The rattle of the anchor echoes through the hallway, and the rumble of engine comes to rest. I am resting in my unbearable hot bunk, and sweat travels from my neck to my back. Again I am overwhelmed with the excitement of a new country, new customs and new friends. The intercom blasts in Russia “Prepare to disembark the vessel, customs agents are coming aboard”. He we go again……………

Caspian Sea sunset

I have finally made it across the Caspian! The journey took 60 hours on a smelly extremely hot cargo ship filled with Azerbaijani mechanics and Kazakhstani machinists. I am now in Kazakhstan and am preparing for my first night camping in the desert. Kazakhstan is so much different from Azerbaijan and now I officially feel like I am in Asia. The locals look Asia, or maybe its Mongolian either way I am just as interested in them as they are in me. I have to stop myself from trying to speak Chinese!

Drinking vodka with some Polish hitch hikers and some locals on the ship

I should be in Uzbekistan by early next week and will fill in more details soon!

My last night in Baku, camping in a dormant mud volcano