Birthday in Baku!

TRAVEL. That's what's inspired me to write again. I feel like an actor making a comeback as they say after a few years of hiatus! But what better than to pen down the experience so that I can reminisce the air of the place years after I've conquered every place on my travel list (at least that's what the aim is)

The setting's ready. The perfect gift I could give myself - A birthday rendezvous with Azerbaijan along with my buddy who's name sounds as fancy as a character in a Disney cartoon Avafrin. After a 3 hour flight of excitement and anticipation we land in the capital city of Baku. We're greeted at the airport by our guide Taleh because well, you get a guide on booking a wonderful 3 nights 4 days holiday package on Holidayfactory.com. Now that I'm done promoting the holiday site hoping they give me discounts on my future trips, let's get back to business. Taleh dressed in an Argentinian football jersey and cargo pants welcomes us with a hug and a handshake and my friend Ava already has a crush on him and has sent him an invite to her home in Mumbai. We leave the magnificently built airport that looked like a ride in a waterpark and head to our 5 star abode- The Hyatt Regency. On the way we see a bridge that oddly resembles the Bandra-Worli sealink of Mumbai, the Haydar Aliyev foundation, a football stadium that caught my eye more because it was designed like packets of biscuit placed one above the other and plush natural green belts that were a relief from the imported vegetation of Dubai (where I currently reside). We reach the hotel which by the way was luxury personified. It had a spacious lobby, an outdoor seating area, a spa centre, pool, restaurants, cafes and everything that could qualify a hotel as a 5 star including beautiful staff members with hopefully natural smiles pasted on their faces 24*7. We place our luggage in the room, freshen up and get ready for a guided city tour of Baku after having lunch at a local Restoran called Kaizen. Warm interiors, sofas with mashnads (cylindrical handrest pillows), war paintings on walls and an interesting 3 course meal comprising only 1 course that I as a vegetarian could actually eat formed an interesting experience.

DAY 1 :
Our first stop is the  Nagorny (Upland) Park. The place boasts of a stunning Panoramic view of Baku with the Parliament of Baku in it's vicinity along with the blockbuster Flame Towers which are the highest skyscrapers in the city. As we enter, towards the left we see an ancient mosque built in the Islamic invasion period, a tall pyramidic tombstone signifying the war heritage the place occupies. We walk further and I realise I should have brought my cap along as we were clearly on flames (not sure if the famous towers were). Taleh shows us the alley with tombs of soldiers and officers killed on Jan 19th, 1990 during a period remembered as Black January. It was the oppression of political opposition by the Soviet Army as hundreds of Azerbaijani officers along with civilians were massacred that day.

Next to the alley is a monument with a mashaal or a flame signifying that the sacrifices of the warriors are still fresh in the minds of the people. We savour the panoramic visuals starting from Baku Eye at the Bay of Baku to the Primorsky Boulevard. As we exit the park, we surprisingly walk in the middle of a shoot happening right there and Ava jokingly says "What are the chances that from working in a Bollywood musical in Dubai we land up on a film shoot on a holiday?!!" Next we head to the old town of Baku famously known as Icheri Sheher. We see houses with fine wall carvings and stylish balconies that are intrinsic of the place with an air that smells rusty, homely & almost other worldly. We reach a mysterious structure called the Maiden Tower - Maiden meaning impregnable. The cylindrically shaped tower made of grey limestone was constructed on a ledge of a rock jutting into the Caspian Sea. The local resident's legend runs as follows "The Shah fell in love with his own daughter and decided to marry her. Terrified by the thought of marrying her father, the daughter who loved a young boy asked her father to build a tower in hope that during the construction her father would change his mind. But the Shah did not change his decision so the girl climbed up the tower and jumped from the top into the Caspian sea".

Enjoying a stroll in the streets and after tasting the famous local dessert called Pakhlava we walk into a souvenir shop where I couldn't resist getting clicked with the statue of an old woman because a click is all that I could afford in that expensive shop. The owner of the shop tells my friend Ava that she's Kashmiri looking and me predominantly Indian looking. I had the urge to correct my innocently racist shopkeeper that Kashmir falls in India but the thought of souvenir discounts won the battle over geographical knowledge in that moment. I distinctly remember a funny old man carrying a bronze horse antique in an open bag rushed into the store almost as if he stole it from an art gallery and wanted to sell it & make a fortune before the police arrested him. He coincidentally accompanied us during a major part of our walk through the old city knocking on every door in the hope to sell the masterpiece for a sizeable amount of Manats (P.S. Azeri Manat aka AZN is the local currency of Azerbaijan). We make a pit stop at the fountain side for a few snaps of the Haydar Aliyev government office centre. By the way that building was so captivating that I remember wishing I lived in a structure that royal. After resting for a bit, we make our way to Baku Boulevard also known as the Seaside National Park. It was originally built for Baku residents to enjoy their leisure time. It starts at the National Flag square and ends at the Freedom Square.

Many cultural and sports events are held at the boulevard which is a large extension of gardens with restaurants by the seaside and a walking/cycling track running through the entire stretch. We observe a Carpet museum along the way also called Xalca shaped like a Marine missile. Done with traversing the entire boulevard we head back to our hotel only to realize we can't get a foot massage since all their slots are booked so we drink some wine, gorge on pizza & call it a day.



DAY 2 :

Come Day 2 and after a hearty breakfast at the hotel served by a gorgeous & ever smiling waitress Aziza (my first crush in Baku) ,we head for the Eternal Fire day tour -the first stop being Qobustan. It's a 40 mile drive to the southwest of Baku on the west bank of Caspian sea. I found it strangely fascinating to see Caspian see on one side and a dry desert on the other. I loved the entrance point of the place which was unapologetically marked with a Huge stone that had carvings of 5 people dancing along with the name Qobustan inscribed on it. We enter the Qobustan National Park which is currently a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

It is a dry hill and mountain site with rocks having images of ships, constellations, animals like goat, ox along with images of humans dancing and hunting carved on them. Taleh enlightens us that the images represent lifestyles and rituals of  people in the pre-historic times and that the area was submerged under the sea millions of years ago. Also present were resonant stones that fascinatingly rang like a gong when I struck them. We walk through to the area under a large tent that had a telescope. I see rocky terrain, human settlements, Caspian sea, mud volcanoes and absolutely marvel at the variety of landscape one frame has to offer. Just about then an old man appears out of nowhere asking to put some coins into the telescope. Clearly "But I'm able to see things without putting any money. It's working just fine" was not the reply he could digest so I put some change in the machine for his sake. I knew I had to take a picture with the unabashedly cool stone with 5 dancing guys and Qobustan inscription so Ava & I literally crossed highways and walked all the way for that 1 precious and rewarding click.


From there we head to the Ateshgah temple or the Temple of Eternal Fire. Located in the suburb of Surakhany the place had me & Avafrin excited as it was the holy place for Zoroastrians and Hindus (Avafrin being a Zoroastrian and me, a Hindu). At the entrance is an inscription in Sanskrit describing the cultural importance of the temple. We see pipelines traditionally used to store natural gas and oil running across the area.  Taleh tells us that Atashgah was considered a holy place by Zoroastrians long before the 17th century when fire worshippers built the temple. Islamic invasion meant the temple was broken & Zoroastrians were forced to move out. However, merchants and traders while travelling along the Silk Route through Azerbaijan came to this place and ultimately laid the foundation of the temple known famously for having naturally occuring eternal fires. Since fire purifies and also destroys, it's seen as an important part of sacrificial, funerary and other rituals. I had to rub my eyes to believe that I'd just seen a projection of a mantra that's dedicated to Lord Ganesha in the Hindu tradition right in the middle of Azerbaijan!

The place also symbolizes the spiritual transformation of the believer. The architectural reserve has interesting miniature representations of tools, people, rituals, ceremonies, lifestyles in separate blocks. After finishing the tour of the temple, Taleh takes us to a Restoran adjacent to the Ateshgah for lunch. The place intelligently incorporates ambience that is contemporary yet has a reflection of the ancient age with food served in utensils similar to those used by the traders that'd come here around the 17th century. I anticipated only 1 course to be vegetarian out of the 3 courses to be served here as well so I stuffed myself on bread and salad only to realise the main course is available in vegetarian. Not such a smartass, am I?

Post a sumptuous lunch we head to the Mountain of Yanar Dag. It's one of the most famous places of the eternal flame. Actually, it's rather a hill than a mountain with natural gas miraculously burning on it's slope from ancient times due to tectonic plate movement. Metre long stretches of fire are licking the stratified land searing those who go too close to the base of the hill. Adjacent to it is a stairway leading to the top of the hill. I climb all the way up the stairway while Ava is busy befriending a stray dog and petting it. More than the view it's the wind that blows me away, like literally! It's so windy that I wonder why didn't anybody open a windmill there. Spreading my hands, closing my eyes I feel like I'm floating in stratosphere. Following this surreal experience, Taleh drops us to our hotel where we head straight to the spa centre for a much needed foot massage because 2nd time's a charm. Fresh and relaxed after the foot healing therapy we put on our nightlife attire and head to the Fountains Square in a typical purple Azerbaijan cab that looks like the cartoon character Droopy McPoodle from Tom & Jerry.

The name Fountain Square derives itself owing to the presence of dozens of fountains constructed under the Soviet rule of Azerbaijan. It's an attractive destination with boutiques, restaurants, shops, pubs, hotels, passages. We enjoy some wine & dine at a famous burger joint and after traversing the square for a bit chill our heels at this happening place called "The Coffeeshop Company". I strongly recommend that you visit this cafe in case you're at the Square. From a range of authentic local food to beer, wine and coffee, this place has it all. Add to it amazing live performances and you have a night to remember. The day ends as we return to our hotel for some beauty sleep.



DAY 3 :

Day 3 and it's time for the Mountain Spirit tour. Basically time to romance the natural beauty of Baku. After having Aziza's adorable smile along with omelette & pancakes for breakfast, we embark on a 2 hour journey to the Guba region. Sadly Taleh couldn't join us as he had another passenger troupe to receive at the airport so Jamil was our guide for the day with the addition of a weirdly silent couple from Dubai for company. Approximately 1 hour into our journey and ZERO conversation with the couple we stop at a point called the Besh Barmag literally translated as the Five Finger Mountain.

It's located in the Siazan district of Azerbaijan. The mountain is a solid rock and is one of the most famous mountains in the Caucasus known for it's mythical stories. Jamil educates us about the story of how it's believed that there lived a Prophet in this region thousands of years ago. Hence, it's seen as a sacred place by Muslim pilgrims and the ritual of sacrifice of sheep and goats is performed at the mountain on the pious occasion of Eid. The mountain is also a famous hiking spot for travellers. Surprisingly the lady speaks to me asking my name and what do I do, albeit after her husband gets down to pee. From there we continue our drive for another hour after which we reach the forest region of Guba. Walking along the 2 kilometre stretch we admire the picturesque mountains - the gushing waters of a river nearby providing a dynamic audio to a serene video. The trees on both sides of the road almost form an A-shaped tunnel not allowing a single ray of sunlight to percolate through them. Some half a kilometre from the forest spot is a small restaurant where you can have some real good chicken as Ava reviewed it and some equally good vegetarian egg dish as was reviewed by me because clearly vegetarian in Azerbaijan means you got to eat egg as a pre-requisite.

A half an hour drive from the forest and we reach our next stop which is the Afurja waterfall. Located in the southern part of Guba it's considered to be one of the most beautiful natural wonders. Situated there was a strangely built restaurant with really narrow passageway of stairs going up almost till half the height of the mountain. We get our cameras working as the waterfall has a mountain range kissing the clouds as the background.

After we're done with the photos, we break for lunch in the home of a local Azeri family. A beautiful woman named Sevta greets us at the door with her grandkids Rehman & Aaysu. I remember Ava nudging me and going "Look at her! She's so gorgeous..I wish I look like her at that age". With the youthful exhuberance that Sevta exhibited, I'd agree with her. She serves us a delicious 3 course home cooked meal with sherbat (and thankfully more vegetarian options in my case) after which I head to their yard talking to Rehman who alternates between running behind chickens in his backyard and shooting me with his playgun & Aaysu who loves posing for photographs. Jamil jokes about how their yard was once completely filled with chicken and each time a travel team has a meal at their place, the population of chicken in the yard reduces. Since I loved the experience, I absolutely recommend getting acquainted with the authentic Azeri lifestyle to fellow travellers. Post lunch, we stop by the lakeside to chill for a bit and then head to our hotel. After a rejuvenating 90 minute massage where a local Azerbaijani masseur dude fresh from watching the film "Rocky" almost breaks my spinal cord, we put on our party clothes on eve of my birthday and head to the Fountains Square. On the way we finally get to witness the Flame animations on the Flame Towers. Call it fate or just a great experience last night we again land up at the Coffeeshop Company this time with an adorable Turkish couple for company. 10 minutes into the conversation and we were already divided into teams- Ava and Safak who love drinking alcohol & Laila and I who preferred coffee. Enquiring about Turkey and exchanging travel notes, we bid them goodbye & headed to the Otto bar to ring in my 26th birthday which I admit turned out to be memorable. 

DAY 4 :

After a night of heavy partying and celebration, I see a curly haired smiling Aziza one final time at the restaurant as she packs a cake for me as a goodbye gesture post breakfast. On offering her a piece of my cake she refuses to eat and replies I'm on a diet which was rather cute so bidding farewell to her, we pack our bags and head to the airport.

As the flight takes off, I'm overcome with the same departing sadness that I experienced on leaving Spain & Georgia on my previous vacations. It's indeed tough falling in love with a place only to realize you got to leave it & move on. Travelling's such a life lesson. It's proof that money can buy happiness. I'll miss you Baku until we meet again!