Blog Archive: October 2019

Baku Old City

| Tourism objects | 36 seen

Old City or Inner City is the historic core of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

The Old City is the most ancient part of Baku, which is surrounded by walls which were easily defended. The Old City of Baku, including the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower, became the first location in Azerbaijan to be classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

We visited Baku in early August 2019 to discover Baku Old city and many other goodies of Azerbaijan.

Maiden Tower in Baku

The Maiden Tower is a 12th-century monument in the Old City, Baku, Azerbaijan.

Along with the Shirvanshahs' Palace, dated to the 15th century, it forms a group of historic monuments listed in 2001 under the UNESCO World Heritage List of Historical Monuments as cultural property, Category III. It is one of Azerbaijan's most distinctive national emblems, and is thus featured on Azeri currency notes and official letterheads.

Baku Old town

In the background the famous Flame Towers of Baku. There is actually located a 5-star hotel by Fairmount in which we stayed during our trip to Baku, see my review here: Fairmont Baku hotel at Flame Towers

Baku old city

It is widely accepted that the Old City, including its Maiden Tower, date at least to the 12th century, with some researchers contending that construction dates as far back as the 7th century. The question has not been completely settled.

During this medieval period of Baku, such monuments as the Synyg Gala Minaret (11th century), the fortress walls and towers (11th–12th centuries), the Maiden Tower, the Multani Caravanserai and Hajji Gayyib bathhouse(15th century), the Palace of the Shirvanshahs (15th–16th centuries), the Bukhara Caravanserai and Gasimbey bathhouse (16th century) were built.

Painted wall in Baku's Old City

For a long period of time, an explicit symbol of the Old City was a mulberry tree located behind the Djuma Mosque. It was believed that the tree was several hundred years old. The tree made its way into many sayings and songs popular in the Old City, and became a local landmark. The place where that tree was located was referred to as Mulberry Tree Square. However, in the 1970s the mulberry tree was cut down, because of the nearby construction works.

Another popular landmark of the Old City is the local bookstore that sells mostly second-hand, but also new books. Situated amongst the Bukhara and the Multani Caravanserais, the Maiden Tower, and Hajinski's Palace (otherwise known as Charles de Gaulle House, because he stayed there during World War II), it is a popular destination of Bakuvian students and bibliophiles, mostly because of its low prices.

The old city of Baku is depicted on the obverse of the Azerbaijani 10 manat banknote issued since 2006

Picnic Area - Vashlovani National Park 32 km

| Tourism objects | 9 seen

This picnic area is located on the crossroads before Chalaubani  - the Tsnori - Dedoplitskaro-Kvemi Kedi​ road.

We made here a stop after our car malfunctioned while offroad driving trying to reach Patara Tba near Dedoplis Tskaro and it happened so, that at this crossroad car just stopped - now we let it cool for a couple of hours and tried to enjoy our time here (wish we had some barbecue with us back then)

As we have been in constant searches for good picnic areas in Georgia, I'm listing it here

Picnic area near the road

The place is well maintained, benches, chairs and tables are available. 

Next time will take some charcoal, grill and of course meat to grill when heading this part of Georgia.

Maiden Tower in Baku

| Tourism objects | 18 seen

The Maiden Tower is a 12th-century monument in the Old City, Baku, Azerbaijan.

Along with the Shirvanshahs' Palace, dated to the 15th century, it forms a group of historic monuments listed in 2001 under the UNESCO World Heritage List of Historical Monuments as cultural property, Category III. It is one of Azerbaijan's most distinctive national emblems, and is thus featured on Azeri currency notes and official letterheads.

We visited Baku in early August 2019 to discover Maidan tower at the start of the Old Town near the Boulevard. 

Maidan tower in Baku

The Maiden Tower houses a museum, which presents the story of historic evolution of the Baku city. It also has a gift shop. The view from the roof takes in the alleys and minarets of the Old City, the Baku Boulevard, the De Gaulle house and a wide vista of the Baku Bay. In recent years, the brazier on the top has been lit during the nights of the Novruz festival.

Baku's Maiden Tower is a legendary place and world-famous landmark in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan. The Tower is covered by cloud of mysteries and legends which are rooted to the History of Azerbaijan and national Culture of Azerbaijan. The pool of tower's epics and legends is a part of Azerbaijan's culture and national heritage. Indeed, Some epics became a subject for scenario for ballets and theatre's plays. The Maiden Tower (ballet) is a world class Azerbaijani ballet created by Afrasiyab Badalbeyli in 1940 and ballet's remake was performed in 1999.

Consequent to the receding of the sea shore line of the Caspian Sea, a strip of land emerged. This land was developed between the 9th and 15th centuries, when the walls of the old city, the palace including the huge bastion of the Maiden Tower were built.

Top 20 Gaming Laptops with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB Graphics card

| Laptop Reviews | 117 seen

RTX 2070 graphics card is from the GeForce 20 series, a  family of graphics processing units developed by Nvidia.

Serving as the successor to the GeForce 10 series, the 20 series marked the introduction of Nvidia's Turing microarchitecture, and the first generation of RTX cards, the first in the industry to implement realtime hardware ray tracing in a consumer product. On July 2, 2019, the GeForce RTX Super line of cards was announced, which comprises higher-spec versions of the 2060, 2070 and 2080. In a departure from Nvidia's usual strategy, the 20 series doesn't have an entry level range, leaving it to the 16 series to cover this segment of the market. 

In today's article, I've listed the top 20 gaming laptops powered with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB graphics card available on Amazon

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on Amazon site, I will earn an affiliate income at no cost to you. Prices for laptops listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product  Advertising API and is updated daily. For actual prices please refer to the product page on Amazon.

CUK ASUS ROG Strix Scar III G531GW Gaming Laptop (Intel i7-9750H, 32GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD + 2TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB, 15.6" Full HD IPS 240Hz 3ms, Windows 10 Home) Gamer Notebook Computer

With a streamlined, focused design, the ROG Strix SCAR III melds the latest 9th Gen Intel Core processors and GeForce RTX graphics into an impactful core gaming experience, with ample additional power to slice through serious content creation and everyday multi-tasking. Boasting up to a 240Hz refresh rate display with ultra-narrow bezel and PCIe SSD, the ROG STRIX SCAR III has all the power needed to conquer the latest game titles without breaking a sweat.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-9750H Six Core Processor (12MB Cache, 2.6GHz-4.5GHz) 45W
  • RAM: 32GB DDR4 2666MHz | Hard Drive: 2TB NVMe Solid State Drive + 2TB 5400rpm Hard Disk Drive
  • Keyboard: ASUS AURA SYNC Customizable RGB Gaming Keyboard | Operating System: Windows 10 Home x64
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 | Display: 15.6" Full HD 240Hz 3ms IPS-Level Display (1920 x 1080)
  • 32GB RAM / 2TB NVMe SSD / 2TB HDD Upgrades | 3-Year CUK Limited Warranty 

List price: [amazon B07SJHLDRT listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

CUK Omen 15t Gaming Laptop (Intel i7-9750H, 32GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD + 2TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB Max-Q, 15.6" FHD 240Hz IPS, Windows 10 Home) Gamers Notebook Computer

Play at your best from anywhere — without sacrificing performance. The OMEN 15 Laptop keeps you moving and improving, with desktop-class graphics performance, immersion, and upgradability.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-9750H Six Core Processor (12MB Cache, 2.6GHz-4.5GHz) 45W
  • RAM: 32GB DDR4 2666MHz | Hard Drive: 2TB NVMe Solid State Drive + 2TB 5400rpm Hard Disk Drive
  • Keyboard: Full-Size Backlit Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and N-Key Rollover (White Legend) | Operating System: Windows 10 Home x64
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q 8GB GDDR6 | Display: 15.6" Diagonal Full HD 240Hz IPS Anti-Glare Micro-Edge WLED-Backlit (1920 x 1080)
  • 32GB RAM / 2TB NVMe SSD / 2TB HDD Upgrades | 3-Year CUK Limited Warranty 

List price: [amazon B07PGJXTQQ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Asus ROG Strix Scar II Gaming Laptop, 15.6” 144Hz IPS Type Full HD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, Intel Core i7-8750H, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe Nvme SSD, RGB KB, Windows 10, GL504GW-DS74

ROG Strix Scar II sharpens your PC gaming experience thanks to a 144Hz narrow-bezel display with an ultrafast 3ms gray-to-gray (GTG) response time. Paired with GeForce RTX 20-series graphics, Scar II offers amazing energy efficiency, innovative gaming technologies, and breakthrough VR immersion.

  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 (base: 1215 MHz, Boost: 1440 MHz; TDP: 115W)
  • Intel Core i7 8750H Hexa Core processor
  • 144Hz 3ms 15.6” 1920x1080 IPS Type Display
  • 16GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM | 512GB PCIe SSD | Windows 10 Home
  • Gigabit wave 2 Wi Fi 5 (802.11AC) | Quad antennas and ROG RangeBoost technology provides up to 30% wider coverage. Bluetooth 5.0

List price: [amazon B07MDDNCH2 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Omen by HP 2019 15-Inch Gaming Laptop, Intel i7-9750H Processor, GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB, 32 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, VR Ready, Windows 10 Home (15-dc1047nr, Black)

  • Hyper-realistic Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (8 GB GDDR5 dedicated). enjoy new levels of gaming realism and performance with real-time ray-tracing technologies. Vr/mr ready. 15.6-Inch diagonal FHD IPS Anti-Glare micro-edge WLED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080) with 144Hz refresh rate
  • Cutting-edge gaming performance: play The latest games, including Fortnight, PUBG, and Overwatch, from anywhere—without sacrificing performance
  • Omen command center: easily turn up your performance with included software that enables control over your CPU overclocking settings and prioritizes your gaming traffic to minimize latency
  • Super Fast Processor: 9th Generation intel(r) core(tm) i7-9750h Processor, 6-Core, 2.6GHz up to 4.5GHz for superior gaming performance
  • Memory and storage: 32 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM (upgradable with 2 accessible Memory Slots) and Fast boot-up, file transfer and a snappier experience with the internal 512 GB pcie(r) nvme(tm) M.2 Solid State Drive
  • Bios recovery and protection: automatically checks the health of your PC, protects against unauthorized access, secures local storage and recovers itself from boot-up issues
  • Ports: headphone/Microphone combo, Microphone jack, 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 (side), 1 RJ-45 (rear), 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 (rear), 1 HDMI 2.0 (rear), 1 Mini displayport(tm) (rear), 1 USB 3.1 Type-C(tm) (rear), 1 media card Reader

List price: [amazon B07SRXV9LG listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Omen by HP 2019 15-Inch Gaming Laptop, Intel i7-8750H Processor, NVIDIA RTX 2070 8 GB, 16 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, 1 TB HDD, VR Ready, Windows 10 Home (15-dc1040nr, Black)

  • Hyper-realistic Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 with MAX-Q design for cooler and quieter efficiency (6 GB GDDR6 dedicated). enjoy new levels of gaming realism, speed, power efficiency and immersion with real-time ray-tracing technologies. Vr Ready. 15.6-Inch diagonal FHD IPS Anti-Glare micro-edge WLED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080) with 144Hz refresh rate
  • Omen command Canter: easily turn up your performance with included software that enables control over your CPU overclocking settings and prioritizes your gaming traffic to minimize latency
  • Cutting-edge gaming performance: play The latest games, including Fortnight, PUBG, and Overwatch, from anywhere—without sacrificing performance
  • Super Fast Processor: 8th Generation intel(r) core(tm) i7-8750H Processor, 6-Core, 2.2GHz up to 4.1GHz for superior gaming performance
  • Memory: 16 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM (upgradable with 2 accessible Memory Slots)
  • Hard Drive and storage: 128 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD, and 1 TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
  • Ports: headphone/Microphone combo, Microphone jack, 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 (side), 1 RJ-45 (rear), 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 (rear), 1 HDMI 2.0 (rear), 1 Mini displayport(tm) (rear), 1 USB 3.1 Type-C(tm) (rear), 1 media card Reader

List price: [amazon B07NDYF45F listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Asus ROG Strix Scar II Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS-Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB, Intel Core i7-8750H Processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD + 1TB SSHD, RGB KB, Windows 10 - GL704GW-DS76

ROG Strix GL704 sharpens your PC gaming experience thanks to a 144Hz narrow-bezel display with an ultrafast 3ms gray-to-gray (GTG) response time. Paired with GeForce RTX 20-series graphics, SCAR II offers amazing energy efficiency, innovative new gaming technologies, and breakthrough VR immersion.

  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6
  • Intel Core i7-8750H Hexa-Core Processor
  • 144Hz 3ms 17.3” FHD (1920x1080) IPS Type Display
  • 16GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM | 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD + 1TB FireCuda HDD | Windows 10 Home
  • 802.11AC Wave 2 Gigabit Wi-Fi | Quad antennas and ROG RangeBoost technology provides up to 30% wider coverage
  • Hypercool Pro thermal system with dual 12V fans, Triple radiators and heatsink, anti-dust technology
  • Rog aura Sync system with RGB Keyboard, RGB logo, and RGB Light bar.Power:230V power adaptor

List price: [amazon B07N3LGZL9 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

ASUS ROG Zephyrus S Ultra Slim Gaming Laptop, 15.6” 144Hz IPS Type FHD, GeForce RTX 2070, Intel Core i7-8750H, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD, Aura Sync RGB, Windows 10 64-bit, GX531GW-AS76 .62” Thin

The ROG Zephyrus S is redefining ultra-slim gaming laptops yet again with innovative engineering to cool its 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and up to GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q design, so you can immerse yourself in its no-compromise 144Hz/3ms display.

  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 8GB (base: 1080 MHz, Boost: 1305 MHz; TDP: 90W)
  • Intel Core i7 8750H Hex Core Processor
  • 15.6” 144Hz 3ms IPS Type full HD (1920x1080) Display
  • 16GB 2666Hz DDR4 | 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD | Windows 10 Home
  • 0.62” thin, 4.6 lbs. Ultraportable military grade magnesium alloy body gaming laptop with premium metal cover

List price: [amazon B07KS1JF2H listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Omen by HP 2019 17-Inch Gaming Laptop, Intel i7-9750H Processor, NVIDIA RTX 2070 8 GB, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD, VR Ready, Windows 10 Home (17-cb0040nr, Black)

  • Desktop-grade power in a portable laptop with hyper-realistic Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (8 GB GDDR6 dedicated). enjoy new levels of gaming realism, speed, power efficiency and immersion with real-time ray-tracing technologies. Vr/mr ready. 17.3-Inch diagonal FHD IPS Anti-Glare micro-edge WLED-backlit Display (1920 x 1080) with 144Hz refresh rate
  • Cutting-edge gaming performance: play The latest games, including Fortnight, PUBG, and Overwatch, from anywhere—without sacrificing performance
  • Omen command center: easily turn up your performance with included software that enables control over your CPU overclocking settings and prioritizes your gaming traffic to minimize latency
  • Super Fast Processor: 9th Generation intel(r) core(tm) i7-9750h Processor, 6-Core, 2.6GHz up to 4.5GHz for superior gaming performance
  • Memory and storage: 16 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM (upgradable with 2 accessible Memory Slots) plus the storage capacity and snappy responsiveness of a dual storage solution with 256 GB pcie(r) nvme(tm) M.2 SSD, and 1 TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
  • Bios recovery and protection: automatically checks the health of your PC, protects against unauthorized access, secures local storage and recovers itself from boot-up issues
  • Ports: headphone/Microphone combo, Microphone jack, 3 USB 3.1 Type-A, 1 RJ-45, 1 HDMI, 1 Mini displayport(tm), 1 USB 3.1 Type-C(tm), 1 media card Reader

List price: [amazon B07T7R73G7 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Asus ROG Strix Hero III Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type Full HD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, Intel Core i7-9750H, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe SSD + 1TB FireCuda, Per-Key RGB KB, Windows 10, G731GW-DB76

Lead the charge with the ROG Strix Hero III sculpted for a streamlined and impactful core gaming experience. A 144Hz screen delivers smooth frame rates, help you conquer in games, content creation, and everyday multitasking.

  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 (base: 1215 MHz, Boost: 1440 MHz; TDP: 115W)
  • Latest 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750h Processor
  • 144Hz 3ms 17.3” Full HD 1920x1080 IPS Type Display
  • 16GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM | 512GB PCIe SSD + 1TB FireCuda SSHD | Windows 10 Home | Gigabit wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11AC)
  • Rog intelligent cooling Thermal system with dual 12V fans, anti-dust technology, and adjustable fan modes

List price: [amazon B07QNMFR4V listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Alienware M17 Gaming Notebook | 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core | 17.3 Inch FHD 1920x1080 60Hz IPS | 16GB 2666MHz DDR4 RAM | 512GB SSD| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max Q

Survival of the thinnest: Defeat every opponent with a machine that’s engineered to be our thinnest and lightest 17” gaming notebooks yet. Manufactured with strict build tolerances and high-end materials, it ensures optimal performance without ever sacrificing power.

  • Staggering visuals. Slim design
  • Deliberately slim and light
  • Commanding performance
  • Seamless Graphics
  • Our thinnest 17 inch gaming laptop
  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 8GB max Q
  • Less than 6 pounds, the m17 is engineered for an amazing battery life with a 60WHr battery and optional 90WHr upgrade

List price: [amazon B07P2JH6MS listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Razer Blade 15 Gaming Laptop - Intel Core i7-8750H 6 Core, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 15.6" FHD 144Hz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Chroma RGB Keyboard, Thunderbolt 3, 0.70" thin, CNC Aluminum

The Razer Blade 15 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design graphics provides the ultimate PC gaming experience. Powered by an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 6 core processor and featuring a 15.6" 144Hz Full HD display, housed in a precision crafted, compact CNC aluminum chassis just 0.70" thin

  • Zero Compromise Powerhouse: Built for gaming and creative work in a compact 0.70" thin CNC aluminum unibody with high-performance, vapor chamber cooling
  • Futureproof Design: Thunderbolt 3 enabled, compatible with Razer Core external GPU enclosures for additional graphics power; supports SSD and dual-channel memory upgradeability
  • Perfect Display for Work or Play: An edge-to-edge 15.6" Full HD, 100% sRGB, factory-calibrated matte screen with a 144Hz refresh rate offers the best experience both creative tasks and intense gaming sessions
  • Biometric Security: Supports Windows Hello instant facial unlock
  • Customizable RGB Individual Key Lighting: Includes 16.8 million colors available with multiple preset profiles
  • Summary: 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H 6 core processor w/ 4.1GHz turbo, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 w/ Max-Q, 15.6" FHD 144Hz matte display, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD

List price: [amazon B07MNGBM5Z listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Asus ROG Strix Scar III (2019) Gaming Laptop, 15.6” 240Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, Intel Core i7-9750H, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe Nvme SSD, Per-Key RGB KB, Windows 10, G531GV-DB76

Aim to win with our premium gaming laptop engineered for esports . This gunmetal grey powerhouse gets you an edge in fast-paced FPS professional play by pushing out high frame rates on a blisteringly fast 240Hz/3ms display.

  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 (base: 1110MHz, Boost: 1335MHz, TDP: 80W)
  • Latest 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750h Processor
  • 240Hz 15.6” Full HD 1920x1080 IPS Type Display
  • 16GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM | 1TB PCIe SSD | Windows 10 Home | Gigabit wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11AC 2x2)
  • Rog intelligent cooling Thermal system with dual 12V fans, anti-dust technology, and adjustable fan modes

List price: [amazon B07S3L9LPT listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

ASUS ROG Strix Scar II GL704GW Gaming Laptop (Intel i7-8750H, 16GB RAM, 512GB Nvme SSD, NVIDIA RTX 2070 8GB, 17.3" Full HD IPS 144Hz 3ms, Windows 10) Gamer Notebook Computer, 17-30.99"

Hot on the heels of its groundbreaking predecessor, The ROG Strix SCAR II features a unique Kevlar weave and camouflage-inspired markings around the keyboard that epitomizes life on the battlefield. A special eight-step in-mold roller process is used to achieve a unique 3D-weave and color overlay.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H six Core Processor (9MB Cache, 2.2Ghz-3.9GHz) 45W
  • Ram: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz | Hard Drive: 512GB NVMe solid state Drive
  • Keyboard: ASUS Aura Sync customizable RGB Gaming Keyboard | Operating System: Windows 10 Home x64
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 | Display: 17.3" Full HD 144Hz 3ms IPS-Level Display (1920 x 1080)
  • Up to 1-year limited manufacturer hardware warranty

List price: [amazon B07MM677Q5 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

MSI GE63 Raider RGB-608 15.6" Gaming Laptop, 144Hz Display, Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070, 16GB, 256GB NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX delivers a powerful laptop gaming experience. These sleek, powerful gaming rigs are powered by the NVIDIA Turing GPU architecture and the revolutionary RTX platform. RTX graphics bring together real-time ray tracing, artificial intelligence, and programmable shading.

  • Display: 15.6" Fhd, IPS-Level 144Hz 3ms 72%NTSC, 100%sRGB 1920x1080 16: 9
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070 8G GDDR6
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-9750h 2.6 - 4.5GHz
  • Memory: 16GB (8G*2) DDR4 2666MHz 2 Sockets; Max Memory 64GB
  • Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD + 1TB (7200Rpm)

List price: [amazon B07Q6BKLBG listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

CUK Mechanical Keyboard Gaming Laptop (Intel i7-9750H, 32GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD + 2TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB, 15.6" FHD IPS 144Hz, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10 Home) Slim Gamer Notebook Computer

The CUK Model Z offers a stunning 15.6" Full HD 144Hz display in the frame of a 14" chassis thanks to its exceptionally thin narrow bezel design. A quiet mechanical keyboard with per-key RGB backlighting provides tactile response in the most extreme gaming scenarios.

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-9750H Hexa Core Processor (2.6GHz-4.5GHz) 45W
  • RAM: 32GB DDR4 2666MHz | Hard Drive: 2TB NVMe Solid State Drive + 2TB 5400rpm Hard Disk Drive
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 in Max-Q Design | Display: 15.6" Full HD 144Hz IPS Slim Bezel Display (1920 x 1080)
  • Wireless: 802.11 AC Wireless with Bluetooth 4.2 | Operating System: Windows 10 Home x64
  • 32GB RAM / 2TB NVMe SSD / 2TB HDD / 230W AC Adapter Upgrades | 3-Year CUK Limited Warranty

List price: [amazon B07V39N9PV listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Sager NP8957 0.78 Inches Thin & Light Gaming Laptop, 15.6 Inches FHD 144Hz Display, Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA RTX 2070 8GB DDR6, 16GB RAM, 500GB NVMe SSD, Windows 10 Home

  • Display: 15.6” Full HD 144Hz, Wide View Angle, 72% NTSC (1920x 1080) Matte Display
  • Processor: 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H 6-Core Processor | Operating System: Windows 10 Home
  • Graphic Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 (Max-Q design)
  • Ram: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz | Storage: 500GB PCIe NVMe SSD
  • Full color RGB illuminated keyboard with numeric pad, Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 9560 + Bluetooth

List price: [amazon B07SYF46YL listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Gigabyte AERO 15-X9-RT5P 15" Thin Bezel FHD 144Hz IPS, Intel i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, 2666MHz 16GB RAM, M.2 PCIe 1TB SSD, RGB Keyboard, Win10 Pro, 94Wh Metal Chassis Ultra Slim Gaming Laptop

On The Keynote from NVIDIA in CES 2018 & 2019, the CEO Jensen Huang held the GIGABYTE laptop AERO 15 to show how this amazing machine changes the way people look at thin-and-light performance notebook.

  • 15.6" 3mm Ultra-thin bezel | LG FHD 144Hz 1920x1080 IPS Anti-Glare display LCD | X-Rite Pantone Pantone Certified for color calibration
  • Intel Core i7-8750H (2.2Ghz-4.1GHz) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GDDR6 8GB Supports NVIDIA Optimus technology
  • 16GB DDR4 2666MHz Samsung DRAM module | M.2 NVMe PCIe 1TB Intel 760P SSD | Windows 10 Pro
  • Microsoft Azure AI | all Intel inside | Intel Thunderbolt 3 | Intel Wi-Fi AC adapter
  • 94.24Wh 8hrs Long battery life | per-key RGB backlit programmable keyboard | UHS-II SD card reader
  • Killerdoubleshot Pro | Nahimic 3D Audio
  • 14 x 9.8 x 0.74 inch | 4.49 Ibis | 1 Year Global warranty
  • 3/1/2019-3/31/2019 Get ready for next Gen content for free Samsung DDR4 memory - learn more on GIGABYTE website.Adapter:230W

List price: [amazon B07MW5VL59 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

MSI GS65 Stealth-004 15.6" Razor Thin Bezel Gaming Laptop NVIDIA RTX 2070 8G Max-Q, 144Hz 7ms, Intel i7-8750H (6 cores), 16GB, 256GB NVMe SSD, TB3, Per Key RGB, Win10P, Matte Black w/ Gold Diamond cut

  • Display: 15.6" 144Hz 7ms, 4.9mm 4-sided Razor Thin Bezel Display, FHD, Anti-Glare Wide View Angle, 72%NTSC
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070 8G Max-Q GDDR6 w/ New Ray Tracing Technology
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H 2.2 - 4.1GHz
  • Memory: 16GB (16G*1) DDR4 2666MHz 2 Sockets; Max Memory 32GB
  • Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD
  • Cooling: 3 fans, up to 47 fans each, 6 copper heat pipes
  • Special Features: Silky Glass Touch Pad 10+ gestures 35% larger, Thunderbolt 3, 28% slimmer power adaptor, MSI App Player

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CUK ASUS ROG Hero III G731GW Gaming Laptop (Intel i7-9750H, 32GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB, 17.3" Full HD IPS 144Hz 3ms, Windows 10 Pro) Gamer Notebook Computer

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Patara Tba near Dedoplis Tskaro

| Lakes | 23 seen

Patara Tba or Little lake is located near the town of Dedoplis Tskaro in the region on Kakheti, Georgia.

We tried to visit this lake at the end of June 2019 but as the road heading here turned into an offroad turned our car back - as a rule of thumb in Georgia - once you are of from the main highway - the road turns into offroad. 

Off road driving in Georgia

Patara Tba from distance

Yanar Dag / Burning Mountain in Azerbaijan

| Tourism objects | 31 seen

Yanar Dag literally meaning "burning mountain" is a natural gas fire which blazes continuously on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea near Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

Flames could jet into the air 3 meters (9.8 ft) from a thin, porous sandstone layer.

I had a chance to visit Yanar Dag for the first in August 2019, during a weekend trip to Baku. To get here we ordered a taxi from Bolt and paid about AZN 20 for a roundtrip from our hotel room at Flame towers and back to the old town.

 Once on the site, I had to pay 9 AZN / ~ 5USD, but local can enjoy the entrance for just 2 AZN . ~ 1USD (VISA card is accepted here) to enter the territory. 

Yanar Dag in Azerbaijan

A good place to take a selfie, right? 

Unlike mud volcanoes, the Yanar Dag flame burns fairly steadily, as it involves a steady seep of gas from the subsurface. It is claimed that the Yanar Dag flame was only noted when accidentally lit by a shepherd in the 1950s. There is no seepage of mud or liquid, which distinguishes it from the nearby mud volcanoes of Lökbatan or Gobustan.

Horseback riding near Yanar Dag in Azerbaijan

On the territory of Yanar Dag, State Historical-Cultural and Natural Reserve was established by the Presidential decree dated 2 May 2007 which operates under the control of State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan. After major overhaul between 2017-2019, Yanardag Museum and Yanardag Cromlech Stone Exhibition were launched in the area of the Reserve.

Amphitheater at Yanar Dag

The Yanar Dag fire is never extinguished. Around this open fireplace the atmosphere is filled with the smell of gas. The flames emanate from vents in sandstone formations and rise to a height of 10 metres (33 ft) (different figures are mentioned in other references) at the base of a 10-metre-wide (33 ft) scarp below a hillside. Yanar Dag is described by the Geological Survey of Azerbaijan as "Intensive flames, to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) high, develop for 15 metres (49 ft) along the base of a 2–4-metre-high (6.6–13.1 ft) and 200-metre-long (660 ft) tectonic scarp."The surface flames result from the steady gas emissions from underlying soils.

The reason offered for the Yanar Dag fires is the result of hydrocarbon gases emanating from below the earth's surface. Apart from Yanar Dag, the most famous site of such a fire is the Fire Temple near Baku, off the Greater Caucasus, which is a religious site known as an ateshgah, meaning temple of fire. It has also been inferred that such fires could be the cause for "thermal metamorphism.

Monadire Dedoplis Tskaro Restaurant

| Restaurant reviews | 16 seen

Monadire is a small roadside restaurant located in the town of Dedoplis Tskaro, we made a stop here at the end of June during our explorations in the area.

The places look bit abandoned or not well maintained, but despite first looks - the place is quite good. They may not have all ingredients on-site, but they will figure it out to go to the nearby hop to buy missing ingredients.

As we learned-  Monadire means hunter. The places serve typical Georgian cuisine. 

Ostri and salads

Despite the overall feeling was that the place is bit abandoned and we were the only guests, the meal was good

Monadire restaurant in Dedoplis Tsaro

Six Year Blog Anniversary

| Blogging | 10 seen

Today, on October 10th, 2019, ReinisFischer.com website is celebrating its 6th birthday. Each blog anniversary is a huge milestone for me and the 6th birthday is no exception.

What has started as a simple experiment has turned out to be a successful online business venture!

It was just yet another Autumn evening when back on October 10, 2013, I registered domain name www.ReinisFischer.com, and the journey could started.

I started this blog as an experiment - To blog 365 consecutive days and when I launched I was looking to reach about 6,000 monthly users by the end of my first blogging year.

The fact is, after the first year of consecutive blogging I reached just 3,364 monthly users, which was just half of my goal. Now 6 years later I'm reaching an audience of 80,000 and more users monthly. Amazing, though it has been a long road.

Blog traffic October 2013 - October 2019 (Data source: Google Analytics)

In the past six years blog has attracted more than 4 million users and generated more than 5.7 million page views.

For the past six years, I have been writing every single day - that's more than 2190 days not missing an article (Ok, I missed two days back in 2014 actually)  - consecutive writing has been my corner strategy.

Writing an article per day for six consecutive years is not an easy task. That's why I've decided starting now I will limit my writing to just 6 articles per week. It's not an easy task to find a qualitative article for every day. It was around mid-Summer 2019 when I decided if I will be able to pull from the financial markets at least $1,000/mo I will limit my writing to 6 days a week. The goal doesn't stop here, for every additional $1,000 I plan to limit my writing for another day in a week.

For the future, I can see that I will keep writing about my travels (in and out Georgia), investments (crypto, peer to peer lending and stocks), and some technical geek stuff about Drupal website development, for example.

My latest and greatest discovery for the last year has been options trading (puts, calls, iron condors e.t.c) - and content related to financial topics are planned just to increase,

September 2019 Dividend Income Report - $260.36

| Investments | 18 seen

Welcome to the twenty-ninth (#29) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending in September 2019.

Last September we spent in Georgia, traveling around the country a bit, in September the grape harvest time (Rtveli) is celebrated in Georgia.

So we headed off for a weekend to the region of Kakheti and actually for the first time I was eating grapes from the field. 

Luxury stay at Akhasheni Wine Resort in Georgia

It was my pleasure selling covered calls with a view.

The last September was very good in terms of passive income. At the end of the month, I have collected $260.36 from dividend stocks and Mintos peer to peer lending platform.  Compared to the previous September in 2018, that is a quite impressive 298.53% growth ($195.03)

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to mintos.com peer to peer lending and deribit.com options trading websites, by clicking on links on this page and by making investment mintos.com or derbit.com, I might earn affiliate income at no cost to you. Also, I'm not a financial advisor and I don't give you any advice, I'm just sharing my own experience. Investments in stocks, funds, bonds or cryptos are risk investments and you could lose some or all of your money. Do your due diligence before investing in any kind of asset. 

Sign up for Mintos.com here. By using my affiliate link for registration both you and I will receive — 1% of our average daily balance which should be paid in 3 installments for the first 90 days.

An additional $1,387.70 was made from options trading (covered calls, naked puts, iron condors, and vertical spreads), but as options trading is not actually a passive form of making money while you are sleeping it wouldn't be fair to include them in dividend income report. 

Last but not least, last September I traded options on cryptocurrencies using Deribit platform, which resulted in an additional $105.06

When counted all together (dividends + options + crypto options), it seems I have made $1,753.12 in total last month.

Last September was the second month in a row when income from dividends + options + crypto options helped to generate more than a 5% yield from the total value of the portfolio. 

Effective income yield last September was 5.07%  That's about 60.84% annually.  Awesome.

Interest income in September 2019

From the stocks and Mintos.com peer to peer lending  I got following income last month:

Ticker

Earnings

PEI

€48.78

Mintos

€47.95

SFG1T

€23.40

XIN

€21.67

WPG

€17.03

EDF

€13.93

VIE:ATRS

€13.40

USA

€12.10

EDI

€11.70

EPA:VTA

9.38

CLM

€5.56

RA

€4.32

NCV

€3.87

AWP

€3.10

Total: EUR 236.69 / USD 260.39

In total there were 14 great companies paying us dividends in September, that's 9 companies more than in September 2018

Mintos has slipped to second place in terms of interest income generated

Mintos.com Review After 24 Month of Investing in Peer to Peer Lending

The YoY growth rate for my dividend income in September 2019 was + 298.53% or  $195.03 more than a year ago in September 2018. Now, that' s some serious dividend income growth in just one year.

Monthly income

I've been tracking my journey towards million dollars in a savings account since January 2017. The result, so far, looks quite good. Dividends are growing. 

Monthly dividend Income chart as of September 2019

The cumulative earnings for 2019 now are $1,893.24 which is exactly 92.58% from my goal of 2019 ($2,045). On average, it would ask me to generate $50.59 every month for the next 3 months to reach my goal. I believe that I crush this goal at the end of October already. Generating $50/mo now is soooooo easy.

2018 in Review and Financial Goals for 2019

Goals for September 2020

This is my favorite part of the reports - trying to forecast/set goals for the next year. But before setting a goal for 2020, let's see what I forecasted/said a year ago (September 2018)

 When setting goal/forecast for September 2019 I will take that in an account and will set a more humble $120 goal for next year.

Holy smokes, I just smashed that goal. I actually doubled income this September I forecasted a year ago. 

When setting goals for September 2020 - I will be quite optimistic -  I'm looking to crack $400. I hope to get there with more US monthly and quarterly stocks and also might use a dividend capture strategy.

Nukriani Lavender fields in Georgia

| Tourism objects | 323 seen

Nukriani lavender fields are located near Nukriani village in the region of Kakehti, Georgia.

Best way to get here when driving from Tbilisi is to take a shortcut before Chalaubani and drive the road Tsnori - Dedoplitskaro-Kvemi Kedi​.

We took a trip here at the end of June 2019, and almost missed this point, luckily I noticed a tiny signboard on the roadside informing that lavender fields are somewhere here:

Signboard Nukriani Lavender 

The next is kind of offroad driving for some 200 meters to reach the destination.

Free parking in the middle of field

In front of the lavender fields there is a tent, where we met a girl from Moscow selling entrance tickets for GEL 4. At the tent you can buy also some other goodies like lavender oil, dried lavender and so on. Instagramers will enjoy free umbrellas and other accessories for awesome photography in the field

Nukriani lavender field in Georgia

Baku by night

| | 15 seen

I had a chance to explore a little bit from Baku by night after we returned to our hotel room in Flames Tower from a lovely Azerbaijani cuisine restaurant Dolma in early August 2019.

Night photography is one of my favorite topics, and so I raised the ISO level a bit and made some candid street photography in Baku. 

From our short walking distance I was surprised there are many International World brands featured in Baku, like Hard rock cafe or Paul. Not to speak about McDonalds

Hard rock cafe in Baku

I really love Hard Rock cafe which is located in neighboring Tbilisi

Nice outdoor scene in Baku by night

Many outdoor cafeterias in Baku, very European I would say

Paul Bakery in Baku

Fountain square in Baku

Income Plan From Dividends and Option Trading Q4 2019 ($1,000/mo)

| Investments | 11 seen

I have a plan to make at least $1,000 per month for the next 3 months of the year in dividend income + selling options.

Here is the long story short - I've been investing in dividend stocks since early January 2017, fast forward to the first quarter of 2019 and I've started writing puts and calls on dividend stock I own or would mind having in our stock portfolio. Option writing has given a real boost to the monthly income

There has been a tremendous growth both in earnings and knowledge acquired since I originally announced my million dollar saving plan. My focus has shifted away from the simple set and forgot peer to peer lending to dividend growth investing and options trading. With the latest discovery being selling Iron Condors on individual stocks like AMD, HD, and TSLA.

My million dollar growth fund consists of 5 main pillars at the end of September

  • peer to peer lending
  • dividend income from stocks
  • selling options on cryptocurrencies
  • selling options on stocks
  • Selling Iron condors

Income from peer to peer lending and dividends from the stock are true passive income. Which combined on average will make me about $2,500 yearly or $208/mo in 2019. See: 2018 in Review and Financial Goals for 2019

It was at the end of June when I set a goal to reach at least $600/mo from dividends + options trading for the next three months (July, August and September 2019).

For my great surprise, I cracked that goal with ease and actually made way more than planned (August did set an about best with more than $1,700 collected in premiums and dividends). For the past 3 months (Q3 2019) I have never been lower than $1,000

That's why I decided to set goals and make plans for the Q4 2019

I could, of course, raise this number to $1,500 for example, but I have decided to stick with more humble and more realistic numbers, that's why $1,000

Here is the plan:

  • dividend income (from p2p lending and stocks) ~ $250/mo
  • options on cryptocurrencies ~ $250/mo
  • puts and calls ~ $200/mo
  • Iron Condors ~ $300/mo

More or less I don't see any problems reaching my goals with dividend income and selling puts and calls, the huge unknown, for now, is selling options on cryptocurrencies and Iron Condors. But again, in the past months, I've been pulling out from crypto options about $500/mo, that's why I believe reaching at least $250, shouldn't be problematic. 

Regarding Iron Condors - I plan to sell on mini futures (ES), indexes (SPX) and individual stocks. I will experiment a lot, with different days to expiration (DTE), but in general, I plan to make one Iron condor trade per week (probably on Fridays?). If so it would ask me to generate at least $75 weekly to crack $300 goal from Iron Condors. Doesn't sound so scary anymore.

If successfully reached, I have some great plans for 2020 already, they sound like this - to raise income to $1,500 in Q1, $2,000 in Q2, $2,500 in Q3 and $3,000 in Q4. These numbers actually doesn't sound scary to me, I don't feel like I would be lying to myself when talking these numbers, yes $2,500 and $3,000 part sounds a bit scary - but I would like to say - hard but doable. If counted all together -  the total planned income for 2020 would be around $27,000. Now that is some serious boost to the portfolio. I probably could reach that $100,000 goal by the end of 2021?!

Frankly speaking, I would be happy pulling just $1,000/mo for the next 12 months as this is the amount I'm currently investing on a monthly basis to our portfolio.

Anyhow lets trade safely and see if we can get to the $1,000/mo goal for the next 3 months before planning further.