You may say this is out of ‘loneliness among the crowd’ or ‘sharing the experience’ or you may take it as a ‘travel’ or ‘city’ blog. I leave that part to you... This is all about my Tbilisi...
Showing posts with label 'the city that loves you'. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 'the city that loves you'. Show all posts
It seems like it’s
all about up’s and down’s and the fact that I still cannot get used to them. I
have always enjoyed consistency in every part of my life however the more I
enjoy this - the more complicated it gets.
I managed to get
my voice heard by my team – picked myself back up to ensure our team does not
fall apart. The ‘leadership’ training worked – not the training itself maybe
but at least being away for a week changed the mood.
I travelled to
London for the training which was an amazing week with a lot of time to enjoy
the city, the training, meeting with new people, catching up with some I knew
for a while... A lot of thinking as well... I really need to buy a camera to
add the visions to my words... L
Meanwhile I
really missed Tbilisi but currently it is not the city I left 1 week ago –
elections coming up – a lot of demonstrations I heard. I wish peace to this
beautiful city and it’s people. I hope the ‘down’ this city is facing currently
will be back ‘up’ soon - just like me...
Order –
Everything has to be stored in cupboards, everything must have a place...
Estetic – I like
the small details – bits and pieces such as a small basket full of soaps in the
bathroom or a photo corner of the whole family and friends...
Memories – I guess
the good time you spend in your home vs the sad times makes a house a home!!
Finally location!
So since I am
looking for a lot of things – my search for my home in Tbilisi was a loooong battle...
Back in February –
when I finally passed from temporary assignment to contract – I had almost 3
weeks to find a house – which I though was more than enough. It didn’t turn out
that way.
I asked to my
Turkish colleagues and my staff who are local and most recommended Vake or
Sabortalo area. Vake is really nice – with cool cafe’s and almost everything
such as banks, supermarkets etc handy however:
Far
away from airport ( where I work )
I
really did not like the neighbourhood – I don’t know why... Too crowded maybe
or too cool! J
Next option
Sabortalo – very big neighbourhood therefoere lots of options however 1 simple
reason for a no no! - very far from work.
So with
recommendation from my staff I searched for houses at Mtatsminda and Sololaki.
The issue with
these 2 neighbourhoods is the comfort part – not many new buildings.
As a foreigner –
when you search for a house the price automaticly almost doubles. I guess it is
similar in Turkey so I did not mind that part much – my housing allowance does
not cover all but most of the rent. However still when you get to know the
neighbourhoods you get quite dissapointed when you compare the rent vs house
conditions.
I do not know if
it is possible to find a house directly from the owner. As I have mentioned on one
of my previous posts I moved twice and used a real estate agent ( makler ) in
both cases.
For those of you who will be moving to Tbilisi you can use:
My first house (
could not call it a home L had too many issues ) was at Mtatsminda very
close to Rustaveli Ave. It was a very nice apartment – quite a new one too but
had many issues. In winter the house was very cold, there was a construcition
in the apartment which caused noise and dust, construction in the street (
renovation of an old house ) and last but not the least the walls were damp due
to the heavy rains and terrible infrastructure so during the 5 months I lived
in the house – I tried to be patient but one day I had enough! Called the
landlord and I was out in 1 week.
The issue is –
when you rent a house in Tbilisi via a Makler you need to pay the house owner
the first and the last month of your contracted stay. The last month is paid to
the Makler by the house owner also it is like a guarantee. So I left my last
rent to the house owner by moving earlier than 1 year! Oh well! My health is
more important than anything.
Since I only had
1 week to search a house – I called the previous Makler who helped me search
for new houses but this time there were no options within my budget in the area
I was looking for. It was so frustrating! I would not have a house to live in
in 1 week if I could not find what I was looking for!
Once all my
options were finished – I was simply depressed! With no hope went to the
internet and found a web site called Best Tbilisi Apartments! The apartments
and houses listed are more expensive compared to many other options however the
listed houses offer order, estetic and comfort J So all I had to choose was the location
and it will be us who will add the memories...
With the help of
my lovely Makler Natalia from BTA I found my new home and my lovely landlord
and friend Ia! I already have great memories in this house thanks to Ia, Zubin,
Su and all my friends who visited J
Despite how much
I enjoy Tbilisi, how much I love my new home
I MISS MY REAL HOME... Ankara
So I join the rhyme
of Marc Broussard ( although I am not a fan of Country Music - really like this one!! )
The new airport building gives a fresh, modern look to Georgia however the old airport building - which I used back in 2006 on my first visit to Georgia - is still there, not used anymore but still salutes you next to the new airport building as if a reminder of the old days...
Arrivals:
Very easy and user friendly - There are 3 jetty’s at the airport so if you are arriving to Tbilisi at night – there is a high possibility for you to be transported to the airport with a bus. Very small airport so I never felt confused or worried whenever I arrive to Tbilisi. After immigration turn right and after a very short escalator journey – you are at arrivals baggage hall – clear from customs and the below picture will welcome you while you pass the sliding door.
The train terminal –which is supposed to connect air to land - is another modern look to the entrence of the counrty however – it is not used effectively only 4 trains a day. If you happen to get a train it will take you to the central railway station of Tbilisi with an approx 20 min ride.
The train schedule is from airport to Tbilisi is:
08:30 – 13:50 – 18:05 – 22:25
You can also use the bus or a taxi upon arrival. Buses are quite frequent but a longer ride to the city center with 0,50 gel like the train.
The taxi’s – now that is an adventure! You need to negotiate with drivers in Georgia before taking a ride. They recently changed the taxi’s at the arrival of the airport to new modern cars with a taximeter fitted in them.Make sure you speak to the driver to ensure they either open the taximeter or negotiate a fixed price to the city center. The approx price to city center should be around max 20 GEL. If they seem to request more from you – you may try your luck with the taxi’s who are dropping off customers.
So welcome to Tbilisi – to the city that loves you...
