Route map

Our route in Google maps, including our campsites. Have a look! Just click on the map to open it.

Too much Baku

A staccato post this time but here are some hints:

- Stuck in Baku, our beloved capital of oil smell and now also stormy weather
- Visa for Azerbaijan about to expire
- Lots of hassle and dollars to get ferry tickets for boarding old sovjet ship to Turkmenbashi yesterday at 4pm
- Ferry was there, we were there, tickets were there, custom officials were there, police was there… and there was a gastrain going onboard the cargo ferry (which doesnt do passengers in Lada’s on a big scale) creating some safety issues
- So ferry went without us
- New ferry arrived a bit later, with destination Kazachkstan this time, which we decided to not board (see ticket hassle and dollar problem)
- Spent the night in tent
- Stormy weather arrived
- No ferry arrived today due to mentioned stormy weather, maybe tomorrow
- Hanging around, chatting to officials, coffee, coffee and tea
- Borrowed laptop from nice Brits enjoying similar conditions with us, and borrowed wifi connection of nearby hotel
While we are not supposed to leave customs but thats ok…

So far so good. Customs people are friendly, coffee keeps us going, nice co-travellers’ company and we even saw some sun today. But our visa for Turkmenistan are near expiry date too so we are trying to think really hard now what to do. Travel agency in Ashgabat mentioned something of a persona non grata status if we are still in Turkmenistan with expired visa – which would be a pretty cool stamp to have in our passports if it wasn’t for all the US dollars it takes to get this status.

Suggestions welcome!

To look up our campground in Google earth (we are based between the rail tracks and you can see the ferry here that is not there for us):
Lat: 40.372022°
Long: 49.865297°

First there’s chaos, then there’s Azerbaijan

So we thought Georgia was beautiful… until we hit Azerbaijan! It took a bit of effort to get there but it was worth every stamp on the paperwork. The border crossing from Georgia was a right pain – or an interesting traveller’s experience in more positive terms. We got our first ’straf’ at customs (funny how Russian and Dutch languages coincide) because we took a different border crossing from the one in our documents. We had to wait for two hours – time happily spent with border ‘officials’ asking for beer, cigarettes and dollars (offers we kindly declined, although we did offer ultra light cigarettes and mineral water which was not quite what they had in mind). After we had done our time the more official exit from Georgia was smooth. And then there was entry into Azerbaijan… Did we have any books with us? Had we been to Armenia? But apparently they loved our Lada so much we got a visa extension (of more than the 3 days transit) to take the car into the country, which is rather useful given we need the machine for a bit longer. After all the paperwork was done we had to see ‘the doctor’ for a health check. Hilarious. Using a checklist translated into English we had to answer yes to: ‘Temperature normal? Dizziness normal? Vomiting normal? Nose normal?’ and two minutes and five dollars later we were officially healthy and fit to travel into the country.

But the place is absolutely heaven. Beautiful mountains in the North, green hills and idyllic views over the grazing herds everywhere. Our first night we stayed over in a caravanserai in Seki and visited the Khan’s palace there. Gradually we woke up out of the dream approaching the capital Baku. From green to brown to grey… the city is a dusty desert and ecological nightmare. On the coast of the Caspian Sea, Baku smells oils and breaths oil – but then petrol is easy to find and this is the first country where our lada juice is actually cheaper than drinking water. The Old Town is nice though and from our concrete meloch called hotel we do have nice views over the city and seafront.

Within an hour after arrival in Baku we bumped into Phil and Angie, a British couple with an impressive white van (we are travelling through Turkmenistan together) and an American guy called Edde who’s doing a similar route on his motorbike (?!). We have heard all the horror stories so we’re very curious to find out about our next destination. With a bit of luck we have tickets for the cargo ferry leaving tomorrow afternoon to Turkmenbashi, some 12-18 of fun across the Caspian Sea. But first, of course, our Lada needs another repair round of some sort to prepare her for the tough tracks in Central Asia. All very exciting, and we hope to tell you more once we get into Uzbekistan in a week.

Phil and Angie’s stories

The new Niva, not as nice as the old one though and not available outside Russia and former Russian countries. Well, not yet anyway!

Views from Georgia

After a detour from Tbilisi to the Southern border for a visit to cave monastery Davit Gareji, and smelling some Azeri air, we arrived in the Northeast province of Kakheti, which is known for er…. more wine. It has been pouring down all day but the views over the mountains in Dagestan and Chechnya are impressive (and we are happy to be on this side of those mountains). We visited yet another church, monastery, cathedral, aristocratic country house, academy and some villages in between. Oh and a vinyard of course to sample some local wine. This is our last day in Georgia before heading to oil boomtown Baku to take a ferry across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenistan. More news from there!

Lada on hill top

Movie: View over the mountains of Dagestan

Welcome to Georgia

How can one ever describe Georgia? For sure the weirdest place so far but an absolute highlight. Land of many Ladas and eternal nights of vodka and wine (which also explains our silence over the last few days; we were drunk or hangover or some state in between). 5 days ago we crossed the border to arrive in Batumi, a once popular resort on the black sea coast but only a fraction of the grandeur is left these days. Still great food. Khachapuri is some super fattening cheese bread found on every street corner and fills you right up. Highly recommendable. Next stop was Gori – known for only one person: Stalin was born here and grew up in this town. Many sites are named after this ‘great person’ (as many locals refer to the man) and unlike in most other former Soviet states the Stalin statues are still standing. We visited the Stalin museum in Gori, which is mostly interesting for what it leaves out: many pictures of a young and rather handsome looking Stalin and his great deeds for the nation, not a word about the Hitler pact or gulags. Outside the museum, which also hosts his original home, was the train cabin in which he travelled across the Soviet Union and to Yalta and Potsdam. Bulletproof and with most original furniture still in there. Our local new best friend told us he got hold of the key to the train during the Rose revolution and had some wild parties in there. Yes history is still alive here.

So far the sober part of the story. During our first night in Gori we went to a restaurant (luckily in the same building as our hotel room – explanation to follow) and were sat next to a big Georgian family enjoying dinner there. After our careful inspection of the menu (where would we be without the LP translation of this totally uncomprehensible language) to make sure we wouldn’t order brains or chopped up stomach, we ordered some ’safe’ dishes. Our big Georgian family was not impressed with our food choices and within minutes our table was filled with dishes leftover from their meal. Oh and some home-produced local wine, which is served is one litre units here. So there we were eating chopped pork legs, while our neighbours proposed yet another toast. Wine kept flowing, the table grew bigger with new best friends, some dancing and singing kicked off and of course the toasting went on and on and on… a rather impressive tradition where the tamada or party manager brings elaborate wishes for Georgia, travellers, good health, beautiful women and plenty of children, those who are not with us etc etc etc, followed by drinking a glass of wine ad fundum. The experience was a good indication of nights to follow.

In the not too early morning we met up with two of our new friends, who took us on a daytour in and around town. But of course first we needed a collective hangover cure. So in the black Audi A4 of one of the boys we drove in topspeed to a smart little restaurant out of town (think blinded car windows, latest dance version of the Georgian national anthem out of the speakers, two little macho boys in the front seats and two very nervous tourists in the back). So whats better for hangover than more booz (by the way the only word we learned in Georgian is bagmani – leave that one to you to figure out). The right remedy is 3 shots of vodka and a pint of lager (‘not more than 3 shots’), in combination with some delicious meat balls called khingali. Great for breakfast. Of course this was followed by more beer, more wine and more vodka. Man oh man, life can be tough.

After another feast we drove to Borjomi for some natural mineral springs – heavily needed. Of course it didn’t take long before bumping into another friendly Georgian, who happened to live in the capital Tbilisi and who took us to his home where we stayed last night. A rather depressing experience to witness where almost two million people live in the capital – old style concrete tower blocks, no hot water or heating, no gas and the place is a dusty mess. But the food was great, our host a lovely person and of course there was more wine… Today we strolled through the old town of Tbilisi – very pretty, with many churches and other old sites, some hip cafes and relaxed areas… actually rather peaceful now apart from a few little begging boys and a big crowd demonstrating for social justice (its 1 May after all). We will probably hide for a while and pretend not to speak any other language but Welsh to make sure we don’t end up with another bagmani in the morning…

In front of Stalin’s birth house with Georgian friend David

Stalin’s train coach

Old things which are enjoyed better with a beer.

Tbilisi outskirts where we stayed one night.

Tbilisi

On our way to Baku.