Wednesday, 09 August, 2017 --- Day 23 -- From Hacygabul Shirvan To gaz station

ΚΑΤ’ΕΜΠΟΡΙΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΩΡΙΑΝ

ES MUSS SEIN

CARTAGO DELENDA EST

Nos perituri mortem salutamus

Wednesday, 09 August, 2017 --- Day 23

From Hacygabul Shirvan To gaz station

Stats

Day dist: 72.26 km

Riding time: 4 hours 13 mins

Avg speed: 17.12 km/hour

Max speed: 31.76 km/hour

End day odo: 2849 km

Dist covered so far: 1149 km

Coordinates: 40.106555N 49.428622

Alt:

Left at 10:40. It was such a comfortable hotels that I wouldn’t mind staying longer. But a man has got to do what man has got to do, as you know, that’s all he has to do.

Hotel Olympias

Rode to the city, found a bank and took out 240 Manat from the ATM. After that I went shopping. Then it was time to hit the road and instead of going back the way I came decided to trust the GPS instructions. It seemed that it was taking me in a direction other than what my orientation instincts were teling me but I guess this is what shortcuts are. To make a long story short I ended up at a deadend street near a what seemed to be an army barrack.

One soldier came up to me asked me where I come from and then introduced me to an officer and a couple of other soldiers. They were all very friendly and cordial. The original soldier rushed into the camp and came back with a bottle of cold water for me. The officer invited me to lunch and kind of insisted. I could not accept, however, as I was already running late. I thanked them and left.

This time I dumped the GS and went the way I knew and got on the highway.

My fitst stop was at 21 kms at a makeshift cafeteria where I had tea. Left at 13:20

I somehow was sleepy. The truth is that I had slept comfortably but for only few hours. There was no place to rest out of the sun and it was really hot, so when I found an escape opportunity I took it. There was an abandoned little house at the side of the highway featuring a thick shade. I went there and napped at the shade (41 km). I stayed from 14:40 till 16:15.

The highway

I made one more stop under a bridge (overpass) at 53 kms from where I left at 17:30.

Within a short time, I saw the sea (Kaspian) for the first time.

Highway to Baku

Entering Gobustan

I carried on. My goal was to bike another 25 kms to Sangachal. There I would find a comfortable hotel and tomorrow I would be only 35 kms from Baku, and fairly easy ride.

It was already dark when I was 10 kms away from my goal. I stopped at a gazstation to asked the attendants about a hotel and all of them were categorical that there was no hotel in Sangachal and that the next hotel was at 45 kms distance. At that point 45 kms was an impossible task. I negotiated w/ the leader of the group and for 10 Manat they let me sleep on the floor in one of the rooms. The prick was actually demanding 20 Manats, the price of a descent hotel, but I did not budge.

ΕΙ ΘΕΟΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΗΜΩΝ, ΤΙΣ ΚΑΘ’ΗΜΩΝ; Προς Ρωμαίους 8:31

IF GOD BE WITH US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? Romans 8:31