Adventures in Azjerbaijan

When we found out My Man would be assigned for a three-week assignment in Baku, Azerbaijan, this summer, I asked the kids if they wanted to go visit.  "More traveling?!" sighed one.  "It would be nice to have some down time," replied another.  "Not really, but you should go!" answered the third.  Sometimes I think my kids are aliens.  Who passes up a chance to see a new piece of the world?!  But that is fine by me.  We worked out babysitting and I booked tickets to visit My Man on my own.

He arrived last week and scouted out the area, wandering all through Old Town, making friends with a local barber, and getting the lowdown on the best local restaurants.  Sometimes it's nice to let him go ahead and get the lay of the land.

I'd never been anywhere near the Middle East before and although Azerbaijan doesn't technically count, it feels like it should.  Arid landscapes, oil rigs, dome shamed architecture, palm trees, a blazing hot sun--all it's missing are the camels!

It was a fascinating city to visit and by the end I was disappointed I hadn't had enough time to explore more of Azerbaijan (though My Man had already finagled an invitation to go camping with the local paragliding trip a few days after I left, so he will get to see the green, mountainous region!).

Speaking of paragliding, practically the moment I landed, we were getting up at 4 in the morning to meet the local paragliding club to go fly.  They generously allowed me to tag along, and I was glad I did, in spite of the insanely early hour.  The views of the early morning sunrise over the desert were stunning.

We went to two spots and hiked to the top of the hills at both places.  My Man flew three times (soaring until it was time to go at the second place).  On the second hike up the mountain, as I was walking I ran into something that felt like fishing line strung between the bushes.  Turns out it was the spiderweb for the largest spider I've ever seen in real life (not counting tarantulas).  I was very happy that the spider was still on the web and not on me, or the shock may have caused me to scream or fall off the mountain.  It was seriously huge!

But we made it up the mountain in spite of the gigantic spiders and other bugs and My Man took off.  I hiked, took pictures, and read while he flew.

By noon, when we headed back to our hotel, it felt like we'd already had an entire day of fun.  But after a few hours hiding from the sun, we headed back out to explore Baku's Old Town.

Another evening, we headed to Upland Park, a public area on top of the mountain overlooking Baku.  There is a beautiful monument to the soldiers who died in the Azeri-Armenian conflict in 1992 (which is still ongoing).  There are monuments, a restaurant overlooking the ocean, and a mosque up top as well, not to mention a fantastic view of the flaming towers.  Watching the sunset over the ocean and skyline was incredible.

While My Man was hard at work paying the bills and saving the world, I did a little bit of editing work, researched some upcoming trips, worked out, and read.  One day, however, I signed up for a walking tour of Baku.  I figured out the Metro system and headed for the meeting point.  Only no one showed up.  Turns out I was the only one who had signed up so the tour company canceled the tour, without telling me.  So I took a self-guided tour and had a great time.

Old Town Baku is enchanting, surrounded by impressive walls and turrets, it feels like you are inside a castle.  The roads are cobblestone, there are mosques and palaces and tiny alleys and cute cafes and souvenir shops.  Half of the Old Town is actually under water now, but the part that is left is well worth exploring.

And even though My Man had to walk, it was fun to meet up every day after work to go out for dinner and explore a bit more.

And then, practically before I knew it, my trip was over!  My Man has a little over a week left here, but soon he'll be home and we'll head out on our last summer adventure (a road trip to Western Ukraine).  Overall, I'd have to say I can wholeheartedly recommend a trip to Baku.