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Published: December 10th 2008
Working in Azerbaijan can be tough. Long weekends only come about every month or so!! We decided to make the most of this one by taking the night train down to Lankaran in the South for a few days. Using his marvellous Azeri skills Russ had managed to purchase a 2 berth cabin (SV) for the correct day (unlike Jackie and Michael who joined us the following day!!). Although it's only 350km, the train journey takes 8-9 hours for some reason.
After photographing the train from the platform, Russ avoided arrest and we were soon laying out our lovely printed sheets on our bunk beds. Despite a prompt departure 5 minutes before midnight we were unable to go to bed straight away. It wasn't the excitement of the occasion, but a refusal by the guard to unlock the toilets until we were out of Baku, some unwelcome interruptions by other travellers who couldn't read the numbers on the door and the creaking noises as the train began to crawl away from the capital.
Once we got going things were ok. The problem was that the train stopped for no apparent reason several times during the night. When the train
Our train
But Russ nearly got arrested for taking this photo. Naughty boy!stops it feels like an earthquake inside as you are more or less catapulted out of your bed! It was also very, VERY warm and you cannot regulate the air conditioning, nor can you open a window. The blankets were surplus to requirements! We think we must have grabbed about 2 hours sleep by the time dawn broke. At one stop the guard came to confirm we were getting off at Lankaran, telling us we were there NOW. This must be because it takes Azeris a long time to get ready after being told NOW. We were up with our bags and waiting by the door in the cold almost immediately. Well, we didn't want to end up on the Iranian border. Unfortunately we still had about 20 minutes to go so we were pretty cold by the time we actually pulled in to Lankaran station. We were unimpressed by the sea fog and the damp coldness it brought with it. It didn't clear for 2 days!!
Anyway, we were off the train and found a nice pot of tea awaiting in the small teahouse by the tracks. It was dirt cheap and we even had a chocolate biscuit
Bunk Beds
The height of comfort...not! for breakfast. Don't you envy the luxury of the budget traveller?!!!!! Afterwards we went in search of a hotel. There are few options in town. The Dalğa was being refurbished so we ended up at the Xazar.
DO NOT TAKE THIS AS A RECOMMENDATION! Our first impression was that the hotel had recently been refurbished and looked nice enough. We appeared to be the only guests and so it proved. The heating wasn't on and we were given an oil radiator for the room. They are effective in time but we wanted instant heat!! The water was cold and took a long time to reach a temperature that was anywhere near enough to shower in. Still, we needed a shower and so we took the plunge.
After a bit of a rest we went out to explore the Southern metropolis (!) of Lankaran. It was cold, damp and foggy and we wrapped up warm in our hats, scarves and gloves. Where has the summer gone?!! There are monuments galore to look at and they caught our attention for a while. The Genocide memorial was typically anti-Armenian but we're not going to pass comment. We thought the Lady of
Baku Train Station
Taken from our window and away from the prying eyes of the guards Lankaran on the side of the MUM department store (not to be confused with the grand affair in Baku, it just means there are a few different sections of tat inside!) was interesting.
Before long we found ourselves at the Bazaar, the local fruit and vegetable market. I tell you, it'll be a long time before we see radishes that big again! They were enormous. Photography was difficult though as everyone was reluctant to be captured on camera. We managed a few sneaky shots for you though. The hustle and bustle was very reminiscent of South America, as was the dilapidated state of some of the local buses!!
From there we went to the main square, imaginatively called Heydar Aliyev Park! His statue is a nice one, and the Russian War Memorial is one of the best ones we've seen. We then walked out past the red-brick roundhouse where Stalin was supposedly imprisoned. It would make a great museum but it appears it is being converted into flats or something now and we couldn't go inside. Crossing the river and looking at the fields of geese through the fog made us feel like we were back in Wales!
Taxi!
A foggy stop in the morning. Lankaran's football ground looked nice but the top teams have now started their winter break so we couldn't go inside.
Back in the centre we found the museum was closed for lunch but the nearby park was full of information about the different regions of Azerbaijan. It's just a shame they don't get someone to proof-read it before they publish it in awful English! The small models of regional symbols were pretty neat.
Having eaten a delicious lunch in the Turkish kebab restaurant on the square, we headed to the four star Qala Hotel for dinner. As there are hardly any guests, the menu was rather limited, but the chicken and fish we had was delicious and cheap. We even stayed for a beer at the bar afterwards.
Neither of us had a particularly good night's sleep despite our fatigue from the journey down. In the morning breakfast was ok (the omelette was particularly good) but we still had no hot water. It seems the young man whose responsibility it was had overslept. 90 minutes later the owner of the hotel announced that we had hot water. To us it was tepid at best but he insisted
Childrens' Health Centre
With strange childlike statues outside. Reminded us of something out of Oliver Twist! that it was hot. A heated exchange ensued and Trish's Russian was excellent as she battled with the owner over refunding our advance payment. So, we left and checked into the Qala, meeting Michael and Jackie on the way as they had just arrived. The Qala sorted us out with a great discount making the price the same as the Xazar for far far more. Needless to say, we do recommend going to them!!
So, a cold and disappointing first day in Lankaran. The rest of the weekend was great though so don't feel too sorry for us! Next blog coming soon!!!
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