Batch 24 — The Great Sojourn — theNOSTOMANIAC.com

137- Mystery In The Mountains (Zaqatala, Azerbaijan)

Though given directions by my Peace Corps sherpas, I managed to miss the mark and bypass the trailhead. I could see my target from afar, so this was of little import. For my insolence, I was forced to cross a river, cut through someone’s backyard, and surmount the steepest hill I could find. Thankfully, the journey was the destination. The forests of northwest Azerbaijan resemble my conception of Robin Hood’s stomping ground. Elfin villages wouldn’t be misplaced, and a “Smurf Crossing” sign would certainly blend…

Azerbaijan, Batch 24by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacJanuary 4, 2020Zaqatala, Azerbaijan

138 - Personality Cult and The Donkey Bloggers (Balakan, Azerbaijan)

Donkey? It all started with a revelation the government had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to import donkeys from Germany, a testament to rampant corruption. To underscore the absurdity, one of these golden asses held a presser to sing the praises of his new homeland and extol blessings for attaining donkeyhood in Azerbaijan.

Not long after posting the video, Adnan and Emin were accosted by “two well-built men” in…

Azerbaijan, Batch 24by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacJanuary 2, 2020Balakan, Azerbaijan, Donkey Bloggers, Heydar Aliyev

139 - Foothills of the Caucasus - Part I (Near Zaqatala, Azerbaijan)

And then came our run-in with the authorities. At a village stop, Colonel Azerbaijan entered the A.A.V and interviewed us. El Jefe started with me but veered towards Amy when presented with my vapid “I’m-with-her” smile. He examined our passports, then informed her we needed permission to be in the area a la some registration form. She, politely and with diplomatic deftness, gave him the “What-the-fuck-are-you-talking-about' routine. Registration?…

Azerbaijan, Batch 24by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacJanuary 1, 2020Azerbaijan, Zaqatala, Cimcimax

140 - Foothills of the Caucasus - Part II (Near Zaqatala, Azerbaijan)

We strolled to his humble abode through an actual ghost town. Most houses were abandoned, unsuitable even for phantoms. I tried to imagine the palpable eeriness of the wee hours, deciding the scene was the perfect setting for a horror film. At Arif's home, his cousin , Letif, ushered us up the ladder stairs to the second floor. They were downright giddy, falling over themselves in the name of hospitality, literally in Letif's case. He tumbled down the stairs…

Azerbaijan, Batch 24by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacDecember 31, 2019Azerbaijan, Zaqatala, Cimcimax, Caucasus, qalal

141 - Georgia Timeline

1801-04 - Most of present-day Georgia becomes part of the Russian Empire.

1879 - History's best-known Georgian, future Soviet leader Iosif Dzhugashvili (Joseph Stalin), is born in the town of Gori.

1918 - Independent Georgian state declared in wake of Russian Revolution.

1921 - Red Army invades, Georgia absorbed into emerging Soviet Union.

1956 March - Protests against Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev's de-Stalinisation policy…

Georgia, Batch 24by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacDecember 30, 2019Georgia

142 - Scenes From Tiflis (Tbilisi, Georgia)

I spent the next nine days exploring Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, a street photographer’s wet dream. I clocked a good fifty miles on foot, met a hostel owner named Dodo, ate a shit ton of pork and cheese pie (Khachapuri), had a few alcoholic dalliances, was denied casino entry for wearing “sporting clothes and slippers,” instigated another heated altercation, and was mesmerized by the Georgian National Ballet.

Georgia likes tourists. A lot. U.S. and E.U. citizens don’t require a visa to reside, work, or study for 365 days…

Georgia, Batch 24by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacDecember 29, 2019Georgia, Tbilisi