Azerbaijan and the Road Ahead

Biking to Japan - Week 20

Welcome to another issue of Being Unemployed with Ian. This time last week, I was escaping Iran into Azerbaijan. One of my favorite moments? A border guard in Iran looked at me and said:

“What are you, some kind of Forrest Gump or something?”

From the border, I made the trip north to the capital—Baku—where I’m writing to you now. So far I’ve visited the Russian, Afghan, and Turkmen embassies. But mostly I’ve done a whole lot of nothing. It’s been wonderful.

Route Recap

• Start: Lisbon, Portugal

• End: Tokyo, Japan

• Total Distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers)

• Key gear: stove, patch kit, tent, cigs

• Key stops so far: Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome, Istanbul, Tabriz, Baku

• Key stops coming up: Kazakhstan

Last Week’s Videos

I spoke with Ramy Inocencio at CBS about the journey through Iran and the escape out. He did a really good job telling the story—no exaggeration, no pesky politics. He laid it out exactly as it happened.

The Iranian people were incredibly kind to me as an American. Until they weren’t.

I also spoke with the Associated Press, and NBC. Dozens more news outlets picked up the story.

Reza

Reza and his family are safe in Shiraz, far south of the nuclear enrichment facilities. He says they’re scared more than anything else—uncertain about what the future holds. I can’t even imagine.

I shared this already on Instagram (and TikTok), but I’d like to raise some money for him and his family. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be writing to you this week.

If you want to help, here’s the link. Tag your donation “Gift for Reza” so I know where it’s going.

Progress on the Map

Link to the map

Last week’s distance ridden: 18 miles (29 km)

Total distance ridden: 4,346 miles (7,009 km)

Baku

Baku has been a little slice of first-world comfort at third-world prices. You can get a dorm bed for $6, a decent cafe meal for under $3. The city blends Persian, Soviet, Turkish, and European influences—but really splits into two halves: a medieval old town on one side, and futuristic skyscrapers on the other.

The oil boom brought scale and modernity. The Soviet era left behind crumbling brutalist buildings. The city has two major statues: one of a capitalist oil baron, and the other basically Azerbaijan’s version of Lenin. Both are equally celebrated.

I found a room in the old European part for $12 a night. I’ve been hunkering down, ripping cigs, writing, and festering. My version of time off.

Concert Hall, Heydar Aliyev Palace - Also known as “Lenin Palace”

Zaha Hadid - Heydar Aliyev Center

The Path Forward

From Azerbaijan, I’ve got three options: Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
After visiting their embassies, I learned that Russia and Turkmenistan take ages for a visa—so I’ve crossed them off.

Americans can visit Kazakhstan visa-free for 30 days. From there, I can grab an e-visa to Uzbekistan, then apply for an Afghanistan visa in the city of Termez. Then bus back to the border and ride Afghanistan from there. Clock some miles on the stationary bike to make up the half of Iran that I skipped.

Easy peasy.

Why not head home and wait for safer times?

My goal is to bike the length of all seven continents. One way or another. Adapting to every detour and obstacle.

Why?

Because office life was hard for me. Almost fatally. I needed something different, something that would take everything I had.

I looked at the map and saw places like Lima, Addis Ababa, and Kandovan. I wondered what they were like. So I biked to them.

There’s still more road ahead and plenty of paths forward. I’ve got a little cash left in the bank. And a relentless drive to finish the mission.

Gear Update

My tripod broke. Peak Design switched the material from metal to plastic in their latest version. I’d write them off for poor quality—except their customer service is so damn good. And using their gear still feels like magic.

I fixed it (for now) with a heavy coat of epoxy. When I get home, Peak Design will replace it hassle-free.

Peak Design Creator Kit - now built from plastic

Peak Design Out Front Mount - still made from metal.

Have a lovely week,

Ian