I think a second-hand opinion (i.e. gossip) such as this has very little value, in fact it strikes me as rather odd that it is the only subject of your post.

Azerbaijan is certainly not as tourist-friendly as Georgia or Armenia, nor does it have the scenery or the historical sights to match the other two countries of the South Caucasus. It is also rather expensive, and the cost of a visa is very high (a transit visa is pretty cheap, but you can only keep your vehicle in for 72 hours).

Azerbaijan is however an interesting place to visit to get some perspective on the political situation in the region. The scenery along the Zaqatala - Baku road is beautiful, especially in spring, and Baku is not a bad place to visit. Although it is not on your route, I also drove through the exclave of Nakhchivan last year, which I thought was very nice indeed. Azerbaijan has some very charming small villages and is generally unspoilt by tourism.

There is also some nice mountain scenery in the north, which I have not yet visited, though it is similar to the highlands of Dagestan (which I am familiar with) and which are fascinating. I'm planning on seeing Xinaliq and Laza this year.

As for police, well like in most ex-USSR countries they are best avoided. Some of the speed limit signs and other road signs are very hard to see, and some of the speed limits are extremely low. I do hear a lot of foreign bikers (not so many drivers...) complaining about the police on the main Ganja - Baku road stopping them to pay very steep speeding fines... I wonder how many of them were actually sticking to the speed limit. Simply not having much cash on you would be a good way to avoid having to pay them.

Regards people, well there are some very strong opinions on Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which are rather far from being objective, but that aside they are no more (or less) brainwashed than the general Joe Public anywhere else in my opinion. Everyone I met in Azerbaijan was very friendly and decent, as is typical of the region.

One of the best travel guides I have ever come across is that for Azerbaijan by Mark Elliott (published by Trailblazer) which is almost guaranteed to get you interested.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Azerbaijan-E...iot+azerbaijan

So in a nutshell, if you want to see amazing mountains go to Georgia, if you want to see somewhere with a lot of history and culture, go to Armenia. But if you like to see places which are slightly less obvious in their attractions, are willing to put up with minor annoyances, and enjoy places which are not so touristy, go to Azerbaijan.

EO

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.