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| GlobeRiders has it’s own BLOG “Silk Road Adventure 2015 LiveJournal!” There is a complete description of the excursion, rider bios, updates of the ride, and an active satellite location link. | ||
| Day 15, Sun, May 17, 2015
Start Location: Sheki, Azerbaijan End Location: Baku, Azerbaijan Distance: 300 km (186 miles) Hotel/Pension: Hilton Hotel Baku, 1Azadig Avenue, Baku 1000, Azerbaijan Money Conversion: Azerbaijan Manat 1 = $0.955 USD or $1 USD = .87756 Manat Gas: 1.10 Manat/l or $3.80/gal |
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| The money exchange for Axerbaijan Manat is almost 1 for 1 with the $USD. | ||
| I’m having fun because no one can figure me out. In every country I visit the locals ask of I’m Japanese, Korean, Chinese but when I answer “American” I get a blank stare or a look of disbelief. | ||
| I start the morning by myself. I enjoy the early morning solitude and not having to worry about riders in front or behind. The roads are all 2-lane through many villages and the conditions vary from OK to gravel, a little mud but no sand. There are many trucks so the day become an exercise in passing. | ||
| A half-dozen BMW GS are going cowboy and seeking secondary unpaved and dotted line maps routes. Many are Rawhide graduates and are skilled in gravel, sand and axel high water crossings. There has be several BMW dirt naps. | ||
| I’m fairly conservative and stay on the paved route, which often turns to short stretches of dirt and gravel. So far it’s been pretty easy for me. I’m worse in parking lots and cobblestone U-turns. | ||
| It’s Sunday, and I pass on the edge of a village farmers’ market. Curiosity get the better of me and I turn around and go into the village and immediately get mobbed. These are curious Azerbaijanians who rarely see large motos. Traffic starts backing up behind me and I move to a side street. There’s approx. 30 people around me and I take a group selfie. The guy to my left speaks a little English and offers to show me around. Then up rides John Riley. | ||
 My new friends at the village farmers market. |
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| We get a tour of the cow market, sheep market and chicken market. Bags of potatos, fruits, old car parts, tractor parts, electrical wire and swiches, everything you could imagine. Of course John and I walking around looking like we’re from Mars caused a little commotion. | ||
| The young man offered to take us to a 500 year old church 2 km away. We were cautious but agreed to go see the church. We followed him with our motos and stopped shortly at an Armenian church. | ||
 500 year old JOTARI Armenian Church. |
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 Restored interior |
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 Several of the trees around the church were 400 years old. John is showing the tree's trunk size. |
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| We were still in the mountains 100 km from the port city of Baku. But during the gradual ride down to sea level, the entire landscape changed to desert shrub brown. | ||
 The entire area is lush greet rolling mountains. |
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 Bikes |
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| The Azerbaijan and Armenia hate each other. You can not travel across the two countries borders. John and I found out just how bad this disagreement is. John was showing a Azerbaijanian where we had traveled. The map book showed our route into Armenia. The man got mad and shouted “Armenia bad! Very bad!” and took a pen and made “cross outs” over Armenia. | ||
 The gentleman on the left just made a large X marks over John's map of Armenia. |
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| Coming into Baku John and I got separated. As I was riding to the hotel via GPS, I passed a motorcycle shop. What luck! I needed chain spray so I turned around and pulled in. The owner saw me pass, stop down the street, U-turn and when I came back he was out in front motioned me to park in front. | ||
| After introductions and my explanation of the Silk Road trip, he immediately inspected my bike. He yells at his main mechanic to lubed the chain, checked both tires air pressure, told me I needed new rear brake pads and offered to wash the bike! The brake pads were not all used up but I pulled out my new brake pads and he had his mechanic change the brake pads in 15 minutes! He did not have extra chain spray but could have it tomorrow. | ||
| All the while I was offered sandwiches and drinks. He had Harley’s, BMWs, and a half dozen other bikes in his shop. | ||
| During my brake change, up pulls Helge. He saw me and stopped to see if I had a problem and ended up getting his bike washed. | ||
 The independent motorcycle shop's owner is on my right showing thumbs up. The mechanic is between us. Great group of guys! |
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| The bike shop was 4 km from our hotel. Baku was a 2 day stop I spread the word about the shop to the rest of the GlobeRiders. | ||
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Baku bikeshop hospitality9 comments to Baku bikeshop hospitality |
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Good stuff, Dean. Wish I were along with you all.
Sounds like you are having a great time. I’m enjoying reading your reports.
Great writeup Dean. I love the way you get local color from the indigenous peoples. “Armenia bad” This is priceless.
So cool, Dean. But, are there no women in Azerbaijan? I see only men in these photos.
Sounds really good, Dean, thanks for the updates.
That’s a great photo of you and your new friends at the market. Enjoy the Silk Road and your travels. A friend of mine here whose wife is from the area you are in has been telling me some of the history. I sent him a link to your blog to enjoy.
Loving your blog posts. Thanks for sharing your awesome adventure!
Dean, please stop lying to the locals. Everyone knows you are Danish.
Ok dude, this is amazing. Loving the photos, the descriptions and the stories. Keep it up so Sad Me can pretend, ok? Take care my Danish Friend and keep up the good work!!!