Azerbaijan

I don’t remember hearing of Azerbaijan before working my way through the list of countries, but it didn’t take me long to find the Novruz celebration at Cafe 21 in the Gaslamp District of San Diego in March 2019. During the Azerbaijani New Year, Chef Leyla prepared what was advertised as a nine course dinner. I counted at least twelve different items between the appetizers, salads, entrées, and desserts. Because I’ve eaten both Persian and Lebanese food many times, I didn’t expect to see anything new, but dish after dish was new and delicious to me. The following day, there was an Azeri pastry making demonstration, but I had a family event to attend. I hope they repeat the demonstration during some future Novruz so I can be there.

After that meal, I checked Azerbaijan Diary: A Rogue Reporter’s Adventures in an Oil-Rich, War-torn, Post-Soviet Republic by Thomas Goltz out of the LA County Library and bought two books, one of Modern Azerbaijani Women’s Prose compiled by Vagif Sultanly and Iraj Ismaely and the other Ali and Nino by Kurban Said. I enjoyed them all. The last is a World War I story about the brief time Azerbaijan was independent between the Russian Tsar and the Communists, and illustrates the intersection between Asia and Europe, Christian and Muslim, man and woman. I felt the tug in many directions while I was reading it.

Because Azerbaijan is one of the three former Soviet States in the Transcaucasus region (along with Georgia and Armenia), travel there may have been limited in the past and who knows what it will be like in the future. Daydream about what you might do there at https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-azerbaijan/ (Photo credit to thecrazytourist.com for the picture attached to this blog.)

Finally, when this pandemic is over, it might be possible to plan a trip to Azerbaijan using your local travel advisor. Shout out to my favorite travel advisor, Kaitlin Darnell at Laura's Travel in Redlands. May the travel industry survive and thrive - may we all survive, thrive, recognize our mutual humanity, learn to deal with our conflicts, and allow peace and health to flourish in Azerbaijan and throughout the world.