Author: awaywiththebirds

September 26: Farewell to Turkmenistan Big travel day today….around 400 kms from Mary in Turkmenistan to Bukhara in Uzbekistan, and yes, that means we had to cross another border. We wondered why we had to leave so early ( on the bus by 7 am) but we were told that the road to the border…

September 25: Ashgabat to Merw Warren, they don’t speak Russian – they have their own language but many of the signs have both Russian and their language. And Ang, no I don’t intend to bring that rug home!! Today we had an early departure from  Ashgabat. On the way out you cannot miss the colourful…

September 24: More of Ashgabat and horses Every roundabout in Ashgabat has some interesting structure on it. I haven’t told you much about Ashgabat. It’s the capital of Turkmenistan, and is  often described as a “white marble wonderland” in the desert. It began as a Russian garrison town in the 19th century, grew under the Soviets, and…

September 23: Ashgabat Good question, Sammy (who asked what happens if your car isn’t clean). Ashgabat is famous for its extreme cleanliness rules — and cars are no exception. Authorities strictly control what vehicles are allowed into the city: ·       Dirty or dusty cars are often stopped at checkpoints on the approach to Ashgabat. If a car isn’t spotless, police…

September 22: Khiva to Turkmenistan Last glimpses of Khiva After another 4 course lunch, we left Khiva to drive to the Turkmenistan border. Our guide Chris had thoroughly prepared us for a gruelling border crossing. We were told to throw away any medicine which had the word “codeine” in it because it is illegal. Other…

September 21: Khiva Khiva has been around for well over a thousand years. According to legend, it was founded when Shem, son of Noah, dug a well there — the Kheyvak well, which still exists today. Because of its location, Khiva became an important oasis trading post where caravans stopped on their way between Persia, China, and…