April 2018

I arrived on a Friday morning by the night train from Tbilisi, not sure if the two Caucasus countries would be similar or different. Turns out they're very different, but in ways that make them both interesting. Baku, for one, was one of the most modern cities I've ever seen, with pristine stone buildings, numerous pedestrian streets, and virtually no garbage anywhere. It was definitely one of the most visually beautiful cities I've seen, but the only downside was that it didn't have quite the outgoing spark of life Tbilisi has. The best part of the trip though had to be the time spent with my friends Nadir and Zinyat. The two of them went all out to make sure I had the best trip possible and made me feel welcomed like royalty.

Outside of the city, we made trips to an ancient Zoroastrian fire temple called Ashtegah, which was one of the most interesting sites I've seen anywhere and to a site of Neolithic stone carvings called Gobustan. There, alongside the history and thousands of amazing carvings, the natural landscape was absolutely mesmorizing. It is a place I absolutely wish to return to some day, and makes me want to explore more of the nature Azerbaijan has to offer.