I’ve been totally captured by Azerbaijan, it is such an amazing place.  I am so pleased I decided to come here.  There is such a friendliness and welcoming nature that encapsulates the traditional and the modern.  The word that jumps out at me is respect, the way they dress, the way they interact with each other and outsiders, and are SO polite. Western countries could learn a thing or two. It also feels safe, always, and for a guy traveling alone and carrying around an expensive camera that is in this day and age can be surprising..  Thank you for allowing me to enjoy your country, if only for a few days.

If you have seen pictures of Baku, you will have probably seen The Flame Towers; it’s a construction that cost $350 million, and amazes with 10,000 LED screens to showcase a night time view that catches the eye completely.  The flames symbolize fire which the Azerbaijani’s place great importance on to represent the light of wisdom.  To us mere tourists, they are just plain spectacular.

Baku has three parts, the old city, the Soviet built town and the new modern part of the city.  Baku’s name itself is interpreted as the ‘city of winds’, and is known for being windy here.  I have seen none of that, just warm calm sunny days in this attractive city at the connection between Europe and Asia, which has been an independent state since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

So, what brought me here?  12 months ago I watched an English TV show with Joanna Lumley called Silk Road.  It was the first time Baku came into my mind as a possible place to visit.  When I delved a little deeper, it became a must place to visit.  My free walking tour here in Baku was excellent, and I would highly recommend it as a great introduction to the historical, traditional and modern sides to Baku.  My guide, Shahin, gave an interesting and totally engaging introduction to Baku that made it all the more intriguing, and gave such great perspective.  On meeting Shahin he thought I was Colin Greenwood, a member of Radiohead, if only.

At night time Baku just glistens, a trip to Highland Park on the Funicular is a must because it leads you to this..

And from the waterfront…

And a cool skyline from my hotel room too…you could say Baku impresses, and some.

On my last full day here I still had two places I really wanted to visit, the Heydar Aliyev Museum.  It’s rated as the #1 tourist destination on Trip Advisor, but to be honest I was a bit skeptical, but fair play to those folks at Trip Advisor, the reviews were well founded, and this is a great building, area, museum, it is one amazing piece of architecture, and impresses inside and out.

After a couple of hours there I was off to the Baku Olympic Stadium for a tour that I had arranged earlier in the day, and set for 2pm.  When I arrived at the Stadium VIP entrance I was met with the often used phrase “Stadium is closed”.  I explained that I had phoned ahead in the morning and they began making calls, they could not have been more gracious in their help.  After a short time it was decided that the security guard would just show me around.  He was so polite and helpful, though could not speak English well, so it got kinda interesting.  I was trying to explain that I was born in England but live in America, but he interpreted that I had a wife in England and a wife in America. Interesting concept 🙂

So, what about the people here..well, I have to say ‘not like I expected’, though I am not sure what I expected either.  Azerbaijani’s are so nice, polite, well dressed – the experience today at the stadium was in line with all I have experienced here.  It feels especially safe, people are welcoming and willing to help in all areas of interactions.  I’m delighted to say it has been every bit as good as Ukraine, maybe better.

I’ve been to some different restaurants, firstly based on guess work, and then on two recommendations.  The first stop was at Taksim Kebap were I had my favorite meal of the whole trip.  The service was good and the food was unbelievably good.  The second day I went on a cheaper recommendation for Xezer Cafe close to Old City; when I walked in it was packed with locals, always a good sign.  The food was good and hearty, and the service was speedy and with a smile.

My third experience wasn’t great.  The food was and continues to be, but at Dolma the service was not good, and here I was not made to feel welcome. Couldn’t fault the food, and the restaurant was nice in style, but the service took too much away for me.  It was a shame and my walking tour guide would be disappointed his recommendation didn’t turn out well for me.  On my final night I went back to Teksim Kebap, it did not disappoint.

Tomorrow I am headed for the vibrant beating heart of Georgia, Tbilisi. Looking forward to it as my final stop on this trip.