The World of Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is one of the least visited nations on earth! Why? Mainly due to nobody knowing of it and an inconvenient visa process requiring tourists who plan on spending more than three days to hire a guide or join a tour. But do not let these obstacles detour you from an incredible journey that you will remember for the rest of your life!

Turkmenistan has no shortage of incredible attractions, but one of my personal favorites involves a social aspect, the “cult of personality” created by the late president, Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov, otherwise known as Turkmenbashi, translated as “Father of all Turkmens”. In order to go anywhere in Turkmen society, it is recommended you master The "Turkmen Bible", otherwise known as "The Rhunama". This book written by the late president himself, Turkmenbashi, is a long and complex book full of manifestos, poems unproven science and advice. Knowledge of the book is required in order to receive a driver's license, pass school exams and get a job. Not only will you find this popular book in bookstores, but also in a city square in which a larger than life Rhunama statue opens every evening to a random passage is read aloud over a sound system. 

The cult of personality does not end with the book and also includes a statue of Turkmenbashi, The Monument of Neutrality, made from solid gold that was built to rotate with the sun. However, in the last few years in an effort to move away from the Turkmenbashi days, they have removed the statue and moved it to a location outside the city center. Other contributions to modern day Turkmen society include the renaming of the word bread after his mother, the renaming of the months and also days of the weeks according to Turkmen national symbols described from his famous book.

So, besides the “cult of personality” attractions probably the most popular attraction is “The Door to Hell” or its official name “The Darvaza Gas Craters”, located in the middle of nowhere in Central Turkmenistan.  The crater is the result of a man made disaster, which occurred in 1971 when Soviet geologists tapped into a natural gas filled cavern. This subsequently led to a sinkhole developing that eventually swallowed up the entire gas well operation. The government felt the best way to remedy the situation was to burn the gas off, which continues to burn to this day. However, there have been rumors it may be capped soon, thus doing away with this infamous attraction. So far nothing has happened.

Most tour agencies in Ashgabat should easily be able to arrange a trip out there and if you are feeling really adventurous you could camp out next to the gas crater overnight.  However, I recommend checking the weather forecast before you spend the night at the crater since during late fall and spring overnight temperatures can plummet to near 0°. If weather prevents you from setting up camp near the crater, be sure to inquire about having a barbeque picnic there. The entire experience of visiting the “Darvaza Craters” is a mind-blowing experience that you must do when in Turkmenistan!

If you desire to see more than just the “Door to Hell”/Gas Crater, I would highly recommend making a trip to Mary, the nation’s second biggest city. The city serves as a gateway to exploring two of the most incredible monuments on the Silk Road, Merv and Margush, otherwise known as Mouru.

The first highlight, Merv, is one of the most well preserved ancient monuments on the entire Silk Road. Encompassing the territory are several historical mosques, a large fortress and other landmarks varying in degrees of preservation. Walking through the ruins of this once thriving civilization is an amazing experience, which takes your breath away. I would recommend allocating at least a half-day if not more to really absorb all the beauty and feeling of this area.

A visit to Mary would not be complete without a journey out to the ancient UNESCO designated area, Margush or Mouru, site of what was the fifth oldest civilization on the planet. Unlike Merv, which is easy to reach, Margush can present difficulties due to poor road conditions. However, once you reach this incredible ancient monument you will be glad you endured the two hours on a rough, windy, dirt road. Everything about Margush is absolutely unbelievable!!! Thanks to the meticulous work by archaeologists one gets a real feeling and taste of what this once ancient thriving kingdom must’ve been like when it was a major stop on The Silk Road. If you choose to make the trip, be sure to request an archaeologist travel with you or meet you out there since there are no interpretive signs. The trip requires an entire day and a reliable 4-wheel drive vehicle.

The best time of year to visit Turkmenistan is during fall, winter or early spring when the temperatures are not blistering hot. Reaching Turkmenistan from Russia is fairly simple. Both S7 Airlines and Turkmenistan Airlines serve Ashgabat with flights departing daily.

There is so much to see in Turkmenistan that one article cannot even begin to give this enchanted place justice! So………..stay tuned for my next article coming to a screen near you, where I uncover even more hidden gems.

TOP 5 Seattle

Where can you see flying fish in the morning, spend an afternoon on a ferryboat cruising Puget Sound and spend the evening skiing or snowboarding in the beautiful Cascade Mountains? The answer is Seattle, affectionately known as The Emerald City and home to the Super Bowl Champions, Seattle Seahawks! Seattle is famous for a lot of things such as, coffee, rain, deep green forests, clouds, breathtaking mountains, and Puget Sound, our inland sea. However, did you know my wonderful city is also home to famous hip-hop and Grammy award winning artist, McLemore, world renowned coffee company Starbucks, Microsoft’s Founder Bill Gates, grunge music (i.e. Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Sound Garden), and legendary guitar player Jimmy Hendrix?

Many get the impression that it’s always raining in Seattle. Ok, I admit, it does tend to rain here a lot during the winter months. However, once summer comes, it’s as if the skies majestically clear and the rain packs up and leaves for three months. And, while the rest of the nation and the world bakes in hot, sweltering heat, Seattle usually maintains a mild and even temperature throughout the summer, rarely exceeding 30° C.

Although, you can find lists of top attractions to see in Seattle determined by TripAdvisor or some travel article written by someone from out of town, I am here to give you a local’s take on Seattle and its must-see attractions.

So, here it is, my top five list of sites to see and things to do in Seattle!

1.     Checking in at number one is our city’s most famous landmark, The Space Needle. The Space Needle was built for the 1962 World’s Fair and is a great place to start your journey! The views on a clear day are incredible! To your east you will see the beautiful Cascade Mountains, one of two mountain ranges in the state. To the west are the beautiful Olympic Mountains. On the southern horizon you will spot the state’s most famous landmark and mountain, Mt. Rainier. Rainier is one of several active volcanoes in the state of Washington. Off to the north is yet another active volcano, Mt. Baker, which sits right near the Canadian border. The list of incredible sights to see from the Space Needle can fill up several pages! 

2.     As you leave The Space Needle be sure to visit the incredible Chihuly Garden and Glass. Put together by local Northwest and world famous glass artist Dale Chihuly this is no ordinary garden. 

 Here you can find life size trees made of glass, stunning glass sculptures of all types of different colors, and anything else the imagination could dream up! A must see!! If you go to The Space Needle, be sure to buy a combined ticket.

3.     Pike Place Public Market, a unique public market located in the heart of Seattle is a place you could get lost in for hours! On the top floor is a fully working farmer’s market where you can buy fresh from the field produce and explore all the wonderful restaurants and cafes that populate the market. One of my utmost favorite cafes is a Russian bakery called “piroshky, piroshky”. Be sure to try the beef and cheese piroshky! And, of course no visit to the market would be complete without witnessing the infamous “flying fish” at Pike Place Fish Market. There the fishmongers create an entire show around you picking out your fish and then throwing it back to the person who wraps it for you.

4.     Right below Pike Place Market is located the Seattle Waterfront. On a warm summers day there is no better place to be in the city than the waterfront! Here you can soak up the beauty of Elliot Bay and are treated to incredible views of the Olympic Mountains. But the waterfront is not just for walking, there are some great restaurants, attractions and wonderful shops located all along the waterfront making it a great experience for everyone! Probably my utmost favorite attraction on the waterfront is, The Great Wheel, which stands at a whopping 53.3 meters making it the tallest Ferris wheel on the west coast. For $13, you receive a 10-15 minute ride (depending upon crowds) complete with three revolutions.

One of THE very best and most inexpensive cruises in Seattle is a trip aboard the Washington State Ferries, where for a mere $8 per person you can enjoy breathtaking scenery of mountains, wildlife, orca whales, and so much more! Our state ferry system is the biggest in the United States and is ranked 3^rd in the world in terms of fleet size. From downtown Seattle you can take either the Bainbridge Island ferry, which takes approximately 35 minutes or the Bremerton ferry, which is a one-hour crossing. Both ferry runs will take your breath away in terms of beauty!

From Moscow there are numerous ways you can reach The Emerald City. Your first option is to fly Aeroflot to LA and then take either hometown airline, Alaska or Virgin America up the coast. Another option is through Frankfurt, where Lufthansa has daily non-stop departures to Seattle. So, what are you waiting for, book your trip and come to Seattle today!!