23. ON TO UZBEKISTAN!!

 CONTINUING ON THE SILK ROAD - BUKHARA AND SAMARKAND

The next morning when we were leaving our hotel, we saw a car from the larger rally group parked in the lot near our ambulance.  No one at the vehicle.  They had arrived later than us last night.

Heading for the border early, we arrive hoping for a fast crossing.  The line wasn't that long.  More fees.  This time to exit the country.  At the passport check we were told we had been in the country a day to long.  We told them we never cleared customs at entry until the evening and that day was not counted.  That was the reason customs and entry had added a day as the entry day was "shot" by the time we entered the country.  (We had a 5 day visa total.  The guy in charge finally said OK and slammed our passports on the counter.  We knew we were right, and we were exiting on the last day by date that our visa stipulated.  (Others have been expelled and ordered not to try and return for 10 years for being late leaving.)

The Uzbekistan  entry took longer.  We had to wait for a man to come back from lunch to complete another "blessing".  We also had a doctor check (look us over).  He said head ok.  Held his stomach- like he was sick.  I said no.  Temperature check with inferred gun because I was sweating  from the heat.  Off we go a few hours later.

We head for Bukhara and our hotel which is some little boutique place.  When we arrive, we find much of the old city renovated or being renovated with many tourists walking and seeing the sights.  Bukhara is known by its name to be an "oriental rug" center.  Manufacture never was large here, but it was a major trading and distribution center along the "silk road" in its heyday.

The hotel is found having a cab lead us to it.  (The best and fasted approach.)  The hotel is fine, but the air conditioning is hardly keeping up as there are voltage drops all the time and the compressor kicks out.  Then the usual time delay of the compressor to prevent an overload on the circuit.

We find an outdoor restaurant and have our evening meal there.  The beer is cold too.  The money had changed.  Each place you travel, you have to recalculate what things cost in the local currency.  My dinner alone cost 34,000 som.

The next day we hire a guide to show us a few of the sites of the old city.  Deep in history, the tour had much to offer.

There was also another rally team from "Go Help" at our hotel.  There were three in this group.  Michael, Calvin and Steward.  This is the first of any of the rally teams that we meet up with along the "Silk Road".

The next day we travel to the historic city of Samarkand.  This was the capitol of the Mogul empire for many generations beginning with Tumor or Tamerlane as he was often called.
  There are  some of the most beautiful mosques in the world in this city. 

Went leaving Samarkand,we stop at the site of the famous observatory constructed by Ulug Beg.  Beg was the nephew of the mogul ruler Tumar.  He decided the world was round.  His observatory had a hug sextant which he constructed.  Identifying and mapping over 2,000 stars, he is one of the most important of the early astronomers.  The remains of the underground portion of his sextant are shown here along with a model of the observatory as it originally existed with a hole in the roof for the sextant to receive light from the heavens above.


Beg's own globe is in a private collection in England according the text with the picture displayed.  What a piece of history to own.

 

22.THE SILK ROAD CONTINUES...... AND WAS IT EVER WINDY!!!

Merv-Mary-Turkmenabat

We left Ashgabat the next morning after taking on fuel with Madeline's help finding a station that had diesel.  We received instructions for our driving route to our next destination that day, the town of Mary.  We were assured that there were road signs along the way of this route.  Only two left turns from the fuel stop so we knew we were on the correct road leaving town.  After over an hour of driving, we still never saw one sign for even a local town on the road - nothing.  A check of my small hiking GPS that we use as our compass says we are driving in the right direction.  The road is full of holes as before.  Driving is slow at times and it is very hot, but not as hot as the drive to Ashgabat from the ferry boat.

 

Madeline had told us about the site of an ancient city along the way that was well worth a visit.  "Merv" dates back as far as 3,000 B.C.  We see the sign for Mary just a few miles before the Merv site so it really isn't much of a drive out of our way.

 Previously, Merv was known by many names.  Merv grew in importance and size.  In the middle of the 10th century, it was thought to be the largest city in the World.  There are four distinct areas at the site location where a city existed at different times.  The older walled city then being abandoned.  One of the most well known events in the city's history was in 1221 when Genghis Kahn sent his youngest son Tule to sack the city.  One account states that over a million people were put to death as the city also housed hundreds of thousands of fleeing refugees. 

 Previously, Merv was known by many names.  Merv grew in importance and size.  In the middle of the 10th century, it was thought to be the largest city in the World.  There are four distinct areas at the site location where a city existed at different times.  The older walled city then being abandoned.  One of the most well known events in the city's history was in 1221 when Genghis Kahn sent his youngest son Tule to sack the city.  One account states that over a million people were put to death as the city also housed hundreds of thousands of fleeing refugees.

We had just continued our drive when the crosswind really intensified.  The blowing dust was intense at times.  This went on for most of the remaining drive to Mary (3-4 hours).  Probably the most cross wind velocity and dust blowing that I will ever drive in.  The inside of the vehicle is beginning to look like the outside.


 Un-retouched photo of dust storm blowing across the road as we drove. 

We found a small hotel for the night.  Their internet connection was very slow.  Robert persevered for several hours with it.  I worked in the room a little and tried to relax.  We then had dinner at the hotel restaurant.  This is a working class hotel.  The men at the bar and dining room all appeared to be Russian.  We had great service from a young waiter (like 12 or 13 years old) who spoke no English.  He always had a smile and was very fast with the service.  We said just bring something to eat with a few hand motions.  The beer which the young waiter served too was good.  I wish him all the best in life as he is a great worker with a great personality.  It was hot in the room with the air on, but we were tired and went to sleep quickly.  Another day down.

The next day we drove to Turkmenabat near the Uzbekistan border and spent the night. It was another long drive with no new scenery to mention.  It was still daylight when we arrived. The ambulance was running fine.  The internet at the hotel was poor also, but the beer was cold.  The staff at the hotel was not warm to us at all.  We never intended to do any sightseeing here so it was a night's rest before moving on.

 (I continue to check the ambulance routinely for fluid levels, etc.  Everything continues to be fine. I see no leaks or damage under the vehicle. Tire pressure while driving has been up to 10 pounds higher in the heat of the day, but that is still well within the rating on the tires.)

21. THE SIGHTS OF ASHGABAT.

Madeline stopped by our hotel in the morning to welcome us to the city.  We drove back to her home in the ambulance and unloaded our gear.  Robert and I were anxious to connect to the internet in her home.  We found that we couldn't connect to the system there so we were still without a means to upload photos and updates to our blogs and receive emails.










Madeline had taken us on a short tour of the grounds near our hotel when we met her earlier.  She now had arranged for a driver and guide to take us to one of the earliest sites nearby the city. This is the ancient city of Nisa.  The ruins at the site were first built and occupied by a tribe of people known as the "Parthians"  They were in this area from approximately 200 B.C. to 200 A.D.  Excavation and repairs have been ongoing with many fine historical documents, and other pieces of the period having been removed.  Although their is an un-gated entrance with an older gentleman taking a little money from non-nationals and a short drive to the actual site, no one was at the site to oversea visitors movements or actions.  Their were many fine pieces of original building bricks and stones laying around that had been uncovered by the excavators. Robert and I both enjoyed this surprise site tour as both of us love history and culture.


 

 The outskirts of the city our covered with acres of pine trees that have been planted in the not too distant past.  It makes for a very nice drive around with all of the desert further out.  We are able to pass many newly constructed high rise buildings and parks in the city.  The streets are wide and well lit at night.  We understand that electricity, water and  natural gas are provided free to all citizens.  Motor fuel is way less than a dollar a gallon.  (There is a major non-resident fuel charge added to the mandatory vehicle insurance premium that must be purchased when entering the country.)  Oil money certainly has made a difference here.   Although the temperature was high all day, we were in an air conditioned car so we felt fine at the end of the tour.

Madeline had a dinner party planned for us at here home in the evening.  She had invited a number of guests.  All of them were non-US citizens so we had very interesting conversations with other cultural viewpoints.  The food was great, and the beer was perfect. One of her guests brought a bottle of French wine they had been saving for a special occasion.  So Robert had a good wine with his meal.

Madeline has a surprise for me.  One of her guests Victor who is Russia has a motorcycle!  He has driven it to her home so that he can take me for a tour of the city streets at night!!   The temperature is still a little on the warm side, but the breeze on the bike makes up for it.  The city lights are fabulous at night.  We blast up and down the boulevards.  He also shows me were the average working person lives to.  It is a real delight going between lanes at stoplights and the other stuff your not supposed to be doing in the States.





Thanks Madeline for such wonderful hospitality!!  Ashgabat will always be well remembered by us because of your kindness and sharing.

20. ON TO ASHGABAT!!

After leaving customs at the port of Turkmenbashi, we need a place to clean up and spend the night. Heading into town and asking along the way, we are told there are several hotels downtown, and several new ones some place. We also need to exchange money. The airport exchanges money 24/7 we are told. We head in that direction. There are several tall buildings on the distant horizon. Condos, apartments, or hotels?? We decide to head toward them even though it is a distance to drive. Turning into them at a distance, we see a sign that says in English "Tourist Zone". Pulling in front of the first one, we go in. The hotel is only a few years old and a "double is only $70 with breakfast, but they are full. Next door is a nicer place that we have to ask three people at the desk if they have a room.  They don't seem to make a decision.  Finally, if we are gone by 11 A.M. the next day, they have a room. Wow, for $50 more than the crew's quarters on the ferry we have this with everything including a large outdoor pool which we never use. Great surprise, and a hot shower with a room with air conditioning that works - the internet doesn't.



The next morning we head for Ashgabat the capitol,Southeast of us along the Caspean Sea. It is about 360 miles away. To make a long story shorter, the road goes "south" condition-wise. The temperature is a "killer" from the time we leave the hotel. We estimate that it reached around 115 degrees Fahrenheit or more in the afternoon. We read in a former post by another team that driving early in the morning, in the evening, or at night are not good times because the camels are on the move and all over the roads.

Starting out mid-morning we seem to be making little progress hour after hour because of the holes and "wash board road surfaces. There are many deep tire paths in the road.  When they become too deep and have high ridges that begin to rub on the bottoms of vehicles, they are just leveled with a road grader. Now loose asphalt particulates are all over the roadway in places as we drive.

Oncoming vehicles are flashing their headlights at us. Must be a hidden policeman ahead. Sure enough, one is hidden behind a hill of earth along the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. We really start to watch our speed all the time. We pass many check points along the road all day. We are waved through except for one or two. We show them our car papers, and we our allow to continue. Gee this is easier with the police than everyone else says.

The window on one side of the ambulance has to be almost closed as the side winds coming in are so hot that they burn my face. We are drinking water that is a lot hotter than our body temperature with nothing coming out of us at the other end all day. The upper plastic on the water bottles that now don't have water contact inside the bottles are very uncomfortable to the touch.

Dead tired, we make it to Ashgabat near dusk. The city lights are all on. It is like the celebration of the long journey we just had. We find a place to stay for the night. The air conditioning works, but the WiFi is at crawl speed minus 1. I manage to call my wife for a moment on Skype to tell her we made it across on the ferry the day before.  Emails won't download, and uploading times are not worth the effort.

















Robert had received well in advance of our trip an invitation for us to stay at the home of the head of the U.S. Peace Corp volunteers in Turkmenistan. Looking forward to the next day's events, we go to bed early with me drinking another four glasses of water before "hitting the sheets".

More road hazards along the way.

19. THE LOVE BOAT ADVENTURE!!

The front desk was to contact the ferry ticket agency on Sunday morning at 9:00 AM to know if a ferry was sailing for Turkmenistan that day. We were up at 7 AM having great expectations. Yes, the ferry would sail today. Tickets would be sold starting at 11 AM. The hotel driver took us to the freight docks at 11 AM. We loaded our gear into the ambulance which had been parked there for a couple of days. We finally found the ticket office- not the attached shed we thought was it the other day. A guy shows up to establish and collect the fees for private vehicles being loaded - just two today. Robert deals with him while I am told to purchase a ticket from a lady at the front desk. The prices were acceptable based on the past experiences of others.

We were at the dock ready for boarding in a short time. No one really speaks much English if at all in most of the places we will be visiting here and going forward. Most people ask us all the time if we speak Russian. There are two Polish guys in the second vehicle that will make the trip along with the freight in the hold of the ship which mostly has railroad freight cars in it. We sit in the hot sun for hours. Finally at about 7:00 PM, we drive into the hold of the ship. After a cash tax of some time is paid, we can leave our vehicle, go back on the dock and board the ship via a stairway.

Once on board, our passports are taken for the remainder of the voyage just like with staying at the hotels in many of the countries we had visited on the drive thus far. A young guy asks us if we want the included standard cabin or the upgrade. We ask to see both. The "standard" is a small 4 bunk bed setup with the "bath" down the hall. He says the upgrade is $20 US more. He takes us to the upgrade. There is narrow sofa type seating (second bed) next to the hull and a small berth bed at 90 degrees. An electric fan is running on the built in desk. That's it for cooling. The cabin has a private bath. The guy starts taking somethings from the desk and a few pieces of cloths. (We soon realize that this is his private cabin, and he is renting it to us for $20 for the voyage.)

The shower has no head. It is just one of those hand wand deals with the head broken off. The hose part can be wired to the ceiling if you want overhead water. The man says we can't throw anything in the toilet including toilet paper. We ask how we clean ourselves. He said we just stand in the shower and use the hose from the broken shower head -"East meets West". I take a shower. There is a bar of soap at the sink which I use. Robert then showers and finishes just in time as the guy comes back and takes the soap with him for the night.

It is really hot in the cabin. The ship finally sets sale. I am hungry. We read that there was no food service, but all our stuff was in the ambulance, which now we find out we can't return to until we leave the ship the next day. Others have said that the cook will sometime fix you something if you ask. I go to find the cook. Helpers are in the hallway near the kitchen peeling potatoes and vegetables. Come back at 9PM.

We go to the kitchen at 9. The cook motions for us to go into the crew's mess. Some of the chairs have no backs on them anymore. Robert sits next to an open port hole window. The other side of that table has no ventilation at all. I take one of the chairs with no back and put it in line with the window behind Robert. The cook soon brings me my own small table to eat from. The meal is soup, a chicken leg, a pasta without sauce, bread and our choice of a beverage. I choose a large bottle of cold water for the two of us. I return the next morning for breakfast and have the same dining table.

We go forward at dusk on the bridge deck and speak with the night navigator and night watch person on duty. We never did know for sure who the captain was. We have tea with them and then retire for the night. All the cabin doors have a homemade hook like for a screen door that just sticks into the edge of the door for ventilation all night. I leave the port hole open for a little air that is coming in. Anybody can step through it on top of me as it is really large, but it is just that hot. I wake up a few hours later and can't sleep because of the heat.

We are on deck at sunup to shot a few photos of the sunrise. The ship drops anchor at about 11AM. The ship moves to the dock at about 1:30 PM. We are off the ship heading for customs at about two. There are only approximately 18-20 passengers total on the ship. It takes us until 7:30 PM before we are released from customs. All papers had to be signed in quadruplicate as there wasn't much that was computerized. Customs can do what they want in any country. Hopefully the process will be made faster in the future for others who want to visit.

So now it is almost dark, and we have to find a place to sleep for the night. Several maps were left in Chicago including the one for Turkmenistan. We are just guessing and trying to ask a couple of people along the way for the location of a hotel.

We hit our first police stop. The officer wants to see our papers. Robert just hands him the big pile he has been signing all afternoon. Robert says we are driving to Mongolia. The officer looks at us like we are a little well you know, hands the papers back and waves us on. We say "hotel hotel" and he points straight ahead....

Match the captions to the photos:

-In the event of an emergency....
-Sunset.
-Sunrise.
-Table for one.
-$20 Upgrade.
-Full speed ahead.
-Private bath.
-Superior Class wasn't available.
-"Coach".
-How van Gogh got his start.