A place called Baku...(Part 2: A peek at the Caspian Sea)

As we crossed the main square where the statue of a man killing a dragon stands, which reminds me of Greek gods…the vastness of the blue sky reflected in the voluptuous waves of the Caspian made me gasp! It was plain and simple beautiful….

This was the Bay of Baku in the Caspian….with the entire city lining the bay.…

Numerous ships dotted the waters….and looked the size of small boats…

The lovely benches… and green trees… and small cafes ....around the area just added to the scenic beauty of the place…

Several couples were necking around the place….as if compelled by the romantic air in the wind….

A cafe styled just like the smaller version of the Opera House of Sydney ....was filled with people...

My camera couldn’t get enough…and kept asking for more…

Looking around with a content smile, I was convinced for the umpteenth time that it is not the snow-peaked mountains nor the lovely sand dunes of the desert or the vast plain terrain of trees that does this to me….makes me have this feeling ….like the feeling of falling in love ….when you start smiling for no reason at all…and suddenly the world feels like a merry-go-round…which intoxicates you and makes you giggle as it takes you for a joy ride!

Whenever I see these water waves, hear the still sound of the sea, breathe in the salty wetness…I feel my heart bursting with joy and a strange freedom….

With my hair flowing all around me, I inhaled the salty-fresh smell of the sea…and looked into the waters and said, “Hello! Do you recognize me?....I am the same little girl …who many years ago …had splashed in your waters…played with her friends…collected your shells….even fished with the elders…and sailed in a boat…in another part of the world….which you inhabit? Can you recall?”

A place called Baku…(Part 1)

How would you feel if you live above an Armani, Mont Blanc or a Burberry showroom? Or if you woke up and opened your window and caught a glimpse of the President of the country stretching in the window opposite yours? Or if you cross the main city square and climb down five steps…you are suddenly faced with the salty wind of the wide Caspian Sea…?

My first days in Baku were filled with pleasant surprises.

As I sat nibbling at my sandwich on a comfortable bench in a beautiful park, looking at the lovely fountain in front of me… the cool wind playing havoc with my hair… I recalled the reply I had got from the embassy official when I had asked how much they charge for a tourist visa…."We don’t have tourist visa!"

I really wonder why….
This place has so much to offer …with its winding streets, cobbled pavements and tall trees…The picturesque squares, the amazing Roman architecture …that nicely blends with modern constructions…

The city at night is even lovelier and more vibrant...the wonderful lighting (of the sort we see only at India Gate) lights the entire city...giving it a stage-like romantic look...

As I looked through my camera …for more catchy shots, I noticed a long and winding wall…that went around the entire one part of the city…I clicked a snap…and asked my colleagues about it…

"Oh that! It is the old city wall… behind the wall there is the entire city… which is untouched by modernization totally….! Don’t go there alone, you will get lost or mugged!" I am told.

The thought thrills me, sending a chill down my spine! With a twinkle in my eye, I start planning the visit to the walled city….