Hello to all you fabulous people eagerly sitting on the edge of your seats waiting to hear about my thrilling day 2 in Baku! So, we crashed at this place called Diamond Hotel—because who doesn’t want to rest their head where the only thing shiny is the name? It’s a 3-star hotel, but trust me, it vibes like it’s sitting on a cloud made of a million stars, just minus the actual celestial bodies. The room was nice, the bed cradled me like a baby in a hammock, and honestly, everything about the hotel was so perfect that I half expected a royal trumpet to sound every time I opened the door!

For breakfast, I devoured a boiled egg that looked like it had a serious identity crisis, a sunny side up egg that was practically winking at me, sausage links that were clearly born for a talent show, pancakes stacked high enough to challenge gravity, delicate crepes just waiting to be unrolled for a runway show, and cupcakes that were so pretty I felt guilty eating them. And there was a mysterious spread that resembled custard cream on bread—clearly, avant-garde cuisine at its finest!

Since we were playing a dangerous game of “when will we eat lunch?”, my mom and a few stealthy adults pulled off a heist, sneaking snacks like we were on a secret mission, just in case we were stranded in the van forever. After our feast fit for royalty, we hopped into the van and headed to Gobustan museum, where the first thing that caught my eye was a bunch of Stone Age folks chilling in their trendy straw huts—definitely the original hipsters!

We wandered into the museum, which seemed to be a time capsule dedicated to the Stone Age, Paleolithic Age, and Neolithic Age—talk about a prehistoric overload! It felt like my grade 3 SST lessons were crashing back like a bad pop quiz. As I gazed at the ancient artworks, I half expected Picasso to pop out from behind a rock and yell, “Whoa, what an amazing masterpiece!”

After a while, some of my friends announced they needed a bathroom break, probably after being overwhelmed by the ancient vibes. So, I took the opportunity to snap some selfies with my trusty camera—who wouldn’t want a photo with friends in front of art older than their great-grandparents? Oh, and I even caught a close-up of a ladybird; I’m pretty sure that counts as another ‘masterpiece’!

Then we decided to ascend the Gobustan mountain, and let me tell you, the view was so spectacular I half-expected a dragon to swoop down and ask for directions! We stumbled upon ancient drawings and historic spots that practically screamed, “Look! People used to party here!” In a nearby shop, we encountered this delightful old lady who was crafting Azerbaijani food known as Qutabi. It was scrumptious—imagine a thin bread stuffed with cheese or greens that could probably convince you to abandon all dietary restrictions! Later, we discovered a trio of antique cars that looked like they were straight out of a museum exhibit titled “Things That Should Absolutely Not Be Driven.”

We hopped in one, which was an adventure in itself, and zoomed off to the mud volcano. The ride felt like a wild amusement park attraction, thanks to our driver who I swear was a grandfather straight out of a sitcom! He navigated roads so thrilling I thought I was on a rollercoaster – without the safety bar, mind you! My ride was a champ, but my buddy’s car needed two people to slam the door shut from the outside—talk about a two-man job!

After we rolled up to the land of volcanoes, I was simply flabbergasted to see grey mud shooting out of the ground like it was competing in an art show! They say this mud is great for skin, but of course, we forgot to bring a bottle—so much for my spa plans! And guess what?

I spotted a volcano that looked like it was just waiting for its lava debut! Meanwhile, my dad and some other adults were getting cozy with the fire as if it were a campfire marshmallow roast. We snapped some unforgettable photos and then hopped back to our van, taking the scenic route in what felt like a rollercoaster ride with our car.

Then we stumbled into a restaurant and decided to try something fancy called Pilaf, which is basically briyani but with a side of dry fruits—because who needs spice, right? We also went wild with spaghetti and fries, because why not mix cultures? And let’s not forget about Qutabi, which sounds exotic but is mostly just delicious. Right next to the restaurant was a fire temple, because obviously, after stuffing ourselves, we needed to learn how this country came to be.

After that, we traipsed over to this mountain whose name escapes me—probably because I was too busy trying to remember where I left my sanity. There was a fire there too, which made me wonder if we’d accidentally wandered onto a camping trip gone wrong. While my friends were risking life and limb on the bridge, I opted for the safer route of browsing the souvenir shop with my mom.

It was cold enough to make penguins look like they were sunbathing, so I snagged a pomegranate fridge magnet—because clearly, my kitchen needed more fruit that doesn’t spoil! To my surprise, I also spotted an exact painting of my two feathered troublemakers; perhaps they were moonlighting as art models. Once my brave friends returned from the mountain’s treacherous side, we headed back to our van, ready to embark on our last adventure of the day—hopefully one without any unnecessary rock climbing!

Our last destination was the Heydar Aliyev Centrum, which was technically closed – because who needs art when you have a great excuse to take selfies? We snapped some pics near the “I Love Baku” sign, and I treated myself to a latte while the others munched on who-knows-what! After our photo op, we squeezed back into our van like a can of overstuffed sausages and headed to the hotel. As for dinner, I was too stuffed from lunch to eat—seriously, I could’ve rolled away! Meanwhile, my friends devoured shawarma, chapati, and dal like they were training for a food Olympics!

I swapped my day clothes for my jammies, looking like a fashion disaster, and sank into bed pondering my epic plans for Azerbaijan—should I climb a mountain or just try not to trip over my own feet while sampling too much baklava?

Now here are some dazzling snapshots I snapped today — brace yourselves for a visual rollercoaster! Enjoy the ride!

Tomorrow, I’ll waltz in with a shiny new adventure that’s more exciting than a cat in a room full of laser pointers!

The End