Azerbaijan was interesting – Baku nestles on the banks of the Caspian Sea, which was beautiful at dawn. Fringes of palms and other desert trees ring a low-rise city which sits in semidesert. Russian is still widely spoken (mine is so rusty I didn’t use it) along with Azeri, which uses the Latin alphabet with some interesting variations like an upside-down ‘e’ (no idea what it sounds like!)

Anyway, now back in the brave new world of the UAE again. Its solidly over 40’C (104’F for those who think in Fahrenheit) and very humid. Had a catch up with two friends last night and it still feels very alien – after vast centres of the world like London, Washington and New York recently, Old England in the shape of York and of course the family home in the green birdsong-and-forests acres of Yorkshire, coming back to this relatively new nation feels very strange.

The USA trip went way over-budget due to cock ups (not mine) on the fuel economy and accommodation fronts, so my plans to get out to the jungles of Sri Lanka in a couple of weeks’ time may have to be shelved for a bit, which is a bugger.

Off we go again…..