August 23rd: Last night we had a dance down by the old swimming pool. It poured with rain and everyone got soaked. There was no dancing. I went as Ruth’s partner and Gill was supposed to be Garrick’s partner, but she waited for him at the dance and he for her at the hotel!

It’s all very strange. We are waiting for some folks to come from Washington to “process” us. In the interim, we’re hanging around here, trying to follow the news – what are the Russians doing (or not doing), phoning (when we can get through) people back home and in Georgia and trying to amuse ourselves to stop going crazy. Meanwhile, Georgians continue to suffer.

Today we took another trip to Yerevan. A group of eight of us went to an Armenian/Syrian restaurant which was very pleasant. The restaurant was air-conditioned – bliss! The city was brutally hot and I think I got dehydrated when afterwards we walked around an antiques/crafts market.

August 25th: Today the regional director came and in the evening all the G8s were sworn in. It was a bit emotional. The G8s had been through all the rigors of training and now were, for the most part, being shipped back to the US, but at least now they are PCVs and not PCTs.

G8s waiting to be sworn in.

CD Rick gives a speech.

Becky & Michael give a speech.

A toast (with water since it is an official Peace Corps event.)

Michael gets his certificate.

G8 PCVs.

Regional Director David gives a speech.

No. 1 wife and no. 2 wife.

Gill and Dan have a chat in the cafe.

August 26th: Medical test, report writing, form filling and countless other tasks occupy us today and in the next couple of days. That’s the official stuff. Many of us are also arranging for fund-raising in the US and UK and organizing our return to Georgia.

It is now settled that some of us will leave the hotel on Friday, August 29th. Others will be staying longer – those who have elected to take the Peace Corps provided ticket to the US. We shall go to Yerevan, stay overnight and then cross the border and travel to Akhalsikhe on Saturday. That is Carissa’s and Brenden’s destination, but Gill and I go on to Borjomi and Amy will go on to Khashuri. Ruth is taking the Tbilisi route to get Marneuli.