There is not a Turkmenbashi to Baku Ferry every day. We waited a little over 24 hours until it was time to board. We were on the boat named “Professor Gul” by about 9:30 and after being assigned a cabin, I quickly killed Rich in the “Murder on the Caspian” game. Per the guides, we were on the best passenger ferry on the Sea. It had recently been renovated so the rooms were clean, there were fairly new mattresses, and shared bathrooms with flush western toilets and a hot shower!
The lights of Turkenbashi were nice as we sailed away around 10:30.
As I went to the back of the boat to watch the lights, Bruce killed me with a pillow in the “Murder on the Caspian” game. The city was lit as well as the oil rigs just off the coast, including some with bright flames in the night. I stayed up until midnight.
Mon, Nov 11
I slept in until 9:00 – maybe the latest I’ve slept on the whole trip. The seas were very calm last night so I got good sleep. Some people from our tour opted for the $5 breakfast on board that included greasy eggs, sausage, and bread but I chose to eat an apple instead.
Views around the ship:
Since there wasn’t much to look at except the expansive sea and an occasional oil rig or sea gull, I decided to get some excise by walking around the top deck of the ship. Some of the seamen tried to invite me to share their tea or talk with them. I think the girls on our trip were a bit of a novelty for the seamen – not often there are western girls on these Caspian crossings. A Russian guy wanted to have his photo taken with me so he put his arm around me. I asked to take a similar picture with my camera and he chose to kiss me on the cheek!
It was Mindy’s birthday today so earlier we had asked her what she’d like as the party (previous birthday parties included a big group dinner, cake, and lots of drinking). Mindy had asked for a tea party. So, at 1:30, we made some tea and prepared many plates of food including a big tray of Baklava, cookies, almonds, candies, and brandied fruit. I cut up some “Iranian Feta” cheese I had bought at the Ashgabat market and it was yummy. Some Azeri women on the boat were invited to join and they gave her gifts of bracelets, a ring, and some socks.
More views around the ship:
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