'Twas the night before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the hostel, not a creature was stirring because I was the only guest and I had a headache, so I went to bed.

This morning I left Shamgona at 9:30 to catch the 12:00 bus to Tbilisi. Tea went into Zugdidi with me to see me onto the correct bus. We stood out in front of the school waiting for the marshutka, and after the first class, several of the kids ran out to say goodbye to me. I told them that I'd be back on Thursday. They were relieved! The marshutka was as crowded as ever -- another "free sardine ride" -- as my cousin called them. In Zugdidi, we ran a couple of errands, then walked to the bus station. I got on the bus and sat beside a sweet lady who patted my knee and fed me cookies. It was a long ride - over 5 hours. I read a little, but I like looking around more than reading, so most of the hours were spent watching the scenery go by. When we arrived in Tbilisi, I got off the bus and found a taxi who took me to the hostel I had reserved in Old Tbilisi. James was supposed to arrive today, too, but he couldn't get away from school early enough to catch the bus. By the time I got to the hostel, I had a raging headache. Maybe it was from the lack of movement, maybe from the lack of water, maybe just from traveling. Regardless of what caused it, the headache was killer. I thought that some fresh air would help, so after settling in to my space, I went out for a walk.

The Old Town Hostel is appropriately named. It is in the old section of the city, very close to one of the churches that I had been by during training week - Sioni Church. It was cold out, and there were people going in and out of the church, so I decided to step in and see what the inside looked like. I put my scarf on my head, and opened the beautifully carved wooden doors. The interior was dimly lit, so I could not see the frescoes very well, but I could see that the walls and ceiling were covered with them. Several prayer stations were set up around the center the of the church, and there were some people lighting candles and praying. I sat down on a bench at the back of the sanctuary and looked around. I wanted to stay longer, but my head was still hurting, so I decided to go back to the hostel and maybe come back in the morning to see the church in the daylight.

Back at the hostel, I made a cup of tea - and in the meantime, missed a call from Mom and Dad. I logged onto Skype and called them back. It was nice to talk with them. It's always nice to talk with them! And, so the hostel is quiet and there are no mice stirring. Just my keys clicking as I finish typing my post. And when I am done, there really will be no creatures stirring when I lay down for my long winter's nap. Hopefully my dreams of sugar plums won't be interrupted by any clatter!
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!