Departure 10 p.m.! The unspeakable flight times of the only direct connection from Munich don't exactly make the journey to Tbilisi pleasant. But when I catch sight of the outline of the Caucasus on the horizon during the landing approach at five o'clock in the morning local time, i.e. three o'clock in Germany, I am wide awake. Georgia! Rarely have I looked forward to a trip so much.
Harrowing contrasts fly past my eyes on the taxi ride: Run-down barracks, grey prefabricated buildings from Soviet times, a lot of broken-down building fabric, in between always neon signs from fast food giants like Wendy's or McDonald's. East and West meet brutally here.