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Gobustan Day Tour (Mud Volcanoes)
The original plan for the day was to go to Gabala, but for some reason, that trip was canceled. With the recommendation of the Baku City Tours company, I joined the Gobustan group tour instead. The Gobustan group tour package is a whole-day activity headed by a professional tour guide and includes pick-up and drop-off in shared transportation by air-conditioned minivan, as well as entry tickets to different sites. For lunch, we were taken to a countryside restaurant that served local cuisine. This part added value to our tour as we had the experience of having our meal with some locals that indicated we were indeed having authentic Azerbaijani food…
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A visit to Baku Fountains Square (Parapet) during Novruz
Time to have dinner on my first day in Azerbaijan. I thought of going to a restaurant serving authentic local cuisine. I was curious as to what their food would be like. There were several restaurants near my accommodation such as Chinese, Indian, and some of Middle Eastern origin. There were pizzeria shops and of course KFC in Fountain Square (Parapet). I learned that a branch of KFC near a former train station in Baku is known to be the World’s largest. Actually, it was the largest branch in the World, as it’s already closed now. I noticed the streets were busy, adults and children were heading in a particular…
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Resolved therefore
“Resolved to accumulating experiences instead of piling up dreams.” By: Joan Amorganda #025-23082022 Poem / My poem / Poetry / Quote / Quotes
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CAT 22
There you are again, friendly cat, Lounging freely at your favorite spot. How’s the weather? Guess you lovin’ it a lot. Have you got news today? So, we can chat. Fancy a walk with me? This Canal has got a long space. Want to stop here? Or, try another place. We’ve got a lovely view of the City, haven’t we? Above all, it is the safest place to be. Won’t disturb you for long now; I will put on my mask. Guess you’ll also be back at your master’s place before dusk. Poem By: Joan Amorganda Poem #023-03022022 Poem / My poem / Poetry /…
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Miniature Book Museum in Baku
I enjoy reading books and I would always keep copies of those that I have read. I have been collecting for many years, and so far I have accumulated around 300 books. I could say that I have already read 50% of them and would definitely re-read some of them. Also, I have got a pile of to-be-read pieces. I got most of these books at bargain prices such as from the flea markets and second-hand shops. Although some are new pieces bought from legit bookstores, and some are presents that I received from Richard during my birthdays and at Christmas. Having accumulated hundreds of books seeded the idea of building…
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The Old Baku City guided tour
The tour includes pick-up from the hotel which took a few minutes to drive to the main entrance of the Old City where our walking exploration began. The Old City, or Inner City (Icheri Sheher) is surrounded by walls and is said to date back to at least the 12th century. The Old City is the most ancient part and is considered the historical core of Baku. It includes the Shirvanshah’s Palace and Maiden Tower, which became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage. Apparently, a lot has changed within the Walled City since the 1800s during the occupation of the…
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My first solo travel in 2022: Baku, Azerbaijan
It was in March 2022 when I traveled to Baku for a short break, which was a convenient option trip for me to take from Dubai, as having a UAE residency visa allowed me to get an Azerbaijani visa upon arrival at the airport. Baku is the capital and the largest city of Azerbaijan. The Republic of Azerbaijan, as it is officially named, is a country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. From Dubai, it takes less than three hours to reach the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku. My transfer to the hotel had been prebooked, so I did not have to find a taxi or…
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My admiration for “Jane Eyre” a novel by Charlotte Brontë
Jane Eyre, a novel written by Charlotte Brontë. I must confess I utterly fell in love not only with the leading character but all the more with the author herself. Charlotte has written a novel that would become one of the most famous romance novels of all time. Although I have seen movie adaptations of Jane Eyre, I did not fully realize then how beautifully the novel was composed until I read it in its entirety with the convenience of my prized Kindle. I do possess copies of the books one of which I personally purchased at a gift shop in their former home in the village of Haworth, West…
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Be Still
Woke up late one morning feeling lazy but still managed to have a walk along Dubai Water Canal. Then noticed this, to me was a perfect view, a beautiful reflection on the waters as if I was looking at a painting of a masterpiece created by a Cubist. I love the calmness and the effect of the still water… With the only hope that if only everyone is as calm and relax as this serene view, considering what is happening all around us. Be still everyone. There is still hope. May God bless us all! Psalm 46 a 1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2Therefore…
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Here is a short video clip I posted on my YouTube channel regarding my visit to the “Big Apple”. Sadly, some of my original videos were corrupted. Thank God, my good friend Reginald Villanueva has given me permission to use his clips from his Instagram account, which I added to the video I created for my YouTube channel. You may as well visit his Instagram account @ https://www.instagram.com/regvillanueva/. He is a frequent traveler. For sure you will be amazed of the places he has visited. I have created a few blogs about my wonderful visit to some of the famous cities of the United States of America. You will…
