Back in Baku and Back in the UK
Saturday 1st June 2019
Aaron had been tracking me on live location on WhatsApp and even before I got to the street where Finnegans was, I saw him walking towards me. He grinned from ear to ear and gave me a big hug. I was just so relieved I had been able to reunite him with his passport!
We went to Finnegans for a celebratory pint as I excitedly regaled the story of what happened.
The day before, we noticed how things had changed in Baku now that the football fans/UEFA had mostly left Baku...we had seen child beggars and homeless people on the street...they had not been visible up to Thursday morning. When we did see policemen, they had been stopping people in the street for random ID card checks. Again, we had not witnessed that earlier. It would seem that Baku was getting back to it's normality now that most of the news crews had left!
Even in Finnegans, the atmosphere was remarkably different and an eclectic mix of people were there...there were quite a few young women in the bar with overdone makeup and tight clothes and being 'looked' after by several young men. Make of it what you will, what they get up to is none of my business....but they certainly had not been around earlier in the week. There was a seedier side of Baku that most of our fellow travellers did not see.
We were hungry after all the excitement and adrenaline rush of 'Passport-Gate' and at 2am, we had to do it....get a KEBAB!!! Hahaha. Three tasty chicken kebabs for about 80pence each. Delicious.
We got back to the hotel and the roll-away bed was delivered and pretty soon, everyone was asleep...later that day, we would be flying back to London!
The next morning, we packed our bags and checked out. Went back into Baku one last (last) time and I promised to show the guys around the Old City. It was another hot day, so I gave the condensed tour instead. Before we knew it, it was time for lunch.....and you guessed it, another kebab! I will not go into explicit detail about a baby crow sat near our table at lunch and a hungry cat nearby...you can use your own imaginations!
We decided to head off back to the hotel to collect our bags and make our way to the airport. We could have taken the airport bus but used up the remaining local currency to get a 'taxi' to the airport. Well, it would seem, that my taxi the night before was far better than the clapped out old Mercedes we had to the airport. The driver just laughed when I sat in the front seat and tried to put the seat belt on...it was not long enough to reach the buckle! Three of the four windows were fully open and the fourth would not open. It was about 31 deg C and the aircon had failed many years before. We spent a lot of time stopped at traffic lights and it was a hot journey. I kept wondering if there was a crash whether I would fly right through the front windscreen as the Airbag cover had been crudely glued to the dashboard in front of me and it was never going to save me!
We got to the airport in more than good time. I checked in and we headed off for the departures lounge and the executive lounge! When we got to the lounge, there was no obvious place to register my card and pay for one extra guest. We saw a sign near the bar saying 'Self-Service'...so we did!! We spent nearly 2 hours drinking and eating and when we left no one seemed to care if we showed a lounge access card or not!? While talking in the lounge I mentioned that we would probably be getting a meal and I joked about how in days gone by, the choice always used to be, chicken or beef!
We did not have to wait too long at the gate and we were soon boarding the Azerbaijan Airlines 787 Dreamliner bound for Heathrow. Seats were comfortable although the couple sitting next to me were Chelsea fans, so I ignored them the whole flight! 😂
Recently, I had flown so many budget airlines, so I was not expecting this.....
The choice of main course was 'chicken or beef'!! 😂 I had beef.
I watched a film after dinner and then did another blog entry, making sure there were no passports stuck to my tablet case!
A few hours later we were landing at Heathrow and as soon as people could connect to the internet, we learned Liverpool were one up in the first half of the CL Final in Madrid, so things were looking hopeful that Spurs would not win!!
Our final 'goodbye' to Azerbaijan
My journey was still not complete. I had to get back to Stansted Airport where my car was parked and where Steve would be arriving in just under 2 hours! I go to the arrivals area of Stansted just in time to meet Steve! I think he was surprised I had made it on time!
What a trip, what an experience!
Thank you to all my friends who made my first European Final such a never to be forgotten trip. I will live off the memories for a long time to come!
THE END
Aaron had been tracking me on live location on WhatsApp and even before I got to the street where Finnegans was, I saw him walking towards me. He grinned from ear to ear and gave me a big hug. I was just so relieved I had been able to reunite him with his passport!
We went to Finnegans for a celebratory pint as I excitedly regaled the story of what happened.
The day before, we noticed how things had changed in Baku now that the football fans/UEFA had mostly left Baku...we had seen child beggars and homeless people on the street...they had not been visible up to Thursday morning. When we did see policemen, they had been stopping people in the street for random ID card checks. Again, we had not witnessed that earlier. It would seem that Baku was getting back to it's normality now that most of the news crews had left!
Even in Finnegans, the atmosphere was remarkably different and an eclectic mix of people were there...there were quite a few young women in the bar with overdone makeup and tight clothes and being 'looked' after by several young men. Make of it what you will, what they get up to is none of my business....but they certainly had not been around earlier in the week. There was a seedier side of Baku that most of our fellow travellers did not see.
We were hungry after all the excitement and adrenaline rush of 'Passport-Gate' and at 2am, we had to do it....get a KEBAB!!! Hahaha. Three tasty chicken kebabs for about 80pence each. Delicious.
We got back to the hotel and the roll-away bed was delivered and pretty soon, everyone was asleep...later that day, we would be flying back to London!
The next morning, we packed our bags and checked out. Went back into Baku one last (last) time and I promised to show the guys around the Old City. It was another hot day, so I gave the condensed tour instead. Before we knew it, it was time for lunch.....and you guessed it, another kebab! I will not go into explicit detail about a baby crow sat near our table at lunch and a hungry cat nearby...you can use your own imaginations!
We decided to head off back to the hotel to collect our bags and make our way to the airport. We could have taken the airport bus but used up the remaining local currency to get a 'taxi' to the airport. Well, it would seem, that my taxi the night before was far better than the clapped out old Mercedes we had to the airport. The driver just laughed when I sat in the front seat and tried to put the seat belt on...it was not long enough to reach the buckle! Three of the four windows were fully open and the fourth would not open. It was about 31 deg C and the aircon had failed many years before. We spent a lot of time stopped at traffic lights and it was a hot journey. I kept wondering if there was a crash whether I would fly right through the front windscreen as the Airbag cover had been crudely glued to the dashboard in front of me and it was never going to save me!
We got to the airport in more than good time. I checked in and we headed off for the departures lounge and the executive lounge! When we got to the lounge, there was no obvious place to register my card and pay for one extra guest. We saw a sign near the bar saying 'Self-Service'...so we did!! We spent nearly 2 hours drinking and eating and when we left no one seemed to care if we showed a lounge access card or not!? While talking in the lounge I mentioned that we would probably be getting a meal and I joked about how in days gone by, the choice always used to be, chicken or beef!
We did not have to wait too long at the gate and we were soon boarding the Azerbaijan Airlines 787 Dreamliner bound for Heathrow. Seats were comfortable although the couple sitting next to me were Chelsea fans, so I ignored them the whole flight! 😂
Recently, I had flown so many budget airlines, so I was not expecting this.....
The choice of main course was 'chicken or beef'!! 😂 I had beef.
I watched a film after dinner and then did another blog entry, making sure there were no passports stuck to my tablet case!
A few hours later we were landing at Heathrow and as soon as people could connect to the internet, we learned Liverpool were one up in the first half of the CL Final in Madrid, so things were looking hopeful that Spurs would not win!!
Our final 'goodbye' to Azerbaijan
My journey was still not complete. I had to get back to Stansted Airport where my car was parked and where Steve would be arriving in just under 2 hours! I go to the arrivals area of Stansted just in time to meet Steve! I think he was surprised I had made it on time!
What a trip, what an experience!
Thank you to all my friends who made my first European Final such a never to be forgotten trip. I will live off the memories for a long time to come!
THE END
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