3rd September: Baku, Azerbaijan
Neither of us slept much and what we had was fitful. There was also seemingly a car crash followed by screaming right outside at around 3am, which sounded horrific and certainly didn’t aid our state of mind. We were slow getting going again, spending time in the chay garden on the laptop figuring out the bag situation and insurance. We had a few different numbers for the airline and ground crews on WhatsApp and sent all of the info we could to every number. We resolved to stay in Baku longer if necessary to either wait for the bag or buy new stuff, and to try to keep busy in the meantime.
We headed back to the old city around noon, again via the local bakery for a glass of kvas and a bag of pirojki. We found an entrance at the southern end and stumbled across the impressive Maiden’s tower, which was likely once part of the defensive walls of the city. Through the old streets again and this time into the Palace of the Shivanshahs, who ruled this area in between Russian, Iranian, and other control. The history of Baku is mind-boggling in terms of how many times control has changed hands. The British were even here (surprise, surprise) for a while in 1918, as the ‘great powers’ (pillagers) began to carve up Ottoman territory. The Shivanshah’s navigated the various factions and remarkably held power from the 9th to the 16th centuries. Their restored palace was definitely worth visiting, although more for the external architecture than any of the exhibits inside.
Incidentally, the ‘expo’ vibe of the city is actually much more traditional than it first appears. Baku has been used in this vein to showcase wares for trade by whoever has been in charge for the past few centuries. Going back further, the caravanserai of the area were a melting pot for intersecting East-West and North-South trade routes along the silk road. Similarly, extraction of natural resources is something with a long history here, even before oil was discovered in 1837. The oil-boom ‘starchitecture’ is actually just the most recent incarnation.
We’d had a few messages back and forth with staff regarding the bag and they seemed hopeful, but we still needed to get a few items of clothing and toiletries for Kaja. The mall we ventured to looked enormous, but was definitely style over substance. There was very little we could find to fit, so crossed our fingers that we wouldn’t need to replace everything here. The highlight was a slide from the roof down to the ground, but I didn’t fancy being stuck in another metal tube quite yet!
The funicular was operational (contrary to what we’d heard), at least once the driver finished his sit down in a very comfy looking armchair whilst everyone waited for 15 minutes. The air at the top was much clearer and cooler than the highly polluted air at sea level (actually 28 metres below sea level – Baku is the world’s lowest capital) and the low sun provided great light over the nearby memorials and flame towers.
Hungry, we headed to the same restaurant as last night. This time trying the delicious aubergine and walnuts; a vegan version of lule kebab, dolma, and (breads) with various spinach, soya, and pumpkin fillings. The combination of mint, dill, and lemon present in a few dishes is definitely one we’ll be using at home. During the meal, we also heard from someone at the airline through WhatsApp that they’d found the bag and that it would be sent from Ankara tomorrow. We are told that if we’re there after 17:30, we will be able to pick it up. Very cautiously optimistic!