The Karakum Desert covers about 70% of Turkmenistan. Nearly all of the cities and towns are situated along the country’s periphery. Very few people live in the barren interior. There are only two highways crossing the desert and only one connecting Ashgabat to the north. Today’s post is about our drive north across Turkmenistan with … Continue reading →

On Thursday morning, we drove to Old Nisa, an ancient Parthian fortress city ten miles to the northwest of our hotel, at the foothills of the Köpet Dag Mountains that separate Turkmenistan from Iran. The complex of Old Nisa, together with nearby New Nisa, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. The inhabitants … Continue reading →

Given the morning Wednesday to catch our breath, we repacked our bags, incorporating cleaned laundry, then lounged around the madrassa/hotel. At noon we were transported to the border crossing from Uzbekistan into Turkmenistan, Farap-Alat, another hectic immigration point. We hiked across No-Man’s-Land beyond border stations to meet our Turkmen guide, Byrat, a gregarious wheeler-dealer who … Continue reading →