I was rather subdued after my walkabout around the tomb of Ganjavi. It was very quiet, and I felt a presence as I circled around his tomb. It was a great feeling being one with such a celebrated poet. I no doubt wanted his blessings, thus I hung around the tomb for some time, trying to get some divine inspiration. In the end, Uslan had to pull me by the hand and drag me to our car. We had a journey to make to Baku and then to the airport; this would take five hours, and it was late in the afternoon.
We then drove across the highway, taking the road out of Ganja city into the meadows and mountains of Greater Caucasus. It was a long drive; we would reach by night only, but we had the music in the car to give us company, and the scenery from the window would keep me entertained for hours. We stopped at a Sarai just before leaving Ganja city, and I wanted to go in to take a peek, but the Sarai or the tavern, as they say, was closed. It was an old Sarai and had hosted many weary travelers who passed these lands, but alas, I could not get a closer look at it.
Baku was still a distance away, but the view was engaging, from the dark brown gas fields to the lush green farmland. The countryside here is indeed very diverse. We would reach Baku by eight at night and circled around the many streets of the city as there was still time for me to catch my flight, which unfortunately got postponed by another hour.
I had to wait for an hour, munching on burgers at McDonald’s, which I would now order from their new computerized menu machine that worked on touch technology. This was the burger giant’s best way to further save on order time and long queues. I found it very efficient after I got the hang of the machine and how to use it.
I am finally penning off at 11:30 pm on the night of the 13th of April as I get ready to board my flight to Baku. I quite enjoyed the longer version of my travels; from now on, I intend to take three and even four-week tours to countries. I find that more fulfilling as one gets to see a lot more of a particular country and also blend in with the people of that culture. This is the best way to learn about cultures and history of a country.
At the end of this three-week odyssey of Azerbaijan, I feel wiser, more knowing, and enriched by the entire experience. Surely, one of my best trips so far; it will definitely rank as one of the best countries I have visited, one that is full of surprises. It was an invigorating trip and one that I will never forget.