GABALA – Welcome to Junior Story

Hello to my fabulous viewers eagerly anticipating the wacky escapades of Day 5! So, picture this: we woke up in a hotel in Gabala (the name is as forgettable as my memory). We jumped into the shower, but the water heater had other plans, treating us to a hot-cold spa experience that felt more like a surprise party gone rogue! After our refreshing rollercoaster, we ventured out for breakfast.

Let’s just say the options were about as plentiful as a diet at a chocolate festival—so I went for the classic combo of pizza, parota, and egg. Once we made our culinary masterpiece disappear, we packed up faster than you can say “check-out time,” then struck a pose with some stunning cherry blossom-like flowers that clearly had more Instagram followers than I do!

Then, we loaded our luggage into our van, embarking on our grand adventure to Baku today. Our first stop was the Seven Beautiful Waterfalls—because why not start our tour with something that sounds like a fairy tale? The view was so stunning, I half-expected a nymph to pop out and offer us tea. We trudged to the top, making sure to awkwardly splash our hands in the running water because, let’s be honest, who can resist?

At this point, I had firmly decided to stay back, but I suddenly found myself ascending the hill like I was on a reality show challenge; I swear my feet had a mind of their own! That view was so breathtaking, I might have shed a tear—or was it just the mist? We snapped a few photos worthy of a magazine cover and then trooped back down to rejoin our group, only to realize we had all collectively just conquered the most glorified stair stepper ever.

Then we piled into our van like a bunch of excited squirrels and headed to the Gabala shooting range! I was sooo pumped for this adventure because, guess what? They had archery! Now, I don’t exactly dabble in archery myself, but I’ve read enough about it to almost qualify as a professional expert!

But first, the adults got their moment to shine, blasting away with guns and shotguns like they were in some action movie. Then it was the kids’ turn! They handed us a paper, the target looking at us like it was all too easy. I managed to get 4 to 5 bullets in the black circle, which is basically my version of scoring a winning goal!

Then it was time for Archery! I was super excited, practically bouncing off the walls. As luck would have it, I was called first—probably because they wanted to witness my imminent archery greatness (or comedic failure). I loaded my arrows like a pro and almost hit a bull’s eye! Then it was the kids’ turn, followed by some very brave adults who clearly didn’t mind risking their dignity.

After our glorious displays of skill, we plopped down in the lounge area, waiting for the uncles to finish paying for their wild off-road escapades. Just when I thought it was safe, my mom instructed me to vacate the sofa. Confused, I stood up and—surprise!—there was a cat hiding under me! I sat on a cat! Talk about a surprise guest! This gave me a minor heart attack and left me questioning my life choices!

Then we went off-road driving, which was like a roller coaster but without the safety harness! I squeezed into the front seat with my sister and dad, and we had a blast—like, literally, at one point I thought we might take off! After conquering the wild terrain, we returned to the van while the adults had a shoe-washing party for our muddy footwear, which, let’s be honest, they were more excited about than we were. Then it was full throttle to Baku!

We made a pit stop at the legendary RAJA RESTAURANT, where we dined like kings on cumin rice, naan, roti, chapati, paneer butter masala, dal tadka, and spaghetti—because, obviously, we needed an Italian twist! With our bellies bursting, we hopped back into the van. On our way, my mom decided to interview our driver about the entire history, laws, and regulations of Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, knowing we’d be starving by the time we reached the hotel, the adults ordered chicken burgers from McDonald’s online—because nothing says “cultural immersion” like fast food!

When we finally rolled into the Diamond hotel, we dashed to our rooms and devoured the chicken burgers like they were the last supper. Meanwhile, the adults, in their infinite wisdom, decided sandwiches were a better choice and promptly regretted it as they waited an eternity—I’m pretty sure the sandwich could have been a contestant on “The Amazing Race”!

While they were in the restaurant engaging in cardio by waiting, we kids hijacked a room to binge-watch TV like it was our day job. Curiously, the adults entrusted me with the prestigious title of babysitter—clearly, they had low standards. Eventually, the adults stumbled back to our rooms and crashed, dreaming of tomorrow’s grand adventures—but plot twist: tomorrow, we’re trading adventures for the UAE!

And now, folks, brace yourselves for today’s masterpiece of picture-taking! Don’t just enjoy them, revel in the pixelated glory!

See you guys tomorrow! Unless, of course, I get abducted by aliens or mistaken for a lost sock—then it might be a minute!

The End

Hello to all you bright-eyed adventurers anxiously counting down to the epic Day 4 in Baku! After a breakfast that could impress even the pickiest of food critics at our sparkling Diamond Hotel, we hopped into our trusty van like a group of over-caffeinated squirrels.

Today’s destination? Gabala! Since it’s further than your last New Year’s resolution, we had to pack our bags, shed a few dramatic tears saying goodbye to our Diamond Hotel, and embark on our next escapade. Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride!

It was a 5-hour journey to Gabala from Baku that felt like an episode of a reality show titled “Survivor: Backseat Edition.” My friend and I, in a moment of pure genius, claimed the back seats and entered hibernation mode. But, just as we were dreaming of snacks, our 2-year-old human alarm clock—who clearly has a talent for miscalculating nap times—decided it was time for a wake-up call. We jolted upright to a picture-perfect view of the village and nature, and I couldn’t resist snapping some photos that might just make us look a little less like zombies!

Then we rolled into the gas station for a bathroom break and to fuel up the van, though let’s be honest, the washroom looked like a monster’s lair from the outside—not a chance I’d risk it! After surviving that ordeal, we hopped back into the van and made a beeline for a restaurant.

The establishment proudly advertised itself as RAJA RESTAURANT. There, we indulged in a feast fit for royalty: Chapati, Egg curry, Noodles, and Cumin rice—talk about a culinary rollercoaster! After this epic meal, we waddled our way to the Tufandag mountains, ready for whatever adventure awaited us (as long as it didn’t involve any more questionable restrooms).

To reach the pinnacle of those towering mountains (a whopping 1920 m high), we had no choice but to hop on the cable car—a magical box of fear and vertigo! As we ascended, I felt like I was auditioning for a low-budget horror movie, dizzy and on the verge of creating my own personal water feature, but mercifully, I held it together. After 3 nail-biting cable car rides (I could’ve sworn we were defying gravity), we finally made it to the top!

I frolicked in the snow like a clumsy penguin, raced around with my mom, and stumbled into a steak and wine shop—not to feast, mind you, but to bask in the warm embrace of a heater. Eventually, our entire gang waddled in, chattering teeth and all, looking like a bunch of frozen popsicles in dire need of thawing out!

After what felt like an eternity, we decided to hop on the sledge, but lo and behold! The ticket counter was closed—cue the dramatic music! Just when despair was about to set in, a wonderfully generous family tossed us their ticket like it was some sort of Olympic baton. Bless their hearts—they only got one ride too, but hey, sharing is caring, right?

Then we heard an announcement that was basically a race starter pistol for our legs, and we sprinted to the cable car like a herd of caffeinated goats. It was 5 PM, aka closing time, and we were not going to let that stop us! We zoomed down, and I proudly declare my family as the speed demons of the mountain—first place, no contest!

After we crammed ourselves into the van, our next stop was the illustrious Nohur Lake. There, we hopped onto pedal boats that had me feeling like I was part of a Peppa Pig episode, just waiting for Peppa to show up and give that iconic pig snort. After exhausting our leg muscles on the boats, we stumbled into a café where I kicked things off with a coffee and ended up finishing with a pizza that could probably qualify as a toe-stubbing hazard. I bravely ordered a caffe mocha, and when my sister left her hot chocolate half-finished, I swooped in like a snack ninja and claimed her chocolatey treasure for myself.

After gobbling down our food like we hadn’t eaten in days, we sprinted to the van in the pouring rain like a scene out of an action movie. We zoomed to the hotel in 10 minutes, but I was in a real pickle—having held in my pee all day, I was about to burst like a water balloon! In a moment of desperation, I snatched the hotel room access card from the bewildered attendant, dashed to my room, and only then did I realize I could finally see straight without the fear of an imminent flood!

As the kids polished off their pizza like it was the last supper, the adults decided to throw a pizza party of their own, complete with roasted chicken and a mountain of french fries—because why not add enough carbs to fuel an entire football team Meanwhile, I heroically sacrificed my social life and went to bed, determined not to let my dwindling energy be wasted on chitchat. I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of tomorrow’s adventure—hopefully involving fewer carbs and more hilarity!

And now, brace yourselves, folks, because my photography skills are about to dazzle your socks off! Enjoy the spectacle!

See you tomorrow for more shenanigans that we’ll probably need to apologize for later!

The End

Tag: GABALA

Trip to Baku – Day 5

Trip to Baku – Day 4