Baku, Azerbaijan – Heydar Aliyev International Airport

Terminal One – Sleek and Modern This is a beautiful airport! Terminal one – for international flights – is sleek and modern. Natural Vibe – Interior The interior has a natural feel with wood trim, greenery and many windows. Add to this the cocoon style shops, cafes and bars! Panoramic View Panoramic view from the…

Baku, Azerbaijan – Old City – Mehelle Restaurant – Traditional Azerbaijan Food

Mehelle Restaurant After our visit to the Maiden Tower, we walked a short distance to Mehelle Restaurant for lunch. Our server was a reserved, yet sweet, young Azerbaijani man who struggled explaining the menu items to us with his limited English. Gonco Dovgasi and Kolom Salati I kept our bill from this lunch to use…

Baku, Azerbaijan – Inquisition Medieval Instruments of Torture

The temporary exhibit of Inquisition Medieval Interments of Torture hosted by the Palace of the Shirvanshah was as captivating as it was repulsive. Michael insisted the torture devices were not replicas – but the real deal. It was not enjoyable thinking that people died agonizing deaths in these devices. If these were original, medieval gruesome torture…

Baku, Azerbaijan – Sights on Our Walk to Old City

Heydar Aliyev Here are sights during our walk to the historical core of Baku, Old City! I believe this is a picture of Azerbaijani politician Heydar Aliyev. Huseyn Javid Poet and playwright Huseyn Javid: Rocks Michael looking for rocks. He collects rocks from all places we travel for a mosaic rock pathway he plans to build for…

Baku, Azerbaijan – Arriving & Scenic Walk to the Caspian Sea

Start of Another Adventure Michael and I flew from Qatar to Azerbaijan. However, this flight out of Hamad International Airport was a final goodbye, a bittersweet farewell of our four years of expat life in Qatar. However, this flight launched a brand new, exciting chapter for us, starting with two months of travel before returning…

Newly Understood Differences Between Azerbaijani & Qatari Culture

Muslim Vibe Azerbaijan was once a state of the Soviet Union and a Muslim majority country. More than 90% of the population are Muslim. Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan. One of my favorite experiences of travel is feeling the vibe of the location. The Muslim vibe in Baku is very different than that of…