Turkmenistan - On Sundays, the traditional Sunday market is held. In the past, this took place in the sand dunes at the edge of the city—a colorful scene of blankets spread out on the sand. Two years ago, the market was moved to new market halls, naturally built from ...

Turkmenistan - It is barely six o’clock in the morning when I am already on the bus. Bachtiar is our guide today. He has taken over from Maksat. He is a cheerful man. Unfortunately, he speaks German, which is not my preferred language. Today, I am on my way to Uzbekistan. ...

Turkmenistan - We quickly set off towards the gas crater. The road, by Turkmen standards, is good—a wide asphalt road without lane markings. Every now and then, the asphalt is cracked or has large potholes. We’re becoming quite skilled at avoiding the holes. As ...

Turkmenistan - Through the large white marble buildings, the wide boulevards, and the expansive parks, the streetscape looks very similar throughout. From the bus, I see the 2x4-lane wide boulevard. White apartment complexes line both sides. In the median lie several ...

Turkmenistan - The road to Balkanabat is a good one. Work is underway to widen the road, though why is unclear, as there is hardly any traffic. Both directions can easily use one side of the road during construction. Even when both directions are open, cars drive on ...