Catching Jessica Nabongo in AZERBAIJAN

Updated: Oct 28, 2019

The Beginning

One year ago I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Travelogue, by Conde Nast Traveler. The episode was called "Can You Visit Every Country in the World Without Burning Out?" featuring Jessica Nabongo (aka @thecatchmeifyoucan) soon to be the first black woman to travel to every country in the world. Y'all know I'm pretty obsessed with geography so the idea that people can and have visited every country in the world is really interesting to me. Of course, there are many white men and woman who have done it at this point (the numbers are in the several hundreds), so watching her journey in real time was extremely fascinating to me. Jessica is a trail blazer for all women, specifically black women, around the globe.

After following Jessica on Instagram, I found out she had 106/195 countries under her belt. So, I was ready to sit back and watch the rest of her journey from my phone.

A couple of weeks into following her, a follower asked her if she could put all of the country recommendations that others had given her on her blog. She replied that if she had the time she would love to, but would welcome anyone who wanted to help her. Enter Me. I messaged her that I would love to help, so we set up a Skype date and met. Over the first couple of months I was helping her update her site on where she has been and what she recommends in each country.

Over time, it was clear that this journey was beyond stressful, complicated, and time-consuming, and she was doing it alone. Jessica leaned into my willingness to help organize each month's itinerary, as well as to contact hotels, tour companies, etc. We talked often and I loved getting to know the woman behind The Catch Me If You Can.

Fast forward to the past couple of months, and I knew I had to meet her in one or more of her remaining countries. Knowing I could go a specific week in April, I figured out which countries were left and what I wanted to see. I somehow scooted in between Turkmenistan and Russia, ones not at the top of my list. We settled on Azerbaijan, Georgia and her lone final European country, Belarus. I didn't know much about any of them, but I was thrilled to find out more.

Where the heck is Azerbaijan?

It's really likely many of you have never heard of Azerbaijan. It's definitely not a well-known country. It sits on the Caspian Sea bordering Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Iran. A former-Soviet republic, sharing the Caucasus mountains, it has deep cultural and political history. I truly can't speak to any of the history as I was there for only 2 days and learned just a little information from locals. Most everyone is ethnically Azerbaijani and speak Azerbaijani, or Russian, as many former Soviet states do.

Getting to Azerbaijan

Excited and nervous, I flew to Newark from O'Hare on a Friday night after work. I took a late-night (and expensive) cab to Brooklyn, where I slept in a hotel before taking another cab to JFK in the morning. Already 12 hours in, I finally was able to chill in the Air France lounge (thanks Chase Sapphire Reserve and Priority Pass!) before my 11 hour direct overnight flight to Baku, Azerbaijan. The best part about foreign airlines is all of the diverse food you get to try. Delicious!

The capital, Baku, juts into the Caspian, where many oil rigs dot the sea. The architecture was stunning as I took a cab into the city to the Four Seasons.

Pro Tip: I take local currency out from an ATM at every airport. These usually sit near baggage claim and almost always accept VISA. I probably need to get a different debit card that does not incur ATM fees, but I am not there quite yet.

Jessica had been in Baku for a day already, so I grabbed a key and met her in the room. After speaking for 1 year, we finally met! Instantly, we clicked and got into the groove of living together for a week. After a quick breakfast, we went out into Baku. It was so fun to see a new country with someone who had been to as many as her.

What To Do In Baku

Go See the Carpet Museum

The first thing we did was walk to this magnificent building literally shaped like a rolled up carpet. We paid a small fee to enter and walked around to view all of the absolutely amazing carpets dating back centuries. You won't stay longer than 45 minutes, but it's something to see.

Buy an Azerbaijani Carpet

This was was a must for me, as I know many countries in these regions specialize in carpets/rugs. One of the most well-known places is Brothers Carpets, owned by three young brothers. We sat and talked with them for an hour one day, learning about age, origin, and design of all the rugs. Unlike many other shops in this area, we never once felt a pressure to buy a rug, even though, of course I did. :) I bought two rugs for 250 Manat, about $146 total. One of the brothers rolled up the two rugs so tightly together that it easily fit into my suitcase. Marissa and I will now be sporting some really fashionable Asian rugs in ours places!

Stay at the Four Seasons Baku

Have you ever wanted to stay at a luxury hotel but didn't want to spend the money? The Four Seasons in Baku, starting in the low $200s, is one of the most affordable Four Seasons in the world, still with all of the luxury features. We had an amazing breakfast buffet every morning, relaxed in the beautiful pool and hot tub, exercised in the fitness center, and had cocktails in the whiskey bar. Not to mention the staff were incredibly friendly, and the hotel was within walking distance of all of the major sites!

Eat Dolmas at Dolma

We only had one authentic Azerbaijani meal while we were there and it was at this adorable spot called Dolma (likely after the delicious meal). Hidden in plain sight in Old Baku, you walk down a set of stairs to what feels like a huge wine cellar. The waiter suggested I try the dolmas and it was lamb wrapped in grape leaves. Dolmas can be wrapped in many types of leaves, so I hope to try them elsewhere too. I really had no idea what to expect and honestly they didn't look appealing, but they were delicious.

See the Heydar Aliyev Center

The most magnificent building in Baku is the Heydar Aliyev Center named after a former President of Azerbaijan. There are many exhibits and beautiful things to see within it, but we went on a day it was closed (Monday).

Walk around Old Baku

This is the main tourist attraction in Baku, therefore the main tourist trap. Definitely something to see as some of the most iconic shops and restaurants (such as Dolma and Brothers Carpets above), are there. The Maiden Tower, Old Bath Houses, and the old city wall are all sites within this large pedestrian area. It's fun to see for a day, and there are a lot of cafes and bars to drink at, at night.