I have not been posting any videos recently because the connection speed in Iraq, Iran and Turkmenistan has been pretty slow. Furthermore, countries like Turkey and Iran are blocking youtube. I will try to post some videos when I get a chance.

Square

Mr. President rotating with the sun

Arch of Neutrality again

Earthquake museum

Took a bus to Tolkuchka Bazaar.

Colorful cloths

Shashlyk

Sheepskin hat

Turkmen’s carpet

Cloths

Korean Kimchi

Went to the terminal at 2pm to get a shared taxi to Mary. Waited for an hour for the taxi to be full. The ride to Mary is around 350km and that took 4 hours. (20 new Manat~USD7).

There weren’t any hostel in Mary and had to check in to a hotel. There is a different price for locals and foreigners for hotel accommodation. The hotel is pretty old and paid USD$30 for a crappy room. This is the most I have paid for a night of accommodation in my trip so far.
I can feel that spring under the mattress all over my body.

Walked around Mary at night. Mary is not a big city, with a population of just around 100,000.
Typical white marble buildings

Mr. President

Mosque

Witnessed a local Turkmen bar brawl later at night.

2 Responses to “Ashgabat to Mary, Turkmenistan”

1. Vi-Zanne says:

   November 29, 2009 at 2:18 pm

   i didn’t know they have korean kimchi sold by real koreans there!

2. journey26 says:

   November 30, 2009 at 4:09 pm

   There is a big Korean population in Central Asia. Stalin moved many Koreans here during the war with Japan because he found it hard to idenfity koreans from japanese.