2 Weeks in Baku!
Wow, has the time whizzed by as we approach our first days at our current posting in Baku, Azerbaijan!
Arriving at the Airport
Arrival at 10:00 pm, balmy temperatures, gentle wind, dry and dusty. We are greater by teachers and drivers who load all our luggage onto school busses and deliver us to our separate apartments.
Wow, has the time whizzed by as we approach our first days at our current posting in Baku, Azerbaijan!
Arriving at the Airport
Arrival at 10:00 pm, balmy temperatures, gentle wind, dry and dusty. We are greater by teachers and drivers who load all our luggage onto school busses and deliver us to our separate apartments.
Our Flat
Our enormous flat with 15 foot ceilings, huge doors and windows, built in the Soviet era seemed daunting at first, but we are settling in well now. It is located on a pedestrian, shopping/eating street in the "Fountain Square" area of the city.
Our enormous flat with 15 foot ceilings, huge doors and windows, built in the Soviet era seemed daunting at first, but we are settling in well now. It is located on a pedestrian, shopping/eating street in the "Fountain Square" area of the city.
Dinners, dinners, dinners...
Our school is very generous in taking us to dinner the first week we are here - Azerbaijan food, Turkish food, Italian food, Georgian food - all delicious! The Azerbaijan food was a 4 hour dinner with multiple, multiple courses and entertainment in a beautiful traditional setting. It's a chance to make new friends as well as fill our stomachs!
Our school is very generous in taking us to dinner the first week we are here - Azerbaijan food, Turkish food, Italian food, Georgian food - all delicious! The Azerbaijan food was a 4 hour dinner with multiple, multiple courses and entertainment in a beautiful traditional setting. It's a chance to make new friends as well as fill our stomachs!
Airport Market
The school takes us to a HUGE market outside of the city. The photo shows one small piece of this enormous market which sells everything from housewares to clothing, furniture, and more.
The school takes us to a HUGE market outside of the city. The photo shows one small piece of this enormous market which sells everything from housewares to clothing, furniture, and more.
The City
Our Orientation week sees us learning how to take the bus, the subway, and navigate around the city, including a scavenger hunt. The subway is the deepest one we've ever been on - Billy times us 1 min 52 seconds going down the escalator... we have the world's largest KFC (not sure if that is noteworthy or not!)... high end shopping, humble local markets, crazy traffic and lots of energy! Note the photo of the bag of bread hanging outside - bread is considered 'sacred' and is never thrown away in the garbage. Also note the photo of the Tostitos - there are many products that are very reasonably priced and food is generally less expensive than the US - however some imported products are very expensive - the bag of Tostitos was 15.90 azn which in getting close to $20US - one expensive chips and dips party!!
Our Orientation week sees us learning how to take the bus, the subway, and navigate around the city, including a scavenger hunt. The subway is the deepest one we've ever been on - Billy times us 1 min 52 seconds going down the escalator... we have the world's largest KFC (not sure if that is noteworthy or not!)... high end shopping, humble local markets, crazy traffic and lots of energy! Note the photo of the bag of bread hanging outside - bread is considered 'sacred' and is never thrown away in the garbage. Also note the photo of the Tostitos - there are many products that are very reasonably priced and food is generally less expensive than the US - however some imported products are very expensive - the bag of Tostitos was 15.90 azn which in getting close to $20US - one expensive chips and dips party!!