The Stan Family Part 5 - Turkmenistan

Entering my next adventure destination Turkmenistan at Dashogus was quick and easy, it would want to be with my limited five (5) day visa I was in for a quick trip across the country on one (1) road from North to South.

I had a couple of interesting stops to make on my way South and first up was the town of Konye Urgench and its UNESCO world heritage listed sites. In the town centre I visited Nejameddin Mausoleum and Sultan Ali Mausoleum.

Then on the outskirts of town I made time for a few photographs and a drink of water while visiting the Turabeg Khanym complex, Sayid Ahmed Mausoleum, Gutleg Timur Minaret, Tekesh Mausoleum, Kyrk Molla, ll-Arslon Mausoleum and Mannum ll Minaret.

 

 

I then settled into a hot day, while the temperature sat around forty one (41) degrees I rode through the dry sandy, sun scorched sparse vegetation landscape of the Karakum Desert, the road was not so hot, being a rough, pot-holed affair for about half the way before improving.

 



 

I reached the turn off to my day’s destination late afternoon, then ventured off road to the Darvazza gas craters. A little unusual, but a tourist attraction none the less, travel guides say the craters are the result of Soviet era gas exploration in the 1950’s, but locals say they are the result of surface collapse after the use of the ground water below. One of the three (3) craters has been set alight, it blazes with great intensity and is best viewed a night, so I set up my well-travelled, little used tent for an overnight camp out under the stars in the sandy desert.

 

I visited the other two craters the following morning as I continued my journey south, one crater has a bubbling mud bottom, the other water.

 

 

Again I settled into a forty one (41) degree temperature ride day to the Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat. With white marble palaces and buildings, gleaming gold domes, manicured parkland complete with white marble fountains, the city has been built off the receipts of Turkmenistan’s oil and gas sales. In 1948 the original town was levelled by an earth quake measuring nine (9) on the Richter scale, and currently large areas are being levelled once again, this time by a wrecking ball, making way for more white marble buildings and structures, including a completely new sports facility under construction for the 2018 ASIAN games.

 

I spent two days in Ashgabat, then continued south and exited Turkmenistan, after what had been a very brief yet enjoyable visit to the last Stan in my Stan family tour.