My journey to Azerbaijan begins with a thrill right from the start in Basel. No strike, thankfully – and yet my flight is delayed. My connecting flight to Baku awaits me in Frankfurt, but time is running out. Will I have to run? Will I be rebooked for the next day? I won’t find out until landing. Finally, we’re allowed to board the small plane, and as we take off, I calculate just how close it might be.

As we landed in Frankfurt, boarding for Baku should already have begun. But then something completely unexpected happened: A taxi was waiting for me – right on the tarmac. To the astonished looks of the other passengers, an employee held up a sign: “Baku”.

I push past, go down the stairs and for a moment feel like a VIP.

The door is opened for me, the engine starts, and we drive across the grounds, past enormous aircraft and flashing lights. A familiar feeling washes over me – after all, I worked here myself in 2011 and knew the airfield like the back of my hand.

So begins my adventure. And I haven’t even taken a single step in Baku yet.

We first stop in a dark side area near a gate for vehicles wanting to enter the tarmac. My personal assistant leads me through a door where a lone young female official sits behind a window, seemingly on the phone with her friend, because there really is no one else around. A quick swipe of my passport into the small scanner, and I’m on my way.

The driver was waiting for me, and the attendant opened the door again. We sped across the tarmac once more until I saw gate number 47. We stopped there, the attendant opened another door for me, we climbed a lonely staircase, and suddenly I was in the middle of check-in for my flight to Baku!

We made our way quickly through the warm night into the heart of Baku. In the darkness, the city resembled a miniature version of Dubai – gleaming hotels and even a miniature replica of the Burj Al Arab were reminiscent of the metropolis on the Gulf. Only the famous Flame Towers revealed to me that I had actually arrived in Baku.

There is a toll for entering the historic old town by car. The taxi driver drops me off in front of the hotel and immediately disappears back into the night. The entrance door is locked!

I knock, hammer, wait – nothing. So I circle the building, hoping for a second entrance. No luck. I knock again, I hammer again. Finally, I approach a couple who happen to be passing by. Their English is limited, but they understand my problem and call the hotel for me. Someone actually answers and says they’ll be right there. So much for “24/7 service.” I’ll often notice how warm, yet wonderfully disorganized, Azerbaijanis can be. I thank the friendly couple – and can finally go to sleep.

October 10th – I’m feeling a bit worn out. The time difference and the journey are taking their toll. But I’m in no hurry. There’s a good breakfast at the accommodation.

Armed with my camera, I set off. My first goal was to find a SIM card, but there’s just too much to photograph. My hotel is located in the old town, near the city walls.

The entire old town is a museum and well preserved. I visit the old palace of the Shirvanshahs, Şirvanşahlar Sarayı, and learn how the Shahs somehow managed to keep the Mongols, Ottomans, Slavs, and Persians at bay for a long time in the 7th century.

The influence of their neighbors is noticeable when talking to Azerbaijanis. Their language is a patchwork of Russian, Turkish, Persian, and their own Azerbaijani.

The people are friendly and not pushy. I get into conversations with many people and learn more of the language. The old town is extremely touristy. There are many tour groups, especially from Russia, India, and China. Western tourists are therefore rare.

I wander through the old town and reach the sea.

The sea used to reach as far as the Maiden Tower, where, according to legend, an unfortunate young woman is said to have thrown herself into the waves. However, I have to walk further down to reach the modern promenade and discover the panorama of the modern city. (-> modern city)

The old city is in excellent condition, and you can see how much energy the Azerbaijanis put into preserving their capital’s historic center. But it comes at a price. Rents there are exorbitant, and driving a car is out of the question. On the other hand, it’s clean, and there’s hardly any room for cars.

I am lucky that a local woman I met through Couchsurfing agreed to meet me and show me around the city.

Her name is Elvira and she has lived in Baku with her mother since childhood. She shows me her favorite spots in the city and introduces me to the diverse Azerbaijani cuisine.

During the next few days, and also the last days I spent in Baku, she took a lot of time to explain new things about her country to me or to show me new corners of the capital.

In the middle of the night of October 13th, my friends Uwe and Chris finally arrived. At 4:30 a.m., my phone rang – it was Uwe. Luckily, I had already sent him the hotel’s Wi-Fi access code in case they, too, found themselves locked out. And of course, that’s exactly what happened. At least I now know which other hotel still has staff available for check-in at that hour. Everything seemed wonderfully chaotic once again – as is so often the case in Azerbaijan: The people are warm-hearted, helpful, but completely disorganized.

By the time the two finally held their room keys in their hands, night had long since turned into early morning. But a reunion after so long called for a celebration – so we opened a bottle of whisky and toasted to it.

Shortly after five o’clock in the morning, it tastes surprisingly good, perhaps because tiredness and joy mix to create a pleasant intoxication.

It’s not about having a glass of whisky with your friends at 5 a.m.!

Later that day, half-awake and still slightly groggy, I set off with my friends through the old city. By now I know every alley, every hidden courtyard, every winding corner of Baku. It feels good to confidently show them this fascinating historical world – a place that has already become familiar in just a few days. (-> modern city)

Uwe, Chris, and I explored Azerbaijan’s capital city once again. We watched with fascination as the Formula 1 race installations were still being dismantled. The race took place on September 21st and was won by Max Verstappen in his Red Bull. It’s hard to imagine that just a few weeks ago, heavy Formula 1 cars were speeding along these narrow streets beneath our feet. The track also runs through the modern city center, which we explored together as well. (-> modern Baku)

Finally, Elvi has a special surprise for us. She takes us to the Shirvanshah Museum Restaurant, where artifacts of Azerbaijani history meet a historic restaurant the size of a giant labyrinth. Elvi goes to great lengths to explain things, and the staff also takes the time to give us little tours along the way. The food is excellent; I learn to appreciate cherry salad, and we order superb wines from the Savalan and Hillside wineries to accompany it.

On October 15th, we set off in a 4×4 to explore Azerbaijan. We experienced a fantastic country full of breathtaking nature and warm-hearted people. At the end of the trip, we spent a few more days in Baku.

There we meet Elvi again, who can recommend more bars, cafes, and restaurants. The trip through the country will always be a memorable experience.