Azerbaijan - the surprise country
The Georgians wish us good luck crossing the border via a road sign, Mathieu is questioned about his visa and we have to pass more barriers and soldiers than to enter Jurassic Park. Welcome to Azerbaijan!
Good luck!
Mathieu - who accompanies me for two weeks - and I had absolutely no idea what to expect in Azerbaijan. Over the past few months, I have literally crossed more borders than I have done loads of laundry. Unfortunately, therefore, I do not have the time to research in advance as much information as I would like on each place visited.
You enter the country from the north, which is much more mountainous than the southern route, but much less desert for most of the journey. In fact, we will generally follow the side of the Caucasus Mountains, until entering a more desert plain, before finally arriving in Baku, the capital.
415 km from the border to Baku.
The country
Several barriers must be crossed to cross the border. The guards are however very kind and curious about our equipment. While Mathieu must explain that Delorme is his last name and not his first name, and that there is therefore an error on his visa, some guards take my phone ... to be able to take selfies with me! Quite unusual for customs officers. Especially in a country that many call it a police dictatorship.
Azerbaijan, a small country of 10 million inhabitants, is wedged between Russia and Iran, and has Armenia as a neighbor, which the majority of inhabitants call the enemy. There are indeed still almost daily fights with Armenia for the control of territories in the west.
The same family has also been in power since 1993, and there is almost a North Korean-style cult that has been established around theformer president, father of the current one. There are even huge photos of him literally all over the road.
Meetings
With Rauf and Rafo, who offered us dinner and lunch.
Following my meeting in Georgia with the French Solene, I decide to emulate him and be more proactive with people in my search for places to sleep. This will work wonderfully well. Along the way, we will sleep in particular in the courtyard of a restaurant owner who offers us peaches, in the field of a shepherd, in the courtyard of a house and in a melon stall.
A particularly memorable meeting was with the brothers Rauf and Rafo. I know their names were confusing for us too.
At 15 and 17, they want to become a police officer and computer engineer. As they passed their house, they greeted us with a big smile. I stop and ask them if we can enjoy their grass, a luxury rather rare in this part of the country. Not only do we sleep there, but they bring us food, drink, then popcorn, and lunch the next day. Then, after I gave them a flag of Canada, they take us to a small orchard where we can pick apples, plums, grapes, and other fruits that we do not know but that we will bring with joy on the way.
Mountains
We will follow the mountain for the first half of the journey of some 415 km to Baku. Sometimes in the plain, sometimes higher up.
After a long climb, we go to Sheki, ancient Azeri kingdom. Further on, in Qabala, Ataflun, a George Clooney lookalike, invites us for tea. Under a temperature of more than 45 degrees, we do not have to pray for long. After about 14 cups and a snack of candied fruit which seems to be a godsend it's so good, we say to ourselves that we should think about leaving ...
Along the way, we receive invitations from everywhere. People also honk their horns with happiness to see us. Sometimes even a little too loud and close to us. Nonetheless, I think they are the happiest locals I saw on my trip. Mathieu, less used to these jovial demonstrations, makes me laugh:
“Getting greeted like that is like being said hello with a punch. "
-Mathieu Delorme
Matthew.
The ubiquitous and stylish Soviet Lada.
The heat
During all our time in Azerbaijan, the temperature fluctuates between 45 and 50 degrees Celsius during the day. And since I'm the worst at getting up early in the morning, we always end up riding all afternoon (sorry Mathieu).
For this reason, when we cross a bridge and see a clear river coming from the mountains below, we do not hesitate for long to go swimming (and wash ourselves). I honestly believe it was the best swim I have ever had!
The magic river, and an Azeri bather.
The desert
The last third of the journey will take us to a long desert valley. And as several residents tell us, it is impossible to camp there because of the presence of huge snakes as large as the arm, a few meters long, and which can apparently kill us. Welcoming.
The Ferris wheel lost in the desert.
While I am lying on the ground to take the photo of the skull, a melon seller called Namik calls out to Mathieu.
- Your boyfriend does what?
- He's taking pictures.
- Tell him to do it quickly if he doesn't want to die.
- OJ!!!
Namik then invites us to sleep under his stall along the road. He and several other vendors spend the week there selling melons in the desert. They have a common room with a few beds and tarpaulins to protect themselves from the wind.
My Mathieu, who has become Namik's big boyfriend, spends part of the evening playing backgammon with him. And we get offered more melons than we can eat or carry with us. (That is, two. Have you ever tried to carry a melon on a bicycle, have you?)
Mathieu and Namik.
The surprise country
The guys from the road, who were running to come and give us water.
Despite their political situation, the Azeris are of boundless kindness and generosity. Along the way, we met smiling people of all ages and trades who offered us food, drink, or a place to sleep. And since we had no expectations, it takes no more to qualify Azerbaijan as a surprise country.
We still have to discover the capital, but the country has already earned its place in my prize list memorable countries.
