Mud Volcanoes and Petroglyphs

Starting the tour today we were introduced to Karim our guide for Azerbaijan before we set off in our very comfy people mover driven by Farhat. 

Along the 1+ hour drive Karim provided us with background info about Azerbaijan’s recent history, tales of the Caspian Sea, the Azerbaijani oil fields, politics and bits of everything else. He speaks perfect English and has a cheeky side so he will be fun. 

Our first stop was at the mud volcanoes just off the side of the road.  The volcanoes are mere blips on the landscape from where cold mud bubbles up to the surface and plops back down again. The tallest one was about three meters tall with very thick gludgy mud but there were also some little babies at ground level that were bubbling muddy water.  Very cute. 

The mud is similar in look to NZ’s boiling mud but here it is cold. I am told it has healing properties so rubbed some on my hand. I’m expecting the age spots to disappear as I wash it off. We shall see but I’m glad I haven’t put money on it. 

From there we drove on to Ghobustan to the area where millenia old petrographs can be seen etched into the rocks. Again Karim gave us a great commentary.   The rocks cling to the side of the cliff and each looks as though it has been put in place with exacting precision. 

The rocks wend their way up the hill and with my lungs still a bit fragile after being sick I left the others to it, walked back down and found a seat in the shade where I marvelled at the rock formations towering in front of me. 

Touring the interactive museum provided up close details of many of the petroglyphs. Very well done and very interesting. 

I don’t know much about the ride home because I slept just waking as we entered the city where we were dropped at the far side of the Old City. 

Like yesterday I was not excited by this part of the city. Karim was a hive of information and was able to give is the detailed history of a couple of modest mosques, some caravanserai’s and other equally old structures. Excavations showed relics going back millennia and the vast walls surrounding the city no doubt held many stories. Caravanserais have been turned into large restaurants or hotels and no longer hold the charm of years gone by. 

Exhausted by the time our ‘Old City’ tour had finished we wended our way home. I popped into the wee corner store and bought an ice cold beer before I went back to my room where the beer was demolished in quick time. 
The Old City still doesn’t do it for me. Just a tourist trap housing hundreds of stalls selling the same tourist junk. 

The day I arrived I gave my trusted travel trou in for laundering. Yesterday they had not returned and I asked reception to check. They had still not returned today so in a weird way the housekeeper and I managed to have a ‘conversation’ about said black trousers and she went in search. Then on two occasions she bought me someone else’s clothes in case they were mine and then bingo there she was at my door with my trousers and a big hug.  Yay. 

Today has been a long one. I’m not a history buff so much of the content went way over my head. The political history of Azerbaijan was interesting although so complicated much of it has not been retained. I’m certainly suffering from information overload. 
Right now I am in the kebab place over the road from the hotel. Comfort food is needed. I am sooooo tired and working on the basis that I can get to bed and be asleep by 9:00pm. It’s a late start tomorrow so hopefully a good sleep with boost my energy. 
Good night from the beautiful Baku. 
PS. Plastic straws, single use plastic bags and plastic cutlery still in use. They obviously didn’t get the memo. 
PPS. Fanta apparently contains Vitamin C here. Not considered junk food. 🤣🤣🤣