Azerbaijan

Gray to pink and blue, mountains give way to concrete, concrete
disappears into endless sea. The usual journey from Syracuse to
New York City was as uneventful as I could possibly hope for. No
ice, sleet, snow, rain, wind - a nice day for travel.

Check in at JFK was surprising smooth, with little chit chat or
discussion about banned substances, luggage delays, long lines or
other hazards travelers face on a daily basis in this new age of
heightened security. Overly functional JFK, built to run and look
like a big machine droned on as we waited for the flight to board.
CNN certainly cornered the market for poorly done programing at
airports. What a feather in their cap.

Taking account of all my assets for this adventure...no language
skills, no real knowledge of the country, no set plans, no reservations.
Hmmm.