Tanya and I have traveled to quite a few places together and though we are generally pretty compatible, she has noted a few things that I do that annoy her. These include not getting sick and being in constant motion. Tanya on the other hand does succumb to the occasional bug and prefers a slower pace. I have always maintained that the former is luck of the draw. There may be some selection in there, for example, I drink more beer than she does and refuse to eat cantaloupe.
On the latter, part of the reason she sent me away was to get it out of my system. She says that it is not normal to walk 10 miles a day on vacation. I have always maintained that, as Americans, we get so little vacation we can’t waste it relaxing. So, I spent 18 days in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan moving from city to city seeing amazing sights. Though I am glad I did it, it is not an easy place to visit. It is a vast territory and requires moving from place to place — there is no taking a break from the culture (except Almaty). In short, I don’t know how to do it any different.
For the past eight days I have been in Baku. Baku is positively European. I have a nice apartment with a washer. I have adopted a slower pace. I have not seen everything, but I have gotten a flavor of the city. Tanya has maintained that her ideal trip would be going somewhere and renting an apartment and living there for a while — like a local. So, my Baku routine has been to get up around 7a (which is early for Baku) and spend the morning out, have lunch and come back to the apartment in mid-afternoon to rest. Tanya is usually getting up around 3p Baku time, so we talk. Then I go out around 6 or 7p, have been and people watch on fountain square. It’s not a bad way to live.
Three times in my week here, I have stopped and bought a pastry and tea from a guy who has a storefront near fountain square. The man speaks some English. I usually catch him shortly after he opens and he only has one thing made. He’s a small operation, cooking pastries on a single burner griddle. Both times I ordered something different and he told me what he had and I approved the substitution. Today, I was running a little late and didn’t get there until closer to 9a. He invited me into the shop (he normally operates out of a walkup window) and showed me the selection he had. I ended up buying two, one with cheese and the other with apple to go with my tea for about $1. It was nice to build a rapport with this baker after a few days. So, maybe Tanya was right, it is nice to develop a routine and get to know a few people, even if for only a short period. I will never match Tanya’s people skills, after three times I’m sure she would be learning his secrets and been invited over for dinner, but I know how much interaction I want and after three purchases I was happy with a brief conversation about pastries he had made that day.