City
Created by Aleksander Dragnes
Mon 07/14/08 (day 2)
Getting In
We flew to the Caucasus and back with airBaltic which seems to cover Eastern Europe pretty from its hub in Riga. The prices, service and hub airport were all fine, but the time their flights were scheduled were a little challenging. Our flight to Baku arrived at 5.45 am and our flight from Yerevan left at 04.30 am.
A bit tired from our compressed night we faced the ordeal of getting a visa at the airport in Baku, a slow and messy procedure. First you had to queue up for the passport control and receive a stamp in your passport, then you had to go back, fill out a form with essentially the same information as was in your passport, attach a photograph which they could have got from the passport as well and stand in another queue to get the visa, finally you could return to the passport control for yet another queue and the final stamp.
One might wonder about the purpose of this protracted procedure. The Azeri government could have gained the same amount of information by scanning the passport and the same amount of money by and increasing the landing fee at the airport. Of course, there is the need to get back at other countries requiring visas for Azeri travellers. This ignores the fact that the relationship is far from symmetric. Azerbaijan has more of a need for Western tourists and business travellers than the West has for Azeri travellers. And, of course, there is not much economic migration from the West to Azerbaijan.
There might just be one more reason. While waiting in the visa queue, we were approached by a “Mr Fixit”. He stapled photos to the visa application and acted as a photographer (for a fee) for those who had forgotten to bring their own photographs. The photographer job was probably a nice earner, but it seemed he had an even more profitable sideline: expediting the visa process. By paying him a little you were suddenly licensed to jump any queue.
On the way out of the airport we were approached by a police officer who wanted to arrange for a taxi for us. Petty corruption seems to be a problem i Azerbaijan.
A bit tired from our compressed night we faced the ordeal of getting a visa at the airport in Baku, a slow and messy procedure. First you had to queue up for the passport control and receive a stamp in your passport, then you had to go back, fill out a form with essentially the same information as was in your passport, attach a photograph which they could have got from the passport as well and stand in another queue to get the visa, finally you could return to the passport control for yet another queue and the final stamp.
One might wonder about the purpose of this protracted procedure. The Azeri government could have gained the same amount of information by scanning the passport and the same amount of money by and increasing the landing fee at the airport. Of course, there is the need to get back at other countries requiring visas for Azeri travellers. This ignores the fact that the relationship is far from symmetric. Azerbaijan has more of a need for Western tourists and business travellers than the West has for Azeri travellers. And, of course, there is not much economic migration from the West to Azerbaijan.
There might just be one more reason. While waiting in the visa queue, we were approached by a “Mr Fixit”. He stapled photos to the visa application and acted as a photographer (for a fee) for those who had forgotten to bring their own photographs. The photographer job was probably a nice earner, but it seemed he had an even more profitable sideline: expediting the visa process. By paying him a little you were suddenly licensed to jump any queue.
On the way out of the airport we were approached by a police officer who wanted to arrange for a taxi for us. Petty corruption seems to be a problem i Azerbaijan.
paul (View paul's trips)
sweet sweet all I can say is how wonderful you talk about it
Posted 11 months ago.
Report Abusej (View j's trips)
A very enjoyable description
Posted 7 months ago.
Report AbuseCamara (View Camara's trips)
i want a to obtain a letter invitation to came in this country ,thanks
Posted 1 month ago.
Report AbusePlanned Activities
Mon 07/14/08 (day 2) - Baku
Thing to Do
Thing to Do
Tue 07/15/08 (day 3) - Baku
Transportation
Thu 07/17/08 (day 5)
Thing to Do
Sat 07/19/08 (day 7) - Yerevan
Transportation
City
Thing to Do
Sun 07/20/08 (day 8)
Thing to Do
Mon 07/21/08 (day 9) - Yerevan
Thing to Do
Thing to Do
Thing to Do