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June 28, 2006

The devil went down to Georgia, then got ready to fly to Azerbaijan

TBILISI, GEORGIA -- They say that New York has a lot of restaurants, so it must have a lot of actors. (Who else would work in all those restaurants?) Here in Georgia, they have a lot of grand old buildings, so they must have a lot of banks. (Who else would occupy the buildings?)

Eventually I'll post Tbilisi pics, including some great bank shots (yippee!), when I download them from the camera. For now, the batteries are running low and I need them in Azerbaijan, where I fly tomorrow afternoon. I'll overnight in Baku, the oil boomtown on the Caspian Sea coast. (Actually, the Caspian Sea is often considered the world's largest lake.) From there, I'll make a two-night trip up to Quba and Xınalıq.

I'm occasionally asked how I choose destinations to visit and rarely have a good answer. Sometimes it comes down to relying on the guidebook and a travelogue or two. Here's what Lonely Planet says about Xınalıq:

This dramatically located, remote mountain village is perhaps the single most fascinating tourist destination in Azerbaijan. Located on a mountain peak with stunning 360-degree mountain views across the Caucasus Mountains..., Xınalıq boasts its own distinct language and culture, along with impossibly picturesque stone houses that, were it not for the sattelite dishes, could have been transported from the Dark Ages. Often wrapped in a spooky cloud that gives a haunted medieval feel, this is the ultimate adventure in Azerbaijan.

That said, annual tourist figures are probably under 100 people, mainly due to the remote location and difficulty of getting here. The dirt track from Quba is only passable by 4WD and, even then, the route may not be clear to those who have never been there, and changes depending on the weather conditions and the strength of the numerous rivers that need to be forded. [Fording a river = driving the jeep through it.]

The guidebook goes on to note ruefully:

Rates [for a mountain guide] from one individual to another, but you should pay a minimum of $20 per day to a maximum of $40. However, you will probably be charged extra for the horse. They are more valuable than people here; expect to pay $40 for each horse.

The guidebook should also mention that the village has a single phone line and electricty for maybe an hour or two a day. I'll probably stay overnight at some random Xınalıqi's house, but the Caucasians have proven themselves might hospitable to random visitors, so it will be quite interesting.

Further, we'll see if Xınalıq lives up to these lofty promises. Lonely Planet usually doesn't disappoint.

Posted by adrianjo at June 28, 2006 01:54 PM