Five hours by bus to Sheki
Today is the day to go to Sheki! Early in the morning I said goodbye to the Airbnb that had looked after me for nearly a week, took photos with the owner and his father, and headed to the bus stop. Raul, whom I met at the airport, taught me how to buy the ticket, so I was able to board the bus without any problems! I was surprised to find many Chinese tourists on it.
After five hours on that bus, I arrived in Sheki! The atmosphere in Sheki was completely different from Baku, and the nature was very beautiful. The foliage, which reminded me of autumn in Japan, was incredibly lovely.
Connecting through Russian
I contacted the owner's WhatsApp to check in, and she said she was out, so her father came instead and showed me the room. Since it seemed to be the off-season and no one else was coming, I was able to have the whole room to myself!
The owner's father even called his daughter and said he didn't understand English well and asked for help, so when I spoke in Russian he was surprised. Studying in Russia and being able to use Russian in various situations to connect with people made me realize once again how wonderful that is.
There were about three cats and they were super cute.
Before the sun set
Since the sun was about to set, I hurried to do some sightseeing.
I walked to the Old Town and visited places like a caravanserai—an old inn where caravans used to stay—and the former residence of Sheki's old ruler.
It seemed you couldn't enter without a guide, so it took a while to get in. Photography was prohibited inside, so I left quickly.
HalvaThe sweetness and kindness of halva
Sheki's scenery was truly beautiful, and the town felt completely different from the Azerbaijan I had imagined. It was entirely different from Baku, which is called the "Asian Dubai"—and that was interesting too.
Raul, whom I met at the airport, told me to try Sheki's dessert halva, so I went there. The dessert was served on a huge plate, and the staff would cut it for you.
He told me to taste it and gave me a small piece, and when I ate it it was extremely sweet. I thought that would be enough and I could pass, but his kindness won me over, so I decided to buy a small amount.
Dinner was something like Sheki's local cuisine, but it was insanely greasy. That was a day in Sheki.
