Azerbaijan Baku Mud Volcano Expedition Report

A casual afternoon in Baku

The sky in Baku was mostly clear except on rainy days. 

There was no excessive curiosity or uncomfortable gazes directed at me, just occasional people asking which country I came from. 

Even in the early afternoon, the makeshift gardens of cafes were filled with young people engaging in lively conversations. I had already heard a bit about it, but downtown Baku was

full of freedom that didn't feel like a Muslim country. 

When I talked about the mud volcano I visited yesterday while smoking cigarettes and chatting with a friend I met at a cafe, my friend was amazed. 

 'You've been there? I've never been...' 

When I asked if he wasn't born and raised here, my friend shook his head and said he had never been there, but had visited the Gobustan nature park with its rock carvings instead.

Gobustan is located about 70km away from downtown Baku. (Photo source: UNESCO site)

Gobustan is located about 70km away from downtown Baku. (Photo source: UNESCO site)

According to wiki information, it's a place where artifacts left by indigenous people who lived there roughly between 5,000 and 20,000 years ago still remain. 

Wall paintings and hollow rocks that were played as musical instruments by ancient people still vividly produce sounds and are preserved there. 

As I found out later, the mud volcano I visited was a completely different, not-so-famous location.

A short drive from ancient rock art to bubbling mud volcanoes near the Caspian Sea.

According to my original plan, I was supposed to go to the location marked with a red circle where both the Gobustan rock art cultural landscape and mud volcanoes are located, but I ended up going to the blue location instead. 

I should have noticed when the taxi driver asked several times with a sullen expression if I really wanted to go there... Even until the moment we were heading into increasingly desolate and uninhabited areas, my head was still in the clouds

Azerbaijan’s energy wealth on display through roaring flames at an oil facility.

Heavy industry meets barren land on the road to Gobustan.

Driving through the Gobustan under a piercingly blue sky and endless sun.

Stark desert hills carved by wind and time, just outside Gobustan.

The barren hills, which looked as if massive waves had instantly turned to sand and hardened, felt so magnificent that they could overwhelm and cover passersby at any moment. 

The problem arose as time passed and I began to feel that I was heading to a place where it seemed difficult to find not only tourists but any living creatures at all. 

Looking at the Bolt taxi's map route and realizing that I would soon have to get off here, I sensed something was going wrong, but it was already too late. 

 'Mud volcano' 'Is this really the mud volcano?'

The taxi driver, who didn't speak English well, only nodded with a brief answer of 'mud volcano.' 

I wanted to ask exactly where the mud volcano was, but the taxi driver handed me the change with an expression that suggested he didn't understand my words. 

When I told him to keep all the change as a 'thank you for your service,' he smiled and offered a  handshake. Wait, I thought he couldn't understand English... Anyway, I had to find the mud volcano on my own.

When I turned on Google Maps, it seemed like this place was indeed the mud volcano, but as soon as I left the road, the internet completely died

Walking on Gobustan’s surreal mud plains. Earth’s own lunar lookalike.

Entry restricted(?) Gobustan’s ancient grounds are protected to preserve their historical legacy.

Entry restricted: Gobustan’s fragile alien terrain lies under protection.

Is this really the mud volcano...? Not a minefield, right? 

Waiting for the translator to load and getting frustrated in the hot weather, I walked towards what looked like a power plant facility nearby. 

I was worried there might not be anyone around since there were hardly any parked cars and it looked like an abandoned facility, but fortunately, there was a security guard standing at the entrance. 

When I said I was looking for the mud volcano, he pointed to a small hill that rose like a mountain peak and told me to go there. A place with mysterious red signs. 

 I had many questions I wanted to ask: what were those signs for, was the mud volcano safe, why was there no one around, but being introverted and timid, I just had to come back saying, 

'Where mud volcano? OK, there? Yeah, thank you.' 

Not knowing what the signs meant, I seriously worried about safety, but I, who came to the eminently reasonable conclusion that no madman would plant landmines in such a place, began walking toward the hill.

One small step for man, the footprint that marked a giant leap in history.😂

'Still, it's a tourist spot (though nobody visits), they must have removed anything dangerous, haha,' I tried to suppress my trembling heart as I channeled Neil Armstrong, taking one step at a time past the signs. As I stepped forward, the ground began to undulate. It was fascinating. It felt like walking on a waterbed. 

And at that moment, the ground collapsed. 

My mother had bought me these pretty shoes, telling me not to look shabby while abroad, but with one wrong step, they became coated in dalgona (sugar candy-like mud)

Nature carves its own paths through the ghostly slopes of Gobustan’s mud volcano hills.

Gobustan’s dried mud fields stretch endlessly beneath a flawless blue sky.

It was a desolate yet beautiful place. 

I imagined that if we visit Mars in the distant future, perhaps this is the kind of scenery we would encounter. 

I had to walk distinguishing the subtle differences between places that sink when stepped on (slightly darker areas) and those that don't (dry, brighter-colored areas), and the thrill of jumping over trench-like depressions made my fear disappear, leaving only joy and anticipation.

A tiny sulfur scented crater. nature's chemistry bubbling beneath Gobustan's crust.

Upon reaching the summit, a small morning glory greeted me. I put my finger in it, and fortunately, my flesh didn't dissolve. 

After sitting for a while, cooling off my sweat in the gently blowing breeze, I took out wet wipes to clean my shoes and captured photos and videos. 

Unfortunately, the image size limit on this board is 50mb, so I have to upload very short video clips, and even then, I can't upload many, which is disappointing. 

There were no tourists at all, only me, but I actually really liked that part.

 Earth exhales through a bubbling, alien like mud pool in Azerbaijan’s volcanic lands.

A solitary burp from beneath the surface. Gobustan’s quiet, volcanic rhythm.

Sitting atop a dried mud volcano, where time, clay, and sky collide.

 It's because I could take concept photos and videos wearing a traditional Azerbaijani hat that I received as a gift from a friend without worrying about other people's eyes. And I also had fun alone wearing the judo uniform face mask that I brought as a sunscreen substitute, without any concerns

Gobustan’s scarred earth and sculpted hills. a Martian view on Earth.

Here is some additional information and precautions: 

• It's similar in other countries and Korea as well, but always be careful when calling a taxi at the airport. It's not impossible to use Wi-Fi inside Baku airport to call a taxi, but once you go outside, the internet connection will be lost, so please make sure to accurately remember the taxi's number and vehicle. I experienced a case where another taxi driver claimed to be the taxi I had called. 
• Laundry costs in Baku are very expensive. When booking a hotel, I recommend reserving accommodation with a washing machine. 
• It seems there are two mud volcano points in Baku, Azerbaijan. The place I went to was a different mud volcano, separate from where the Gobustan rock carvings are located. I recommend the point I visited for those who prefer very quiet places with few people.
• It was a reasonable fare to travel round-trip by taxi from downtown Baku. About 9-10 dollars each way. 
• A taxi app is essential for the return journey. Because it's such a remote place, trying to hail a passing taxi is nearly impossible.