Turkey been blogged: Midnight Train to Georgia

Leaving Malatya was not easy, but the plan was to head to the Georgian border by train through Turkey to the far northeast corner, to the city of Kars. Kars is known to be the coldest city in Turkey. It is located in the mountains, tucked far away from any other Turkish city. The total time in transit was to be 26 hours.
The train never made it to Kars!
Instead, the train carrying around 30 passengers, came to a halt just before minight, about 60 miles from Kars. The problem was a stretch of track that was covered in snow and impossible to cross. For three hours we sat on a motionless train (it didn't matter I slept through it). The hard part was getting to the minibus that was parked some thirty yards away, ready to take us to Kars. The trek between train and bus was in the dark and through thick mud, I carried my heavy backpack and tried not to fall while trailing the man ahead of me who was using his cell phone for a flashlight!
Rolling into Kars around 4:00am, gave me time to take a quick nap at the train station, before watching the sunrise. The snow had fallen heavy on the city throughout the night and into the morning, but the sun was hot enough to warm my skin and give me energy to head to Georgia.

With minimal strife at the border, our path has led to Tbilisi, the country's capital. Though the language barrier continues to be the biggest problem, the food has been good and the beer has been cheap (found a pint for about $0.50).

St. Paddy's Day was spent in one of two Irish pubs in town, listening to a live band belt out 70's classic rock with thick accents!
The cost of living is low and any outsider can see the damage that has been caused by the years of turmoil here. The streets are crowded with people of all ages asking for money, their expressions reflecting their destitude, and the living conditions of many of the residents look like the next gust of wind might take their shelter away.