Crossing Georgian-Azerbaijani border...

July 24, 2009. On a train Tbilisi-Baku

17:20. Lucky me! 25 minutes are left before the departure, but I managed to get my Tbilisi-Baku ticket. An investor, which took over the Tbilisi central station, has finally started reconstruction works with a new passenger hall already opened. That made me very happy, feeling the progress done in more than a half a year since my last visit to this city. However, it was too early to make a conclusion about the service. There is one woman who sells tickets, and those should be filled in by hand. (see a photo below) Therefore in order to get a ticket you need to wait at least 10 minutes. This, of course, creates nervousness among those passengers, who would like to manage to get on a train before it leaves, especially, standing in a long line.

18:15. The train goes so slowly that it takes one hour to get to Rustavi, which you can reach from Tbilisi by car in 20 minutes maximum. However, we should be thankful that the weather is not so hot, because we even cannot open the window. Therefore it is not so stuffy.

21:10. Finally we passed the border and all the check points. In total it took us 3 hours. Comparing Georgian and Azerbaijani border guards, I would say that the former are more welcoming. Realising that I am from the EU country, the Georgian border guard (although it is more correct to say - border policeman) even greeted me in English, thus showing his readiness to continue our conversation in English. His Azerbaijani colleague even did not greet us (or I did not hear), collecting and checking all the passports. As I had expected  before, he paid more attention to my passport, but did not say a word. In few minutes another border guard came to my coupe and closed the door for holding a private conversation. I had no doubts that the reason was my recent visit to rival Armenia. However, I had a feeling that the guy who started to interrogate me felt uncomfortable to ask all these questions, what was my purpose to visit Yerevan and why I am heading to Baku. Realising that I am just a tourist, visiting my friends in all the South Caucasus republics, he thanked me and went out. My passport was given back to me separately. It seems that they copied it as well as my Armenian visa.

This case – crossing the Azerbaijani border with Armenian visa – fully contrasts with my experience crossing Armenian border with two Azerbaijani visas in my passport. To my surprise, they even did not pay attention, issuing me a visa for 21 day in 5 minutes. However, I should mention also that despite the fact that I was waiting an invitation for almost three weeks, I was given an Azerbaijani visa in the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Tbilisi without any problems. The consul even did not pay attention that I had just come back from Yerevan.