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Qax & Illisu June 2015

Qax and Ilisu

A very memorable trip starts again with a bus load of expats and a bus load of local staff headed out, this time for an overnight trip. The first destination is Ilisu. Back in the 18th century, Ilisu was the capital of a sultanate for a very brief period. Today, it is a village of around one thousand people sitting in a valley in northwestern Azerbaijan, with a few remnants of its earlier days: the Summaqala Tower, Ulu Mosque and one remaining bastion of its historic fortress. We overnight in a village where the local staff dance and party until late at night - boy do Azerbaijanis love to dance! The next day the expats are loaded into very old Russian 4x4 jeep-like vehicles for a wild ride up the side of a mountain to the highest point of Azerbaijan right on the Russian border in the Caucasus Mountains. Here there is an abandoned village which is now only staffed by Azerbaijani troups guarding the border. It is a beautiful, Spring day with wild flowers blooming and the magnificient mountains revealing all their splendor. With the Spring run-off the streams are quite swollen and this trip takes us across the stream multiple times as the rutted, dirt road winds up the mountain. The driver in the first car is reluctant to cross the stream, not sure if he can make it, but the driver of our car (the second in line of three) insists with gestures and disgusted expressions that it is fine and to go ahead... A wild ride takes us across the stream and we continue our journey (the other stream crossings were not as wide and deep as the first one.) It's a lovely old village at the top of the mountain and it must have been very isolated when people lived there as the dirt road would have been impassable for much of the year. On the journey down, our car breaks down and the men work at it, pulling tools and spare parts from the cars and eventually they get it going again, we cross the difficult stream and head back down the mountain. On the bus trip back to Baku we stop by one of the road-side markets with their fresh vegetables and fruit, all so colorful and flavorful! A trip to be remembered! 
  • Home
  • 2025
    • Vieques
    • Costa Rica >
      • Tour Part 1
      • Tour Part 2
      • Our Costa Rica Getaway
  • 2024
    • Canoe Trip
    • Erie Canal Bike Trip Part 1
    • West Coast
    • Erie Canal Bike Trip Part 2
    • Little River
    • All the Rest 2024
  • 2019-2023
    • 2023 >
      • Amtrak Trip
      • Spring Trip 2023
      • Costa Rica
      • All the Rest of 2023
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        • VA & NC
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      • Siem Reap
      • Water Sanitation
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    • Super-Blue-Blood Moon
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    • Texas Motorcycle Trip-1
    • Texas Motorcycle Trip-2
    • Short Travel Videos
  • 2014-2016
    • Azerbaijan >
      • Nakhchivan May 2016
      • Quba Apr/May 2016
      • Museums Feb 2016
      • Friends & Gatherings Baku
      • House and Plants
      • Around Baku
      • Qax June 2015
      • Billy's Decade Party
      • Ganja & Goygol Oct 2015
      • Lahij Feb 2015
      • Yanar Dag/Ateshgah
      • Petroglyphs/Mud Volcanoes
      • Oguz, Xal Xal: Oct 2014
      • Absheron Park: Sep 2014
      • First 2 Wks Baku: Aug 2014
    • Turkey >
      • Cappidocia Nov 2015
      • Trekking Lycian Way >
        • Overview
        • Kayaköy
        • Ovacik-Faralya
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        • Patara Day 1
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    • USA >
      • Amtrak Cross US Nov 2016
      • Summer 2016 >
        • Vermont 2 Trips
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        • OR, WA, IN
        • Long Island, Connecticut
      • 2 Birthdays: Jan/Feb 2015
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  • 2011-2014
    • Germany: 2011-2014 >
      • Berlin & Koblenz 2014
      • Year End Summary 2013
      • Romantic RoadOct 2013
      • Jan - May 2013
      • Ahr - Blankenheim Oct 12
      • Aug - Dec 2012
      • Trier, Luxembourg: 2012
      • Nov 2011-March 2012
      • Mainz Frankfurt: Feb 2012
      • Windeck: Oct 2011
      • Eifel Park & Ahr: Oct 2011
      • Vineyard Tour 2011
      • First Impressions
    • France: April 2014
    • Netherlands: May 2013
    • Ireland: July 2013
    • X-Country Motorcycle: 2012
    • Paris: Oct 2012
    • Spain: Oct 2012
    • USA >
      • Summer 2014
      • Motorcycle MA & VT: 2014
      • Mom Memorial: Feb 2014
      • Wedding & Ft Wayne: Feb 2012
      • Greg & Jess Wed: July 2011
      • Summer 2011
  • 2008-2011
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    • Yang Shou: Apr 2010
    • An Hui Province: Apr 2009
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    • Honda Goldwing GL1800 >
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    • Rocky SX Daihatsu
    • Honda NightHawk 750cc
    • Nutmeg: 1971 Super Beetle
    • Volvo C70 T5
  • Mom & Dad
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