Kari in Baku
 Kari in Baku Well, yes, here I am in Baku, all decked out in a full length leather coat ready for my tour through Baku, Azerbaijan with Elnur's father. Sometimes I find myself in odd circumstances when I travel and don't always know how to gracefully decline my way out of them, so when it was announced that Elnur's father would show me around Baku, I naturally hoped his mother would also come, but no, she had to stay home and cook...for me! So, she dressed me like a standup doll in one of her favorite coats and off we went. Baku is famous for long leather and fur coats. That's from my own observation, nothing I've read, it's just that everyone wore one. Everyone, that is except the poorest of the poor who would sit in walkways selling seeds, etc. I understand that these coats are cherished heirlooms which are passed from mother to daughter and probably father to son too. They are all experts at strolling, walking slowly and quietly through the large boulevards. Elnur's father insisted that we stop at the consolute building which wasn't far from their home. He wanted to make sure my "papers" were in order. Personally, I think he wanted to show off his American visitor. We waited for ages for someone to come and meet me. Somewhere along in there I felt more like a caged cat than a guest....but I survived. I also somewhat awkwardly survived the day and enjoyed seeing the Maiden Tower, old Baku, a rug shop, an Irish, yes, Irish pub, etc. He was proud of the fact, he didn't need to pay for buses, tea at the pub, etc, it's just like that for former Soviet soldiers, or some such thing...
Find out where else I've been and read more stories about my travels after Kari in Baku.
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