The Mongol Rally:
Crossing the Caspian Sea
I am writing this at 2 am aboard the Bagtyyar, a Caspian Sea ferry plying the route between Baku, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan. We were rudely awakened an hour ago, evicted from our comfortable cabin as we approached port, and made to wait in the frigid passenger lounge.
On board the ferry for 31 hours and running short of food after a 14-hour wait for our turn in port, I suppose this is progress of sorts. But after so long waiting, did they really have to do it in the middle of the night? Getting to this point has been a drawn-out process. This is the story of how it went.
Crossing the Caspian Sea stage one: Getting to the port
The port: Baku, in Azerbaijan. As we were driving from Turkey, this meant an overnight stop in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. It was a long, winding road from the Turkish border, and we arrived late and hungry.
Tbilisi is an ancient city steeped in history. So, after checking into our 18-bed dorm (mattresses on the floor – we didn’t have the energy to search for anything better), we headed into the old town to find some food and do a spot of nighttime sightseeing.
Dinner in Tbilisi, en route to the crossing the Caspian Sea port of Baku
Tbilisi has a wonderfully decaying old town, with crumbling houses and ornate balconies leaning at vertiginous angles. Unfortunately, the back streets of the old city are totally unlit at night, so we were forced to stick to the main streets during our nocturnal sightseeing. With a multitude of old Georgian Orthodox churches, a historic fort on a hill, and some interesting new architecture (all lit up at night), this wasn’t really a hardship.
After an hour of walking, we were finally exhausted, and back at the hostel, we slept like logs despite the 16 other people in our dorm room.
Tbilisi old town lit up at night, our first stop en route to crossing the Caspian Sea
After another long drive the following day (with some pretty unpleasant dirt roads and an interminably slow and hot border crossing thrown in), we reached Baku, the departure point for the Caspian Sea ferry to Turkmenbashi. Arriving well after dark, tired and hungry again, we headed straight to our couchsurfing host’s apartment, where we were fed and watered before bedding down for the night. Eliko and Cavid were terrific hosts, and the following day we were plied with delicious warm pastries before driving the zebra down to the port to see about a ferry.
Crossing the border into Azerbaijan, departure country for crossing the Caspian Sea ferries
Crossing the Caspian Sea stage two: Wait
With absolutely no schedule, no set price structure, and very little information online, our only option for crossing the Caspian Sea was to turn up and wait. When we arrived at the port that morning, we met other Mongol Rally teams waiting for 5 days already.
No ferry so far due to high winds. Or because they are waiting for it to fill up. It depends on who you ask. Baku port is like a rumour mill in overdrive. One person says the ferry leaves tonight. Another says that it will go in the morning. Someone else is sure two are leaving tonight at 11pm and 3am. A fourth person says they won’t leave for days because there aren’t enough lorries waiting yet.
A nice man in a red beret (he looks pretty official) says the Bagtyyar will leave tonight. With nothing to do until then and the car trapped in port until the ferry departs, we decided to meet up with Cavid again to explore the city a little before our evening departure.
Baku is an eclectic mix of old and new; ultramodern shopping malls, high-rise office blocks (built with Azerbaijan’s recent oil revenues), early 20th century mansions (built during a previous oil boom) and an ancient walled old town. And all seamlessly woven together into a surprisingly attractive city.
Cavid couldn’t have been a better guide. First, he took us through the pedestrianised city centre, its streets lined with beautiful old sandstone townhouses, now converted to chic boutiques and chain stores. Next came the Old City, the Maiden Tower (a 12th-century tower steeped in legend and mystery) and, within the city walls, a maze of ancient streets and passageways, domed roofs and wooden balconies, with the odd minaret breaking through the skyline. We walked back along the Caspian Seafront and had a late kebab lunch with Cavid before saying our goodbyes and returning to port.
Exploring Baku while waiting for our ferry to crossing the Caspian Sea
Back at the port, everything had changed. Against all rumours, a ferry had been and gone, most of the rally teams had left, and our car looked distinctly lonely in the empty car park. After further enquiries, this was not the ferry we were destined for anyway. Thankfully, the Bagtyyar was still idling offshore; the earlier ferry had already been fully booked before we arrived that morning. Great!
“So we’re still leaving tonight?”
One team says yes. Another team thinks we won’t leave for another few days while we wait for the ferry to fill. The woman in the ticket office has no idea. Red beret man to the rescue again:
“Baggyatar will leave in morning, maybe eight. Go hotel.”
With that, we spread the new information around the few teams still present (going off their own sources, they decided to wait a little longer) and went in search of wifi to see if Cavid was still in the city. Luckily for us, he was. And, given that Eliko was moving to Turkey the following day, Cavid offered to host us at his parents’ compound on the city’s edge.
A trip on the metro, followed by a bus ride, got us within walking distance of Cavid’s place, his own small apartment in his parents’ compound. We were so glad we made the journey out to his home. From the moment we arrived, we were treated like honoured guests; his mum plying us with tea, sweets, a whole evening meal, and even breakfast at 5am (so we could get to the ferry on time). She also did our washing (an unenviable task after so long on the road). We couldn’t have been more grateful.
Despite the early start, Cavid insisted on escorting us back to the port the following morning at 6am. With his help, we discovered, at 7am, that the Bagtyyar was now only expected to depart around 5pm that day. So much for the early start. The wait continued.
This time we stuck pretty much to the port, not wanting to risk another ferry leaving without us. As the day wore on and we waited, with Cavid to keep us company, we learned that our car was definitely on the list for this next ferry. The rumour mill continued churning, and everything pointed toward a late afternoon departure. We went for lunch. We came back. No change.
As we sat in the waiting room, there was a sudden crowd movement: time to get on the ferry. After a 30-hour wait, we were crossing the Caspian Sea.
Finally queueing to board the Caspian Sea ferry
Crossing the Caspian Sea stage 3: Exit Azerbaijan
At 4pm we queued up with the other teams to board the Caspian Sea ferry. Boarding a ferry in Azerbaijan isn’t quite the same as crossing the channel to France. First, unload all your luggage and put it through the X-ray machine. Next, allow a thorough examination of your car by customs officials (any maps will be heavily vetted by Azeri officials looking for border discrepancies). Finally, photos, fingerprints and a passport exit stamp. We rolled onto the ferry two hours later, ready for crossing the Caspian Sea.
OIn board the Bagtyyar ferry, crossing the Caspian Sea
Crossing the Caspian Sea stage four: The Caspian Sea crossing
We were ready for departure, but it seemed the Bagtyyar was not. With no guarantee of food on board, we had bought bread and Nutella the previous day. Already somewhat stale, we chewed through this on deck as we watched fireworks and a light show over downtown Baku (imagining this to be a celebration of our successful boarding of the ferry). Hours later, we went to bed with the ferry still in port, showing no sign of departure.
Fireworks over Baku, viewed while crossing the Caspian Sea
However, the ferry finally departed at some point in the night. We were woken early to a severely rocking ship and much creaking and groaning as the vessel pitched one way and then the other.
Considering it safer not to try walking in these tumultuous seas, we stayed in bed, and soon after breakfast (late), we came into view of Turkmenbashi. This was considerably quicker than the 17 hours we were led to expect. But there we stayed. For another 13 hours. Turkmenbashi was visible in the distance but unreachable as we sat in a queue of ships waiting to enter the port.
Turkmenbashi in the sunset crossing the Caspian Sea
We had been hoping to disembark the following morning after another night’s sleep on board, but sadly it wasn’t to be. Woken at 1am as the ship pulled into the dock, evicted from our cosy cabins with their comfortable beds and showers. We now sit. And wait. Again.
Crossing the Caspian Sea stage five: Entering Turkmenistan
I’m completing this blog from the comfort of dry land. So, obviously, they did eventually allow us off the ferry. But only after nine hours of waiting. Waiting through the night, with perfectly decent beds upstairs. Forced to sit and doze or try to sleep on the floor while nothing happened and no one was allowed off the ship. Held ransom, we had to pay up $13 per car for the privilege of this disembarkation procedure (on top of an $ 11 ‘bridge tax’ to board and a small fortune for the ferry fare itself) before we finally placed our feet, and wheels, on Turkmen soil.
Next? You guessed it. A whole lot more waiting. Waiting for hours in any shade we could find to be let into the border control building. Five people at a time. Hand in your passports. Take them back. Collect your visa fees. Take the money back. Put it in your passport. Hand your passport back. All while sitting on the concrete forecourt in the ever-shrinking shade.
Finally, we entered the building. Passengers had it easy, two stations and they were through. On the other hand, drivers had a whole circus to deal with. Passport stamp. Baggage check. Customs form. Hand it in at table one. Go to office one, stamp. Office two, stamp. Office three, stamp. Pay at window four. Take paper x to office five. Give receipt y to the person on table one, then car passport to man in office six. The man in office six needs the passport still with the woman in office three. The woman in office three gives another stamp, and the man in office six, now with passport, stamps the same paper. Give everything back to the woman at table one.
‘Can I go?’
‘You can go’
Go to wait. In the sun again. By the cars. Wait for everyone else to complete the same circus. Jump through the same hoops. Pay the same fees; disinfection fee, fuel compensation levy, road tax, car insurance, processing fee, payment fee. A very expensive country to enter. Finally, everyone is through. Next, the cars are checked. Thoroughly. Bags are removed and opened. All belongings are picked through and examined.
Completed (and with no contraband found), we must wait by the gate. Once all the teams have been checked, we are finally free. Or almost. As they reach the final gate, the first teams are turned back. No blue ticket. You can’t leave without a blue ticket. How could we even think of leaving without a blue ticket?
Fifteen cars make a U-turn and head back to the main building. It’s been seven hours since we got off the ferry, so tempers are wearing thin. With the blue ticket booth found, a queue forms. No dollars are accepted (nobody has local currency yet, we’re still in the port). A sudden rush for the exchange booth. With dollars now changed to Manat (the local currency), the original queue reforms.
Blue ticket in hand, we are finally allowed out of the port and into Turkmenistan proper. 7 hours after we disembarked, 16 hours since we reached Turkmenbashi (and were woken up at 1am), 48 hours since we boarded the ferry and 79 hours since we started the whole process in Baku.
All this to cross a distance of 180 miles. We entered Turkmenistan already more than a little fed up with the place.
This Leg
Days: 5
Countries: 3
Distance: 381 miles
Time in car: 14 hours
Total
Days: 20
Countries: 19
Distance: 4,604 miles
Time in car: 4 days 19 hours