To be honest, I had not really marked Azerbaijan as a defined point of interest on the map, but what I in my ignorance had regarded as simply a bridge to the Caspian turned out to be a country rich in surprises. The first of which was the controversy my topographical/political road map created when I was trying to clear border formalities in entering the country. Obviously the issue of Nagorno Karabakh is one that understandably elicits strong reactions in Azerbaijan. Although the ceasefire with Armenian separatists was entered in 1994, the occupation of the Nagorno Karabakh region and the continuing refugee problem that has created is still very difficult for the country. In any event, my map marked the 1994 ceasefire line, and also had an ethnographic key that showed the area as predominantly Armenian. When the border officers saw the map I ended up getting delayed at the border and shuffled from office to office to answer questions about the map, such as where I aquired it, who made it, what where the defined borders of Armenia, which is the correct position regarding the conflict, and so forth. I was glad that the map was of provable Canadian manufacture. But eventually I made it in, and the guards were all quite nice about the process.

The Soviet leftovers in Azerbaijan are in a picturesque state of decay, such as this charming mural in a roadside bus stop - artistically elevating the state's transportation system. The Soviet murals were particularly elaborate and colorful here. (5-17-05) *

My first day in Azerbaijan was the longest ride of the trip in terms of kilometers (204), but not in terms of travel time. This was because I had a coast down from Georgia to the border, and then once inside Azerbaijan the roads were far better than in Georgia and in large part flat on the way to Gence (the e's should be upside down and inverted in the Azeri spelling). When it is transliterated into the standard latin alphabet it is Ganja - so no, this is not a republic under Rastafarian powers). Still it was dark when I rolled into Ganja, the birthplace of the world's first declared democratic muslim state (later crushed by the Soviets) and I was definitely ready to unwind. I stayed at an opulent Intourist Hotel, with tons of marble, polished wood parquet floors, thick drapes, and BBC on the television. A pleasant change from the Intourists in Georgia which are still in a repugnant state of Soviet era decay. Also, I don't know if you saw this or not, but the Brits on BBC were pretty pumped up about the Scottish MP George Galloway flaming the U.S. Senate Committee, and were looping soundbites from the session the whole evening. I really hope you had a chance to see it in America - I don't know whether he is guilty or not, but that guy was a real firecracker, and an incredibly talented speaker. British politicians are so much more entertaining in a highbrow manner than our own. (5-18-05) *

There is a definite cult of personality that is being established in an odd way through billboards all through the country that show the late president, Haydar Aliyev and his son, the current president, Ilham Aliyev in different situations. What struck me as bizarre about the signage was the context of the pictures, several of which did not seem presidential, but more personal. It almost seemed as if someone had raided the family photo album and posted random photos for the public's driving-time perusal; there were pictures of Heydar throwing a snowball, Heydar and son on a summer vacation, Heydar and son saying hello to school children, and then a wierd fashion shot involving turtlenecks and members only jackets. This one strikes a more contemplative tone. There seems to be a feeling of respect toward the Heydar presidency, but less so for the son's regime, which is viewed to tolerate a bit much in the way of corruption in terms of the distribution of the proceeds of Azerbaijan's oil wealth. In any event, there was plenty of entertaining signage on the ride - including the giant monument to the establishment of the reformed alphabet. (5-18-05)

People talk about Turkey being a liberal secular state, but I thought that Azerbaijan was far more liberal, and had a more secular feel to it, particularly in terms of the professional and social freedom accorded women - absolutely no burqas, plenty of women in the workplace and a sense of social integration that you would not find in more religiously conservative/fundamentalist countries. Obviously I am writing this from a western perspective. During the Soviet era many of the mosques were destroyed, so many of the mosques that I would come across were fairly new, such as this one in Yevlax, with the Soviet style relief in front. (5-18-05)

On the way to Seki I cycled through what looked like the Azeri badlands, with strange ridges and dried hills coloring the scenery. Seki is in the foothills of the Caucasus, and the big draw for me was the chance to stay in an actual caravanserai, which was probably the nicest place I have stayed on the trip. Outside my suite I had the sounds of a rushing river, inside I had 18th century wooden floors, brickwork with nooks and crannies, as well as modern amenities and luxuries. The town itself had a relaxed feel to it, and it was a nice change to have the cool air rather than the heat and humidity of the valley. (5-18-05) *

It is hardcore spring here in Azerbaijan, and the fields are full of wildflowers - purples, whites, reds, and yellows (color identification is the extent of my non-existent botanical knowledge). The air has a defined and powerful scent to it, heavily floral, almost too thick and sweet, but I am enjoying the pure, concetrated spring here. I woke up early and went to visit the Khan's palace a short walk up Seki's sloping cobblestones, and it was a spectacle in intricate glass, tile and woodwork. Later at breakfast I watched another tourist argue with a waiter in the mellow morning sunlight filtering over the mountains. I forgot my wallet loaded with hundreds of thousands of manat in my hotel room, and only discovered its absence after zooming down the mountain road for 20 minutes, so it was a sweaty climb back - but ended with a happy reunion with my velcro trifold. If you visit Azerbaijan, I highly recommend including Seki on your itinerary, as well as a stay at the caravanserai. (5-19-05)

This sign made me laugh as I was cycling out of Seki. Barf laundry detergent comes in a nose-pleasing lemon scent, and as you can see, cleans with a magic brightening power. It would be more fun to see a Television ad urging viewers to wash their clothes in barf. (5-19-05) *

On the road to Qebele I cycled further into the moutains, passing through one small town after another with old men playing backgammon, and restaurants that were basically tables in someone's yard - with most customers limiting themselves to tea. I pulled under a giant tree when it started to rain, and took the opportunity to eat some pretzels and dried apricots with the sound of the spring shower hitting the leaves above me. Shortly after I resumed cycling I was pulled over by these police officers, who were just curious about what I was doing. I actually got pulled over or waved down quite a bit in Azerbaijan, but it was all just the officers' curiosity. (5-19-05)

I had to ask directions a couple of times on the way to Qebele, and everytime without fail I would be surrounded by people who would run over to see what was going on. It was cool. Qebele is home to the gigantic Radio Location Station which was responsible for tracking Soviet space launches. It is still in operation, leased by Russia. I read that there have been complaints of health problems from the radar waves, and I myself had a difficult night of sleep that was interrupted many times by the high powered radar waves emitted by the Soviet device. Actually I think I just ate too much for dinner, which was a good thing, because in the morning breakfast was impossible to come by. There was no shortage of packed tea houses, but none of them served anything other than pots of tea, so I caffeinated myself instead.

As in all the other ex-Soviet republics that I have travelled in, giant World War II memorials are also in Azerbaijan - here you can see the upside down "e" of the Azeri alphabet that I am not able to type on this keyboard. This was only one small part of the memorial, which also included a 30 to 40 foot mourning mother - a standard memorial feature. (5-19-05)