REFLECTIONS: September Sojourn: Part I

Soundtrack: A Whole New World

Friday, 7 September 2018

I left office 15 minutes early after obtaining permission from my boss and asking my staff to drive me to KL Sentral. It was drizzling then and after overcoming some bottleneck (it was a rainy Friday afternoon prior to a long weekend so you can just imagine it), we reached KL Sentral in time for me to catch the 17:15 train to KLIA. I used my debit card to pay for my ticket as it gave me 15% discount.

After dropping off my suitcase (it weighed 13.8 kg then), I went to clear passport control and security check before boarding the aerotrain. We boarded at 18:45 and took off on time. I decided to perform prayers in the plane instead of waiting until we arrive at Abu Dhabi.

We landed at Abu Dhabi Airport at 22:40 local time and were ferried to the terminal building. The temperature then was 34C and my, the desert heat just hit you and even at that time of night, the heat was brutal! I went through the transfer process and was at the duty-free area before long. After browsing some shops, I went to sit at the restaurant area before finding a place to rest. I finally found a deserted prayer room and joined two other ladies in there. It was so dang cold in there that I had problem sleeping.

Saturday, 8 September 2018

I left the prayer room after performing prayers and it was obvious that sleep would elude me. After a light breakfast, I made my way to gate 6 which was at a wing I had never been to. There I met a few Malaysian students but when I enquired about the visa requirement, they informed they were only transiting in Baku before continuing on to Moscow. I also saw a few Korean tourists on the same flight.

We took off just after 10 a.m. and it was already such a hot bright morning. I found myself sitting two seats away from the young Korean tour leader. After a while, I chatted with him. He told me he had a tourism-related degree and was based in Dubai and he has been leading tour groups from Korea to the Caucasus for six times thus far. I asked him some questions about the Azerbaijan visa, the local people etc. I was so thankful that I sat next to him because I managed to glean a few tips from him.

Alhamdulillah.

We landed at Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport at 13:20 and I immediately walked out and headed to the visa kiosk. There are a few visa kiosks or you can also apply for your visa from the counter. Please note that only 15 nationalities can apply for visa on arrival so do check before you go. The visa costs USD26 and you must pay it in exact amount as the kiosk does not give change (I’m not sure if you will get change if you apply from the counter). A good-looking man came to help me at the kiosk. After paying the amount, I went through passport control before going down to the baggage area.

My bag didn’t take long to emerge and I was at the info counter when I saw the airport bus pass by. I had to wait another ½ hour for the next bus to 28 May metro station/Central Railway Station but it didn’t feel a long wait as I had to buy the BakuCard from the kiosk outside the terminal and it was a struggle as it was in local language. I had earlier exchanged €20 for 37.60 Manat and finally managed to buy a BakuCard with reload value in it totalling 5 Manat with the help of a local after struggling. It was a hot afternoon in Baku at 31C and I sought shelter behind an ad board before boarding the bus. the driver was a friendly chap who teased me every time I took a picture with my camera.

We reached the final stop, i.e., 28 May metro station after 25 minutes and after struggling with the map I downloaded, I asked a local girl who not only proceeded to show me the way but also accompanied me all the way to the hostel. She was not familiar with some places either but stayed on beside me. I felt so blessed today to have sat next to the Korean tour leader, to get help buying the BakuCard and now to have this girl guide me. She also asked some locals the way and finally we arrived at Hostel Baku Oil Boom 1891 at 161 Bashir Safaroglu Street. It was so much further and took a longer time to get to than indicated on Google Maps. I was a bit knackered by then and after checking in and performing prayers, I took a little rest. As I wasn’t sure how much the bus fare to Tbilisi was, I decided to head to Avtovağzal, the main bus station, to buy the ticket first before paying for my bed. This would help me decide if I should change more money.

After a brief explore around the neighbourhood, I trekked over to Nizami metro station about a km away and took the metro to Avtovağzal. It was about a four-minute ride from one station to another which to me was pretty long and an indication of how big the city is. The announcement for the next station was done in both Azerbaijani and English and every time the train approached a station, a music jingle would play. Nothing irritating but then again I only rode the train four times. And the fare is the same no matter how far you travel. I had to change trains at Memar Əcəmi where I had to walk up some stairs and then along a long corridor before going down to the platform. At Avtovağzal, I had to ask a few times before I got to the counter selling bus tickets to Tbilisi. Thank God the woman knew English. I was told there were 3 bus schedules to Tbilisi and chose the 21:00 bus (the other times are 22:00 and 23:00) and paid 16 Manat for the ticket for the following evening.

It was early evening by the time I arrived back at Nizami station. Before returning to the hostel, I walked around the neighbourhood to determine the route to be taken to Nizami. I had read that in Baku you have to cross roads only at the proper crossings (and the girl who accompanied me to the hostel also reiterated the same point) and at some areas where the roads are too wide, you need to peruse the underground tunnels. So I spent time determining the tunnels especially those with escalator access so that I could trek to Nizami with my bag and taking as few stairs as possible. I don’t mind stairs but I do mind them if I have a suitcase which I have to haul up and down those blasted stairs.

Back at the hostel, I showered and performed prayers before having dinner. There was a couple and an older woman in the kitchen and the guy was giving me hostile looks. There were only two other girls with me in the all-female dormitory so I managed to get the last blower bunk bed. Oh and another thing: there are many hostels in Baku but a lot of them have mixed dormitories hence why I chose this particular hostel.

Sunday, 9 September 2018

I woke up just after 03:00 then again at 04:35 to perform prayers. I could hear the call for prayers from my bed. Tried to sleep back but only managed to doze off pretty late before getting up again at 07:15 when my alarm rang. I packed after showering then went out for a morning walk up to Taza Pir mosque. It was a new mosque and I spent some time in the mosque compound before leaving. I saw another dome and headed for it and found Xanım Fatimeyi Zəhra məscidi but it was closed.

I went back to the hostel and paid 13 Manat for my bed. I had breakfast alone then left at 10:40 for the Old City. It took me about 20 minutes to get there. The Old City is surrounded by walls and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I walked in the Old City for some time before exiting it and crossing over (again, by way of underground tunnel) to the promenade overlooking the Caspian Sea. It was a hot day but windy. Baku is indeed a very windy city; indeed it is also known as City of Winds. I walked along the promenade up to Park Bulvar Mall. I entered the Mall to seek some shelter and air-conditioned relief before turning back and walking back to the hostel. It was way too hot to be out and about anyway. Now I knew why the few tour packages from Malaysia to the Caucasus are usually in October because it was still just too hot in September!

Back at the hostel, I rested in the TV room and read my book. I performed prayers, took a shower and had an early dinner before performing evening prayers. I left the hostel at 19:25 and walked to Nizami for the metro to Avtovağzal. I reached Avtovağzal about an hour later and it was a good thing I decided to wander around because the bus for Tbilisi was at a different platform than specified on the ticket. I boarded the bus and found someone sitting in my seat. The conductor came up and after a brief discussion, indicated for me to sit at another seat. Unfortunately for me, an overweight woman then came to sit next to me. She was noisy and she kept chatting with other passengers. When others tired of her, she watched some video clips on her handphone – at full volume, mind you. When she decided to sleep, she bumped into me, took some of my space and of course invaded my personal space. WTF. The bus stopped a few times and I went down at the first stop to use the facilities.