Chicken Head Kissing Corner (Qakh, Azerbaijan)

May 16^th, 2010 – Southeast of Zaqatala in Northwest Azerbaijan is the city of Qax/Qakh (pronounced Gakh). Every year in the spring a ceremony is held at a small dilapidated Georgian Orthodox church/Albanian temple perched on a nearby hilltop overlooking the area. Although I never got specifics the idea is to remove a cross from a cistern of water symbolically ushering in dryer weather and bid farewell to the rainy season (It is returned in the fall to beckon the rains). 

At least I think that is the purpose. To be frank I am not entirely certain. What else is new? Folks (as in ethnic Georgians) come from across the border in Georgia and surrounding villages in Azerbaijan to pay their respects. I was invited by my friend Amy to join her and some of her fellow Peace Corps volunteers for a visit to the church. I have always been a fan of exotic aquatic ceremonies so I happily agreed to tag along.

Unfortunately, we arrived too late to see the cross removal but it was still well worth the visit. This was another one of those times where I had no idea what the hell was going on but was happy to trudge ahead in a heightened state of blissful ignorance, a state that has become all too familiar on my voyage.