Thursday 11th August

Woke up to another bright sunny morning , had a shower, took my laundry to reception and then went to breakfast.   

 I cannot understand Ashgabat at all, all modern white buildings, apartment blocks, offices, hotels, parks, and monuments but difficult to find local shops and even local people.  Went to the Yimpash shopping centre (3 stories of very modern shopping facilities – internet access available (no Wi Fi or Facebook), ground floor was a department store based around a large food section.  On the first floor were some individual high end shops and on the 3^rd floor there was a couple of restaurants, fast food, internet access, 10 pin bowling and table tennis.   The shopping centre has the only escalators in the capital. 

Walked towards Turkmenbashky Square, again devoid of people, but was stopped from taking pictures in some areas and redirected across roads by the police in other parts.  This is a very controlled society and they are also very proud of their achievements, but they are almost living in a parallel world to us. 

In the evening walked to the Ten Years of Independence Park which was colourful with fountains and statues.  Some people strolling around, mainly courting couples and young families, but very few compared with the other capitals we have visited.  This place seems completely soulless – full of wonderful building and monuments etc. but devoid of real people.  Perhaps we should visit the suburbs and we are only seeing the showcase part.   

Wednesday 10th August (Stuck waiting to get in Turkmenistan)

Brief update on the last 36 hrs.  We arrived in Turkmenistan at Turkmenbashy yesterday and docked at about 11:00.  A lady guide joined us to accompany us in Turkmenistan assisting us through immigration and customs, road checks and registration. 

Delays, delays, delays – we got through immigration/customs about 5 hrs later then waited for the truck. When going through Immigration Peggy was delayed as they thought she resembled a wanted terrorist, however the wanted person was about 20 years younger so when they allowed Peggy to continue she was slightly flattered.   In the evening (although we didn’t lean this to the following morning) the Tukmans found that the rail cargo contained an illegal load of cigarettes and were refusing to offload the train.  Therefore anything loaded before the train (all vehicles including out Truck) were stuck.  Only an American School bus (taking part in the London/Mongolia rally with most of the other cars) and one lorry could get off.  Negotiations are going on this morning to try to resolve the situation.  We have just had breakfast (2 eggs, sausage and bread) in the small café in the port and are waiting for news.  Everyone only got a few hours sleep on the tile floor of the waiting area, so we are all very tired and need a change of clothes.  In addition the toilets are also out of bounds by the morning, again it seems more important to sweep some of the dust from the high windows than to sort out the toilets!  A lot of us have not had access to our big bags properly since we arrived in Baku several days ago, so we are all running out of overnight things!

 

Common sense prevails and the train is offloaded allowing the Truck and all cars to come off.  We eventually leave approx. 11:30 and head for the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat.  It is full days drive so we only have a comfort stop and a small meal stop and we arrive in darkness approx. 22:30.  Police checkpoints are at regular intervals on the road.  The scenery changes from semi arid and then desert to good agricultural land as we get nearer the capital.  Roads, houses, cars etc. noticeably also improve towards the capital.  Mountains are on our right hand side along the whole road while on the left the flat plain stretches to infinity.  We find the hotels after driving through the centre which is full of modern expensive looking buildings, plenty of cars, but very few pedestrians.  The city was rebuilt after the 1980’s earthquake and again after independence.  It was built as a showpiece of achievement and it looks its part.  We get split into 2 groups (couples and singles in separate hotels) and go to different hotels a few hundred yards apart. No internet at the hotel, but local TV (8 channels) and en suite (with bath).  Share the room with Terry and Eamon.    Will explore the capital tomorrow and try to find internet access.  Also none of our phones are working in Turkmenistan. 

Stuck in Baku

We should have caught the Ferry to Turkmenistan sometime today (Suinday 7th Aug), but the ferry did not return from Turkmenistan so we could not board it.  Conditions in the Caspian Sea prevented the ferry from running.  The Truck has now cleared Customs, so will not be allowed on the Azerbaijan roads and we have to spend a second night in the hotel (which is not a great sacrifice, but is costing Will money).  we can only wait for the ferry to arrive and then we can board.  Lu will be at the ferry office at 09:00 tomorrow morning to see if it will run tomorrow.  The crossing actually takes 12 hrs so we will have some advance warning when we are going.  This route using the Caspian Sea crossing is totally weather dependent and so we will just have to sit tight.




I walked up to the old town this afternoon and went around it and the Maidens Tower.  Good views from the top of the tower.

One of my sandels has now broken a strap, so I will have to get a replacement in the next day or so as it won't last long.  Not bad considering I have worn them constantly for the last 6 weeks.  

Saturday 6th August (Baku)

There was still a stiff breeze in the morning when we had breakfast, so we all had to pack up our tents with difficulty. 

We then drove to an Outdoor Ancient Museum at Qobustan which had a number of cave drawings.  There was a slight shower when we arrived and it was not yet open, but we walked around and then had an argument about paying for admission (a security guard had let us through and accompanied around). 

 

We then returned back up the coast road to Baku (which on first site seems to be a sprawling metropolis base on a port.  However when we get into the city we discover that it is a large up market shopping experience with a lot of the old town rebuild with car free areas and a very large sea front development. 

We are now booked into a Hotel overnight (Empire Hotel) and plan to board the ferry tomorrow – the truck has been cleared so we just need the tickets in the morning and a time for sailing.  

 

 

At night as in the other capitals of Eastern Europe which we have visited comes to life and the promenade was full of families enjoying themselves.  

 

Emanon is thinking he is accident prone – having his camera stolen in Tbilisi, then falling into the open gutter/drain in Sheki.  This aggravated an earlier problem knee problem and today he took a trip to the Baku hospital to have his knee x rayed, then some fluid drawn off the knee and then strapping applied.  As he only joined us in Tbilisi he is thinking he is fated.   

Friday 5th August (On to Baku)

After last night’s excellent stay in a Sheki today we made our way to Baku and ended up putting our tents up at the top of a mountain near some mud pools in a fierce breeze – Interesting challenge. 

We left the hotel at 12:00 noon towards Baku – unfortunately Will lost the way a couple of times and we got to the outskirts of Baku ln the early evening.  We then found the mud pools at the top of a mountain and camped just beneath them. 

 

The scenery changed dramatically from the greenery of Sheki to the semi arid landscape tor about 140 km towards Baku.  We only skirted around Baku and took the south road for about 60 km before finding the little track towards the mud pools.  The truck gradually made its way up the mountain past a gas monitoring station half way up complete with a gas burn off. 

 

The mud pools were impressive (especially those who had not seen those in New Zealand) and the scenery was spectacular. 

Azerbaijan Aug 4th

After a difficult bush camp we arrived at Sheki and Will surprised us all by booking us all into the local hotel.  So we can all have showers etc and begin to feel human.  It will be Kieran's birthday tomorrow so she is taking it as a birthday present.








The hotel is good and Lily, Lyn, Norman and myself enjoyed a morning tea (complete with nuts, sweets etc).  I am the one in the dark glasses.    

Discovered the town and Palace in the afternoon and then about a dozen of us went to an English screening of Million Dollar Babyin the local small cinema/art exhibition/museum.








We don't have to leave until 12 noon tomorrow so there will be a few sleeping in.