Azerbaijan

The initial plan was to simply whiz through the Causasus countries (Azerbaijan, Georgia and perhaps Armenia) so we can fulfill our mission to travel from Beijing to Venice (Marco Polo's route in reverse) entirely by land and sea. However, the Caucasus has proven to be a remarkably astonishing region of the world totally unknown to us up until 1.5 weeks ago.

Here is an excerpt from Lonely Planet on Azerbaijan which aptly summarises our experiences and impressions of the country:

Neither Asia nor Europe, Azerbaijan is an incredible tangle of contradictions and contrasts. It's a fascinating nexus of ancient historical empires. Yet, it's also a new nation finding its feet as it emerges from a war-torm post-Soviet chrysalis on a petroleum-funded gust of optimism. Surrounded by semi-desert on the oil-rich Caspian Sea, the nation's cosmopolitan capital, Baku, is a dynamic boomtown where flashy limousines and mushrooming skyscrapers sweep around a Unesco listed ancient core (a palace). Yet barely three hours' away lies an entirely different world - timeless villages clad in lush orchards from which shepherd tracks lead into the soaring Caucasus mountains. Where Baku is multi-lingual and go-ahead, the provinces shuffle to the gently paces click of nard (backgammon) on tree shaded tea-house terraces while women stay home, herds of cattle wander aimlessly along highways and potbellied bureaucrats scratch their heads in confusion on finding that an outsider has wandered into their territory.