Kutaisi, Georgia, June 6, 2014

Arrival in Kutaisi, Georgia's ancient former capital, at c. 10pm after a long delay in Warsaw. The pilot's window was cracked so it needed to be replaced. And when landing the plane almost touched the ground and then suddenly took off again, apparently for reasons of strong winds interfering with the landing. Eventually the plane landed successfully. But when the pilot attempted his luck again for a second time there was a little bit of anxiety in the air among the passengers on board I think.

On board the place I got talking to a most knowledgable Australian journalist who was very familiar with Georgia's intricate history and politics. A Welsh friend of his who collected him from the airport kindly gave us a ride to our hotel as our bus had long gone by the time we arrived in Kutaisi. And then we joined him and a great crowd of his friends, including some Germans and Koreans, for drinks in a local restaurant. Unfortunately by the time we arrived the kitchen had just closed and they could not be persuaded to open it again. A big ice cream with strawberries made a great dinner replacement, however. And the local Georgian beer was excellent. It was a most interesting evening with a very interesting and knowledgable crowd. Lots of global politics was being discussed.

This was a great start to what promises to be a most enlightening visit to a very interesting country.