from Frankfurt to Baku - Caucasian summer 2024 - 1
Tbilisi
from Tbilisi via Mzcheta and Gergeti to Gudauri
from Gudauri via Gori to Kutaissi
from Kutaissi to Batumi
from Batumi via Borjomi to Achalziche
excursion to Vardzia
from Achalziche in Georgia to Yerevan in Armenia
excursion to Etschmiadsin
excursion to Garni and Geghard
from Yerevan to Goris including visits to Chor Virap and Noravank
excursions to Chndsoresk and Tatev
from Goris to Sewan
from Sewan via Dilijan to Haghpat
from Haghpat in Armenia to Tbilisi in Georgia
Tbilisi and back home
16.07.2024 - from Frankfurt to Baku
As my departure is scheduled for 1:50 p.m., I leave the house like any other working day and drive to Frankfurt. A small traffic jam near Hanau slows me down a bit, but I'm early enough to take it easy.
I leave the car at my usual parking in Neu-Isenburg, take the shuttle to the airport, and check in my suitcase. It's surprisingly quiet for the fact that the vacation started last Saturday.
I spend the time until departure in the business lounge. As I will lose my status with Lufthansa next year, this could be one of my last visits. The service and food are ok, but wifi is not usable and some screens are out of order too. It's known that Lufthansa has some issues, but I doubt that these cost savings will really pay off.
Departure is delayed by an hour. First, they have to stop boarding because the cleaning of the plane is not completed, and then we have to wait another 30 minutes until we are cleared for take-off.
The flight itself is nothing special, a bit bumpy after take-off, but quiet afterward. There is no entertainment system on board, so I spend my time reading and playing a few games on my tablet.
Finally, we arrive. Immigration is super quick; it took me maybe 5 minutes, including queuing. Unfortunately, that doesn't help much, because the luggage arrives piece by piece and afterward, I have to wait until everyone of the group arrives. There are 17 of us, so it's a big enough group for a proper bus, but not so many that we always have to wait until the last one arrives.
While waiting, I try to get some money from the ATM. The first two are out of order, but the third one does the job.
I am in my room at the hotel by 11 pm. However, I don't want to have dinner like other travelers, but go down to the promenade to take photos of the Flame Towers [↗]. These are the icons of Baku and are illuminated at night. Even at midnight on a weekday, there are lots of people around, including families with small kids.
I'm back at the hotel just before 1am. I'll see more of Baku [↗] tomorrow.
