That should not be a problem except I have to set the alarm for getting up early, and I have to depend on Sergey being here no later than 6:15 for me to get to the Sky Bus and then to the airport in plenty of time. 

2.  When I get to Batumi at 17:05, I have to change money or get money from the ATM.  Even with the latter, I will have to go to the bank to get small change to pay for the bus.  Then the big unknown is how often the bus runs.  I hope it runs every 15-20 minutes; otherwise, my next Friday event will be affected.

3.  I have to get off the bus at an appropriate point to walk to the apartment I have rented.  Using GPS on my phone will help there.  The owner is supposed to be at the apartment from 18:00-18:15 to wait for me.  (That's why the bus timing is important.)  

4.  Eduard, the man from Tbilisi who I visited 5 years ago will be in Batumi with his sister.  He will meet me downstairs at the entrance to my apartment at 20:00, so I will need to clean up and be there to meet him.

Saturday, the 20th:

1.  I have to awaken by the alarm again.  I will need to have the owner meet me no later than 7:30 to check out.  

2.  I need to walk to the bus station and be there in time to try to catch a mini-bus to Tbilisi around 9:00.  They run about every hour and take about 6 hours.  I have to worry about whether the mini-bus driver will balk at my suitcase or if he has a way to put it on the roof of the van or somewhere behind the seats.

3.  When I get to Tbilisi, I have to find the metro station near the bus station and take it to the station at Freedom Square.  Then walk to the apartment.  I know the building from before, but I have to find the right door for the people who are renting to me.  (I've already put aside 15 Euros to pay them for the night.)

Sunday, the 21st:

1.  I have to get up by the alarm again and leave the apartment around 7:30.  I will need to take the metro to a different bus station to catch the mini-bus to Yerevan.  Getting there will involve also either a mini-bus or walking from the metro station to finally get to the bus station.

2.  I need to find the right mini-bus for Yerevan, and again I have to hope that the driver will not balk at my bag.

3.  At the border, I will have to get my visa and change some money to have to use when I arrive in Yerevan.  Different websites vary according to whether I can pay for the visa with US dollars or a credit card, or whether I have to get Armenian money first and pay with it.  Also, the price quoted for the visa seems to vary between $7 and $10.  I have the cash already put aside if they let me pay with U.S. dollars. 

4.  When I arrive at Yerevan, I must ask someone to make a phone call for me.  I really dread this part!)  I've rented an apartment there.  Since my arrival time is not specific (based on whatever time I can get a mini-bus from Tbilisi, and they leave only when they are full rather than on a set schedule), the company renting the apartment will need a call so they will know to go to the apartment and await my arrival.

5.  I have to walk (only about 1 km/half a mile) to the apartment finding it using the GPS on my phone and meet the man from the agency. 

6.  They only take cash for the rent.  I've already put aside the right about of cash to pay for the apartment so that I don't have to stop at an ATM along the way.

There are so many points at which something could go wrong through all of those processes.  That's why I'm feeling nervous and trying to plan it all out.  This morning, I've made hand-drawn maps of both Batumi and Yerevan to guide me in addition to using the phone GPS.  I've made budgets to determine approximately how much money I will need in each currency.  I've written to everyone with the details of when to meet and where.  It's going to be a tight and tense schedule!!

When I went to shower this morning, there was no hot water.  The water was too cold, so I got out and went without showering.  I sent an e-mail to the owner.  Then I went out in the sunshine for a while.  I just wandered and watched people Before returning, I went to the grocery store for some final items I needed.  I now have everything necessary for dinner tonight and tomorrow and breakfast tomorrow and Friday.  There should also be enough leftovers to make sandwiches to eat sometime Saturday if I can take the meat and cheese into Georgia when I arrive at the airport.  I don't anticipate needing anything tomorrow, so I will see if I can exchange my remaining 20 UAH (local currency) into Georgian GEL tomorrow at the end of the afternoon.  If it works, that should give me enough small cash (only 2 GEL) to pay for the bus (1 GEL) from the airport in Batumi and save me from having to take the time to deal with the bank at the airport.

After I was back at the apartment, the doorbell rang.  It was the female of the husband/wife owners.  I've dealt only with her husband for the most part, but she was also here on Sunday when they came together to change sheets, towels, etc.  She came today to take care of the hot water problem.  Apparently, when they switched on the water heater before my arrival, they forgot to also turn on the water in-take valve.  So when the hot water heater finally ran out of water, it threw the circuit breaker.  She switched the circuit-breaker on, and then turned on the water valves.  She also brought me some cut flowers and 5 apples from her garden and left them on the dining table.