http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Turkmenistan/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Turkmenistan en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:47:29 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:47:29 UTC Underused but stately buildings older soviet era apartment blocks Ladas with shiny 'racing' tire rims cafes that don't serve beer Ashgabat is different http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/Ashgabat/blog-332629.html Straight to Ashgabat the capital and probably the strangest place on earth. Some interesting facts Ashgabat has more hotel rooms that the average number of tourists for the whole country ANUALLY. Petrol costs less than 4p a gallon. There are 17 goldplated statues or former president and local madman Niazov Turkmenbashi in town. There are no taxis in Ashgabat you just flag down a car going http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/Ashgabat/blog-297321.html The 11th October started out like any other day except we were leaving Uzbekistan and crossing into Turkmenistan. Things seemed a bit dire when I told everyone to make sure they had their Uzbekistan Customs Declaration forms ready to present at the border and found out that 2 people didn't even have a form both copies were mistakenly taken off them at Tashkent Airport. There was nothing we cou http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/The-Silk-Road-of-Asia/blog-214530.html After 6 weeks in Iran I headed for the IranianTurkmen boarder at BajgiranGaudan prepared for a totally new experience in the state of Turkmenbashy. But it turned out that my imagination was far too little for the reality in his realm. Neverthelsee my first impression at the boarder wasn't that good as I ran into a relict of the Soviet Union the customs...time stealing and unnecessary in it http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/blog-174539.html Ashgabat is strange. No I take that back. It is bizzare. Pristine sterile buildings that are simply out of place in their obviously highly sought after architectural modernity perfectly manicured parks and hundreds of women employed to sweep the dirt off the roads that gets blown right back on. To top it all off a monstrous monument to the country's recently deceased president and dicatator http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/Ashgabat/blog-159001.html Thursday April 12. We arrived in Turkmenbashi at 4.30 am. It was to be 8 hours before I competed all the procedures welcome to Turkmenistan the wierdest country in Asia. In the guide book it is called a Stalinist Dysneyland but I felt it had a large dose of Hollywood. My agentguide arrived Oleg and dealt with the endless paperwork. That night we stayed in a good hotel to the north of Turkmenb http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/blog-157586.html From Tolkuchka Bazaar we drove for hours and camped somewhere in the desert pitched our tents and we started cooking our meal come night time Ata came back with this big tractor thing that transported us that night to the Darvasa gas sraters it is better to view it at night as it would seem more dramatic the trip to get there is very uncomfortable bumpy ride got there and was really impressi http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/Dashoguz/blog-153046.html After the hellish border crossing experience we drove almost all day then finally getting to our bush camp near the Kow Ata underground thermal pools. i noticed there are many checkpoints everywhere we got stopped so many times I lost count when we stopped at a market to shop for dinner I was surprised to find out there are pork sashylik here and our guide Ata said they are not really strict h http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/Ashgabat/blog-152579.html A quick search of this website reveals that aside from an American chap working in Turkmenistan posting his contact details the last tourist entry for this country was September 2001. So it's hardly surprising then that of all the places we'd planned to visit on this trip the one that aroused the most curiosity amongst our friends prior to departure was undoubtedly Turkmenistan. Those who had http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/blog-68963.html Early morning rise and checkout and then a quick transfer to the airport. The flight is at 6.40 the check in procedure is chaotic and after the worst security inspection on this side of the new millennium we yet again carry our own bags to have them loaded on the waiting AHTOHOB AH24 turboprop. At least the commotion helps ensuring that I don't doze off and sleep through the flight missing out http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/Mary/blog-24784.html We spend the entire day in and around the City of Love doing its sights smells and sounds. Our guide for the day is Gholuya an old Russian woman from Ashgabat. We start with a tour to the newly constructed gigantic Azadi mosque which is more or less a copy of the Haga Sofia in Istanbul. Unfortunately it is not that popular with the locals since the construction work was marred by some accident http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/Ashgabat/blog-23209.html A long day transfering from Urgench to Ashgabat. Leaving our hotel early morning we go in our spiffy blue Intourist bus towards the nearby border checkpoint crossing into Turkmenistan. West of Urgench we encounter some cotton fields typical for the region and jump off to have a closer inspection. There's not much action here a few farmers can be see harvesting in the middle of the field. The sigh http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/Dashoguz/blog-23205.html Please see my newblog at mlungu.civiblog.orgit's a blog dedicated to civil society and international understanding. Please send everyone who may be interested in reading about my peace corps experience the following link.mlungu.civiblog.orgmlungu.civiblog.orgmlungu.civiblog.orgmlungu.civiblog.orgmlungu.civiblog.orgmlungu.civiblog.orgmlungu.civiblog.org http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/blog-21708.html My address in Turkmenistan for the FIRST THREE MONTHS OF SERVICE is as followsPCT Stephen W. SmithU.S. Peace CorpsTurkmenistanPO Box 258 KrugozorCentral Post OfficeAshgabat 744000TurkmenistanVIA ISTANBULVia Istanbul should be written somewhere on the envelope. This prevents it from going to Moscow which they say delays http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/blog-18342.html I have received word this week about my Peace Corps assignment. I will be heading to Turkmenistan on September 29. Due to a complete police state and US government policy towards employees keeping blogs it might be difficult for me to keep this blog up something I haven't done since January anyway. If you are interested in receiving emails from my about my work as a public health volunteer in http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Turkmenistan/blog-16690.html