Summer Travels

Pictures! The Literature Museum in Baku, Me standing in various places around the country, and MOSQUITOES! Gazillions of them!

The pictures of were taken in Ucar, Şirvan and Şamaxı. The one in Ujar is in front of a new massive building they are construction in the local park. I don't know what its purpose will be, but knowing this country it will probably serve as a massive museum/monument to Heydar Aliyev, the former president. If this is the case it will basically become a gigantic waste of money and space intended to convince everyone that Heydar deserves a place at the right hand of Allah because of his extraordinary greatness. The picture in Şirvan is with PCVs Jesse and Derek, standing on a mountain overlooking the river Kür, which has experienced severe flooding this year and basically ruined the entire town of Sabirabad. Derek was initially placed in Sabirabad with his wife, but due to the lack of organization of both the Azeri government and Peace Corps he had to return to the states after the town was flooded. Finally there's a picture in Şamaxı, standing next to the Tombs of the Shirvan Shahs. For a long time Şamaxı was the capital of ancient Azerbaijan, until an earthquake ruined it and the Shah decided to relocate to Baku.