Spoffords Travel

Day 3 April 29, 2026 Baku Azerbaijan

We have the guide and driver again today. The journey will take us to the Burning Mountain. This is a protected area so their is a fee. As usual foreign visitors pay significantly more than nationals. The site has a small section of flames coming from a thin layer of sandstone. The flames can reach as high as 9 feet. The fuel is natural gas and has been burning for at least 4,000 years. We did take time to purchase a t-shirt.

The next stop was the Fire Temple. The temple was home to the Zoroastrians. An Indian religion with belief in fire, water, air and earth. Inscriptions in several dialects are found throughout the complex indicating it was probably used for different purposes over the centuries. It was located on one of the silk roads and had been used as caravan lodging as well. The main alter has a fire burning in the middle and at some time flames came from the upper four corners of the structure. The temple is built much like a fort with walls all around. Lots of rooms surround the main altar. At one time more of the fires were around the area. A group of young women were visiting the site. They wanted to have a picture with us included. They were having a wonderful time. We went inside some of the rooms. They were surprisingly warm even with no heat. The walls are made of limestone which stays warm in cold times and cool in hot times. The museum had life size statues depicting some of what life would have been like. The point was made that several religions exist here and yet they all get along. Perhaps because the Russians were more successful at destroying religion than thought. Even though there are churches, synagogues, and mosques I don’t think religion plays as large a role here as in Armenia.

We drove to a castle that is one of the few ones remaining. We could only look from the outside as restoration work is continuing on the inside. This is the Ramana Castle and Tower. It was built in either the 12th or 14th centuries. Scholars seem to disagree. The tower would most likely have been used as a warning system to other castles along the coast. If an enemy approached a bonfire would be lit on top of the tower to warn the next castle. During the day smoke might be used in order to be more visible.

A view point was next to the castle. Great views back to the city. Two young men were practicing kicking a ball back and forth similar to soccer.

Back in the city we stopped at the Cultural Center. This is a large ripple shaped building. Not sure what is inside but outside were some interesting sculptures of animals dressed as humans doing human type things. Someone must have been on some kind of drugs. Also visible from here is the Ritz Carlton Hotel which used to be Trump Tower 1.

We returned to the hotel about 1:00 pm. Not wanting to eat lunch in the hotel we went to the small grocery store at the end of the block. There are always interesting things here. Coke, Pepsi and Fanta are always there along with other unknown to us flavors. The energy drinks are here too. Water comes in bottles anywhere between the standard 16.2 ml up to about 5 gallons. Some of the water containers look like weights. The potato chips are in different flavors but usually have English words as well. A large section had bottles with various kinds of fruit in liquid. Not sure what this was since the English was missing. We are sometimes brave but not today. The locals definitely like mayonnaise and ketchup. Mustard is virtually nonexistent. Pasta is more prevalent than rice. Sliced lunch meat is only salami. Cheddar cheese doesn’t exist. Oreo cookies are popular but no other American brands. Plastic bags cost extra. Hard liquor is sold in grocery stores. People buy for the day not the week or month.

Day 2 April 28, 2026 Baku Azerbaijan

The cook let us in even earlier today. The reception guy says she really likes us. Today she had hard boiled eggs and sunny side up eggs. Most of the rest was very similar. The two ladies showed up shortly afterwards. Today they didn’t take away quite as much food. They must have different plans.

We have hired a guide and driver for the next three days. They are scheduled to pick us up at 10 am. We were in the lobby about 9:45 and they were already there. We are headed for the old city. The driver drops us off and we begin the walk. We stopped at a statue of a significant man in the history of the city. Unfortunately we didn’t write down his name and these names are difficult to remember.

One of the metro stations is nearby and looks like the glass pyramid outside the Lourve in Paris. There is also a funicular nearby. A little further along is a bronze head of another important person. The hair is actually scenes of people.

The streets in the old city are very narrow and covered with cobblestones. The houses seem to be well cared for. One of the larger ones is the residence of the Italian ambassador. The miniature book museum is just opening. A room is filled with glass cases containing very small books. A couple of them are so small we could barely see them under a magnifying glass. They are in different languages and different sizes,

Some of the houses have balconies added on. They are usually wooden and may or may not be closed in. This is when we learned that if a man has a large stomach that is called a balcony. Rob has a small balcony for his age. We also learned that Azerbaijan is the land of fire and Baku is the Windy City. After today I am sure it rivals Chicago. The land of fire also explains why some of the glass buildings look like a flame. The oil and gas resources are the prominent income for the country.

The old city was originally surrounded by two walls with a moat between them. The outer wall was shorter and the moat was filled with oil not water. So if the enemy got over the first wall they set the moat on fire.

A break in the houses lets us catch a glimpse of the Caspian Sea. The guide explains that it is like a lake and a sea at the same time. The water is salty as there is no outlet. It is surrounded by land like a lake. The current water level is 91 feet below normal so it is actually below sea level.

The Maiden Tower is surrounded in legends. Some say it was a fire temple, some an astrological structure and some say it was an escape for the royal family. The tower is circular with very thick walls. At the base the walls are about 16 feet thick. It is very earthquake resistant.

At least two caravan lodges are in the old city. Today they serve much the same purpose as they house small merchants and shops.

The driver picked us up and took us to where we could walk to a view point of the sea. The area had once been a cemetery but the Russians dug it up and put all the bodies in a mass grave. A few newer graves are along one side. We got to the lookout spot. The wind was blowing so hard that the big flag that is normally on the 626 foot flag pole is not flying. Visible from this spot is the Ferris wheel, small shopping mall, more glass buildings, and the carpet museum.

We offered to take the guys to lunch. The guide and driver had quite a discussion where to go but came up with one. We were let out and the driver would park the car. Not sure where because space is a premium. We had crispy eggplant which is the best eggplant I have ever had and two meat dishes. One was done with cherries and one with chestnuts. We had a tropical fruit lemonade that was delicious.

Then we went to the carpet museum. Neither of us were real excited about this but it turned out to be quite interesting. The building is shape like a folded carpet. It is three stories tall with modern carpet on the third floor. They are significantly different.

Then it was back to the hotel. More writing and a trip to the bigger grocery store at the end of the block. Some interesting things there. Oh yes we must mention the area for one piece of luggage to rest. It has a shelf behind a moveable wire mesh door. When you move the door to get to the luggage, the door blocks the hall to the main door and a light comes on. What will they think of next?

Day 1 April 27, 2026 Baku Azerbaijan

Not the best night sleep. The coverlet was thin and too small for the size of the mattress. Therefore getting up by seven wasn’t too difficult. We wanted to be sure to make breakfast.

We got to the breakfast room a few minutes before 8. The cook was still getting food out but she told us to come on in. Some interesting salads and pastries. Both black and green olives are options in the salad area. The familiar cherry juice in addition to the orange. Let the fun begin. Two ladies who were most likely local came in. They both filled two large plates full of food. They ate from one and then took out a plastic bag and filled it with hard boiled eggs, pastries and bread. No wonder the clerk yesterday said get there on time. Some another person did a similar thing. By 9 most of the food was gone. Turns out quite a few people stayed there because the breakfast room was full. We were the only English speakers.

While looking for lunch options we discovered that a Hilton Garden Inn was only a few blocks away. We went to investigate. Today is very windy which was good some of the time and not so good other times. We walked past two embassies on the way. Well options here look much better so we booked a room for the rest of our stay. Tomorrow we have a guide and driver so we will have them drop us off at the Hilton.

While there we asked about a kebab house nearby. They didn’t recommend one but rather another restaurant not far from the hotel. Off we went. They were correct the place was close and the food was pretty good. We had a small loaf of bread, pickled cucumber, french fries and grilled donor meat. (Not sure how that is spelled.) The donor was probably a chicken.

On the way back to our hotel we found an ATM so we got a little more cash. The ATM’s here don’t charge a use fee. They adjust the exchange rate to cover their charges. Right across the street was a kabob cafe. Maybe another day.

The wind was blowing so hard it nearly knocked us over at one point. The half block to the hotel was like walking in a wind tunnel.

The rest of the day was relaxing and trying to catch up a little on the blog.

Day 6 April 26, 2026 Tbilisi Georgia to Baku Azerbaijan

Today we leave Georgia so time for some parting thoughts. Tbilisi is a busy modern city. They are replacing the Russian structures as fast as money allows. The city suburbs have modern apartment complexes. Everyone has cell phones. The city is clean with very little graffiti. The Russians destroyed much of their history although maybe not as much as in Armenia. Georgia has a different alphabet and language from Armenia. The natural gas lines are above ground here as well. Natural gas is available throughout most if not all the country.

Now we fly to Azerbaijan because its too far to drive and the train is not available for passengers. Oh, and the ground border is closed. The trip to the airport took about 30 minutes because this is Sunday morning and traffic is less. The suggested arrival time is 2.5 hours before flight time. We arrived on time but the check-in counter wasn’t open yet. Going through passport control was easy enough. The wait was very short. The airport is small compared to many large city airports. On the other side we see several members of our tour group waiting for their flights. They won’t post the gate for at least another hour. There is time for us to twiddle our thumbs.

We boarded the plane which was full of passengers. The flight is very short only about 50 minutes. In that time they served a sandwich and juice or water. You had a choice of cheese or turkey sandwich. We both chose turkey. Sure could have used some mustard. They are not polite getting off the aircraft. People jumped up and raced down the aisle. They do like to push and shove.

Passport control was easy again. Our visas seemed to be in order. We did notice a kiosk where you could get a visa on entry. Our luggage made it so that is good. Rob had downloaded an app for the Azerbaijan form of Uber. It is called “BOLT”. Seemed to work just fine. The driver would be there in 2 minutes and we were still inside the airport. With the help of a policeman we got our ride. The pick up point was hard to find. Nice car and what seemed to be a good driver.

The drivers here may be crazier than in Georgia if possible. They stop only inches from the car in front. They change lanes on a whim assuming there are lanes. Intersections are wild because streets come from numerous directions. Roundabouts are very common. Traffic lights, stop signs and yield signs don’t exist much. Some of the streets are three or four lanes in each direction but some are only one lane period. Not sure how they know which direction they go. The thought is either. Cars are parked on the sides so close together I don’t know how they got in nor how they are going to get out. There are very few pickups on the road. Some of the cars have self-installed flat racks on top of the roofs to haul bigger items or building material. There are many police cars scattered around. Most of the police are doing something on the cell phones.

The buildings in the outskirts are very modern looking. The architects have had a wonderful time. Lots of glass and buildings that look like a flame. The closer we get to the city center the architecture looks more European.

The address given for our hotel is wrong. Not unusual for the booking apps. Given the name of the hotel our driver managed to find it. We got out of the car and opened the door to what we thought was the hotel. Major construction was going on so we thought we had the wrong place. We started down the block when a man came out to see if we were looking for the hotel. They are doing major renovation to the lobby.

Two people are at the reception desk. Rob worked with one and Connie talked to the other. Breakfast is served from 8-10 but best to be there by 8. The American Embassy is located just down the street. The hotel doesn’t get many Americans. The room is not bad but it also is not great. Rather small and with only one chair. The hotel looked much better on the reservation app.

We learned of a small market just about a block down the street. We went out to get something for supper and some additional water. Rob asked about an ATM. A man who works for the embassy told him where to go. Connie stayed in the store and looked at options. We ended up getting some big cup of noodles, bread, salami, mustard, cheese and cookies. What an exciting meal on the town. We don’t skimp on most meals but it can happen when you travel with Rob.

Sorry no pictures today. I guess we just forgot.

Day 5 April 25, 2026 Tbilisi

Connie is under the weather today and chose to remain at the hotel. She coughed a lot during the night so not much rest. It is a real bummer to be sick on a trip.

Rob did go on the tour. First stop Jvari Monastery. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to traditional accounts, on this location in the early 4th century Saint Nino, a female evangelist credited with converting King Mirian III of Iberia to Christianity, erected a large wooden (or vine) cross on the site of a pagan temple. The cross was reportedly able to work miracles and therefore drew pilgrims from all over the Caucasus. This may be why there were a large number of opportunities to do some souvenir shopping. Lots of shops. However, the merchants were not out bothering people. Many of our group bought items to take home.

Then down into Mtskheta, one of the oldest cities in Georgia and a sacred pilgrimage site. We toured the 11th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Tradition says Christ’s mantle is buried here. The cathedral is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is currently the second-largest church building in Georgia, after the Holy Trinity Cathedral. There was a traditional baptism in progress which included a traditional crying baby. It was a very long service. Several of our group watched for at least 30 minutes and had to leave before the service was completed. We felt sorry for the baby who was ready to leave after about 5 minutes.

For our farewell dinner we went to Barbarestan. Connie did manage to join the group. The dishes are from a 19th-century recipe book by Duchess Barbara Jorjadze. Every dish was artfully presented and served to us by the waiters. We had almost as many waiters as guests. Some of the dishes were small portions on a large plate. For the first time we did not have tomato and cucumber salad. We had a choice for main course of beef tenderloin, pork, sturgeon, rabbit or vegetarian. We both chose the beef. That was really tender steak but undercooked. Rob ordered medium well and it was well rare. Dessert was birthday cake for one of the group. We all sang Happy Birthday. We were also entertained by folk music played on a guitar and accordion.

Day 4 April 24, 2026 Telavi to Tbilisi Georgia

In the heart of Telavi, stands a natural marvel that has born silent witness to centuries of history – the Giant Plane Tree. This majestic organism, the largest tree in Georgia, exudes a unique charm. The tree is 150 feet tall and 39.4 feet in width. Sixteen men are needed to hold hands in order to circle it. The tree has stood here for 900 years.

Near the tree is a statue of a snail. Several very large snails live in that area. You might trip on one if not careful.

Also nearby is Batonis Castle, a 17th–18th century architectural monument. The Batonis Tsikhe complex includes some surviving sections of the Persian-style palace of the kings of Kakheti and a museum with archaeological and ethnographic exhibits, manuscripts, rare publications, and military equipment as well as a fine arts gallery. The original palace was built sometime between 1664 and 1675. In the political turmoil of the 17th and 18th centuries, the palace was damaged and reconstructed several times.

Next stop the Gremi Fortress composed of the royal citadel and the Church of the Archangels. We climbed 90 steps to reach it. No problem. The stairs are big, uneven and made of well used rock. The building has three entrances, one facing west, one facing south, and the third facing north. The interior is crowned with a dome supported by the corners of the sanctuary and two basic piers. The façade is divided into three arched sections. The dome sits on an arcaded drum which is punctured by eight windows.This was the seat of Queen Ketevan, who was martyred in 1624 in Persia for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.

Lunch was at yet another winery. Here we learned how wine is made in clay pots buried in the ground. The grapes, including seeds, stems and skin, are crushed and poured in a pot buried in the ground. Every few hours this is stirred. Eventually the liquid is siphoned off into another pot. The process continues until the desired fermentation has happened. In Georgia there is only black grapes and white grapes. The two are never mixed. For the first time we had no dessert.

Back on the bus and off to Tbilisi. During this ride we had a comfort stop. While there we spotted our one and only Ford Model A. It was a 30/31 AA truck with lots of modifications. It was converted into a mobile wine truck that was used for demonstrations. There is a phone number on the window if you are interested.

Day 3 April 23, 2026 Tsinandali Estate Georgia

Much to the surprise of our guide, the day is beautiful and the mountains can be seen in the distance. This is a rare event so the bus stopped so everyone could take pictures,

The original start of the day was a stop at Bodbe Monastery. Originally built in the 9th century, it has been significantly remodeled, especially in the 17th century. The monastery now functions as a nunnery and is one of the major pilgrimage sites in Georgia, due to its association with St. Nino, the 4th-century female evangelist of Georgians, whose relics are shrined there. Nuns still live here. They keep a close eye on visitors. The chapel has many frescos so photos are not allowed. You can get a very strong scolding if you fail to follow the rules. We did not get scolded. It’s a beautiful peaceful place. The nuns raise some of their own food and sell hand made items.

Another city walk around the town of Sighnaghi. Lots of hills and cobblestone streets. This is definitely a tourist town. The bus was met with large electric golf carts offering city tours. We walked. No special rides for the older generation. The streets are only about one car wide so drivers must be on their toes. We ate lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch we went to the estate of Aleksandre Chavchavadze. This is the ancestral summer home where he entertained and spent time in Georgia. The history of the Tsinandali Chavchavadze complex originates in the 17th century when Heraclius I resettled the ancestors of Chavchavadzes from the village of Chavchavadze, to strengthen the village. The first building was built in 1818, and in 1831 the second. In 1829, the water pump was built. The site also contains 12 hectares of the wooded area, where the garden-park was made in 1835 by European decorators. In 1840, Alexander Chavchavadze built a winery. Its name is associated with the introduction of new vines and the implementation of technological innovations in winemaking, the highly regarded dry white Tsinandali, is still produced there. Picture taking was not allowed inside the manor house. We did not get scolded for taking pictures here.