Last Day and Goodbye

            Seems like a very short trip.  We are already to our last day of touring and then we leave tomorrow, well, I do, quite early.  Others are here another couple of days and others are heading off to Singapore, Vietnam, Russia, and other points for further travel.  I would also like to be doing that except the tummy has not been happy yesterday and this morning so possibly just be good to get home.  Hubby and I are heading off to Santorini week after next anyway as we've never been.  So many islands, so little time.

           Plan today is to hit the Earthquake Memorial Mosque and then the Kow Ata underground lake and then the Gypjak Mosque and Mausoleum of the Turkmenbashi.  A group of 4 have headed off on their own to visit a village in the mountains, then the underground lake and mosques and then another village.  I would have loved to do that with them but the car only holds 4, tightly, and I wasn't quick enough to nab a spot on the journey so that is out for me.  And I am pretty tired too even though our new soft beds in the hotel were much, much nicer.  Next time here, I must remember to ask for a suite.

         The Earthquake Memorial Mosque is kind of a sham, really.  It is a really big mosque but rather sterile and our guide says it doesn't really get used very much.  It's kind of out of the way and not surprising that people don't visit it a lot.  However there were attendants there who were busy sweeping the courtyard.  Argentina managed to get the workers inside to sit in the corner in the sunlight and take their photo.  He seems to excel in getting people to agree to do things for photos.  What a wonderful ability to have.  I've just gotten to the point where I can ask people so I think I am years away from dancing them into position for wonderful action shots and such as he does.

           I have still not decided whether or not to go swimming in the underground lake.  Last time there, I really didn't enjoy it much.  The entire site is a picnic area for families and such but I just couldn't help thinking that the lake looked very much like a pit of undesirable liquids of one sort or another.  It's a mineral lake which doesn't help the smell, being sulfur like and all.  Plus it's about 80 meters underground.  So the steps down are not so bad but coming up is the pits.  And last time there, the few lights on the stairs and at the entrance to the lake whet out so momentarily, I was in the water in total darkness until someone had a small flashlight that illuminated the exit of the lake and I was able to get out.  Some people really like that and swim through the arch to follow the lake into total darkness.  I did get up this morning though and put on my swimsuit and I had also brought my dive light along with me, just in case.  But our tour leader had already commented that I would not be a popular person if I took the dive light into the water with me and ruined everyone's night sight.  SOOOO, when the time came, I decided not to go down to the lake and stayed outside in the shade reading instead.    It appeared that everyone else enjoyed it but I've decided that underground lakes are not for me.

             We are having lunch at Marat - a very nice restaurant nestled against some hills and hidden in some well watered trees.  Above the restaurant is a shallow pool with a giant ceramic vase acting as the waterfall feature but it was turned off when I walked up there.  Maybe they were like our hotel which has a wonderful swimming pool which they drained on Oct 1 because "the season is over" even though it's still in the upper 30'sC temperature wise.  Maybe all waterfalls are shut off on Oct 1.  So lunch was nice except for the tummy factor still not happy.

              Off to the Gupjak Mosque and the Mausoleum.  These I saw last time except the Turmenbashi was not buried there at that time.  He died a few months after my visit.  His family is in the mausoleum except his father who was not found after the earthquake so just a representative grave is there.  There are honor guards in front.  We had to leave our cameras and bags on the ledge outside the mausoleum and then take off our shoes once inside.  Then our guide, who is outside watching our stuff, calls that they are doing the changing of the guards.  Of course we are not allowed to rush outside to see so we all crowd the door to watch the tiny visible bit of guards goosestepping past the door.  Two of our group members had not made it inside yet and were outside the "no photo" barrier so they were able to take photos of the entire guard changing ceremony - lucky guys.

              We are above the gravesites.  There is an elevator going down to the marble coffin area and also a set of stairs going down.  Nothing was said about this until two of our group members,  in all innocence, took the elevator down and stepped into the room with the coffins and then our guide saw them and about had a heart attack.  That's a big no no, to be on the same floor as the coffins.  Luckily no one saw them do it but us.  guess they should disable the elevator unless they want people going down there.

            Back into the hot sun and over to the grand mosque which is the biggest in Central Asia.  It has quite a lot of writing around the outside and grandiose ornamentation.  This mosque is used a bit more than the Earthquake Memorial Mosque but still seems like it's a bit of a waste of time and money as it's still not that close to the city even though the city is straining to incorporate it and the city is growing in that direction.  But it is beautiful.

              Back to the bus and the tour is done.  We only have the farewell dinner this evening which I will miss because I hate farewell dinners and also because the tummy is saying no no no no.  Plus I have to wait for my carpets to be delivered and they did arrive albeit about an hour late.  I manage to get everything into my suitcase and do not have to unzip the extra space.

              We had been told at lunch our pick up times for the airport.  They said mine was 5:30 so I planned to get up at 5.  No sooner than my alarm went off and I got into the shower then the phone rang and my roommate said "your driver is waiting and getting nervous".  wow.  I didn't realize that they changed the time on me to a 5:00 a.m. pick up plus there were 3 other group members on the same flight.  I still made it downstairs at 5:20 and was quite embarrassed that everyone was waiting for me.  Still, we made it to the airport, went through the 3 security checks, had my carpet numbers verified, and went and sat in the lounge until the lady said it was for Turkmenistan airlines only and still had another 1/2 hour to sit in the departure area before our flight was called.

                So my time in Turkmenistan is done.  We didn't go to Mary and Merv this time and I missed seeing them.  I thought both of those places were quite interesting but I did love the gas crater in spite of the camping.  The city is so much bigger but not sure it is better.  Still rather sterile.  But very glad that Vancouver asked me along.  Now to work on getting to all of the other "''Stans".  I have a lot to do yet.

White City of the Desert grows

Our first day as a group.  there were still people arriving well into the morning to join our group.  This tour consists of people from: Argentina, U.S.A., Canada, Australia, France, Belgium but many of them live in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing.  One thing about Koryo tours, the people are always well traveled, knowledgeable, curious, willing and able to go to odd places, and love it all.  I feel like I am an extensive traveler but being around any Koryo Tours group of travelers, and I feel like a piker.  Even with well over 100 countries to my passports (with and without the Traveler's Century Club listings), I am way below the number of countries that some of these people have visited.  Inspires me to keep going!

Our program for today, Sunday, is to visit the Tolkuchka Bazaar, the Hippodrome, have lunch, then a tour of the city to include the major monuments and driving by the more interesting buildings - stopping when possible

statue in a park

.  First the Hippodrome which I did not visit on my last trip to Turkmenistan.

    There is no gambling here, or at least none that is recognized as legal and such.  I would imagine there is some friendly wagering going on somewhere.  The horses racing are Ahal Teke horses, one of three pure blood lines of horse left in the world - so we were told.  The pure bloodlines are Ahal Teke, Arabian, and one of the English draft horses but our guide didn't know which one.  how wonderful.  Ahal is a region of Turkmenistan and was also the name of the strongest tribe of olden days, as I understood it.  I am telling my narrative based on what the guide says and what people around me say so I'm willing to go on faith here and believe that the Ahal Teke horses are as pure as they come these days.  They certainly are beautiful.

We arrive at the Hippodrome and head into the stands.  There is a large contingent of students seated in front of us.  There are two rows of seats pretty much in the middle of this island of perfectly dressed young men and women and we climb into those seats.  The female students are all wearing traditional red dresses with the embroidered neck piece.  The young men are in white shirts with a traditional hat.  don't know why they are here or what exactly they are doing but the headmaster continually moves them around and sits them here and there for photos and for interviews

3 legs monument to the first president

.

the horses are at the far end of the track in a paddock loosening up before the race.  one by one they enter the track and canter past us then turn around and go back the same way before heading to the rear of the track to get into the gate.  They're off before I even realized they were all in the gate.  I was too busy watching the boys and girls.  They come charging around the corner and race past us with the camera trucks inside the rail and a large screen billboard directly across from us.  We are almost seated at the finish line.  #6 wins the first race.  As the jockey turns to come back to the winner's circle which is in front of us, two traditionally dressed men step onto the track to lead the horse back.  They are in high black boots, the white woolly hats, red jackets and tight pants.  yum.  This racing is about the horse though, not the jockey.  As soon as the jockey gets to the winner's track, he dismounts, takes his saddle and goes to weigh in and never do we see him again.  The horse parades around the winner's track for a bit and then into the circle where a couple of men with long black dusters, woolly hats and long beards come to present the horse with the winner's - wait for it - Turkmen Carpet!  very proud of these carpets they are.  The horse gets to wear the carpet back to the paddock.

we watch another race but a good many of us are watching the young men and women much more than the race and it is time for us to leave as we do have a full schedule today.  So off we go from the Hippodrome and the horses.  We will get to see some more later, much closer.  

Tolkuchka Bazaar - ah, what can I say

Independence Square

.  In 2006, the bazaar was out in the desert, several miles out of town, crowded, busy, exuberant, noisy, hot, dusty, vibrant, exciting, exotic, amazing, and fun.  everything was sold there including cars, goats, sheep, camels, blankets, rugs, dresses and clothes, food, meat, takeaway, appliances, furniture and more.  moving through that market, vendors yelled at you to come take and look and see their wares.  I know we spent a lot of time with a carpet vendor at that market and I purchased two Turkmen rugs that I still have and love and only paid roughly $300 total.  Now the market has moved and upgraded itself so that the vendors are more protected.  sunshade, concrete slabs, out of the weather and it is so much more wonderful for them.  I hated it.  All the excitement that made the earlier one so interesting was gone, gone, gone.  I am being selfish and I know it but the old market was just so much more "foreign" and wonderful and fabulous.  I felt here that I was in an outdoor outlet mall with just a few things that I might not find quite so readily at home.  I tried to find the wonderfully embroidered neck pieces for dresses and failed.  The camels are not being loaded by cranes anymore.  Didn't find any takeaway as it took a long time to walk between buildings.  and no one haggled for carpets.  we were told that it wasn't good to buy carpets here now but that we'd go to the house of the man whom they used to recommend we buy carpets - the same fellow that I bargained with in 2006 in the old market.  Oh well.  I did want to return to see what had changed.  this has really changed.  

Time for lunch and then we're off on the bus to see the city.  This is a pristine city with women sweeping the streets, trucks moving up and down watering the trees and plants (it is a desert), buildings made of white marble, golden statues, lovely avenues

Independence Square Statue

.  In short, a beautiful city that bakes in the sun.  There are many more ministerial buildings and government buildings than years ago plus they kept on with the marble and golden motif.  some buildings are not photograph-able as that is forbidden such as the presidential palace.  other buildings are just too large and grand to get into one photo.  some of the more interesting buildings:  the ministry of gas shaped like a Zippo lighter, the ministry of dentistry shaped like a rear molar, the ministry of health has a giant spike coming from the top which is representative of a syringe giving an injection.  the imagination of the architects seem to know no bounds.  beautiful buildings.  

We stop to see the "3 legs" monument.  This monument I remember being in a different place.  it is called "3 legs" because it is supported by 3 columns.  Previously the golden statue of the first president on top revolved to face the sun.  Now it is further out of town, in a wonderful park made for it, the statue doesn't revolve, and there is an honor guard at attention at the base.  We were able to go up to the observation platform for a look see of the city with is hazy with pollution.  There are trees surrounding the city but many have died in such a desert environment.  Yet they keep planting more and more trees to help the city.  doesn't appear to be working.

Next a stop at the Independence Monument which has wonderful statues surrounding it.  These statues are the founding fathers of Turkmenistan or the founding warriors or the poets and learned men who made this country way back when.  And as with most parks and monuments, there are huge water features and fountains.  In this desert country, it appears that water is one thing they have in abundance as there are fountains and pools just about whenever one turns

Ashgabat buildings

.  Water cascades down the sides of this monument.  Doesn't really help the heat though as we walk about taking photos of the different statues and views.  the heat drains me.  

couple of more stops, one to the "40 legs" monument which is a monument of 10 Ahal Teke horses (40 legs) which hasn't moved since I last saw it but seems to be different as the area around it has changed.  To get around Ashgabat, one can flag down a car and ask to be taken to anywhere for about 4 Manat (local currency) or about $2 (not quite).  The driver will say yes or no and off you go.  If you aren't in a full car, the driver might also stop for other people standing beside the road and waving for a taxi.  One way to get to the monuments is to ask for them by the number of "legs".  Last time I was here, a friend and I got a driver to take us to the "40 legs" monument of the horses.  Thus the system works.

I enjoy looking at the statues and horses and such.  there were also about 40 birds perched on the horse statues though too.  the birds did not have such a great respect for these magnificent Ahal Teke horses.    And our last stop was the Earthquake Monument.  This is close to the Presidential Palace and one of our group members was snapping away (although he is a much better photographer than just to say "snapping") when the guard at the Presidential Palace saw him and yelled and ran over to the group, made him show the guard the photos and made him delete the 4 that included the Presidential Palace

5 areas of the country and their symbols

.  Not sure why such photos are not allowed as the palace is in their coffee table books for sale.  anyway, none of us have photos of the Presidential Palace now except for some rushed ones out the bus window.

Back to our rooms and my roommate and I thought we'd rest for a bit and then have a wander downstairs, see who was there, and join them for dinner.  the resting part went well, the wander downstairs worked but nobody was to be found.  We went in the direction that we thought was the restaurant but we couldn't find it or anyone else so finally went into the City Pub restaurant where we were the only patrons.  Had a small dinner, stopped at the grocery for some water, and back to the room where we had our second night on the hardest beds ever to show up in a hotel.  Knew it meant climbing out of bed in the morning barely able to move so I found a comforter to put under my knees to help.  semi-ok sleeping after that.

Return to Turkmenistan

My second trip here.  I don't know why that seems so important to me for people to know that.   Guess I must like being well traveled and know something that others possibly don't.  So off I am to Istanbul where I have a long layover.  Gatwick was not spectacular as when I walked into the business class lounge, she immediately sent me downstairs to a different lounge.  No one was at the door so I went in and started getting some snacks.  Just as I was getting my second dish as they had nothing but tiny bowls and I wanted some cheese, a lady asks me for my "card". opps.  This lounge was a card lounge for people who have paid to get a card to get into the lounge.  I argue with her as I tell her the lounge upstairs is closed (that's what the lady said when she sent me downstairs) and I was told to come here.  The downstairs lounge lady is having none of it but to her credit, she says I will take you upstairs.  So I get my bag and leave my food and up we go, back where I was, and she  goes to the desk and tells that lady that I am a business class passenger and should be allowed into this lounge.

Well, what a difference now.  The business class lounge lady is all apologetic and takes my boarding pass and apologizes profusely for sending me downstairs all the while exclaiming that she thought I was a "card" person and not a business class person, as if a "card" person is not as good.  geez.  Do I look like I am poor and not able to buy a business class ticket or perhaps I look shady and will buy a card to get into a lounge, any lounge, rather than sit out in the main airport with the masses???  Hard to tell but now I am in and the lounge is quite nice.  They have just reopened it and there are food stations everywhere with drink corners everywhere and internet passwords everywhere as well.  I find a drink but am not hungry so I just sit down in front of a flight board and read and email my hubby.  And then off to Istanbul and into their lounge as I have nothing I need or want at any of the shops.

My flight doesn't leave until 1 a.m. but as I am sitting there, I realize it is 12:10 a.m. and then 12:20 a.m. and my flight has not come up on the board.  Then I think that possibly it is on a board out in the main section so I'd better start walking.    At 12:30 I am leaving the lounge when my flight comes up on the board at gate 504 which is a ways to go.  But as I am nearing my destination, I can see a large group of people in front of me and it appears that they are in front of gate 503 but I can see then that they are being blocked and are being let into the area around 504 just a few at a time and there also appears to be a lot of people shouting and running around and the officials are going through bags and carry-ons of the Turkmens.  Gosh I had forgotten how boisterous and loud and pushy and colorful the Turkmens are. 

I get in the queue but the trick to being in a Turkmen queue is to just keep inching your way forward.  You don't have to stay behind the same person,  just keep inching.  They are running in and out of the line and each time someone leaves the line, I inch forward a bit more until they come back and find me in their spot and then they inch into the line. A man approaches me and asks me to carry something on board for him.  Excuse me but while the business class lounge workers may think I am a yokel and not worthy of their lounge, I was not born yesterday and I am not carrying anything on board for anyone.

Before I have gotten to the front of the line, a woman pushes past me and yells at the guy holding up the queue.  He tells her something and suddenly a bunch of people are going around the queue and in the other side.  The lady standing next to me is kind and tells me that the new fast line is for transit passengers of which I am one so I get in right away and also meet the lady from Amsterdam whom is traveling into Turkmenistan on the same flight.  It now only takes us a few minutes to get checked into the area and we go past the people who are still wrapping up packages and getting them unwrapped by the officials and so forth.  But that just puts us on a bus which eventually goes out to the plane.  Amsterdam and I talk and she thinks I have just come with my carry-on bag but we assure each other that we have checked luggage.

Onto the plane and the business class seats are much smaller.  The Turkmens are crowding on board and the women in their colorful dresses and bright headscarves are yelling down the aisle whenever anyone takes too long putting away their luggage.  The men are barely smiling but I see several that have the solid line of gold teeth across the front.  What a colorful country.

Finally we are off and I try to sleep for most of the flight and get a bit of sleep.  We are late landing as we were late leaving but once we are down, people are up and getting stuff out of the bins before we have left the runway so they get yelled at and sit back down.  Once we are parked, they are up and pushing to get into the front of the plane and get off but I am good at blocking. 

We pile off the plane and have to climb steps, walk down along corridor, down steps and into the area which I recognize from before but they have expanded.  Before, I believe there was one common area for foreigners and nationals alike.  This time, the foreigners went to the left and the nationals to the right.  Since I was close to the front, I went right to the cashier to pay my entry fee and also I had my visa.  Then back to the immigration officer with my passport and visa and he looked at the receipt for my entry fee and he stamps me into the country.

I go to the baggage claim area and nothing is happening, not even a squeak.  Several times, men open the door and look in but nothing.  I notice that the columns are marked 3 and 4 whereas last time, all the luggage came into this room and it was a mess.  I'm thinking that it makes much more sense for them to deliver the luggage to the nationals side of things and as no nationals are coming into our side, I'm thinking gotta figure out a way to get to the other side.    Somebody with the language skills asks and he directs him to the other side which means we pass by the customs exit and then into a room exactly like ours with 1 and 2 on the columns and I see my bag sitting on the belt.  yea.  My bag made it.  Last time I was here, there was one flight a week from Beijing and one lady 's bag didn’t make it.  She picked it up in Beijing on her way home. 

I go ahead and exit rather than waiting for Amsterdam and I should have waited.  As I exit customs, I pass by a lot of men offering taxi service but I see a man with our names on it and go wait with him but he doesn't speak much English or won't admit that he does

In a few minutes Amsterdam comes out of the area but she does not have a suitcase with her and she comes up to me and said she went to the wrong side (the national side) and when she got to the front of the line, they told her she had to go to the other side so that made her last plus she didn't have a visa yet and had to get a visa which is an extra step.  I ask her where her bag is and she doesn't know because she thought it would be out here.  She never saw the entrance into the other side of the hall, past the customs officers and just exited.  Luckily, for once, the customs people must have this happen more often than not so they let her back into the area to retrieve her bag.  She comes out again in a bit.

To the hotel through a  bright and sun shining Ashgabat which looks familiar.  If anything, there are more buildings of the white marble.  I see Independence Square which looks the same but I cannot see any of the other statues that were so famously identified with the Turkmenbasy in 2006.  We get to the hotel before long and check in.  The lady tells us that breakfast is being served so I dash up to my room to change shirts and clean up a bit before meeting Amsterdam for breakfast where she is eating with a man from Argentina who might be on our trip.  I don't have a complete list of participants.  I thought Amsterdam wanted to go out right away but she says she needs to sleep for awhile so back to the room for a shower and some rest.

I did this for awhile and then got really sleepy too.  Usually I do not take a rest when I arrive somewhere as it really makes you more tired but not having any luck so fell asleep.  get a phone call to the room around 11 and it's Simon, our leader with Koryo Tours and my roommate has arrived.  There is only one key so she is coming up.  she's from Vancouver and so that's what I'll call her in this missive. 

It's very good to see her even though we only spent about 5 or 6 days together in total on another trip years ago to DPRK and China and Vladivostok.  She has the magic code for the internet and I am able to log in and get a facebook posted because I like to do check ins so my friends know i am somewhere exotic.  Able to get an email off to my hubby too but that's about it.  she freshens up a bit and ten we go out because I need to get some Manet, the local currency and we both need to get some water.

the hotel clerk tells us the bank is across the street but to go around to the back.  It's a big magnificent bank building and what looks like an ATM at the front but we dutifully go around the back which means walking into an alley which looks a parking lot but there is an open door and we head towards it and it is an exchange office.  I go in and exchange a couple of hundred which I’m sure will be diddled away in drinks and tips and meals. 

Next we are going to head towards the Russian bazaar and get some water but we got distracted by the park.  it has a lovely water feature right down the middle of the park with bridges over the water and then statues every 30 yards or so of some of their founding father kind of people.  we walk up one side, stopping to take photos of each statue and then Vancouver spots a couple of people that were on the flight with her, from Australia, who  come over to meet me and we then cross the bridge and head back towards the Russian bazaar.  Luckily I do remember how to get there.  It is bustling as usual and we walk in and get some photos and then find some water after we have been stopped by a date block vendor.  Not exactly sure what it is, involves dates, but sort of like maybe a date syrup that has been pressed into a block.  You need a knife to cut anything off of it to eat it.  Then some water and we are managing to get some change as we go.  a few people let me take their photos but more people are saying no which I respect.  We figure we need a knife of some kind to cut the date block and Vancouver has also purchased some lemons for her throat.  It is quite hot and I don't think I brought sun tan lotion so we hit various shops and booths until we find both.  I'm a bit hungry so it's off to the British Pub which is the only place I know around here to eat and drink.  The Aussies were already there with their first brew and some ciggies so we sat at the table next to them.  Vancouver rushes over to give them a taste of the date block but no sooner does Aussie get it in her mouth that they look at the block and see worms wriggling on the surface!  ewwww. 

I have Russian dumplings and Vancouver has an omelet and we sit for a long time talking and catching up.  She finally says she needs a couple of hours sleep before dinner.  It is 32C outside and feels every bit at least that hot!  We head back to our cool room which luckily has a working AC.  Tonight we will meet the group for dinner