Baku
Finally, Ernest and I departed Baku, but we were hardly underway when Ernest
discovered his rim broken and we returned to the bike shop close to the Velotrack.
Again, I used the opportunity to have my bicycle serviced.
Baku – Shirvan National Park – 113 kilometres
The following day we, at last, got underway and, aided by a good tailwind, headed
south in the direction of Iran. After 110 kilometres and spotting a sign to a nature
reserve, I stopped to inquire and was promptly offered the guest cottage, only
paying the small park entry fee. The park was lovely, peaceful, and revealed loads
of gazelle, birds and even flamingos!
Shirvan – Calilabad – 110 kilometres
By morning, we thanked the manager and resumed our quest. Once away from
the capital, the road deteriorated and turned into a narrow, busy path with an
inferior surface. Add a headwind to the equation, and conditions made for
frustrating riding. Still, we were called in to have tea on various gladly accepted
occasions. Surprisingly, the countryside turned significantly greener and was
dotted with fruit stalls. One of the stall owners gave us a whole bag of fruit, free of
charge.
During the day, the Azeri TV filmed us, and it must be mentioned that all this took
place without us speaking a word of Azeri and them no English.
Towards the end of the day, our tents were pitched next to a teahouse under
trees. Pitching tents in such a public place meant spectators soon arrived. I
guessed to see what two people by bicycle did following a day of biking.