Azerbaijan is a bit of a strange place to visit. I had a handful of incredibly positive interactions, with people that were so willing to be helpful and even (when pointing didn’t quite work) grab my arm and literally pull me in the right direction.
At the same time, though, I had SO MANY negative interactions. Whether over money, trying to get bus tickets, disagreements and misunderstandings that escalated into a Big Deal, and even once got yelled at for having a conversation on a bus. I don’t know if maybe it was just that I was being culturally insensitive and didn’t realize, but it happened a lot.
Which is what makes i weird, now, to look back at photos and remember much more of how beautiful the country was. When I left Azerbaijan, I left cursing the place. Now, looking at these, I start to wonder if maybe it wouldn’t be worth to go back and do just a little more hiking?