15-Aug-2005 -- We didn't even come close to this one. The confluence lies on the northern shore of the Samkir Reservoir, approximately 15 kilometers from the dam. We took a taxi which brought us to the northern side of the Kur river and a little along the road leading to Yenikand. We started to hike from there along the shore of the enormous Reservoir.
After some time the taxi came back, on board some policemen. They announced that we would be in a "secretna zona" right now, and had to leave immediately. They brought us back to the post at the Bridge over the Samkir, we had driven through unnoticed an hour ago. The post turned out to be the bureau of the local Customs department, acting effectively as border post to Georgia. They explained very politely, that the area is for two reasons out of bounds: 1) the power plant at the reservoir and some of the nearby industrial complex is strategically important, and 2) to control the boarder traffic from and to Georgia. Then they proceeded to interrogate us thoroughly about what the hell we were doing there, scrutinizing our passports and visa, buying us an expensive meal in a nearby restaurant, and packing us in car back to Ganja.
We have to leave this confluence to someone who either knows how to obtain the necessary permissions, or wouldn’t be bothered by the local authorities at all. We don’t think it is possible to (or advisable) to the avoid police and customs department in Kur.