Rejected - No ferry for us today.

We need to get onto the ferry to Turkmenistan as soon as possible.  We only have a five day window.  After two unsuccessful days of trying to contact the ticket agent Viktoriya we decided to sit outside her other office at the new port and wait.  We waited and waited and at 12.30pm she turned up and if there was no urgency.

Today is day two of our five day transit visa for Turkmenistan and we are still in Baku.  

 

Yesterday when we eventually got to talk to Viktoriya she was all smiles as if she had given us royal treatment.  Yes there is a ferry today for you back at the old port - it might leave tonight.  She then asked to look at out visas again and our vehicle permits.  Looking at the documents she said "Ah this is a problem - you cannot go to Turkmenistan"  Apparently when our personal visas were stamped allowing us thirty days in Azerbaijan - the bikes were issued with a permit allowing them into the country for three ( 3 ) days.  What, why, who?  She was right that is what the permit said in Azeri which I cannot read.   Why would the border police do that and not tell us?  Mistake perhaps but we were rejected for the ferry.

 

We were sent away saying we must talk to Customs who are at the old port back in town.  Down Jim and I go and we track down the Customs officers.  Yes our bikes have been put on the "Red" list because they have overstayed their permits.  No they cannot help today and we must go to the Head Quarters and sort it out.  There will be large fine to pay if our explanation is accepted - if not what then?  Oh by the way HQ isn't open today and it opens at 10am tomorrow.

 

So tomorrow is now today and it is day two of our five day permit.  We go to Customs HQ and beg forgiveness, seek their indulgence and pay a fine.  Then we seek out Viktoriya again.  We hope she doesn't find any further problem with our paperwork.  We further hope that another ferry leaves today with us and our bikes on it.

 

Best case for us is - Day two - we get on a ferry.  Day three we arrive late and are allowed into Turkmenistan.  Day four and five we ride like crazy through the country.  Seven hundred miles in two days.

 

Next best/worst for us is - Day two - we get on a ferry.  Day three and part of day four is taken up waiting and going through customs.  That leaves us with a day and a half riding seven hundred miles.

 

Worst case scenario - I hate to think.  Deal with that when I have to.

 

If I get the ferry today - no communication for a couple of days.  No internet or telephone.

Conversations and more time walking in Baku

I met several English speaking Azeri men here at the hotel and we have had conversations that always start with "How much did you pay for that motorcycle?"   The average 'Joe' or is that 'Mustafa' cannot afford a BMW so anything with a BMW logo is or must be expensive.
 
When I explain that my motorcycle is nine years old.  That it was a repairable write-off which I had to repair.  When they satisfy themselves I am not a rich man fortunately the conversations move on from there.

I admit my sample is small and may not be representative of the majority but surprisingly they don't mind making fun of themselves.  They laugh about the corruption that starts with even the lowest paid job and goes all the way to the top.  They laugh about the horrendous traffic and the non-compliance with the traffic rules - what there are some rules????.  They laugh about how people living outside the country perceive them.  Deep down I suspect there is a sense of disquiet and melancholy in their humour.  They all would like for things to be different.

Apparently the traffic police say "I need breakfast" if they want money from you.  Well most of them look like they have had their share of breakfasts.

I read up on the president.  Wikipedia and other websites are not complimentary.  They allege that he is a gambler and is enriching himself at the expense of his own country. They allege that his family own overseas real estate worth hundreds of millions.   I don't know if that is correct or not but it is consistent with what the Azeri men are saying.

I asked about the secular state and the fact that not many appear to be religious.  There are only a few mosques and most people don't comply with Islamic teaching in regards to clothing, alcohol and even food.  Apparently the 'system' discourages Islam having to much influence even more so than in Europe for example.  Discrimination in the schools and workplaces is commonplace - I am told.  They are Muslim and want to be more observant.

In the evening I went for a walk to Martyr's Alley.  It is like our Shrine of Remembrance in St. Kilda Road,  Melbourne.  In 1990 the Azeri fought the Soviets for their independence.  The Alley, which is built on top of the hill overlooking Baku, commemorates the men and women that were killed.

 

Getting to the top of the hill was quite a climb but well worth the views once there.

 

 

Also at the top of the hill these buildings stand beside one another.  One pays homage to the 'here and now' while the other to the 'here after'.

 

 

No doubt Baku is trying very hard to show the rest of the world that it is open for business.  It recently had the Eurovision Song Contest and it won the right to host the Olympics in 2020.  Building projects are steaming ahead and new shopping precincts charge European prices plus.

 

 

Some are enjoying the spoils of the booming economy.  The owner of the big yacht in the background below named his boat "Sedation".  Now that got me to thinking is that what he does, sedate people, or is that what the boats serves to do i.e., sedate the owner after all the worry he or she has counting the money.

 

 



Evening arrived and Red Bull, the caffeine drink, was in town with their stunt motocross riders.  Had to go and be part of the free action.

 

 

These guys are good - go on try doing that with a R1200GS.

 

Getting to know Baku better than I expected and better than I hoped.  Only two days to go before I get on that ferry - fingers crossed.

 

 

 





    

Passing time in Baku

We cannot leave Azerbaijan until the 28th of May.  That means that we have plenty of time to explore this beautiful city.  The 28th May also happens to be an Azeri holiday - so it may yet not happen on that day.

 

Below in the park the only young woman I saw all day wearing the headscarf was a drop dead gorgeous young woman wearing a fantastic and colourful outfit - the irony is that although she is obviously religiously observant she was also smooching with a young man. 

Jim, my travel companion, at sixty years of age started his first Facebook account.  Well he now has hundreds of Facebook 'friends' and more are following his posts every day.  His popularity paid off for us when he was contacted by another Welshman ('friend') who said he had ('friends') in Baku.  One of those friends made contact with Jim and offered help should we need it.  This friend is also a Welshman who just happens to work in the oil industry here in Baku.

Tim, the oil company executive, was very busy and couldn't take time off work but sent his family driver, with Pajero, to assist and drive us anywhere we wanted to go - within reason I presume.  How good is that?  Jim, Clive and myself got to see some of the city we otherwise would not have seen. 

The driver also took us to a large market ( spread over several acres ) where car parts, tyres and wheels are sold.   New and second hand.  Someone in the car unkindly suggested that this is where all the stolen European cars came to be re-birthed.  Who knows - maybe his is right.  While I was there  I looked for tyres for my trailer - no luck.   Plenty of eight inch tyres but only suitable for agricultural equipment.

Nice to have a driver for an afternoon.

It is a beautiful city, as I said, but there are stark contrasts.  The traffic is horrendous and grid locked in places.  Lanes and signs do not appear to trouble anyone because they are ignored.  Surprised just how few accidents there are.

 

Almost every street in the city has some building project is underway.  Some places I had to wonder who was supervising all this activity.  The scaffolding on this new build was somewhat dodgy.  A four inch nail driven into a stick of timber is all that is between life and death here.

 

The starkest contrast of all is the oil fields on the southern outskirts.  All the easy oil was taken many years ago.  Much of the oil was lying on the ground and in rivers of oil and water.  The oil producers are having to go deeper and even out to sea to mine the oil now.   I did see what looked like a natural waterway that had some oil flowing.  I also saw trenches where oil was directed into reservoirs.

 

 

There is also a lot kitsch or is that cute on display - but hey who am I to comment.  Fake Venice canals together with motorised gondolas and theme parks for the children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baku Oil

In the southern suburbs ( yes I mean 'in' ) and on the outskirts of Baku city you start to find the 'nodding donkey' oil pumps.  The first one I saw was next to a house and the second was beside a roadway and then all of a sudden all of that gives way to a huge jumble of old rusting steel, spilt oil, working pumps and other infrastructure that goes with oil production.

"The World is Never Enough" James Bond movie had several scenes were these oil fields were depicted.   One scene I remember had James driving the Aston Martin with these oil fields in the background.

James Bond in Azerbaijan - click this link to see the oil fields I visited today.

The clip shows him driving from the oil fields into a forest - yeah as if.  This is what you drive into - rolling grassed hills.

The Azerbaijan people have been mining the oil and gas for centuries and over that time a lot of debris from the industry has accumulated.  In this area, from what I saw, some of the mining practices are not 'best practice'.  Oil and water being pumped up from the nodding donkey pumps end up in a reservoir.  Just a hole in the ground where, sometime later, the separation process starts.

Gas leaks out of the ground and some fires have been burning for years without being extinguished.  The photographs below were taken at Burning Mountain about twenty kilometres outside of Baku.

 

Gas leaks up through mud and water.

 

 

The money generated from oil and gas makes Azerbaijan a booming economy and the gloom and pollution at the Baku oil fields isn't what other modern fields are like - I hope.  Glad I rode through and got to see the mountains first.

 

 

 

Americanisation and Europeanisation of the local culture!

Is it possible that we will become one homogenised world culture?  A blend of European, American and local.  All the differences in clothing, foods consumed, housing and social mores will be lost making us all very similar.  The 'old' world lost for a 'modern' blended world.

Maybe it will be a good thing if it happens and Azerbaijan along with everyone else seem to be well on their way. 

Fast food stores such as KFC and McDonalds appear to epitomise the American way of internationalising products and doing things.  The Azeri seem to have taken on the American way, as we all have, in a big way.

Today I saw what has to be the biggest KFC store anywhere.  A large ornate stone 1926 building turned over to almost exclusive use of the fast food giant.  No subtly used - just in your face stuff.

 
The scale of this fast food outlet is not appreciated until you get inside.  Three floors in which to consume the gourmet treats on offer.  Jim was right when he said,  "This is the Vatican of fast food."

 



Don't get me wrong I have been known to consume 'fast food' and yes I enjoyed it.  Just commentary on the direction we all appear to be moving in.      

How to - Caspian Sea crossing from Baku to Turkmanbashi

This information is provided to help others who may be looking to ship themselves and their bikes from Baku to Turmenbashi.  The information I read on the internet was old information and needs to be updated - some of it was just plain wrong.   I hope this information helps - but in time it will be out of date as well.

First look for the intersection of Adadliq Prospekti and Neftchilar Prospekti.  The latter is the main multi lane road that runs along the Caspian Sea foreshore in Baku.  Some the expensive hotels such as Hilton Baku are located there or nearby.  On the sea side of the road there is a park set up for kids with carnival type rides - it is called Milli Park.  On the city side of the road there is a huge building called Azadliq Meyd. - looks a government building.  The Baku Hilton is also nearby.

See all of those you are in the right spot.

Stand facing the sea and turn left.  Start walking towards the Ferry Passenger terminal.  It is a new-ish building with a car park at the front.

Walking past that terminal - it is not what you want - after which there is nothing but a building site on your right - so in a few months time there will be something erected there. 

Past the building site there is a small park and car park to the Marina.

 

Walk past that and there are three railway tracks that cross the road.  You want the last of the three that and goes down a laneway. 

 

Follow the tracks to a boom gate and white buildings.

Walk past the boom gate for about five paces and there is a door on your right. 

It is unmarked but walk into the building and you will step straight into a small foyer - there is a desk in the foyer and on your left there is a small office - that office is where Viktoriya works.  She speaks English very well.  She is the woman you want to talk to.

Her mobile/cell phone number is - +994502665354

Her comment to us was - "I cannot get you onto today's ferry sorry the captain has a problem with petrol ( by that I think she meant hazardous materials - I don't think he is addicted to sniffing it ) but I can get you onto the new ferry tomorrow which is much better."  The option of two ferries in consecutive days?????   Thought I had come to the wrong place.  Wasn't there supposed to be all sorts of issues about waiting weeks, etc.  Unfortunately we couldn't take up her offer of the 'new' ferry because of our visa which is date specific.

We explained that our visa for Turkmenistan was valid until the 28th May so we would be looking for a crossing to coincide with or as close as possible after that date.  She seemed certain that she could arrange that for us. 

She wanted to sight our visa first - apparently she has had bikers turning up without visas expecting to get one on arrival??????

Will post the process of boarding the ship/ferry in about a weeks time.

Azerbaijan oil money

No shortage of money in this town.  Prices for meals, accommodation and services are right up there with cities such as London.  Like most cities there is a huge difference between the top and bottom end of town.  Here there appears to be several layers of the 'top end' of town. 

Near our hotel, which is in an outer suburb - about six kilometres out, there are numerous very large ornate homes.  If I had to classify the suburb I would put it at the lower rung of top end.  Out of the driveways of these homes come very nice expensive European cars with chauffeurs driving them.  The women in the back are dressed and groomed to the max. 

We are in the outer suburb because we couldn't afford ( didn't want to pay ) the inner city rates.

Just ten metres away from the hotel are several such house.  Not my taste in house but they are huge.  There are hundreds of these - if not thousands. 

 

 

Just a block or two away is how the vast majority live.