Towards the end of a journey through an unfamiliar country, you inevitably start reflecting a little. The trip had begun abruptly in Ashgabat—a surreal city of white marble, empty streets, and police officers standing...
Today’s final destination was the Darvaza Gas Crater. But as usual in Turkmenistan, the road there turned out to be just as interesting as the destination itself. Our first stop was one of the...
Part of: Turkmenistan – Where Crazy Is Normal You can’t visit Awaza. Not because it’s far away. Not because it’s difficult to reach.But because you’re simply not allowed. So instead of marble resorts and...
Part of: Turkmenistan – Where Crazy Is Normal When a dictator wants to impress the world, there are many options. One of them is to build an entire capital city in white marble—and make...
I haven’t been to North Korea, so I can’t compare. But from what I’ve read, Turkmenistan is often mentioned as a strong contender for second place in controlling information—and, to some extent, its own...
