Off to Dashoguz!

            This morning we are taking a flight to Dashoguz, a city in the far north of Turkmenistan, on the Uzbek border.  I have been here before so I know it is quite nice.  Now that I have visited Uzbekistan in the intervening time between my first trip to Turkmenistan and now, I feel that Dashoguz is a lot more Uzbek than Turkmen.  There are oddly a lot of Koreans that live here too but I didn't see near as many as I did the first time I visited.

            The airport has been improved since my last flight and it isn't quite as much shove and push to get on board and get a seat.  Most of the group is just doing carry on luggage but a few are checking bags so it's not a grab and go when we reach our destination.   We are staying in the fabulous Hotel Uzboy which I think is the only game in town here.  It has also been upgraded since my last visit and honestly, my roommate's and my room is just as nice as the ones we've had in the Grand Turkmen hotel so far.  But we arrived a bit early for the hotel and it took them about an hour to sort our rooms and assign keys.  An hour that could have been spent on the road towards Konye Urgench, the reason we came.

           We finally all have rooms and we are off to lunch and the market.  We don't have much time at the market as we have gotten the late start from the hotel.  I am still looking desperately for the embroidered pieces that are sewn into the necks of the traditional dresses.  I bought some last time at the big market outside Ashgabat but couldn't find them there this time.  I figure there might be some here in this market so I am racing through the market like a mad person, ducking into the small stores looking for any embroidery.  Plus I need to get my socks.  I bought some great socks here last time that served me very well until they finally broke into pieces practically so I want some more.   Luck is with me.  I find both the embroidery pieces although the first ones I find are very dear and I didn't exchange any more money before we left Ashgabat.  I find my socks next and get several pairs.  There aren't as many patterns this year.  And then I find some more embroidery at a much better price.  Some of the vendors are delighted to have their photos taken and I try and show them the photo as do the other group members.  The vendors are delighted and laugh and laugh at the photos.  I have just enough time to dash around the market for one last photo shot of the melons and market before I run back to the entrance to meet our group.  I am not the last to arrive thank goodness.  As we walk back to the bus, there is a young girl in her school uniform and I finally get a photo of that because she was agreeable to have her photo taken.  Last time here, so many of the young girls wore these huge bows on their heads but I only saw one girl with the bows this time.

           On the way to Konye Urgench, we are passing fields of cotton where there are workers busy picking the cotton.  The bus pulls over and we make a mad dash for the closest worker, kind of going slow as if she's a wildlife opportunity and we are trying hard not to scare her away before we get photos.  Luckily she's amenable to having her photo taken and shows us her cotton sack and how to pick the cotton.  She's a whirlwind.  I try and pick some to make up for her lost time in posing for us but I am so slow that I doubt I made much of an impact at all.  About 7 of us from the group have woven our way into the field and among the cotton pickers.  They didn't seem to mind but it must have been quite an intrusion for us to descend on them like that.  They were busy shouting back and forth across the field and laughing.  Can just imagine what they were saying, "here come some crazy tourists with cameras again!"

           Back on the bus for the continued drive to Konye Urgench which was "once a major silk route stopping point, successive ravaging by Genghis Khan and Tamerlane have left a collection of fascinating ruins here, an enormous Minaret towers over  the several mosques and ancient mausoleums in the area."  this is taken from our tour information brochure.  We arrive at the first building which is the largest and right next to the road.  There is one toilet building which might also be from that era as it is that nasty but at least it has a door, sort of.

             This large building has some wonderful tile work in the ceilings and some great wooden doors which they are trying to preserve.  It looks very much like a lot of the Massadras in Uzbeckistan (schools).   I was busy visiting the ancient toilets and lost the explanation.  Hmm, seems like I was doing the same thing years ago so I still don't know for sure what this building is.

            Next we cross the road and walk into the main site which is several acres with a sidewalk running through it past the minaret, the mausoleums, the mosques and other ruins.  there are also many, many grave sites, some ancient and some not so ancient.  Our group gets quite separated as some members are taking a lot of photos and lagging behind to get them.  Also the sun is setting and there is going to be no time to stop at another site with two mosques side by side that I remember visiting before.  I don't think anyone realized that we had missed those two mosques which is a shame because I remember them as quite interesting.

             We climb the small hill where there are many rocks stacked on the hillside - for good luck I believe.  On top of the hill we can see the entire site below us and also a lot of graves on the other side.  In one small area there were many tiny cradles where couples and women have come up here wishing and hoping and praying for babies.  last time I was here, our guide told us this was a sacred site - which I am sure it still is to many people for the wishing and such - but that we were not allowed to photograph the baby cradles.  We were not told that this time so everyone got plenty of baby cradle photos.

            Back down the hill just as the tail end of the group is catching up to us and then we head to the last mausoleum which has some lovely brick tile work on top and then the sun has set and we are back on the bus heading back to the hotel.  the road is not the best and the driver had not wanted to be driving on it at night but we just got too late of a start.  Dinner is at the hotel and then we have a very early start tomorrow morning to fly back to Ashgabat.  Rather a quick-y tour to Dashoguz.  somehow I remember much more time here last trip but we did have less people and possible later flights.

Last view then goodbye to fire and gas

                  Sleeping on the mattress last night probably saved my back and hips but it was definitely hard to climb up out of the tent.  Felt like I was in a hole and thank goodness nobody was filming me trying to get to my feet.  Not sure how Vancouver does it as she's older than me but with no arthritis so guess that's the difference.   Roomie and I get up around 5:30 for one last call of nature and then she says she's going to go to the gas crater for sunrise.  I certainly would have been willing to try and get in the tent hole one more time for some more shut eye but sunrise is a better idea.  We grab our cameras and flashlights and start for the crater.   Amazingly, we are not the first ones to arrive.  Another of our tour members, S2 (we have two people with the same name), has set up his tripod and is waiting patiently for the sun also.  We circle the crater and then join him on the small hill above the crater.  It's getting lighter and lighter but not sure it is going to be a spectacular sunrise.  There is some wind and the dust devils swirl off the heated air above the crater and head towards the hill.  S2 has been trying to get a photo of them but without much luck.  His camera does this 3 shot composite thing that mine doesn't and I am so jealous of that ability of the camera to take 3 shots and put the colors and such together to make one super photo.  well, heck.  I'll do what I always do - just take more photos.

                More group members are coming over to the crater now.  It's light enough to be without the flashlight now and we can see them coming.  Another group had been camped here last night as well but they were already gone by the time we walked to the crater this morning.  Seems a shame to miss the sunrise.   And finally the sun pops up!  Not the best sunrise but still awesome over the gas crater.

                  There's a lot of activity over at the camp now and looks like people are up and taking down tents and such and I am ready for another call of nature so I say goodbye to the crater and head back to camp.  Pull out my air mattress and let it deflate and am busy putting my stuff away so we can pack it up in the car.   Breakfast this morning is a wonderful buffet of fruit and yoghurt in cups and coffee or tea.  OK, that's pretty much a joke but it was a good breakfast for the desert while people are staggering out of their tents and a few group members are still suffering from the late night party and drinking into all hours.  Snoring still issues from a couple of tents but eventually everyone staggers out into the daylight and has some food and packs up their stuff.  The drivers are much faster at dropping the tents and storing them away so we give up trying to help as basically we are just getting in their way.  Sometimes it's very nice to be waited on and be kind of useless.  Our tour leader tells everyone it's time to head out and if anyone wants a last look at the crater, we'll pick them up on the way out of the valley.  About half the group heads over - the half that wasn't over there for the sunrise.  And then it is time to get into the cars and start our convoy back to the city.  We ask to stop on the way back to get a photo of the camel crossing signs and the sand dune barriers built along the roadside.

                   The drivers misunderstood the "stop for a camel crossing sign" and after passing about 4 nice signs, we swerved to the side of the road as there were actual camels crossing the road.  This is what they thought we wanted to see.  Of course, that was a nice bonus and equally, of course, the camels were not crossing anywhere near a sign.  We also got some photos of the sand barriers.  These are squares of thick grasses or reeds that are built next to the road, blocks and blocks of them, that keep the sand off the road.  I jokingly told the other two group members in my car that the barriers were actually 7' tall and the 1 1/2' that we saw sticking out of the sand was all that was left exposed.  They believed me for about a minute.    Later we found a camel crossing sign to stop and take photos of it but the head had been shot off the camel.  So we had a headless camel crossing sign.  Shades of Sleepy Hollow.

              Outside of town the convoy stopped to wash the cars.  There is a law that cars cannot go about Ashgabat dirty.  We were pretty dirty having been in the desert and dusty and all but the car wash places were closed for some reason so the drivers had to wash the cars themselves.  Our driver was not very happy about that.  Took around 20 minutes and some more camels crossed the road while we were waiting.  Also a lovely outhouse with no roof and 3 walls was available to those of us who needed it.  I always need it.  Trying to position oneself over a hole while staying hidden behind a wall what opens onto a back street that seemed to have a lot of traffic was not one of my finest moments but one manages.

               The afternoon was free so suggestions were made for different museums and hiring of cars to go visit different sites.  I suggested the National Museum which I thought was really good and also the old fortress of Nisa which I visited last time.  My car mates and S2 all thought that sounded good as well so we made arrangements with the guide to hire one of the cars and drivers to take us.  Then as we pulled into our hotel, everyone realized that the museums were closed today.  great.  However the carpet museum was open.  It was suggested that we go there instead and get an English speaking guide to take us around and then on to Nisa.   We all wanted time to shower and change clothes so that handled, we met to go off for the afternoon.

               S2 had been to the carpet museum before so he opted to walk around and take photos while we were inside and we arranged for the driver to return for us in an hour.  Germany was with us and he also spoke Russian which was good because our driver spoke Russian but no English so Germany was busy making the return engagement arrangements with the driver.  Vancouver, Germany and I went into the museum where we were greeted by a couple of ladies who asked if we wanted a tour.  the price for admission was 13 Manat.  The price for an English speaking guide was 26 Manat - a person.  We had decided to go for the top and asked for the guide.  We are then told there is no guide available.  Gee, why ask if we want it.  As our driver had already left, we paid our 13 Manat for admission only and went into the museum and started looking at carpets.  They were quite nice with a small card next to each one that told where they were from and how big they are and how many knots but that was about it.  We go to the next room where there is a group of about 15 people with - wait for it - an English speaking guide!!!  And the next room had another group of people with an English speaking guide.  Guess they only provide guides for larger groups.  You can do the math.

                We finally go upstairs and there is a young girl standing by the railing.  I ask if she speaks English and she says a little but her command of English is just fine.  We ask some questions about some of the carpets in the room and suddenly we have our English speaking guide and she is happy to show us around some of the carpets and such and leads us to various rooms and tells us things and we didn't have to pay for it.  I would have given her a tip but by the time we were ready to leave, she had disappeared.

              Vancouver heads off to the toilets - real toilets, while Germany and I are looking at the small selection of tabletop carpets that they have for sale.  We each choose one.  We have to get certificates for anything carpet like to be able to take it out of the country.   I am walking with a stick for the arthritis and the saleslady takes Germany and my passport and the rugs onto an elevator and disappears.  Our little guide said he would get the certificates for us and not to worry that my passport would come back OK.  They thought it would be hard for me to maneuver the elevator with my walking stick?   Made me nervous.  Vancouver comes back from the toilets and we are just waiting now for our carpet certificates and Germany to return.  S2 is outside with our driver so Vancouver goes out to join him.  I am standing next to the front desk and a woman enters with a huge bag of material.  She has brought material to the ladies at the museum for them to pick out dress fabric.  I so wanted to buy some of it myself but restrained myself.  The ladies are chattering and pulling out fabric and I'm standing there like a klutz trying to ask questions but not be intrusive.  Still, it was quite interesting to watch and I got the story on how they pick fabrics, take them to a seamstress and get their dresses made.  They usually have 2 or 3 that they get a year maybe if they are in a business that allows them to spend that much on dresses.  fascinating.   Finally they whisk the bag of fabric into a back room as the head guide appears with her English speaking group to shoo them out the door.  Guess it's a no no is most cultures to conduct private business, like buying fabric, when the boss is around.

               It takes Germany about 1/2 hour getting the certificates before he appears with them and the carpets and my passport.  He says that the experience was worth the price of the carpet square ($30) because the bureaucracy he watched to get this piece of paper that one is supposed to show at the airport to leave the country was incredible.  Plus, she spelled his name wrong so had to start over on his certificate.  He signed my name since I was too feeble to go downstairs via the elevator.  They told us we would need to show the certificate at the airport and be required to pay a small fee, maybe 3 or 4 Manat or dollars, we weren't sure which.  I never did and got out of the country with my carpet.  Of course, by then, I have two large carpets in my suitcase so they weren't concerned with any small blips on the scanner.     Finally we are off to Nisa.

              Nisa is a UNESCO site.  Years ago, on my first visit, there wasn't too much there except some excavated ruins and rooms.  It appears now that they are rebuilding it but using the same techniques that were used originally so it is going quite slowly but there was quite a difference between now and when I first visited.  Many walls are back up and there are some warrens between rooms now that weren't there before.  We climb the uneven stairway to the observation tower.  Up onto the tower and we can see the Health Walk which is a walk through the hills of around 8 km.  Our tour leader says it is difficult in spots which is why we chose not to do it, out of deference for me.  But it looks interesting and supposedly you can see Iran from some of the heights of the Health Walk.   Some of our group had planned to do it.

              As we are standing on the observation platform, Vancouver gets stung by a bee and we have nothing with us to relieve it so she valiantly keeps going even though her neck is hurting.  We keep checking to make sure nothing is swelling.   Down from the platform and up the sidewalk where we meet some of our group members who are leaving.  They were the ones who had been doing the Health Walk but they tell us it was closed.  wow.  Museums and Health Walk all close on Mondays.  They tell us to find the round room inside and also someone is making bricks plus there is a big urn in one of the rooms.  Also there is a local guide who will show you things.  Unfortunately, the local guide was also leaving as we walked in and he never came back.

              We spent some time wandering around Nisa but without signs and a guide, the rooms were a best guess for us as to what they might have been used for and who lived here and everything.  Still it was quite enjoyable.  But Roomie's bee sting was hurting and it was awfully hot out there in the sun so we headed back to the hotel.  We have the evening free and tomorrow we head off to Dashoguz.