by Habib Khan: For a salaried person earning in rupees, traveling abroad for vacations can seem like an insane idea. Yet, we chose to pursue this dream, making a conscious decision to forgo building our own home and instead live in a rented apartment for the rest of our lives.
We had to be frugal on our trips. This meant staying in low-budget hotels, skipping lunches, using public transportation or walking instead of taking taxis etc.
However, in 2016, my last year before retirement, I decided to treat my wife to a more comfortable holiday. She had endured many hardships on our previous expeditions, and I wanted to make it special. So, we booked a private vacation package to Azerbaijan, complete with luxury hotels, a car, driver, and guide.
Upon arrival at Baku airport, the owner of the tour company (or his son) warmly received us and promised a comfortable and enjoyable holiday in Baku and rural Azerbaijan.
The next morning, a cultured and polite lady, Sabina, greeted us in the hotel lobby, introducing herself as our guide. She escorted us to a brand-new luxury car in the parking area, where we met our driver, Rasim. While Sabina’s demeanor was friendly and communicative, Rasim seemed reserved and indifferent. He declined our invitation to join us for lunch and was reluctant to answer my questions, despite my attempts to communicate with him in Russian.
However, after spending a couple of days in Baku and heading to the countryside, our interactions with Rasim changed dramatically. As we shared lunches and tea together, he transformed into a helpful and communicative person. It turned out that he had initially mistaken us for Arabs, likely due to my wife’s Balochi dress. Unfortunately, his past experiences with Arabs had been unpleasant, leading to his initial reserve.
Eager to immerse ourselves in the local culture, we were flexible with our tour schedule. Both Sabina and Rasim suggested modifications to the itinerary, allowing us to experience the authentic Azerbaijani way of life.
We wanted to delve deeper into the local culture, so we were open to deviating from the official tour schedule. Both Sabina and Rasim suggested alternative plans to make our trip more enjoyable. At one point, Rasim nearly got into a dispute with a caterer who had overcharged us, and it took considerable effort on my part to calm him down.
After spending a couple of nights each in Gabala and Sheki, Rasim suggested taking us to a special destination, but warned that it was a bit far-flung and might cause us to return later than our usual dusk arrival time.
We didn’t inquire about the exact distance and instead enjoyed the scenic views along the way. However, after over an hour of driving, I began to feel a bit apprehensive and asked Rasim about our destination. He reassuringly replied, “Just wait, we’re almost there, and you’ll enjoy it.” Even Sabina seemed unsure of our destination, as she had never taken tourists on this route before.
Eventually, we entered a small town, likely Zakatala, which appeared unremarkable at first glance, with ordinary houses lining both sides of the road. Rasim parked the car in front of one of the houses and invited us to disembark and enter. It was then that we realized Rasim had brought us to his ancestral home, where his mother, wife, and two children were waiting to welcome us with a special Azerbaijani dinner and a wonderful discussion on various topics, including Dagestan, his mother’s home province in Russia.
We had a wonderful time with Rasim’s family, who treated us to a delightful array of dishes, including the specialty “Shah Pullao.” This dish initially resembled a cake, but when cut, revealed its savory ingredients. Our conversations were engaging and wide-ranging, covering not only Azerbaijani life but also the culture of Dagestan, and Chechnia.
As the evening drew to a close, we bid our farewells, thanking the family for their hospitality. We apologized to Rasim for not bringing gifts for the children, as we had been unaware of our destination. In turn, Rasim’s family graciously expressed regret for not having enough time to treat us to more of the local cuisine.
Rasim noticed our fascination with his mother’s stories about Dagestani life and suggested that she accompany us to our hotel in Sheki. We could continue our conversation in the car.
“How will she get back?” I asked. “Don’t worry, I’ll drop her back home, spend the night there, and then join you again in the morning before you’re ready to depart,” Rasim replied. This remarkable display of hospitality left a lasting impression on us. We continued our engaging conversation on the way back to our hotel in Shaki, arriving quite late at night. We expressed our heartfelt gratitude to Rasim and his mother for the delectable dinner, wonderful conversation, and unforgettable memories.
The evening before our journey’s end, we bid farewell to Sabina, but Rasim was still tasked with dropping us off at the airport the next morning. He arrived at our hotel punctually, and we reached the airport parking with plenty of time to spare. As I prepared to bid Rasim farewell, he insisted on taking our luggage to the check-in counter. We offered to handle it ourselves, but he politely declined. Instead, he accompanied us not only to the check-in counter but also took our hand baggage to the final security checkpoint, the last point where he was permitted.
Rasim’s exceptional behavior challenged our long-held impression of taxi drivers worldwide. We had previously thought, “They’re all the same,” but Rasim proved that there are indeed individuals like him who create a lasting reputation not only for themselves and their families but also for their companies and their country.
