Petroglyphs and Cows

Driving around the lake our first stop this morning was the Petrolyphs in Cholpon-Ata. It costs about a dollar to get in. From there we walked around looking at the ancient rock carvings. The first one that we saw was by far the most impressive. On a pretty large rock was a petroglyph depicting tame snow leopards hunting ibex. It's hard to believe that these drawings dated starting in the Bronze Age of 1500 BC until 1st century AD. The majority of them were thought to be carved by the Saka-USun who lived in the area before the arrival of Kyrgyz nomads. This group of people had their settlement in one of the areas that has now been over taken by the lake that I had previously mentioned.

 

After studying the snow leopard we did about a 40 minute walk around looking at the other stones. Not going to lie, the put the best one up front to attract visitors. Some of the rocks I could barely make out a caravan of camels or an ibex after reading the sign. Others looked like nothing more than a few light scribbles. We all joked about some of them as we walked around.

 

One thing that was stunning was the backdrop of the lake and the mountains on the return walk. My favorite few so far! We headed down to the lake to take a quick bath and wash off our bodies. The water was not nearly as cold as the river and everyone splashed around excitedly.

 

Our destination for the day Semyonovka village in the Kichi Ak-Su valley which means little. Arriving there we set up camp and some people went off for walks to explore the area. After the previous hikes and activities I decided to take an afternoon to relax on my big air sack and to read. I feel asleep for a little snooze and what did I wake up to? Well cows roaming through all of our tents and campsite of course!

They hung around for awhile grazing around. Nothing surprises me anymore in this land of nomads and animals.  

 

Onward to Lake Issy-Kol

Onward to Lake Issyk-Kol

The next stop on the trip is the worlds`s second-largest alpine lake. The only lake to beat it out is Lake Titicaca! Stationed at 1600m the lake never freezes. It's depth and thermal activity don't exactly make I the warmest but keep it unfrozen even in the coldest of winter nights. Thus the lake has been named Issyk-Kol which translates to `hot lake` and is a big summer destination. The backdrop for this gorgeous setting is the Ala-Too mountains which are beautifully snow capped. 

The lake has changed shorelines many times over the course of history leaving some towns completely submerged. Chigu is one such example that dates back to the 2nd century B.C. Then the Krygyz nomadic tribes came in around 10th century.

Once again Timur appears in legends down here in Kyrgyzstan making the lake a summer home.

As continues with every history lesson of these Central Asian countries, the Russians came. Spas were built around the lake and it became a very popular destination. However, they kept it for themselves forbidding foreigners from coming. Not only was the lake off limits but much of Kyrgyzstan was blocked as well.

Were they just being selfish and keeping the beautiful landscape for themselves or was there another reason? Legends tell of USSR sanctioned opium and marijuana fields growing beyond the borders in the exotic lands. Hmmm? Funny thing is that as I was reading about this legend we stopped for our typically side of the road pee stop. What did we find? Oh just an entire field of marijuana!! The Russians may be gone but looks like that stayed in some areas.

The second reason to keep Issyk-Kol off limits was for Naval testing. Different types of torpedoes were tested in the deep waters. Kyrgyzstan gained its independence from Russia in 1991 but the new Russian president still wanted to continue to use the water. Luckily Kyrgyzstan was smarter than that and politely declined the offer.

Today anyone is able to come and see this beautiful lake and picturesque backdrop. The only struggle now is booking flights to this off the beaten path country!    

For the next few days we will be traveling around the lake to different adventure points!

Headless Goats and Bride Racing

Headless Goats and Bride Racing

 

*With the lack of internet I am jumping ahead a bit with this post. This skips over the rest of Uzbekistan and Kazahkstan. I will add those posts later with a note letting you know. Wifi to will be spotty again as we go up into the Kyrgyzstan snow capped mountains. 

Leaving the beautiful, but cold, Ala Archa Valley we made our way east to the Chong-Kemin Valley. Very quickly the heat picked up and everyone became zapped of their energy. The next 4 hours were spent in a daze of music and sleep as everyone sat pretty out of it. 

Thankfully we stopped at a market so I could stock up on a blanket or some type of warmth for the cold nights. It is truly amazing how hot it is during the day and freezing at night. The market sprawled out under tarps tied in every direction with scraps of rope. Parts of the market entered into narrow alleys and one big building. Not going to lie it was one of the most impressive markets I have seen. 

In this random market I make two exciting purchases. First, a very warm and comfy blanket for 8 USD. Second, a pair of rhinestone shoes. Yeah you read that right, I bought rhinestone shoes in a random dusty market in Kyrgyzstan. They are definitely wild, totally me, and very perfect for one of the upcoming wedding events in the future.

The ladies laughed as I tried them on in my backpacker clothes. The group laughed even louder when I appeared with them and pranced around inside the truck. Very big contrast to the mucky sandal and horse sweat stained shoes I have been wearing!

Back on the truck  we made our final approach to the valley is runs right along he border of Kazakhstan and has beautiful hills and mountains on both sides. We drove around for awhile looking for a blue bridge as our only landmark for an upcoming turn. After any close calls we found the bridge and stopped near the river to have lunch and scope out camp sites. 

Feeling a bit dirty, but not nearly as bad as when we used to be in deserts, we all decided to go take a bath in the freezing cold mountain melt river water. With a few screams we all managed to get at least our bodies clean.

Deciding to move up closer to where our evening activities would take place, Steve drove the truck across the bridge, up a hill, and through a neatly lined tree drive way right into someone's backyard and hay field. The Kyrgzish man smiled and waved at us while we set up camp and he collected hay. I often wonder what goes through all these locals heads when they see a massive truck appear with disgusting smelly adventurers show up.

 

Alright, now for the good fun I have been waiting this whole trip for. Goat Polo! The Afghan game burkashi, called Ulak-tartysh in Kyrgyzstan, is a game played on horseback with with a headless goat. The players sweep across the field trying to wrestle the dead goat from each other and carry it to a dome at the opponents side to score. 

 

Before the main game started we watched the players do a few other traditional games. One was galloping across a field as the rider tried to reach to the ground and pick up bags off money. The second one was bride racing. The girl takes off across the field with the man quickly behind on his own horse. If he is able to catch her and kiss her on the cheek they will be married!

Then the main game started. Aggressively tossing the dead goat in the middle of the  field the horses feverishly ran towards it. Their hooves knocking at the body with thumps. Men lean all the way down to the ground to get the body. In our case I was rooting for the green team and the other half rooting for the blue. 

 

The blue team got the goat and the man swiftly threw him up under his leg and galloped towards the goal. Men shot across the field trying to grab the got back. Horses bumped into each other and the men somehow kept their seats. Point after point these guys kept going. It was a sight for sure.

After the game we took some pictures with the team. Green team one although blue claims they won. Someone offered to let me get on their horse. I climbed up and started to trot around. Before I knew it I heard quick hooves stamping behind me. Somehow I was just tricked into a Bride Race! Obviously the skilled man quickly caught me as everyone was laughing. Geez these nomad traditions just keep getting me!

 

Ancient Korezm

The Golden Circle

After leavivvng the museum we entered the desert and nothingness again. Hours and hours worth of driving. In the beautiful even sunlight we come across what looked like a fortress from long ago.

 

We stopped and took some pictures. The fortress looked amazing in the evening light. The wind however was less than amazing. Gusts of wind swept across the desert battering at our bodies.

Already half broken from bush camps and lack of showers, we started to panic about our upcoming camp. The wind would make trying to set up tents as well as keep a fire going to cook on seem impossible. Lee and Jamie had found in the Lonely Planet guide an upcoming yurt camp. 

 

Together we got together and discussed our options for camping. Steve, the insane but amazing bush man he is, did not want to go to a campsite and would prefer to suffer through the night. Most of the group was did not need any convincing. After a slightly aggressive argument I was settled that we would drive up and check to see if there was space in the yurts.

Pulling up to the camp, three of us got out to discuss the price with the lovely Uzebeki lady. With a little negotiating we got the price from 25 dollars down to 15. You guys know how much I love to negotiate. In this price we also got to use the kitchen area safe from the dust and wind!

Steve, I think was a little put off because he didn't get his way. As soon as we dropped our stuff in the nice yurts with no wind he insisted we dry out all the tents from the night before in the Aral Sea. It was pretty comical to watch everyone trying to not lose the battle against the wind. I discovered that you could stand on the corner and the entire tent would fill up with the strong wind!

That night we enjoyed a nice dinner inside a yurt! Yay for no dust and no tents. The yurt was decorated in a traditional style. Late that evening we had a little fun getting to try on all the traditional outfits. Although I am pretty sure we did not wear them all correctly.

After a good nights sleep I woke up and finally got to take a shower! Yes, a shower! The trickle out of the faucet was slow to conserve water but hey, after camping in the desert and sweating days on end it was fabulous.

Now time for exploring this desolate but intriguing area in the daylight. The drive from Nukus in the previous day took north of Urgench Ito southern Karaalpakstan. This area was previously known as Khorzem over 2,000 years ago when the Amu-Darya used to flow and make the area flourish. The forts that we we're currently starring up at date back 2,000 years. This particular one is a complex of 3 forts named Ayaz-Qala and are part of the Ancient Elliq-Qala, meaning fifty fortresses, and today named by UNESCO as the `Golden Ring of Ancient Khorezm.`   

Hiking straight up the mountain in the early morning golden sun I was once again shocked. Here we are in an ancient ruin town with not a single person, tourist or worker. No admission, no rules, and no people. Had this been in another Western city fences would be build to keep people off the walls and people would want paid to let you see it. 

For about an hour we hiked on top of the now melted fortress walls. I stopped many times to try to imagine the nomads coming into the city walls during an invasion for protection. Looking out in every direction was more and more barren land. Land that we somehow had managed to cross and camp through for days. It was a beautiful way to start the day! 

Delay

Sorry for the long delay in posts. I will be in the for thr next couple of days in bush camps in Kyrgyzstan. I will try my best to write and catch up accordingly! 

Brown Water, Black Market, Blue Art

Leaving behind the decaying ships and dimished sea we continued back up to the town of Moynaq. Everyone has been feeling pretty gritty lately since we are all going on days of no shower, 120+ degree camping, dust storms, and now rained on. Steve spotted a less that optimal bathing choice an hour down the road near where we first exchanged money. A murky brown river. Hmmmm am I that desperate already? We all got out of the truck and looked around. 

A massive herd of goats come trotting across the bridge. Pretty sure they were just relieving themselves in the river that Steve wanted us to bath in. Mike on the other hand was already down the path and in the water enjoying his shower. Rachel and I looked at each other and then down at ourselves. I could scrape the desert sand caked to my body with my fingers. Alright let's do this!

Surprisingly it was extremely refreshing. Steve helped us by using a bowl to pour the water over out heads. Except on problem. He did this without a warning!!! I closed my mouth but not before one large nasty brown water gulp went down my throat. I desperately tried to not think about what I could`ve just swallowed. If the 5 of us who bathed gets sick we know why!

Fresh and kind of clean we entered the town to exchange some money. We had to exchange enough money to pay some upcoming hotel costs. The stack we got by entering the black market was obscene. Multiple bags were used to carry this exchange safely back to our truck.

I also couldn't help myself. I had to snag this nifty broom that everyone uses to sweep the streets and houses with. Maybe I will use it to clean all the desert dust out of the truck with.

 

A few hours later and we were in our first real functioning town, Nukus. Immediately the architecture stood out. Soviet style buildings blatantly lined the streets. I do not have much experience or knowledge of the Soviet times and this trip is rapidly changing that. One thing I am already certain of is that I am not a fan of the big, cold, cookie cutter buildings. 

Our main objective for reaching this town was the Karakalpakstan Savitsky museum, also known as the Nukus Museum. Here in the middle of nowhere Uzbekistan lies the biggest collection of 1930`s Soviet avante garde artwork. Igoe Savitsky was an avid collector of artwork that were technically illegal under the soviet regime. These pieces of art featured emotions that may have expressed sadness as a result of their way of life. 

Throughout the years Savitsky began to feverishly collect anything he came across. Famous Soviet artists who were now either painting in secret or had hidden away all of their non conforming artwords were sought out by Mr. Savitsky. He scowere basements and attics asking family members to please allow him to stash each thing he found. His collection began to grow.

Knowing that these would not be safe in Russia or other heavily occupied areas he started to transport them down to Uzbekistan which had become his knew home. The naturally harsh landscaped created an environmental barrier and an unlikely place for a masterpiece collection to be hidden away. Over the years he continued making tris bring piece upon piece. Today more than 90,000 pieces of artwork belong to the collection. 

The art museum has garnered more attention over the years. Many believe a lot of these precious painting had fallen victim to the Soviet times. However, here they are in the small town of Nukus in the desert. A piece of history and a time of art once forgotten has been found. The museum has had some ups and downs. Collectors and enthusiasts around the world have tried to get the collection in a more prestigious place. Even the Uzbekistan government questioned its relation to keeping this part of history within their country, a history they wish to move past. Through the time it has stayed and from what I have read begun to grow and upgrade.

(Image copyright of Savistky Museum)

 

Walking around the museum, again I did not know what to expect. Before this trip I had never heard that such a thing even existed. Upon entering the top floor I was drawn in by a few factors. One, the paintings called out to you. Each one had a story behind the painting. My favorite paintings in the place were done by the same artist, Vladimir Lysenko. After painting a captivating bull with a wild look in his eyes he was sent away to a camp for being mentally disturbed. Another painting landed another artist in jail for years. Stories like this followed one after another. Second, these were painted secretly and against the regime. Standing there just knowing that an artist was struggling knowing that what they wanted to paint was not going to conform brought a chill up my back. Third, this is the largest collection yet the preservation of the paintings stands in the hands of ladies setting trays of water beneath the paintings to keep them moist. I suggest anyone who has an interest in Soviet history or in Art history finds a steady car and make the journey to this little gem of a museum. 

 

Death of the Aral Sea

The Aral Sea

 

Uzbekistan he were are! I had done very little research before coming on this trip with the hopes of learning about a whole knew region of the world. Turkmenistan had proved to be interesting. Uzbekistan however promised millenniums of history steeped in bloodshed and rulers throughout the history of the Silk Road. 

After our grueling entrance into the country we shot straight up to the town of Moynaq. Along the way we made a quick stop at a market in hopes of exchanging some money. Uzbekistan has a monetary system that is on the verge of collapse but has grasped on to life through black market trading. One USD is equally to around 4,000 som as regulated through the bank. However, people every are eager to exchange one dollar for 8,000 som. This struggle between the rates is something I have never witnessed before.

To make matters even more complicated the most common bills are that of the 1,000 and 500 som. This means that one 20 USD bill is exchanged to be between 160-320 bills. Talk about feeling like a king carrying around wads of cash.

 

Stacks upon stack upon stacks later we jetted to Moynaq and the remains of the Aral Sea. Moynaq was a fishing town that relied on the sea for their way of life. Sadly, due to human actions, the sea has begun to dry up and shrink significantly over the past 50+ years. Today, Moynaq is nothing but a village suffering under the loss. With waters shrinking, the remains of the sea are nothing but highly concentrated dusty plains with some brush growing. The salty dust is the main cause of many health problems.

We drove to the edge of the previous sea line and looked at the empty plains ahead. A sick feeling overtook me. This entire area used to be a sea with a thriving fishing village. A real reminder of the damage humans are having on the planet could not be ignored. Since we took so long at the border our arrival was already way passed schedule. We drove down into the missing sea and out into the dusty lands to find a camping spot.

 

As we all sit around eating dinner, it was my cooking shift and I made chicken and pasta, we saw lightning in the distance. Jamie assured us that it only rains once a year in these lands. Not completely convinced we brushed it off and took it for heat lightning. The moon begin to rise a deep blood red. American horror story Roanoke anyone? Totally shattered from the long border crossing, drive, and heat we made our way to our tents.

Laying in bed I could not sleep. It was still 100+ degrees and not cooling off as quick as usually. Sticky salty air filled the tent. I got up and opened the tent flaps to let some air in and finally fell asleep. Not long after I was shaken awake by violently gusting winds and rain beginning to fall. Hmmmm I thought it didn't rain Jamie?

Quickly, people jumped out of their tents to lower their window flaps. Hanne, my tent partner did not stir at all, she can sleep through everything. Back in my tent the rain stopped within minutes. Twenty minutes later another violent gust of wind came with more rain. Some of the boys ran around outside staking down tents and putting on rain flaps. Gusts came out of nowhere strong enough to pick the tent up even with our bags in it. 

Again, it quickly settled down and the boys retreated back to their tents. Then the sky really began to pour. An engine started. I panicked. Did everyone else leave me? Shouting over to the tent next to me Lee assured me everyone was here but it would seem that the truck was leaving. Sure enough our driver, organizer, and Alex took off in the truck. We later found out they went to higher ground so the truck would no get stuck. But in the moment non of us knew why we were being ditched in a bi polar rain and wind storm.

A sleepless night followed. When the truck arrived in the morning and everyone made their way out of their tents you could tell spirits were down. Everyone was already feeling the effects of being dirty and shower less in the bush camps previously but the nights events had escalated it all.

We cleaned up camped and went out to explore the ship graveyard. Since the sea was no longer the ships that once occupied its waters have been left only as an eare reminder of what once was. Many of them have been dragged and relocated to this shipyard. 

 

Cows roam around the base seeking shade in the summer heat. These ships are a constant reminder of the permanent damage done. 

Roaming around through the ships the rain picked up again! Running back to the truck we jumped back on soaking wet for anothe fun day of adventure.

Uzbek border

Uzbek Border

I've done quite a lot of border crossings, many of which were land borders, but none have every been quite like this.

Leaving Konye-Urgench we made our way to the border crossing just north. We started out early so that we would be through hopefully before the lunch break. Upon arrival we departed our truck with small day bags for them to search.

It took well over an hour to get through security just to leave the country. One by one we were ushered through. First through a metal detector, then to a passport check table, and then to a search table. Every single thing had to come out of our bags. Then our phones and cameras were checked for illegal photos. As I stood waiting for my turn a swam of police surrounded Alex. Being on the other side we had no idea what was going on. It turns out they saw his drone and were debating the legality of it. Here is the catch, we are LEAVING the country. These are police checking to make sure he is importing a drone in. Eventually he was passed on and allowed to take it with him. 

Now it was my turn. Approaching the passport desk I handed over my passport to be greeted with a massive smile when he looked at my passport. Commenting that I was beautiful he looked up at my face and his smile disappeared quickly. Holding the passport next to my face his eyes darted back and forth between the picture and me then flagged me on. This incident happened again two more times that day during previous check points. Alright, I get it! I haven't showered in days, have been camping in 120 degree heat in the dusty desert, and I don't look like my picture. Way to rub it in guys. 

After making it through exit security we had our passports stamped and began to wait. Why? Because exit security was now searching everything on the truck. One by one they pulled out the tents and even checked some of them. Another hour went by before making our way across no man`s land to Uzbekistan Border.

Here we were met with a similar circumstance. We filled out documents, presented them, presented them to more people, got things scanned, moved to new lines, and continued to wait. When we finally got to being stamped into the county the lined stopped with Lee. Holding Lee`s passport he made a few calls. Lee, who is from New Zealand, currently is teaching in Saudi Arabia. Often when he leaves the country he has to get permission from the country to do so. This was his best guess as to what was going on because he heard the man say Saudi a few times on the phone.

Another hour goes by! Finally the process starts back up and they let him through with the rest of us. While the truck was being ripped apart again, this time to enter the country we looked around at the border control signs. One massive one stood out as we all read it over and over again. It read something along the lines of this:

It is prohibited to bring in any journals, media, CDs, DVDs, books, pamphlets, cliches, art, recordings, (on and on the list goes) that undermines the Stale of Uzbekistan and promotes liberty, unrest, government change, political discussions, and war.

Coming into the country we knew that Uzbekistan was known for its overly harsh police government state of affairs. Our guide had told us stories of torture than were tales carried over the border. However, we were not sure what to really expect. This sign opened a slew of questions and we could not wait to begin to explore.

More Deserts, Bush Camps, Konye Urgench

More Deserts, Bush Camps, Konye Urgench

Continuing away from the crater we encounter, yes you guessed it, more deserts and still no people. Looking back on these days I can not say that I remember anything really particular about it other than it was blisteringly hot, finding a tiny desert shop with cold water was a blessing, and camping in this heat aide it impossible to sleep until it cooled down at 2 am.

(Sittin on top of the truck roof to watch the sunset)

 

This particular bush camp provided with some pretty good entertainment at night. Our guide Max has a particular taste for vodka. Like most Turkmenistani people, he loves it. We have begun to notice that as the moon rises the vodka goes down, down, and down. The most entertaining part about this is he can be heard signing to himself in the late hours of the night!

Due to the heat I did a lot of sleeping on the bus and stayed up a good portion of the night with Lee and Alex. We found a dung beetle carrying a load though camp and had a good laugh about that among other things. 

Early the next morning we packed up camp and drove down the road to Konye Urgench, meaning Old Urgench from the Persians. Here we wandered through the ruins of a once magnificent city long ago.

Throughout the years this city has seen many travesties and successes. Back in the 12th century it was one of the centers of the Muslim world until a revenge attack from Chinggis Khan in 1221. The Mongols fought and destroyed the city for over 6 months before finally drowning everyone by diverting a river.

During the next years the city was rebuilt and became one of the most important cities in Central Asia thanks to trading routes. However, in 1388 it was seen as a rival city to Samarkand and Timur ordered it destroyed. Although it was partly rebuilt in the 16th century only a few structures have managed to escape the destruction and can been seen left standing. It has now become an official UNESCO world heritage sight.

 

This minaret was spared during the descruction due to its beauty. When the Mongols came to the city it was ordered to be left alone. Today, the minaret stands tall but leaning greatly to one side!

Deserts and Dinos

Deserts and Dinos

Waking up everyone was reminded of the funny events that took place the previous night. With a long drive ahead we knew it would keep us laughing for hours. However, we also knew that the road ahead was going to be one of wastelands.

(Photo: Jamie)

 

Heading back to the market we stocked up for what we believed to be one nights supplies. Jamie and I strolled through the market looking for supples but while also secretly taking pictures, three pics to be exact. First, we snapped on of me buying a drink, then one of a can of Pringles, and third one of some ladies cleaning. Within not even a minute multiple men came up to us demanding our phones. Trying to shrug it off was no use. Jamie was caught red handed with some pictures that showed practically nothing The men continued on until he finally deleted them. For the rest of our shopping we were followed around being watched.

 

Off on the road it hit us fast and strong just how the trek across the Karakum Desert was going to go. Long, Hot, and Sweltering Hot. After passing one last stretch of identical marble housing unites we entered the desert. With temperatures quickly climbing above 115 I clutched onto my one ice water bottle for dear life. Very little conversation took place as we all were too hot to even think.

After a few hours we reached our first town and stop. In the midst of the rubble of fallen Soviet shacks, deserts homes, and trash stood a small Soviet monument and broken trucks. 

 

Exploring a little further we found one building with life forms. A tiny shack had ice cold water and ice cream. We all cleared out the store grabbing as much as we could.

 

Outside the building more life appeared. This time in the form of tons of camels strapped down to a giant truck bed. This country is getting more and more strange as the time goes on. 

 

The hours passed and the heat continue to rise. Our once frozen was now nothing but boiling hot water that we tried to make more desirable by adding tea bags or lime. Finally, somewhere in the middle of the desert our goal was finally reached as we came across the 3 craters.

 

First, the water crater. It is still debated whether this was a natural occurrence or the mistake in lack of technology during Soviet gas drilling.

Second, the mud crater. This was very similar to the first just without the water and add in a bit of mud and fire. 

Finally, we reached the Darvasa Gas Crater and our main goal of the drive. Parking the truck a bit away due to heat reasons we began our hike over to the crater. As we approached the waves of heat came towards us with the wind. Boy was it hot. Add a giant burning gas crater on top of the desert heat and I felt like I was going to be cooked straight through. Arriving at the edge I was totally blown away. 

Here in the middle of nowhere is a crater that the government claims no longer exists. Partly to cover up the fact all of this gas is leaking from the ground and burning and partly because, well it's Turkmenistan. I assure you that it does exist in all of its burning glory.

Standing near the edge when the wind blew the right way was basically like being cooked alive. Super pumped I grabbed my Dino suit and ran around the crater. Of course Dinos and craters go together!

That night we went back to our truck and cooked dinner quickly then enjoyed a great night chatting next to the worlds largest campfire! I have way better pics of the Dino costume but waiting to get them off of some other people!

 

The crater was originally created in the 50`s while Soviet Union engineers were looking for gas. While being in this spot the ground gave way under the heavy machinery and collapsed revealing the giant crater. Not wanting to move the town nearby, the solution became to light the crater on fire and burn off the gas that would otherwise poison the town. They estimated that within a week or two the gas would be used up and the flames would die down. Needless to say that was not the case and is still burning bright to this day!

 

Starring at this crater in the middle of the night it is no wonder that they call it the "Gate to Hell" or "Door to Hell." The flames grew in the darkness consuming all of your attention making it hard to look away. 

Ashgabat - The Too Perfect City

The Too Perfect City - Ashgabat

Where do I even begin to describe my first stop on this road trip? The only possible description would be that of a city that is almost too perfect. Robotic and planned. Beautiful but empty. Eyes that are constantly watching you every move.

Tall white marble buildings line either side of the careless streets. In the distance more white marble structures protrude from the ground as a stark contrast to the surrounding desert landscape. 

here are so many strange things that we felt while being here that is probably best I do not publish them all. However, here are a few interesting facts about Ashgabat and Turkmenistan that seem ok to share at this time. Up until his death in 2006 the former president Saparmyrat Niyazov created many rules and laws. Beards were prohibited as well as listening to music in the car. Fountains spring up in every little park because he thought they were cool.  Giant statues and building formed to eternalize his Golden Age as totalitarian ruler. Did I mention he even renamed the months and days to be those of family and friends?

The city has been rebuilt from the ground up after a shattering level 9 earthquake in 1948 that killed 2/3 of the population. It was then rebuilt in the Soviet style under Russian control. However, once gaining independence and using the vast wealth the country has gained through natural gas the city has been coated in marble and gold. Many describe it as the love child of Las Vegas and Pyongyang. By day people work smile less as robotic machines while also constantly patrolling to make sure we follow the rules. At night the city lights up as bright as Vegas. 

 

 

As we made our way through the city one thing became apparent, no one was around except government workers. Many of the structures had military that stood guard watching what you were doing. Street cleaners polished the already perfectly cleaned streets. We were the sole people doing anything enjoyable out of a city of over one million inhabitants. At moments it feels as if someone has created a virtual reality city made of marble and stuck us in the game during pause.

The city has a bunch of ministries but the most entertaining would have to be the Ministry of Horses and the Ministry of carpets. Horses are on many symbols and buildings through the country but the irony is during our entire stay we have not seen a single horse. This includes our 12 plus hours of driving through country sides. 

In the afternoon we had lunch at the Tolkuchka Bazaar, now renamed Altyn Asyr Market, and shopped around. Before anyone could even think about it our local guide Max warned us that we could not take any photos. I chose to have a traditional dish of plov made u of some meat, rice, and carrots. I would share a photo but even pictures of my food were prohibited. 

For dinner we went to a popular restaurant and all got to know each other. Four hours later, some meat BBQ, and a few drinks we were ready to go on our night tour. 

The night sky line lit up in the brightest neon colors. Some stayed light the same color while others rotated through from pinks to blues to greens. Again, it was stranger to see this city on display for no one. Our group began to make many jokes but very quietly as we were warned that all of our conversations were being listened to.

Finally, we ended our night back at the hotel with some dancing. For the dignity of Lee I will to share the story but let's say our group all had a good laugh at the events that happened to him. 

 

 

 
 

Journey Continued

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 

Arrival - July 6th

3pm: I feel like this journey to get to Turkmenistan is never ending. So far I have been at it for about 30 hours. The last leg of the journey consists of leaving Frankfurt and making a stop in Baku, Azerbaijan before taking off again in the same plane to Ashgabat. The initial nerves from leaving home have completely faded. Jumping from one plane, to another, with long layovers, and trying to find places to sleep has made it like one long exhausting day. I am unsure of what to expect when I get there. Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly.  

10:23 Azerbaijan Time

The second part of my Frankfurt to Baku flight got interesting real quick. First, the family sitting behind and next to me was flying with twin 3 year olds. I could say we are now Bff with the way the crawled over me, under me, and on top of me. The poor mom kept apologizing but the kiddos were way to cute to really care. We all switched seats about 20 times.

Second, the turbulence was bad! Easily this flight was in the top three bumpiest flights I have ever experienced. On top of being scared the flight attendants kept going over the loud speaker to tell us to sit down as the mom and I chased her child up and down the aisle every time they would escape the seat belt.

Third, there is a big difference of the planes they give Europe and the ones they fly into the Middle East and Central Asia. No tv screens at all, no outlets, 2 bathrooms, and a few other downgrades like rock hard seats. One lady questioned the lack of amenities and the stewardess said that it was only a short 5 hour flight. I am not complaining more just making a note on the quality difference. 

Finally, the stop off in Baku should probably be the only stop. Clearly they have to use that leg of the flight to justify the flight ever being able to get to Turkmenistan. There is no way they could operate a direct flight because there currently are old 6 of us on the entire 200 person plane!

11:55 Ashgaat, Turkmenistan

Wow I finally have made it with no real problems along the way. The airport was totally deserted. The airport was built only a few years ago and is in the shape of an eagle. Everything is beautifully colored white and green. The pillars are made up of intricate shapes that signify the four carpet symbols that can also be seen around the country.

I wish I could have taken a lot of pictures but I had been warned that many things are off limits bad didn't want to test my luck. However, I did snag a selfie walking down the main terminal. Right after I did four guards arrived following me. I was being paranoid. 

I got my visa with no problems, went through passport control, and grab my bag. Before exiting the airport a bunch of guards scanned my bag and searched it throughly for cigarettes and drugs. While they were doing this they chatted with me about being a tourist in very broken English. They kept giggling the whole time like I was comical to them.

Max, whose real name I can not pronounced picked me up and took me to the hotel for a good nights rest!

Here I Go!

It's that time of year again! Travel season!

Alright so every year I start off the summer travels with some mushy reason of why I like to travel and blah blah blah. Then the post is then usually followed with some type of epic fail on the way. So let's get started with these few important bulletins.

1. I'm Getting Married!

As most of your know Tyler proposed to me a few months ago! I said goodbye to him this morning...I've never felt the heartache saying goodbye to someone as I did this morning. 

2. Libby + Flying = Oil + Vinegar

Flight delays, cancellations, lost bags, broken train, 9 hours on the Tarmac, eye infections, and so on. Let's be honest, with the exception of the first trip, I have terrible travel luck. Not to mention I could make myself sick and the thought of having zero control over a giant metal bird carrying my body in the sky. Come on people, how in the world does that not terrify you? This year is going to be different. At the end of this post I will update you until I make it to my destination as it unfolds.... Uneventfully. 

3. Traveling Abroad Terrifies Me

Many people seem to have this notion that I am reckless and fearless. False. Traveling is tough and it takes every nerve in my body to get started. I would be lying if I said getting on a plane and flying to another country, exotic or typical, comes easily. Yes, once I get there the fears drift away and I settle back into my normal travel routine. However, the build up and even moments on the trip I really have to work for. There have been many times I've been paralyzed in fear and I've had to say over and over in my head to keep walking and to just go talk to someone. Today I had that moment. I wanted to turn around and run back through the security to my parents. So why do I do it?

4. The Love of Learning

I've always been fascinated with the world and learning about it. Seeing a text book or article is not enough. I want to learn while living it. To me and this alone it's worth the struggle of all of the above!

Travel Update:

1:24 July 5th

So far it is going smoothly. I made it through the airport in Pittsburgh, landed smoothly (minus the guy taking up half my seat, the toddler kicking my chair, and the ear piercing baby screams) in Toronto. I booked seperate tickets to save many. I have a few hours to kill at Starbucks before I can recheck my luggage. Time for way over priced salad and tea!

Getting through the gate I was amazed at the airport.I am unsure if I did not notice it last year because we were in a hurry but this airport is the future. Everywhere there are iPads connected to various table sizes and offering plenty of chair options. These iPads connect with the restaurants surrounding. If you wish you are able to order food and staf will bring I right to you. However, they are also free to use without any purchases. I loved this airport and will post more about it later. 

I took a seat next to my gate and enjoyed a nice relaxing 3 hour meal before leaving. A couple named Joan and Nate were flying to Italy. We talked about our families to pass the time.

6pm: Yay I am on the first long leg of the journey, an 8 hour flight to Frankfurt. The plane was a double decker plane. If I could afford one of those pods I could totally get used to flying. 

The flight went pretty fast with a mixture of sleeping and movies. I was surrounded by 50 kids taking their birthright trip to Israel!

2am (8am Frankfurt): Totally exhausted I exited the plane and looked at the monitor. I was shocked to see my flight to Ashgabat was on the screen when it didn't;t leave for another 6 hours. Speaking with the lady I asked if they didn't get many connections and that is why my later flight was already on the board. She explained they post everyone's connecting flights who were on board. When I told her which flight was mine she stared at me perplexed and admitted she had never heard of that city and country before. This is the 5th time I have gotte that response since I left home!

2:30 (8:30 Frankfurt): I found the quickest place to get horizontal and sleep listening to Bassnectar for four hours!