7/29/14

07/29/14

Arrived successfully at the airport--did not declare Maker's Mark as it is only 750 ml and I figured I could get away with that. I have no idea if it is still in the suitcase. After walking through the nonexistent customs, I was approached by two dudes advertising their taxi. I hesitated at first knowing that his was usually a way to overcharge you but I negotiated a rate of 35 manat first so we were all good on that front. The taxi driver had some bootleg CD half of which was American music so he put that on and we cruised for an hour before I realized he didn't know exactly where we were going. After questioning more than a dozen strangers/other taxi drivers and arriving at another Caspian hostel, we finally reached it after probably about 2 hours driving. I paid him 50 manat instead since I felt bad for making him drive everywhere and use all that gas (heavily subsidized here though) [this of course was stupid, that was like an extra $20]. I arrived and got set up--the Caspian Hostel is literally just bunks in an apartment across from the owner's apartment and it is reached via a back alley--and sat down out front with a few of the other guests. A few more people trickled in and invited me to go out, which in my highly suggestible jet-lagged state seemed like a good idea, so I went. I forgot my camera, which was a shame since the streets of downtown Baku at night are all lit up and beautiful (that's what oil money does for you, I guess). After looking for this "Jazz club" for an hour we found it and it was closed. So we went back and found a pub close to the hostel  and had  a beer there. It was myself, two danish girls, and two Iranian dudes. I played piano at the pub (we were virtually alone) and despite doing decently well on Tiny Dancer I totally forgot both Mozart/Figaro and Your Song. Oh well. Woke at 9:45; tried to arrange a Qobustan trip thru the hostel (need 3 others), failed, and  am currently waiting in the post office to check in with the foreign ministry or whatever. Also, metro is weird. You need to buy a card at a kiosk and then load money onto it (machines don't vend cards). And the machines suck at taking change. I will try to arrange Qobustan tomorrow; it depends on if the Russians staying in the hostel can be convinced but I have no great hope for this.