Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Roberth Nordin

Saturday 3rd of March

04.56 I’ve just managed to get myself out of the couch. I am in Christer´s apartment in Sundsvall. The time has come for a new trip. For me, for Christer and for Roberth.

06.11 A swift walk has taken us to yet another train. Soon we will be heading for today’s first stop, Stockholm. In the autumn 1994 Christer and I were in Saint Petersburg as geography students. In the bus on the way there Christer came up with a little poem, "Buhu I want to Baku". This is what we are about to do now.

09.37 After a sleepy train ride we have reached the central station in Stockholm. Here we will be having coffee and a sandwich. Our journey continues in an hour.

Christer pretending to be a businessman at Stockholm railway station.

A nice visit in Bergshammar outside of Nyköping.

11.45 We have reached Nyköping. Now awaits a transport to Christer´s sister Carina and his brother in law Janne.

13.05 We were picked up by Janne and had some coffee and socialised with Carina, Janne, their sons Anton and Noah and Christer´s dad Bertil who is visiting Nyköping.

14.16 We are at Skavsta Airport. In front of us are a Ciabatta sandwich each. Our bags are checked in, soon we will be airborn again. One of Christer´s pupils have been spotted here at Skavsta. She is going to the Canary Islands. We are not going there.

14.54 Here things do happen. Christer passed the security control and a beep was heard. He was checked and I picked up my belongings which I placed in a box before they got x-rayed. As I was ready to put back my passport and boarding card in my inner pocket I realised that they were already there. Christer´s passport and boarding card had ended up in my box. It was his belt and/or shoes that had caused the beep.

15.13 No crowds at the gate. Hardly any people at all. We are sitting on seat 10 A-C. Soon we will depart with Ryanair towards Riga.

LATVIA

18.25 We turned our watches forward one hour and within an hour we landed at Riga airport. We got our bags at once and withdrew money. We caught bus 22 to Riga centre and strolled back to our old favourite hotel Aurora (24th of June, 2001, 21st of June, 2005). We are staying in room 306 for 6 lats ($ 11.40).

We have arrived in Riga.

Back to our cheap favourite hotel "Aurora".

20.57 We bought breakfast and evening snack at Rimi Supermarket opposite our hotel. Now we are at the emperor among restaurants, Alus Seta. In front of me is a shish kebab with filet of pork and a large grilled slice of meat. We are far from alone here. We have also seen some Scotsmen.

Really really good food at "Alus Seta"

Christer waiting to drink the famous Latvian drink "black balzam".

23.10 We ordered a glass each of the Latvian dynamite beverages, black balzam before heading home. It was a slow stroll home. The only thing we saw was a naked guy in a billiard club. A while later we saw some cheering Brits by the Pulvertornis, powder tower. They wanted Roberth to take a picture of them. He faced and succeeded with the challenge. Right now Roberth threw his pillow into the wall. It, the pillow that is, is filled with down. He, Roberth that is, is allergic to it.

Sunday 4th of March

09.25 Last evening Roberth and I fell asleep as if we had been knocked out. All three of us have been awake for a while but now just one is awake and that is me. I just came back from the shower. It was nice and warm. Outside it is unpleasant and cold. It is a grey and cloudy day. What will happen next, well I guess I will know soon.

Misty morning in Riga.

10.23 Roberth just returned from the shower. A shower he claimed was cold. We had our breakfast. Roberth’s bread is called Latvian black bread is a challenge to chew.

11.32 The time has come to leave our home at Hotel Aurora. Next stop will be by the left-luggage office at the railway station. Outside the window the pigeons coo.

11.54 We’ve left Aurora behind us once more and our luggage at the railway station. Right now Roberth went inside an internet café to leave a live-report to the ones back home. Christer is strolling around among the shops here in the mall around the station. I myself am writing this sitting on some stairs.

Marijas iela, Riga.

Roberth outside a shop selling alcohol.

Latvian crests on this wall near Pulvertornis.

12.58 We walked by the powder tower and a wall with Latvian city arms. Now we are sitting in the café Smilsu Pulkstenis at Meistaru iela 8. We are having coffee and pastries. Christer´s pastry has an apple inside.

14.40 New stop! We are having an amber coloured Bauskas Alus each. In other words we are enjoying a beer. We are not far from Alus Seta. The name of the place is Stella pub. In reality it is situated at Škǔņu iela 19. Virtually it is at www.stellapub.lv. On TV they are showing English soccer and Englishmen dominate among the visitors here. At the toilet there´s some graffiti about Oldham Athletic, the soccer team which entertained us on our England trip 1999.

Roberth buying belgian waffles.

Soldiers guarding the freedom monument in Riga.

16.46 We’ve walked in old familiar areas. We’ve realised that places we´ve seen before has been rearranged. The place with outdoor seating where we had lunch (25th of June, 2001) now houses a newly built complex. The house in the street called Audeju where Rimi in the Old town was, is tarred down and has left place for an ultramodern mall called Centrs. We also passed an old gentleman playing saxophone. H was brilliant at playing ”All of me”, and was the end of his repertoire. It was that melody he played as we entered and left the mall. Now it is time for coffee and muffins at Crema Café.

Coffee and goodies at Crema Café.

18.14 We visited for us new areas in the city and now we are in a place in a restaurant in the chain, Lido, as Alus Seta. We are at Dzirnavas (the mill) at Dzirnavu 74/76. The place is cosy and has excellent food. As we are done here it remains to get our luggage and head out to the airport.

19.46 Just as we got to the bus stop the bus came, talk about luck. We went to the airport but found no information about our flight. At Air Baltic’s desk we were informed that the flights Riga and Baku are temporarily cancelled. They had unfortunately forgot to inform us about that. We are rebooked to fly to Baku via Moscow at 06.00 tomorrow morning. We first thought that we would have to spend the night at the airport but the ladies at Air Baltic has promised us to arrange with a hotel and also with transport back and forth from it.

20.25 We are booked in room 502, 602 and 604 at SAS Radisson Hotel Daugava http://www.riga.radissonsas.com. Air Baltic is paying for the rooms as compensation. Now we will rest here, rebooked our stay in Baku and at 04.20 leave with a taxi back to the airport. We just have to remember to go with a red taxi. If there are some problems we just will call 800 13 13. The rooms cost over $ 140 each so we got a great stay here for free.

Trying to have dinner for 10 lats at this expensive restaurant.

22.00 We just sat down in the hotel restaurant. Air Baltic offers free dinner for 10 lats ($ 19) per person. The prices here are really high though. We’ve also contacted our hosts in Baku about the new plans.

23.12 Now we’ve filled in the visa applications for Azerbaijan. I just got back from the bathtub. It is time for some sleep.

Monday 5th of March

03.43 Here I sleep ever so sweet as it happens. I am awaked by the cell phone. It is time for the next face in the trip. Take two for Baku.

04.09 Roberth and I are down in the reception. We are waiting for Christer and the red taxi that will take us to our flight. In front of us is a samovar with coffee kept warm with a small pitch torch or a king sized candle.

04.46 Christer came down to us. He had been knocking on our doors for a while. It seems like there was some kind of misunderstanding between us about were we would gather. To be honest nothing had been said at all. The little red taxi brought us to the airport (Livosta). We checked in and our now alone by gate 1.

05.47 We are seated at 7 A-C at Aeroflots plane, a Tupolev TU-154 with destination Sheremetyevo, one of the airports in Moscow.

RUSSIA

08.50 I managed to set the watch forward on hour to Moscow time. Unfortunately the plane didn´t manage to land in Moscow. It was too bad weather. We are instead on our way to the airport Pulkovo in Saint Petersburg. I´ve got nothing against Saint Petersburg, it is a pleasant city, but we had no plans to see it today. We told a stewardess that the plane to Baku was waiting for us in Moscow. Guys, you will miss that she replied. She also informed us that we should go to some transit office as we land to once again rebook the tickets. Where will this end, is this an Aeroflot complot?

Why are we here?

08.59 I set my watch for Saint Petersburg time, back one hour that is. After rolling for 5-10 minutes we’ve come to a complete stop. We seem to be refuelling. Do we dare to hope for a quick take off? Just as we stopped and before the captain came with his latest announcement we heard a cell phone that played the intro to Britney Spears ”Oops I did it again” Is this a sign or? Once more we want to Baku but end up in Saint Petersburg.

09.17 We’ve just been informed that we within half an hour will return to Moscow.

12.32 We are back in Moscow time and have successfully landed at the airport Sheremetyovo in Moscow. Now awaits disembarkation. What will happen with us and with our luggage? Which flight will take us to Baku and will our belongings join us?

12.55 It seems to be just a short stop here. We just had to check in the ticket. We will be flying with the booked flight to Baku. What can’t come in can’t come out. Everything is delayed. We are sitting at gate 8. We will embark the plane at 13.30, almost four hours behind scheduled time.

13.38 Yet no boarding. It is delayed to 14.10. We´ve seen a azeri man with a flat hat that reminded us of landing place for a helicopter.

14.35 We have after some misfortunes got on the plane. The seats this time are 11 A-C. Baku here we come, hopefully. The helicopter man was allowed before everyone else in the queue. Who might he be?

15.08 We are still waiting for take off. There is a plane in front of us in the queue.

16.31 It was more than one plane in front of us but we got away at last. I just set my watch to Baku time. All I see outside are clouds. It is majestically but doesn’t take care of my hunger.

17.50 We are flying over a huge city surrounded by a flat landscape. It is crossed by a huge river. The flood ways are meandering. Here and there we see rectangular areas. Are they ditches, irrigations or what? We think the city is Volgograd (former Stalingrad).

18.52 We’ve just began to descend towards Baku’s airport, Heydar Aliyev, it got its name from the late president of Azerbaijan. We are scheduled to land in 25 minutes. Outside it is dusk and my ears just blocked up.

AZERBAIJAN

19.09 Touchdown. Now awaits the next step of the adventure. We will get out of the plane, apply for visas and leave the airport. After that we will get to the booked room. We are promised a driver and an agent. How does an agent look like? Black clothes, smart ….?

20.49 We got our visas at a small counter. They cost us 40 US-dollar each and we got stamped into the country. Strangely enough a stamp in the passport was required before we could get a visa. On the other side of the customs office we met our agent, Marina Mednikova, a charming lady around 25-30 years old. She brought us to the car and it took us to our new home, an apartment that we will rent. We got a lot of information and guiding on our way to Baku. The car stopped by an old house at A Kuliev Street. We passed a worn out door. Went across a court yard where laundry hanged, went up three wooden stairs and in through a steel door and into a luxurious apartment measuring over 100 square metres. Here Marina showed us around in the large hall, the bathroom, the two bedrooms, the kitchen and dining room. Now we will settle down before dinner. We paid our debts to Marina. The three nights here and transport back and forth the airport cost us $80 each. The company that has this offer is Baku Real Estate Agency http://www.bakurealestate.net/

21.37 We withdrew manat which is the name of the money here. Now we ordered dinner at Padisah. We will have kebab, urfa two times and döner. Most things here feel Turkish. We had the same kind of dishes in Turkey 2005.

One of the bedrooms in our apartment.

22.22 We let Roberth inside an internet café so that he can carry on with his reports back home. Christer and I walked around the block. On this walk we found a grocery store. Now we are back at the café and soon we will buy breakfast and toilet paper. After that we will head home, make the beds and sleep. It is time for the first night in Baku, Azerbaijan, Europe. The people here remind me of both Turks and Russians. I am looking forward to get to know them.

23.11 We are back home. We’ve bought what we need right now. Outside the store an old lady tried to sell us some lemons. We ignored her and went inside to buy what we needed. In one of the counters coins were counted. It was way over one hundred coins there. It was the lemon lady who was, with some help, counting the money she had earned today.

23.43 We are zapping between countless of TV-channels while we are having some Xirdalan, the local beer. I am guessing that sleep is coming up. Roberth’s cell phone isn’t working in this country. It can´t get connected.