Batumi-Tbilisi

0702 At station. Maybe. Taxi was 20, so I wasn't far off guessing this would cost more than the train ticket. I thought the guy wanted 2 as he used 2 finger gesture when I asked price. Gave him 3, then he wanted more. Sigh. Embarassing, maybe I got ripped off but just checked dictionary and at least he *did* say 20 when I asked him price before getting in. Was two door taxi with tinted rear windows and I sat in the back, which made me nervous.

No light on in upstairs-via-outdoors reception so left room unlocked and key on table. Hope that's OK. Now I'm leaving will say I was at what hostelworld calls 'Guesthouse in Batumi' but Foursquare calls 'Guesthouse 97'. The place itself has no obvious signage.

0715 Bought and scoffed biggish packet of Lays bacon flavour crisps (labelled in Russian). This evidently is the station, through some sliding doors is a track and there's a discreet boar above booking office showing today's three trains.

Posters on concourse describe a project for modernisation of the railway, one of the goals is to reduce travel time Batumi-Tbilisi to three hours. Oddly this appears to be in English only.

Clothes still very damp verging on web this morning. Shoved in plastic bag and hope for the best. Maybe I can strew them around the dormitory to claim my territory. ;-) Failing that there might be a washing line or something and they might not be so damp they go rank/mouldy sitting in my bag. Guess we will have to see. Long freight train rattling through the platform now.

Station relatively clean and modern.

0727 Bored. No real trouble getting a taxi this morning, I hailed the one I got off the street after walking down a few blocks to the main street. Could probably have stayed in bed a bit longer but of course I didn't know that at time and being so early reduced stress in many ways. Were quite a few people milling around when I got here, more now.

Have 'tren al sur' in my head now. Could be worse, I did most of the walk out to the Nobel museum yesterday with Joe Dolce's "Shadappa ya face" in there.

There are some freight wagons visible on adjacent track through the glass wall; I couldn't see these when I arrived in the dark, hence having to wander out onto platform to convince myself there was a track and this wasn't a bus terminal.

0740 On train. Modern and clean if a little sterile. (Whole train looks modern-ish, the 'engine' is streamlined not the big boxy sort which the Zugdidi train had.) First class is nothing mega-special, though can't complain about size of seat or leg room - still, I don't think it's any better than the shabby but large seat on the all-one-class train I came out to Zugdidi on. (Maybe that was a very old first class carriage? Complete guess.)

Window seat, will doubtless have someone next to me, but spacious enough not be big deal. Quite a few other passengers still standing up mid-carriage and talking amongst themselves, doesn't exactly seem to be a problem and it's ending now but didn't exactly seem just like a large group of friends chatting.

Overhead rack is big enough for my bag, so have shoved it up there and just have daypack at my feet. On Zugdidi train I didn't try and just kept it under seat; that train had airline style bins with doors on, which looked a bit small.

0749 Announcement in presumably Georgian and English and now presumably Russian. Apparently there is free wi-fi on board. Indeed there is.

There seems to be a lot of chat among the six or seven people sat round me, which is a bit annoying, rationally or not. I might break out the noise cancelling headphones if it continues.

0754 Off we go.

1252 Dozed most of the way. Lots of stops at smallish stations but not the lengthy stops of the train to Zugdidi. Think we're due in in about 40 mins. Was quite stuffy before which probably induced dozing but someone opened a window, I half wish they hadn't but the temperature is not bad really.

1320 Oh, I somehow managed to get a double seat all to myself.

1322 Announcement says next station Tbilisi. I almost don't want to arrive and have to start dealing with shit.

1453 Got to hostel, checked in OK. Looks like only one other person in dormitory ATM. Through lack of experience I picked the worst bed to charge my phone on at night, but meh. Lockers tiny but just managed to squish my main bag in, have left low-value-high-access toiletries/water in daypack and chained it to bed. Draped some of my slightly damp clothes over the head of the bed, hope no one is going to get pissy about that. Oh, am a bit nonplussed at their 'no shoes' rule, FFS. Anyway.

Went into tour operator opposite to ask about tour to Davit Gareja. They had no organised tour I could join but said they could do me privately with breakfast, driver and guide for USD200. I said that was a bit expensive so I'd have a look round and maybe come back tomorrow. I am not that desperate to go. I might ask at hostel later; I am on the street now, just bought (surprisingly awkward) and consumed a banana - I am so healthy - plan is to wander, see if I can get food and maybe a beer, then I will pop back to hostel maybe 5-6ish (sober) and ask about that tour before wandering out again for the evening.

1528 In restaurant off that street spent a lot of time on when here before. Sticking my neck out (no pun intended) with "ostri", spicy beef dish (possibly in a tomato-y sauce) and having a beer. Happened to finally spot postcards in a shop earlier so bought a couple and may try to post them this afternoon. No idea what this place is called. Might go to that Indian place tonight, especially if I don't eat too heartily here.

1555 Ostri actually very good. I think it would have gone well with rice but waitress suggested bread and I used that to mop sauce up, hope that wasn't too uncouth.

This place is on Kote Afkhazi (sp, as always), in case what I wrote before wasn't clear.

1600 9.35 including tip, made it 10. That felt like fairly good value.

1711 Back at hostel, tried to find post office & failed. Should Google it while here. Just going to let phone charge up before I go out. Asked guy at reception about Gavit Dareja, he said they can organise a taxi for me (about 100 GEL) - apparently it waits there for you all day then brings you back. It would be cheaper if someone else wanted to share it, he would bear me in mind if anyone else asked and I should maybe ask at breakfast (yeeeeaah, right, I can totally see myself doing that, even if I were able to be down in time for breakfast which I think finishes at 1q) to see if anyone was interested. I get this weird dismissive vibe from the chap but perhaps that's just me. I shall provisionally assume I'm not going to Gavit Dareja; maybe in my peregrinations tomorrow I will speak to one or two more tour companies and see what they say.

1934 Left hostel about 1845. Walked up Rustaveli a long way and now part way back down, in some OKish small cafe/bar for a beer. Left phone charging in locker and went and sat down in common area with Nook for an hour, a little kitten came and sat on lap for a bit. Some other people had obviously overheard about Davit Gareja so although it's not clear something may happen. Bit of chat with another English guy, which was nice. A meal was being prepared and I didn't want to get involved so I came out for a walk. Will aim to be back about 10ish. Unfortunately my phone didn't charge - quick test on the socket the extension cable was plugged into and another one both seemed dead. The charger might have knackered, I was a bit rushed/peeved and it is a slim possibility the usb cable was loose in the cgarger, but more likely the sockets are dead. I will have to see if there is somewhere else I can charge it. Bit of a pisser but I am sure it can be overcome and I do have two spares. I am thinking investing in a cheap, lightweight standalone battery charger for the phone batteries might be worth the extra weight - it would make it so much easier (and safer - less tempting target for theft) to leave a battery charging in a non-secure area.

2011 Some bloke with a guitar is playing; I was sat where he was going to perform so had to move upstairs. Can't see him from here but can here him OK, which is nice.

2053 Music is well-known songs done instrumentally. We just had 'Girl from Ipanema'. On third beer, reading Cold Granite on phone (which I started on the Nook back at the hostelk.

2147 Seriously tempted to have a fourth beer, but not going to. Mainly because of this up-in-the air Davit Goreja stuff and I want to be presentably sober when I get back to the hostel. Feel surprisingly pissed on three pints, I don't think I really am, it's more than I'm out of the habit of drinking even this much, and I'm paying loads of attention to my own state for various reasons. Battery at 9%. Not switching if I can help it...

Music stopped a bit ago. No sign of bill yet. Battery at 7%.

2356 Sat in lounge with coffee while phone charged. Problem was just body rotated on plug. Meh. In bed.