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They were in this area from approximately 200 B.C. to 200 A.D. Excavation and repairs have been ongoing with many fine historical documents, and other pieces of the period having been removed.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.
No comments:
Post a Comment