Some Pics

This is one of the most polluted regions on the planet. The landscape outside the city looks like a cross between a Mad Max set and Mordor but there are fantastic parks in Baku. This park, officially know as Primosky Park but known to city residents as Bulvar, lines the Caspian. You can smell the oil. Baku takes very good care of its parks. They were originally constructed when oil barons from the West (Alfred Nobel made his fortune here) wanted parks that reminded them of home.



This is the Maidens Tower. More on this later.







Formerly called the Lenin Museum, now just know as the Carpet Museum.

Good Morning Azerbaijan

This is where I'm staying:

I've arrived and all is well.

Aeroflot was great, they gave me a hotel room,dinner, and breakfast. Although to maintain that I was in transit there was a guard outside my room all night who actually ORDERED me back into my room. Not that there was anywhere to go, the elevator was hidden behind a locked door.

My driver on arrival in Baku did not speak english, which was not an issue until we negoitated the price of the ride. He couldn't understand anything I said besides "money" and "nyet" so we were both yelling gibberish to each other and banging on the dashboard. I knew how much it should cost from the guidebooks but after ten minutes I threw him an extra $5, the disputed amount. He was pissed off, I think becuase he was planning to rip me off substantially more than he got to. His parting remark needed no translation, "fucking Americans".

Issues

In London now and the trip couldn't have started off worse.

BA said that when I arrived in Moscow I should pick up my bag before the connecting flight.

While checking in for the second leg for my trip from Heathrow to Moscow the attendant informed me that with out a visa I wouldn't be able to pick up my bags in Moscow since I would have to leave the airport to do it. Since you can't get a visa on arrival (the only reason I would need one is to pick up bags) my bag would arrive and I am not going to be able to get it. My options: Stay in London and try to get a visa or go and get Aeroflot to try and forward the bag.

Likely I'll arrive in Baku with no books, no clothes except for what I'm wearing and the contents of my carry on bag. I did fix part of that though by picking up Wolfe's 'The Right Stuff' in the lounge. Upward and onward...