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The Land Of Fire: Atesgah Fire Temple & Yanar Dag

The Land Of Fire: Atesgah Fire Temple & Yanar Dag

by Calvin Sun | Aug 27, 2018 | August 2018: Azerbaijan & Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

 After a late morning checking out Gobustan National Park, its petroglyphs and mud volcanoes south of Baku, we drove up north of Baku to explore more of the land of fire.The Ateşgah Fire Temple was our first stop. Built in the 18th century by numerous Indian...
Gobs And Gobs Of Mud Volcanoes In Gobustan

Gobs And Gobs Of Mud Volcanoes In Gobustan

by Calvin Sun | Aug 27, 2018 | August 2018: Azerbaijan & Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

 With 2 days wandering about in Baku behind, Elizabeth, Brandon and I got up at 9:30am today and hopped on with Fuad of Guided Azerbaijan in his 4WD and headed for the Gobustan State Reserve.Located about 40 miles southwest of Baku, the national park was...
Back To Baku

Back To Baku

by Calvin Sun | Aug 26, 2018 | August 2018: Azerbaijan & Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, Serendipitous!

 FYI: A more comprehensive itinerary of Baku can be found in my entry back in 2015, but this post will fill in some of the gaps I had missed last time. As well as more magic.  I was here once alone back in 2015, and now I’m back with a new crew 2...
Merv-elous!

Merv-elous!

by Calvin Sun | Aug 24, 2018 | August 2018: Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come

 After a week with Ben and the YPT group, I was alone again, getting only 4 hours of sleep before having to wake up and be picked up by a random driver at the hotel for a 6am flight to Mary.The check-in and flight went without a fuss, and I arrived in Mary,...
Such Awaza’e Of Time

Such Awaza’e Of Time

by Calvin Sun | Aug 23, 2018 | August 2018: Turkmenistan, Crisis, Turkmenistan, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

 After a morning driving through the splendor of Yangykala Canyon, we arrived at the city of Türkmenbaşy, named after Turkmenistan’s first president.   Satellite dishes are banned in Turkmenistan due to its potential for receiving feeds from outside...
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