The dismal day yesterday did not look good for the team. We had been promised that there was a 70% chance that we would be able to sort out the visa problem today (in Azerbaijan, this is actually only a 10% chance). Waking from our first night of indoor sleeping, Neil and Greg set out for hopefully overcome the issues. Fortunately, we were not the only team with the problem as both Warren Point and the Drift Kings in the same boat. We met with a local toursm operator who was particularly skilled at helping himself to our cash, but to get the visas sorted today (for a small fee) was a pretty good situation.
Up at the embassy we met an entire bus load of people in the exact same situation. These guys were also heading towards Mongolia but were not stopping there, with the plan to continue the six month journey south to Sydney! On a trip organised and run by Madventure travel.
Four hours in the Turkmenistan embassy resulted in seven freshly visa’d passports, with the only thing left to do being the long wait for the ferry. Meanwhile, back at the apartment, kick out time had come and we said a sad farewell to air-conditioning and showers as we headed for the baking streets of Baku. Whilst waiting for the return of Neil and Greg, the team met two very friendly police officers from the Chinese Embassy who let us use their toilet and guided us to the local internet cafe.
Dinner consisted of some of the best local kebabs with the other Mongolia Charity Rally teams before heading off to their favourite place to sleep, a five star hotel… car park. Situated next to Baku’s flag, the second largest in the world weighing in at half a tonne!, gave the team the first sense of the city’s beauty.
