A Surprise For Dinner
September 20, 2008
The Lufthansa flight to Munich was leaving Tbilisi at 3 am. I checked out of the hotel and grabbed a taxi. Once we left the downtown area, we started driving through some sketchy looking neighborhoods. It didn’t seem like we were on a main street anymore and nothing looked familiar. Groups of young men were standing in the street drinking and smoking. I wasn’t getting nervous but I was on guard. A few moments later we came upon a main highway and I saw a sign for the airport. There was a big mural on a wall by the highway with a giant picture of George W. Bush welcoming you to the George W. Bush airport highway. Scary.
I arrived at the airport without incident. I had a couple of hours to kill before my flight so I did a little duty free shopping and grabbed a quick snack. Finally it was time to board the plane.
I was happy to catch a couple of hours sleep en route to Munich. Just enough to recharge my internal battery. My luggage was checked through to Chicago. Didn’t have to worry about immigration or customs in Munich. I had 5 hours to kill. Not enough time to leave the airport and go into the city. I had some breakfast at one of the airport restaurants. Not piles of meat like the restaurant in Tbilisi. Just a couple of croissants, fresh orange juice and coffee. After breakfast I browsed the various stores and then wandered down to the gate - but first I had to pass through a security checkpoint. The security guard told me that he wanted to examine my bag. He did the chemical test for explosives and then emptied the entire contents onto the table. Everything was inspected. I had several camera lenses in my bag. He took out each lens and removed the lens covers to ensure that it was really a lens. The man was very nice throughout the process. He was just doing his job. He put everything back into my carryon and I went over to the gate and watched a movie on my iPod until it was time to leave for Chicago.
There was a really annoying man sitting next to me on my United flight to Chicago. He was a Bulgarian man that grabbed my arm every time that he spoke to me. I wasn’t looking forward to 9 hours of this. After a couple of hours I told him that I wanted to take a nap, so I put on my headphones and tried to get some sleep, When I wasn’t sleeping, I kept my eyes closed in order to avoid further conversational arm grabbing. Thank goodness he began talking to the woman on the other side of him.
We arrived in Chicago in the mid-afternoon on a Saturday. Immigration was jammed up with passengers from several different flights that arrived simultaneously. At least the lines were moving reasonably well. Immigration man gave me the thumbs up and I proceeded to the baggage carousel with hope that my bag had made it from Tbilisi. Eventually my suitcase came down the ramp. Yay!!!
My hotel for the night, the Holiday Inn Express, was close to the airport and they provided a free shuttle bus service. It was only a brief wait for the shuttle and a 5 minute drive to the hotel. I checked in at the front desk and went up to the room. It had a separate bedroom and a small kitchen area with a refrigerator and microwave. Very convenient. Originally I was supposed to pass through Chicago on Monday night. I had plans with some friends I know in Chicago. I called them but they weren’t able to get together. I decided to call my brother because he lives in the same time zone. I was telling him all about my trip to Tbilisi. We were talking for 10 minutes when I mentioned that I was in Rosemont Illinois. Surprise!!!! My brother was also in Rosemont for a medical meeting. Him and his family were at a hotel 6 blocks away. What a coincidence. We agreed to have dinner at the restaurant in the lobby of my hotel.
We had a great dinner. Afterward I went back to my room to get some sleep. I had a long day and was fairly tired. Around 1 am I awoke to the sound of fighting in the room next to me. Two guys were yelling at each other and throwing each other into the wall. They must have woke up everyone because soon I heard the night manager knocking on their door. The fighting stopped and I went back to sleep.
I arrived at the airport without incident. I had a couple of hours to kill before my flight so I did a little duty free shopping and grabbed a quick snack. Finally it was time to board the plane.
I was happy to catch a couple of hours sleep en route to Munich. Just enough to recharge my internal battery. My luggage was checked through to Chicago. Didn’t have to worry about immigration or customs in Munich. I had 5 hours to kill. Not enough time to leave the airport and go into the city. I had some breakfast at one of the airport restaurants. Not piles of meat like the restaurant in Tbilisi. Just a couple of croissants, fresh orange juice and coffee. After breakfast I browsed the various stores and then wandered down to the gate - but first I had to pass through a security checkpoint. The security guard told me that he wanted to examine my bag. He did the chemical test for explosives and then emptied the entire contents onto the table. Everything was inspected. I had several camera lenses in my bag. He took out each lens and removed the lens covers to ensure that it was really a lens. The man was very nice throughout the process. He was just doing his job. He put everything back into my carryon and I went over to the gate and watched a movie on my iPod until it was time to leave for Chicago.
There was a really annoying man sitting next to me on my United flight to Chicago. He was a Bulgarian man that grabbed my arm every time that he spoke to me. I wasn’t looking forward to 9 hours of this. After a couple of hours I told him that I wanted to take a nap, so I put on my headphones and tried to get some sleep, When I wasn’t sleeping, I kept my eyes closed in order to avoid further conversational arm grabbing. Thank goodness he began talking to the woman on the other side of him.
We arrived in Chicago in the mid-afternoon on a Saturday. Immigration was jammed up with passengers from several different flights that arrived simultaneously. At least the lines were moving reasonably well. Immigration man gave me the thumbs up and I proceeded to the baggage carousel with hope that my bag had made it from Tbilisi. Eventually my suitcase came down the ramp. Yay!!!
My hotel for the night, the Holiday Inn Express, was close to the airport and they provided a free shuttle bus service. It was only a brief wait for the shuttle and a 5 minute drive to the hotel. I checked in at the front desk and went up to the room. It had a separate bedroom and a small kitchen area with a refrigerator and microwave. Very convenient. Originally I was supposed to pass through Chicago on Monday night. I had plans with some friends I know in Chicago. I called them but they weren’t able to get together. I decided to call my brother because he lives in the same time zone. I was telling him all about my trip to Tbilisi. We were talking for 10 minutes when I mentioned that I was in Rosemont Illinois. Surprise!!!! My brother was also in Rosemont for a medical meeting. Him and his family were at a hotel 6 blocks away. What a coincidence. We agreed to have dinner at the restaurant in the lobby of my hotel.
We had a great dinner. Afterward I went back to my room to get some sleep. I had a long day and was fairly tired. Around 1 am I awoke to the sound of fighting in the room next to me. Two guys were yelling at each other and throwing each other into the wall. They must have woke up everyone because soon I heard the night manager knocking on their door. The fighting stopped and I went back to sleep.
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Wonderful and convenient
I had an overnight layover in Chicago, so I needed a place that was convenient to O'Hare airport and a hotel that provided the creature comforts to which I am accustomed. I finally decided on the Holiday Inn Express. What a great decision.
I arrived at the International Terminal at the Chicago O-Hare airport. After exiting immigration and customs I called the hotel to request the shuttle pickup. Within 10 minutes the hotel's shuttle bus arrived at the international terminal. A short bus ride and we were at the Holiday Inn Express. Front desk check-in was fast and friendly. My hotel room had a seating area with a TV and a separate bedroom. The seating area had a mini-refrigerator, sink and a microwave. Very convenient feature if you're on a business trip and don't want the hassles of eating out all of the time.
The lobby of the hotel has an area where you can buy souvenirs, snacks and also frozen dinners and foods for your room's microwave. The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast but I didn't take advantage of it. On the ground floor of the hotel is the Harry Cary restaurant. Harry Cary's is an excellent steak and chop house. I had a top notch dinner at Harry Cary's. I highly recommend having a meal there.
Across the street from the Holiday Inn Express is a McDonalds (if that's more your style) and just a block away is a strip mall that has a couple of small restaurants. If you want to take the el train into downtown Chicago, simply take the hotel's shuttle bus to O'Hare airport and board the el train there. You'll be in downtown Chicago within the hour.
I arrived at the International Terminal at the Chicago O-Hare airport. After exiting immigration and customs I called the hotel to request the shuttle pickup. Within 10 minutes the hotel's shuttle bus arrived at the international terminal. A short bus ride and we were at the Holiday Inn Express. Front desk check-in was fast and friendly. My hotel room had a seating area with a TV and a separate bedroom. The seating area had a mini-refrigerator, sink and a microwave. Very convenient feature if you're on a business trip and don't want the hassles of eating out all of the time.
The lobby of the hotel has an area where you can buy souvenirs, snacks and also frozen dinners and foods for your room's microwave. The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast but I didn't take advantage of it. On the ground floor of the hotel is the Harry Cary restaurant. Harry Cary's is an excellent steak and chop house. I had a top notch dinner at Harry Cary's. I highly recommend having a meal there.
Across the street from the Holiday Inn Express is a McDonalds (if that's more your style) and just a block away is a strip mall that has a couple of small restaurants. If you want to take the el train into downtown Chicago, simply take the hotel's shuttle bus to O'Hare airport and board the el train there. You'll be in downtown Chicago within the hour.
