Industry and the Caspian

What surprised me the most about my stay in Baku is the sheer size of the industry across Absheron.

Absheron is a sandy peninsula, but the beaches are only a few. Everywhere are pipes, factories, rigs, and refineries. The whole land is one mobilized oil extraction facility. It feels like the industry was there first, and the houses randomly popped up in its shadows.

Plastic bags sailing through the sky on the strong Caspian winds are a frequent sight from the windows of my apartment. A friend told me they even have a name for this phenomenon, they call them “plastic birds”.

In all stores in Baku, they have one very interesting habit. A small shopping consisting of milk, two packs of gums, bananas, and rice will get sorted into two different plastic bags by the cashier. There is even a very good chance two packs of gums end up alone in the second bag. I feel lucky they didn’t give me a third bag just for the paper receipt - yet at least.

Effects of this ridiculous custom echo far and wide. One of the biggest attractions in Azerbaijan - the mud volcanoes in Gobustan - is a plastic graveyard.

I was incredibly excited to go and swim in the Caspian sea. Lacking time and will to go somewhere far away from Baku, after one hour drive I ended up on a beach near Sumgayit. The location I picked is a common destination for Absheron residents who don’t wanna pay 10 to 30 euros for a private resort beach.

Without all the cars passing by a few meters from the entrance into the sea, and without all the plastic and trash in the sand and in the sea, this would have been a beautiful beach. Among the sand there is a myriad of broken seashells - an amazing sight in person.