Category: Turkmenistan
Ten Reasons Why the West Coast is WAY Cooler than the East Coast
Here we go! Just the FACTS about why the West Coast is literally a billion times cooler than the East Coast: 1) Movies about the West Coast...
The Movie Transsiberian
From the Beijing Train Station to the corrupt police on the far Eastern route of the Russian Trans-Siberian Railroad, the 2008 movie...
Ferry from Turkmenbashi to Baku Part 2
Having returned to the ferry terminal after our morning attempt failed and we had decided to enjoy the day with a nice swim, we were...
Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi and Leaving Turkmenistan by Ferry
Having heard and read countless horror stories of the ferry situation from Turkmenbashi to Baku, we were eager to try for ourselves. Many a...
How to Take the Caspian Sea Ferry
Here is the process you must follow when trying to get a ferry, since many people want this information and no one else provides it in one...
Leaving Central Asia
As we depart Central Asia, we’re hit with a bittersweet feeling partially of relief and partly of sadness. Central Asia is like no...
Goodbye Turkmenistan
After two months in the arid deserts of Turkmenistan, it is time to move towards water. So we’re setting out sights on the infamous...
Darvaza Remix
Owing to a misplaced video of our last trip to the Darvaza crater, as well as an urge to try out new grilling methods and camping...
Sipping Beer on Alexander’s Fortress Walls
Sultan Sanjar, who referred to himself boldly as Alexander the II or ‘Sultan of the World’ died of a broken heart in 1157. The...
Merv A Desert Fortress of Pottery Shards
Last weekend we embarked on a three day / two night camping trip to the ruins of Merv. A short 30 km away from the present city of Mary,...
The Ashgabat Zoo
In my youth we would visit zoos all over the world. I’ve seen some of the most amazing zoos humanity has to offer, at the top of the...
Sojourn to Nissa
Yesterday we got in the 4×4 and took an off road expeditionary tour of Nissa,which was once a Parthian capital in the 3rd century BC....
Visiting the Gates of Hell, Darvaza Turkmenistan
Dante readers beware, the “Gates of Hell” are very real. They are located in the middle of a vast, uninhabitable desert (not...
Swimming with Snakes
After the very long drive from Nohur to the Turkmenbasy on the Caspian Sea, and searching for a place to stay, we all ended up at the...
Fighting the Caspian Sea Virus
When we tell people that we live on the road, their eyes light up and they inevitably mutter, glazed-eyed: “man, I wish I could do...
The Push-Push Bazaar
For many Silk Route travelers, the Push-Push bazaar outside Ashgabat is one of the greatest highlights of the road. The bazaar spans...
Nohur to Turkmenbashi on the Ripples Roadway
Last night in Nohur we slept on the floor, atop rugs and a small pad. Throughout the night we slept off and on as dogs fought in the alleys...
Nohur The Last Call to Prayer
The small and relatively untouched village of Nohur rests in an unmarked valley of the Kopet Dag Mountains, which make up the border of...
Dinosaur Eggs on the Journey to the Caspian
We decided to take a weekend trip out to the Caspian Sea from Ashgabat. Leaving mid-afternoon on Friday we planned to stop in the small...
Hajji Mosque in Geokdepe
This afternoon we ventured out of Ashgabat to see the museum to the Turkmen’s last stand against the Russians. 15,000 men, women and...
Cableway to the Iranian Border
From Ashgabat there is a cable car into the mountains that make up the southern border of Turkmenistan with Iran. For 2 Minat (75 cents)...
Independence Park in Ashgabat
Laid out in 1993, two years after the Turkmen claimed independence from the Russians after the fall of the Soviet Union, Independence Park...
Statistics from Shanghai to Ashgabat
Originally, the trip was planned as a Shanghai to Ashgabat adventure. Well, we have an announcement to make—we have decided to keep on...
Into Turkmenistan by Foot
The rest of the day, including two long walks through no-mans-land between customs in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan seemed easy after dealing...
Goodbye Uzbekistan
After recovering the cell phone in Bukhara, we decided it was time to move on as we had been in Uzbekistan for almost 25 days and in...
