Down to Baku

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Wednesday April 4
I woke up to the sound of heavy rain but it had stopped by the time I emerged into the street. I said goodbye to the family and off I went on good flat roads and I was soon making 25-30 kms/hr. I stopped frequently for tea and was even asked inside one of the police stations at the side of the road for a cup of tea. I arrived in Ganca, pronounced Ganja, at 1pm and checked into a typical soviet era hotel. They could put a man in space but never achieved the feat of building a working bathroom.

Thursday April 5
I left Ganca at 8.30. The road was very bad in places and traffic moves onto the nearbye fields and makes another road which in time becomes potholed and the traffic makes yet another road.
I reached Kudamirby 4pm having covered 162 kms i;nn6hours of cycling. I stayed in a very up-market hotel near to the railway station.

Friday April 6.
I left Kudamir at 8.45. The vibrations have boken the Ortlieb connections on my panniers so I inserted Jubilee clips which means that I can't take the panniers of the bike. Imade reasonable progress but the vibrations are terrible.
I reached the coast of the Caspian at 12.30 pm. Shortly after I had a puncture which I mended but I was unable to find the sharp item inside the tyre which had caused it. The innertube puncture again so I mended it and put on the new Shwalbe tyre.
I had intended to stop in Qodistan to visit the mud volcanoes but ther was no hotel or place to camp so I headed for Baku hoping to arrive before dark which I did having covered 200 kms, 120 miles. I checked into the Carob hotel, another soviet dump. The woman who supervises my floor doubles up as a prostitute and offered me her services which I politely declined. She can't get much trade as she was built like King Kong and smelled like him.

April 7 - 11.
I spent 5 days in Baku. The first task was to arrange the boat acoss the Caspian but the lady in the office would not sell me a ticket until the boat arrived and was due to depart.
I met a young couple from France and we did the tourist bit together visiting the Maidens Tower and the old city together.
I finally got on the boat on the 11th. It is a rusting hulk and would not be allowed out of port in any European country. The cabins are overrun with cockroaches

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