From Tbilisi to Gökçen Airport

Going from Tbilisi to Amsterdam I had to change planes in Turkey. Well, there are these two airports and mine was in Gokcen Airport. I was really looking forward to arriving there, as I had never been in Turkey before that and I just wondered what it would be like, because there are many turkish series on our channels and people talk about them and stuff like that and I know that everything they film is not happening in real life and so I wanted to see what was real and what was not. Of course, with just an airport one can not really get a real knowledge and every little piece of information about the country, but still it's something, right?

Before my trip to the Netherlands, of course I gathered some information about everything and many places that I would visit and stuff, and Gokcen Airport was one of them, too. Well, to be honest, I didn't get much information about it and people's reviews were not very good, too, and I just had some low expectations about that airport and didn't want to be there for a long time, hence. It was good that I was not travelling alone, I used think.

When we went to the Tbilisi International Airport, or as its new name is _ Tbilisi Shota Rustaveli Airport, it was night, well, actually, it was something like beginning of dawn already, because it was nearly 4 o'clock in the morning. I arrived there first or second, if I remember it correctly and then came all the other girls.

The lost bag

We checked in, left the baggage and waited impatiently for our flight to be announced. And then we said goodbyes and went on the second floor where the passport control was and then the security check, and there was this hilarious moment thay I can't just ignore and not tell you about.

One of the girls had this black bag with Georgian flag and other stuff in it, but the flag was the important one and it was seen from the bag, too. So when we were going through the security check, she put her bag there and she was told to take off her coat, too and while she was being checked we were already finished and ready to go. Other girls showed their tickets and went on the plane, and then some of us were left and then I heard her voice: "I lost my bag".

At first, she was almost calm and she started looking for her bag. Well, she looked everywhere and she was getting a little upset little by little. Then she started shouting a little, and so on. She was telling everyone that she had lost her bag and asked them to help her find it and then she checked their bags and stuff like that. However, no one seemed to have or seen her bag and that really upset her. She had all the security in that place look for her bag and this security girl was telling her to check that security place and see if her bag was there. In fact, there was this black bag going in and out of the security desk, but she said she didn't recognise that bag and that it was not hers, well, what could they do. They just started looking at other passengers and checking their bags and it was a mess. She was already screaming and you could not really understand what she was saying and I guess, she didn't know that either, she was just in shock with all that.

So, after many shouting and crying and searching, she looked at that black bag again and guess what _ it was hers! That was so funny that I nearly burst into laughter.

Anyways, we went on the plane and sat on our seats. It was Pegasus airlines. Our flight was to stop in Gokcen Airport and then go to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. And we had some time between the flights, so we could hang out in Turkish airport.

Inside Gökçen Airport

It was a middle of November and, of course, there were Christmas preparations started alreadyand I really didn't expect Gokcen Airport to be that decorated! Well, maybe a little bit, but that was beyond my expectations. The decorations were so cleverly mixed with all those cafes and shops in the airport, that you wouldn't want to leave there.

There were those two floors. I guess we went on the first floor after passport control or whatever that is and we were amazed with all that stuff. Remember when in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" the children go into the Hogwarts Dining Hall and they look all dazzledand don't know what to look at and they want to see everything and they are so curious about things there, _ that's how we were. And if we were in a film we would be just like them and the scene would be just the same as Harry Potter.

The first floor was full of different shops and there were watches from Swatch and other brands. On its opposite, there was a large duty free shop where you could buy many things including cosmetics and perfume for both women and men, and the testing thing is just great there. So, I remember that I was just looking at the perfume and I didn't try them or something and after some time this guy approached me and asked me which one I liked the most. Well, I didn't really know, but I told him about one of them and he just said: _"why don't you try it?! " Then he just sprayed some of it at me. It smelled good, but not good enough for me.

There were many chocolates in a store in front of us. M&M's and many others that you would want to eat them all! I bought some chocolates on my way back home, though.

There were dining places mostly on the second floor and there was Burger King and McDonald's and things like that. And there also was this pizzeria where all the greatest pizzas were prepared. We bought things in McDonald's and just waited for our flight to be announced. And we wanted some Wi-Fi access, but there was not any. So, when we ate, we walked downstairs and went in some cafe, where they had Wi-Fi but they could tell you the password if you ordered something, so we ordered some coffee and chocolate and water. I don't know it was for us or what, but they didn't charge us for water, so we just brough all the water bottles to our table. Well, not all of them, but you get the main idea.

We were there until our flight was announced and then we went downstairs where all the planes were and where we had to get on one of them and fly toour destination that was Amsterdam!

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