Azerbaijan- Day 2

 

The view from our 4th floor balcony is breathtaking.  At night it is ablaze with color...the city of flames ...so rich in oil.  We sit out on our terrace, eat baklava and gaze at the moon.

 



                                

 Today we went to the summer home on the Caspian Sea and began to truly relax.

The walled gardens grow grapes, herbs, plum, pear and pomegranate trees.  And the flowers were beautiful.

 

 Tea is a national pastime. The water is heated with wood chips and infused with oregano to add a unique flavor.

 

 

Ooh la la... smokey tea with lemon. Tres bien!

 



Azeri Baklava.

 



Elnur 1 and Elnur 2 whose wife is expecting in July.

Aisha and her cousin, who will be married in September

 

Connie and Ryan sharing an inside joke.

 

 

 

 Caspian Sea at sunset

 

We joked all week about how everyone believes all people in the Middle Eastern Countries ride around on camels. And out of nowhere, there he was. Kristen was elated.



 

 Dipping you feet in the Caspian Sea... Check!

 

 Back to the rose garden for good-byes

 

 

 

 

The Aziri hospitality is renowned around the globe. And now we know why... Another wonderful, laughter filled day. Time for bed.

We're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy...

Wow... I am struggling to claim words to describe this place to which we have come... Baku... in Azerbaijan, on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. We came here to see the country of our son-in-law, to meet his family, to honor Katie and Elnur's life together, to experience someplace so different from anything we have ever experienced. And, although we have been here only a day and a half, and most of that comatose from a day and a night of travel, we are finding it difficult to take it all in. When I say "we", I mean all of us; Kate, Elnur, Ryan, Kristen, Connie and me. It's a family affair.

 

 



We flew out of Jacksonville Florida on Wednesday, joined up with Kate and Elnur in DC and flew out of Dulles on Thursday. The pups are happily holding down the fort on Saint Simons Island with Mary Helen and Beth providing joint custody with visitation rights. And Momo is visiting Aunt Jordan and Uncle Devon in Arlington.

 

We rendezvoused with Ryan and Kristen at Heathrow Airport in London and after a 3 hour layover embarked on a 6 hour flight to Baku. We arrived at 7:30 PM and were warmly met by Elnur's father, Ilgar, his Uncl, Zamir and Ilgar's good friend Nadir.

We are staying at the Amber Hotel, just a 10 minute walk from downtown. The views from our balcony (s... we have 3!) are spectacular. Azerbaijan is an oil country. In the 1930 and 40s  they produced 50% of the world's petroleum and, though less prominent now with the development of other international global reserves, they are still very much in the energy business. The architecture reflects it, reminding me of pictures I have seen of Dubai. Azerbaijan was one of the 16 Soviet Union republics until their independence in 1991 and there is also a strong remaining Soviet Union architectural  and historic presence.

Azerbaijan is a secular country and has strong Muslin roots. Some of the women on the streets wore head scarves. Most did not. The fashion is very European. Restaurants are plentiful as are the shops; clothing, jewelry, shoes, liquor, internet cafes, coffee shops... everything you would find in any other large (4 million people) metropolitan city.

Some of our family and friends expressed concern for us going on this visit. The media and the government have fanned the flames of fear and prejudice. We are fed a constant diet of division and divisiveness. It's so difficult to find the truth and we don't claim to know it, but painting everyone with one brush is never true. I'm just saying...

 



 

 

 

 

After 10 hours of much needed sleep (for those who could. Jet lag hammered Coucou and Kate) and after a great buffet breakfast of eggs, sausage (turkey), tomatoes, cucumbers, fried eggplant, olives and some fantastic bread, we walked downtown.

After a nap, we gathered for a cab ride to Ilgar's home where we were introduced to some of the most wonderful people you'll ever meet. If you have met Elnur you'll understand when I say "the apple don't fall far from the tree." The 86 year old grandfather, Elnur's sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces nephews. It was a such a wonderful opportunity to meet everyone. And the traditional, delicious Azeri meal they presented was beyond description.

 

 

Poor Elnur talked himself hoarse with everyone competing for his translating abilities.  It was so heartwarming to see how much Katie was loved and accepted by her new family. We are very grateful and proud to be a part of this wonderful extended family.

 

End of Day 1. Can't begin to imagine what will come tomorrow.

 

Stay tuned...

 

Mother's Day

Click for Willie Nelson sings In the Garden, Mom's favorite song...

another version if you're not a Willie fan...

Lessons You Learn

The overweight 60ish woman in spandex had  parked her car in the middle of the driveway between the two banks of storage units off Route 17 in Brunswick, Georgia and she had left the driver's side door wide open, preventing any other vehicle from accessing the facility. I pulled up behind her vehicle and patiently waited for a glimmer of self awareness as she scurried between her car and the locked storage unit and her cell phone. She was entirely unaware of anything or anyone, but her own situation. Like a squirrel in an oak grove. Odd.

She drove a late model, gray sedan with Texas plates and her hair was an alarming two tone combination, silver gray roots and an distinct, overripe eggplant purple color dye job on top. pulled up into a Pebble's Ponytail. You know, right straight off the top of her head like a palm tree.

After a few minutes, I pulled along the driver's side and rolled down my passenger side window.

"Hey, excuse me, but would you close your door so I can get by?" I yelled at the distracted woman.

"OH! OH! Yes, I will. I'm sorry, I didn't know I had left it open. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." she whined as she shuffled to the driver's side of the car to shut the door.

"No problem." I muttered as I squeezed past her car. " Stupid woman! Stupid Texan!" I railed as I parked the van. Who in hell did she think she was inconveniencing me like that. I felt strong, wronged and righteous.

Ah, the ugly ego reared it's grotesque head. At least now, I recognize it, and checked the mindless, self centered arrogance sooner, rather than later. Still, it troubles me that I must continue to fight this distasteful demon.

I unloaded my vehicle and secured my stuff in Mary Helen's storage unit. It took me about ten minutes and when I attempted to leave the facility, there she was again, standing in the middle of my exit lane. WTF!

She walked directly at me. "Do you know how to cut off a lock? I broke my key off in the lock. They told me it's going to cost $50 to cut it off. My husband just lost his job. We have to move back to Texas. I'm thinking about renting one of those Pod units. Do you know anything about Pod units. I see you are from Maine. That's a beautiful state."

"Have you been to Maine?" I asked as she took a breath. The question didn't slow her down one iota.

"Oh no, but that's what I hear. I have relatives in Cape Cod. My husband used to work for Jared's. It just broke off in the lock. I know it's the right lock. I was just here yesterday. Can you help me?"

This poor woman would have so benefited from a double dose of ritalin or xanax. ADD on crack.

I opened the hatch on the van and removed my tools. The woman called someone on her cell phone and was relaying a blow by blow of her ongoing ordeal. After five minutes, I had successfully pushed the broken key into the channel and, using a pair of pliers, forced the broken end of the key into the keyhole and turned the latch. The lock fell off the hasp into my hand.

I turned to face ADD Woman. Her eyes widened and I dropped the broken lock into her outstretched hand. "How did you do that? You saved me a lot of money. I'm going to go in and buy a new lock right now." She turned and bolted for the office. Looking over her shoulder she called "Thank you..."

Somehow my indignant, outrage, being inconvenienced  and put upon day had turned into a feel good, helping someone out, I'm the hero day.

 Guess which one felt better...

Lesson over.