Baku: An exciting place to explore

Veeramalla Anjaiah , The Jakarta Post , Baku Sun, 10/26/2008 10:59 AM Travel
Are you looking for a new exotic place to explore? Do you want to see features of both Asian and European cultures in one city? Do you want to see a city where Muslims, Jews and Christians live in harmony? Then Azerbaijan's capital Baku -- the pearl of the Caspian Sea -- is the place for you.
Azerbaijan, a small but oil-rich country in the South Caucasus, is the new kid on the block of the world tourism industry.
More than 90 percent of its population is Shiite Muslim. It is not, however, an orthodox country. It has one of the most modern, secular, liberal, tolerant and open societies in the Islamic world.
"We had a very difficult period of being unknown in the world tourism market due to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh," Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Abulfas Qarayev, told The Jakarta Post recently.
Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijan territory, was seized by Armenian troops in a 1990s war.
Azerbaijan's beauty, richness, culture and ultimately its geostrategic position -- a juncture on the Great Silk Road, between the Mediterranean, Caspian, Black and Azov seas -- has attracted various tribes, travelers, invaders, traders and missionaries throughout history. More recent patrons include oil companies and even film director Michael Apted, who shot parts of the 1999 Bond film The World is not Enough here.
In this former Soviet Union state of 8.7 million people, Baku has everything.
"It was a surprise for me. Baku looks like more an European city than an Asian one," Laura Shuurmans, a Jakarta-based free-lance writer, said recently.
A city rich in culture and history, Baku has unique and varied architecture -- ranging from grand mansions with Roman and Gothic themes to a walled old city complete with cobbled streets, narrow alleys, ancient buildings and interesting historical places.
As in any other ancient city, the best and easiest way is to explore Baku is on foot. While in Baku, there is one place you will go to, more than once. In Baku all roads lead to Fountain Square. If it is dining and shopping you're after, or simply looking to meet up with friends and enjoy the night life, head to Fountain Square. It's the most popular place in the city for locals and visitors alike.
Built in the 1860s by the famous Azerbaijani architect Hajibababeyov (1811-1874), Fountain Square is home to numerous Western-style shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. Here you can find street hawkers and a playground for children: It's the spot to hang out. It's on Sunday evenings however, that the square really comes alive. A parade of beautiful Azeri girls hit the town and everybody wants to be there.
Baku or Baki (which means a city of winds in the Azeri language) is in fact comprised of three cities -- the old town (Cheri Shekher), the boom town and the Soviet-built town.
Tourists will find the walled old town, a world heritage site, the most interesting as all the major attractions of Baku are found here.
Baku's landmark Maiden's Tower, a key shapped medieval tower, stands tall on the shore of Caspian Sea. The tower is a place worth seeing in Baku city. (JP/Veeramalla Ajaiah)
Every city has its landmark and for Baku it's Maiden's Tower, a medieval tower with a strange keyhole shape. Built as a guard tower and observatory in 12th century, Maiden's Tower or Kiz Kulesi is worth seeing. There are many stories to explain how it was named, the most accepted being that a maiden committed suicide by jumping from the top. Local people told us that distressed people still sometimes repeat maiden's act.
A set of stairs will take you to the top of the tower, which, at a height of more than 30 meters will provide good exercise. From the top you will find the best view of Baku and the Caspian Sea.
But beware of the biting wind, which comes rolling off the rough Caspian Sea and sweeps through the city's streets. The Shirvanshah's Palace, a 15th century royal palace, is a must see tourist site in Baku. (JP/Veeramalla Ajaiah)
Another of Baku's historical attractions is the Shirvanshah's Palace, a 15th century royal palace with a mosque, minaret and mausoleum.
On our way to Shirvanshah's Palace, there were numerous tempting artisan and carpet shops. But prices of these items are as high as the Maiden's Tower. Don't worry thought, if you have a local guide or bargaining skills developed from years of shopping at Tanah Abang market, the prices will come down by more than half.
It is easy to loose your way in the labyrinthine old city. But not to worry, just hail a cab and ask to go to the usual place: Fountain Square. The most surprising thing was that even the locals sometimes get lost. This is because Baku is changing very fast, due to the oil boom. Many Azeris, however, point out that they are not part of the boom.
The rapid influx of oil dollars means that the whole city looks as if it is in a beauty parlor. Multistory buildings are being constructed, old buildings and roads are undergoing renovations -- all over the city.
In the evening, one should not miss beautiful Boulevard. Running parallel to Baku's sea front, Azeri people enjoy leisurely strolls here. The 100-year-old Boulevard, now a national park, is also a popular spot for young lovers. The streets, decorated with lights, add to the ambiance.
Baku is also home to numerous museums. My favorite was the State Museum of Azerbaijani Carpets and Decorative Applied Arts (formerly the Lenin Museum), which has a very rich collection of centuries-old colorful carpets. The Azerbaijan State Museum of Art, State History Museum, Museum of Independence and the Museum of Musical Culture of Azerbaijan are also worth a visit.
The city also has a vibrant nightlife -- you can find music ranging from disco and jazz to operas and classical Azeri dances. One can even enjoy belly dancing at one of the caravansarai's (ancient inn) in the old town.
A picturesque view of Baku Bay. Baku city has been undergoing a complete modernization, thanks to its oil boom. (JP/Veeramalla Anjaiah)
On the outskirts of the city, you can explore not only numerous beaches, but also places like Gobustan, where 12,000-year-old rock carvings are preserved, and Ateshgah -- a Zoroastrian fire temple built in the 18th century.
Near Baku, the most interesting place in Azerbaijan is Oil Rocks, a town on the Caspian Sea. Built during the Soviet era, Oil Rocks has 200 kilometers of streets built on a former landfill. It is here that several scenes of The World is not Enough were shot. Further away from Baku you will find tourist places like Sheki, Ganja and Guba.
The most interesting part of the experience is the great Azeri cuisine, which is similar to Turkish food. Lamb kebabs, dolmas, caviar, yogurt soups, salads, bread, pillav and tomatoes, as well as many fresh fruits, will make your mouth water.
Baku and Azerbaijan in general are blessed with so many qualities that will provide fond memories for tourists. But it is above all, their warmness, generosity and hospitality that Azeri people are well known for. Last year around 1.3 million tourists visited Azerbaijan, a veritable leap from the 44,934 who came in 1995.
Baku has all the ingredients, and has invested billions of oil dollars, to ensure its spot as a popular international destination in the years to come. It might just be that one has to hurry up to see the original Baku, before it turns into a new star in global tourism industry.
Travel tips
Getting there: The United Arab Emirates' Emirates airlines flies daily from Jakarta to Dubai. From Dubai Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) flies to Baku six times in a week and from Baku to Dubai seven times a week. A two-way ticket may cost approximately US$1,800.
What to see
Fountain Square, Maiden's Tower, Shirvanshah's Palace, Old town (Cheri Shekher), Gobustan, Ateshgah fire temple, State Art Gallery, State Museum of Azerbaijani Carpets and Decorative Applied Arts, Boulevard, Oil Rocks in Baku and surrounding areas
Where to stay
Hyatt Regency, Holiday Inn, Absheron Hotel, Caspian Palace, and Radisson SAS Plaza and numerous budget hotels
Where to eat and what to eat
Karavanserai: An underground restaurant in the midst of walled city. The food is traditional Azeri with lots of lamb and Caspian fish. There are also regular Azeri music, magic shows and belly dance. Yacht Restaurant: This yacht-shaped expensive restaurant on Caspian Sea offers delicious Azeri food and drinks.
Currency
One can bring in unlimited foreign currency to Baku with proper declaration. But you can't take Azeri currency manats out of the country. Azeri manat might be stronger than U.S. dollar but it is not accepted outside Azerbaijan. All manats must be exchanged before we leave Baku.

Minister: Japan ready with money for IMF bailout

Yuri Kageyama , The Associated Press , Tokyo Fri, 10/31/2008 12:24 PM World
Japan is ready to provide some of its ample cash for any International Monetary Fund bailouts for struggling nations to help stabilize the growing gobal financial crisis, the finance minister said Friday.
Japan will make that offer along with proposals about accounting standards and other regulatory adjustments needed to fix the growing economic woes at a world summit in Washington Nov. 15, Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa told reporters.
Nakagaa did not say the acceptance of its proposals would be needed to get any of the money but he said Japan expects to play a greater international leadership role on the international stage.
He said the IMF has about $210 billion funds but that may not be enough.
"Japan is ready if that prove insufficient," he said, adding that Japan has $1 trillion in possible funding from its foreign currency reserves. "We see lending to the IMF basically as risk-free."
He did not give specifics of what Japan's proposals may be, stressing that Prime Minister Taro Aso was still hammering out details.
Nakagawa reiterated his earlier remarks and the views of other Japanese politicians that Japan wishes to exercise political leadership in offering its money and experience in wresting itself out of its bad debt woes of the 1990s.
He said Europe and the U.S. have historical experience with the Great Depression, but Japan has more recent experience and is in a better position to share its expertise.
"We were able to get ourselves out of our problems without help from any other nation," he said at the Japan Press Center.
Earlier this week British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the International Monetary Fund needs more money to bail out struggling countries.
Brown has called on countries such as China and the oil-rich Persian Gulf states to fund the bulk of an increase in the International Monetary Fund's bailout pot. The IMF is giving Hungary, Iceland and Ukraine loans and is in discussions with Belarus.
The International Monetary Fund said Wednesday it is creating a new program to get money quickly to developing countries with strong economies that are facing cash crunches in the global financial crisis.
Nakagawa said countries need to respond quickly and work together to get out of the financial problems that started with the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis and is now spreading around the world.
"Japan is taking leadership," he said.
He said Japan was also doing its part domestically with stimulus spending packages and regulatory changes to prevent a further plunge on the Tokyo stock market.
On Thursday, Tokyo unveiled a stimulus package worth 27 trillion yen ($275 billion) to shore up the world's No. 2 economy, including benefits to households, loans to small- and mid-sized businesses and discounts on highway tolls.

MANUEL GOING TO THE CHAPEL

Mon, 10/27/2008 11:38 PM World

Manuel "Meme" Uribe is pushed into the dance hall where he and Claudia Solis will get married in Monterrey, Mexico, on Sunday. Uribe, who tipped the scales in 2006 at 1,230 pounds (560 kilograms), earning him the Guinness Book of World Records' title for the world's heaviest man, lost 550 pounds (250 kilograms) with the help of Solis, whom he met four years ago. (AP/Monica Rueda)

Govt to destroy contaminated Chinese milk products

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta Tue, 10/28/2008 1:35 AM National
Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said Monday that the authorities had confiscated a total of over 478,000 packs of melamine-contaminated milk and milk products imported form China, and they would destroy all of them.
However, the minister said that the government would not publicize it "for reasons that I could not tell. But I assure you that they will all be destroyed."
Early in September melamine-contaminated milk formula was found in China, that had sickened thousands of babies and killed some of them.
In a belated response, the Indonesian government recalled all Chinese milk products from the markets and prohibited their importation and distribution.
The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) then raided markets and confiscated products found to be contaminated with melamine.
The products found being distributed in the local markets included Guozhen (full cream milk powder), two kinds of Oreo Stick Wafer, two kinds of M&M's candies, Snickers biscuits, blue-packed White Rabbit candies, red-packed White Rabbit, Soybean Drink With Milk (yellow packs), Soyspring Instant Milk Cereal and Soyspring Instant Peanut Milk.
Meanwhile, BPOM said Monday it would continue to withdraw Snickers biscuits and M&M's chocolate candies despite latest tests showing low melamine contents.
BPOM chief Husniah Rubiana Thamrin acknowledged that results of repeat tests proved that both products contained low melamine contents, but the agency would continue with the withdrawal.
"Indeed there have been re-checks and the results show that the melamine content is low. But according to our standard operating procedures if a brand is already declared to contain melamine it has to be withdrawn and destroyed," Husniah Rubiana Thamrin was quoted by Antara as saying on Monday.
She said the policy was taken to assure consumers that all food products sold in the country are safe to consume.
"This will also be good for the companies concerned because it would convince the people that their products are safe to eat," she added.
The producer of Snickers and M&M's, PT Mars Symbioscience Indonesia, has said that all of its products are safe to eat.
The company's president Noel Janetski said in a statement that his side and BPOM had conducted a re-test on the products, and the results showed that the content of melamine in M&M's was below the tolerated limit, and Snickers did not contain any melamine. (rid)

Hasan Tiro and Aceh peace

The Jakarta Post Fri, 10/24/2008 1:35 PM Opinion
Hasan Tiro is not only a symbol of the Acehnese people's identity, but also a maker of and witness to history. Alongside Buya T. Daud Beureuh, Tiro is a promising figure for developing sustainable peace in Aceh. Tiro played a great role in Helsinki in August 2005 to help the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) achieve a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that contains a comprehensive and progressive agreement for embracing a peaceful future for Aceh.
Tiro's homecoming to Aceh this year on Saturday, Oct. 11, after several decades of living abroad, should be widely appreciated. He represents not only the Acehnese people's long journey through the peace-building process, but also that of all Indonesians.
The 2009 election has already raised some tensions in Aceh. Thirty-eight national political parties will be competing with six local ones. Research conducted by an early warning team from the SERAP program of CCA-CIDA has shown that from June to September 2008 several potential causes of conflict emerged. Political terror increased, as did negative media headlines. The lack of political knowledge in the community is challenging the emergence of local parties. Controversy between national and local parties occurred under the poor performance of the Independent Election Commission (KIP) and the Election Monitoring Team (Panwaslu).
Meanwhile, to achieve a peaceful election in Aceh, all functional actors are strongly expected to perform at their best from now on. The KIP must get accurate data on voters immediately. The police must carry out their tasks in dealing with political terrorism. Local governments must learn not to control, but to cooperate and collaborate with other institutions. Local political parties must seek some capacity-building support to increase their members' political knowledge.
After the Helsinki MoU in 2005, the House of Representatives passed a Law on the Government of Aceh (Law No. 11/2006). But to this day, there has been only one government regulation on local political parties (PP No. 20/2007).
Aceh still needs 11 regulations to support the implementation of the peace agreement, as cited in the Helsinki MoU and Law No. 11/2006, such as the regulation of law enforcement for human rights and the regulation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR).
The latter is subject to different points of view. The first view is that the KKR Aceh could be established after a nationwide commission had been established. However, our Constitutional Court (MK) annulled the regulation on the national KKR. Another view states that the KKR Aceh could be established without the national one using local community mechanisms. A third view is that the KKR Aceh has already been established, via Articles 229 to 259 of Law No. 11/2006.
To this day, the Aceh Reconstruction Council (BRA) has not effectively contributed to the reintegration process. Held up by bureaucratic procedures in the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) and the Social Services Ministry, only 30 percent of the reintegration fund has been dispensed. Furthermore, instead of using the money to strengthen conflict victims' capacity, the council has dispensed it in a mostly charitable manner. With such an enormous allocation of funds, the BRA has been focusing only on physical activities or construction. It has not contributed to capacity-building activities toward the development of peace in Aceh.
Tiro's homecoming was a beautiful moment for the official leaders and elites to reunite in developing a sustainable peace in Aceh. There is still a lot of work to be done since the peace agreement; such work can easily be done collaboratively.
The establishment of a reconciliation council (KKR), to name one of the tasks, will come before the spoilers of peace can be detected. They could be individuals, or any programs that would lead to social envy, injustice, inadequate economic access for tsunami and conflict victims, and wealth and employment issues.
Other tasks are: 1) strengthening local democratic instruments by empowering ex-combatants to become politicians; 2) expanding marginal groups' access to political, economic, bureaucratic and other governmental institutions; and 3) accelerating the establishment of the Human Rights Court and the KKR to resolve former cases of conflict and maintain a sense of justice among conflict victims.
Moreover, for all of the people of Aceh, the upcoming election is the right time to vote for their best representatives and leaders. It is a breakthrough toward sustainable peace. We shall then put our focus and energy toward supporting Aceh in creating a peaceful democratic party in 2009.
The writer is chairman of the Titian Perdamaian Institute. He can be reached at ichsanmalik@gmail.com

Crowds at Games below expectations

Indah Setiawati and Matheos Viktor Messakh , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar, Bali Thu, 10/23/2008 11:05 AM Asian Beach Games
The dragon boat competition ending Tuesday gave visitors a spectacle because it was held with the nice scenery of Suwung Water Reservoir near Denpasar as its backdrop.
It was cleared from garbage ahead of the games.
In the racing lanes, it was a competition worth watching with Indonesia and Myanmar locked in the latest round of a rivalry in the men's races and Indonesia managing to come up on top over China in the women's.
However, the showcase, which delivered an overall collection of four gold and two silver medals for the hosts, fell short in the cheering gallery.
The so-called VIP seats, where spectators got the best view of the races, were largely occupied by organizers, media workers and officials from the seven participating teams. Few people were seen scattered along the banks of the man-made lake, located near Simpang Siur area.
Spectators were also sparse at Serangan Island, where the sailing and windsurfing competitions were taking place. The expectation of a huge crowd did not materialize either at the beach soccer venue in Mertasari and beach volleyball venue in Sanur.
Bodybuiding and surfing, which have already wrapped up competitions, should have drawn spectators with both events held in public places, where locals and tourists flock everyday.
"I asked some people why they were not coming to watch. Some say they cannot stand the heat,"Sony Subrata, a marketing and public relation officer with the Bali Asian Beach Games Organizing Committee (BABGOC), said.
He said the organizers had campaigned hard, promoting the Games extensively through print, electronic and broadcast media, including on foreign channels the BBC, CNN, ESPN, the Discovery Channel and CNBC, and local channels TV One, Trans 7, RCTI,TPI, SCTV and Indosiar.
Fliers and guidebooks containing competition schedules were distributed in shopping malls and hotels, he said.
"Around 100 volunteers distributed 10,000 fliers three days ahead of the opening ceremony. Twenty thousand flags were placed on the island's streets to alert people about the big event,"he said Still, it has not steered people's anxiety.
I Made Sudira, who works in a villa in Jimbaran, came to Suwung Water Reservoir, but thirty minutes after the competition was over.
"I'm coming to watch the dragon boat competition.You know... it refreshes my mind after work," he said. He was not alone. Some others came, but they just missed the races.
I Wayan Sudi said many were interested to watch, but they did not know the schedule or the venues.
"We should have encouraged hotels to promote this event to their guests. I hope the sport events can be merrier next time. The promotion effort should have been bigger," he said.
Reza Heryoga said his classmates wanted to watch the beach soccer but they were fazed by ticket prices of Rp 75,000 (US$7.6).
"We were disappointed to learn that the tickets were that expensive.We actually planned to watch it tomorrow."
Soccer, volleyball and pencak silat are the only three of 19 sports charging spectators entrance fees. The organizers have loosened up so that entry tickets are compulsory only for semifinals and finals.
The woodball competition does not attract many spectators except for guests at Ayodya Resort Bali. Indonesian team manager Dominicus Sutrisno said this was because the game was not popular in the country yet. Furthermore, people are reluctant to travel far to Nusa Dua, he said.
The hotel's compound was selected as it provides competition fields that meet international standards.
"We would like to play at a venue where many people could watch, but we couldn't because we needed a venue that had both grass and sand grounds.
"That's why the competition is held here, where we can set up five grass fairways and seven sand fairways."

Japan, China, SKorea to set up financial watchdog

Thursday, 23 October 2008 10:34 WIB
WASPADA ONLINETOKYO - Japan, China and South Korea will set up an Asian watchdog body to monitor the health of financial institutions in a bid to counter global economic chaos, reports said Wednesday.They hope to have the first meeting in Tokyo next month and also invite other Asian nations including the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Yomiuri Shimbun said.It would serve as a regional version of the Financial Stability Forum, a panel that advises the Group of Seven major economies and exchanges information among them, Kyodo News said, quoting unnamed sources.Japan also hopes the meeting would discuss enhancing controls on the financial system, Kyodo said.The move came as US and European leaders called for an emergency summit in November to discuss ways to restore the battered global financial sector.Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso is also sounding out whether the South Korean and Chinese leaders can travel to Japan by the end of the year for an inaugural three-way summit to tighten their relations.Japanese government officials declined to comment on the reports.(lnd/ann)