On to Zaqatala (Azerbaijan)

May 3^rd, 2010 - I finally left the Azerbaijani capital of Baku and headed to a city in the northwest known as Zaqatala. An eight hour bus ride was made easier by my new guide, a Peace Corps volunteer stationed in the area. I met her through my Couchsurfing host in Baku who had also been a volunteer. She invited me to 'surf' at her place in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains in the north of Azerbaijan. I graciously accepted. 

The eight hour bus ride crosses through all nine of Azerbaijan's climate zones starting in the monotonous flatlands that dominate the central region and ending in the shadow of the Caucasus Mountains. As this appears to be a rainy time of year (the weather has been abysmal) the countryside is a rich verdant green. The contrast between the outlying regions and Baku goes far beyond landscape. Walking the streets of central Baku one can detect a distinctly European pulse but once you leave city limits you are thrown right back into the Soviet area.

My stay here has become somewhat of a 'A week in the life of a Peace Corps' experience, one I have enjoyed immensely thus far. Unfortunately, I have not seen a whole lot of the surrounding area due to the rains that have continued nonstop for the past week or more. Hopefully, this will change soon. I have not had much time to sit down and pound out a lengthy update but hopefully I will catch up soon.