Azerbaijan: Crossing Caspian Sea by Ferry - Part One

Travelling to Kazakhstan

From the harbor in Alat through Caspian Sea to Sky harbor in Kazakhstan

I had the chance to catch the only train from Baku to Gobustan. The train left the station at 4:35 p.m. We are travelling slowly to the South. The train is electric and can't accelerate more, however this is giving me a great advantage - I can collect more impressions from the area around.

The cosy and clean city environment was slowly replaced by semi-destroyed small houses, backyards and a lot of dust. Outside the city the landscape is mainly plain with bushes. Most of the villages I saw were built around lakes and rivers.

I'm surprised by the price of the ticket - it's about $0.50 for about 60 km. of road next to the Caspian sea coast. The station in Gobustan is wide, but somehow empty.

I'm the only one who appears at the huge square in front of the building of the station. I'm quickly approached by a person who present himself as a taxi driver.

I should mention that the town of Gobustan is surrounded by a couple of nature phenomenons - small active volcanos that are sprinkled at different distances out of each other. In fact 'a volcano' is pretty symbolic name, because craters' height is not more than half a meter, but still - inside you can see some type of boiling elements . In some cases you can even put your hand inside without getting burned. I was waiting to explore this phenomenon for a long time, but it seems I couldn't make it, because I had to hurry up, find the harbor and check for the next ship to Kazakhstan.

I accept the offer of the taxi driver and save 10 km. in walking on the dusty road. While we drive to the harbor he shares with me that in fact he was working as ан auto mechanic and he was driving the taxi for an additional income. He helps me register on entering the harbor and to disover the cashier where I can get more information and buy a ticket for the ferry.

At the the southernmost part where the customs and border control are situated I found decades of containers each one playing a different role. In one of them I found a food shop and by the way the prices were impressively low. In another one I found the bank where I could exchange money, but they didn't have any Kazakhstan tinges.

There were also a bathroom and a toilet. I could take a shower for a dollar. The administrative part and the cashier are at the last containers and I head forward there to ask a couple of questions. They greet me in a friendly way, but the person in charge is announcing that the ferry is full and I have to wait for the next one.

A ticket for a single person without a car costs 70 dollars.

Our group is about 10 people. We are all sitting in a circle between the cars in the big harbor parking. I had the pleasure to meet a couple from Germany - the girl has a Bulgarian name and I learn that her father is Bulgarian who is living in Germany since many years. She doesn't speak my language although she understands it.

The last man who joins us is Daisuke who's a Japanese bicycler who initiated his trip a couple of months ago from Istanbul, Turkey. He had the same route I did - he passed through Georgia and Azerbaijan and here he has finally met me at this sea harbor. The group receive good news - they can leave this night. That's why I wish them a good night and start looking for a place for rest.

END OF PART ONE