Two Weeks in Turkmenistan – Cold Place, Warm People

I’ve just finished a two week trip to this relatively unknown “stan.” In what can best be described as a country of contrasts I landed and deplaned on the tarmac at 3am and walked outside for several minutes in the freezing cold and finally entered the often unheated airport—despite the vast state controlled natural gas reserves. When the sun rose I saw the astonishingly large white marble capital city of Ashgabat that somehow recalled a weird combination of Washington DC and Las Vegas. The skyline is filled with huge white marble edifices adorned with enormous pictures of the Turkmenistan President (both current and past). The piece de resistance is the “neutrality arch” which one can enter and ride to the top (for 15 cents—note the largest banknote, 10,000 manat, is worth 50 cents!) via an elevator for an expansive view of the city. The top of the arch is adorned with a giant gold reproduction of the first President of the country and it literally spins with the rotation of the sun so that the leader is always being shined upon.

In addition to the myriad public buildings, palaces, libraries and even a “wheat museum” (a massive marble rotunda complete with a giant golden stalk of wheat on top) there are what seems like countless shining, new apartment buildings similar to what one might expect on Lakeshore Drive in Chicago or the Westside Highway in NYC. Unfortunately, hardly anyone can afford to live in them.

Once you realize that few people can take advantage of this fairytale city it quickly feels cold and deserted (it’s estimated that 600,000 of the 5MM country residents live in the capital) and yet the people of Turkmenistan could not be warmer or more welcoming.

Each time I visited someone in their humble yet warm and inviting homes I was showered with hospitality. I easily put on 5lbs eating endless plates of plov (rice with onions, carrots and meats that range from beef to turkey), countless loaves of the local round flat bread, and numerous bowls of candy—which is curiously put out before the main meal?! Though language was often a complete barrier, the locals always made me feel welcome and often showered me with handmade gifts along with the food, and of course a never ending cup of “chai” (local green tea) which is the staple beverage of young and old alike.

The good news is that as a whole Turkmenistan is slowly plodding toward a more open economy and perhaps someday these generous people will have a better chance to take advantage of the riches this “stan” offers. Regular citizens can now access the Internet, albeit in fairly controlled environments that are open only during business hours, have low connectivity, and in many cases require making an appointment. The Winrock offices (the organization that sponsored my trip), however, had recently installed wireless (!) and while it was not lightening fast, I’ve certainly experienced worse. The 11pm curfew I had read about has seemingly been lifted in the capital (at least around the pubs frequented by ex-pats) and I never felt as though I was being followed or monitored though I had been told that might be the case. My “private” hotel near the office was lovely though the state run places were pretty grim.

I don’t think Turkmenistan will top the backpacker list anytime soon (especially since a visa is still difficult to come by), but a trip here in spring or fall when the temperature is more agreeable can offer some very interesting sites, including the ancient city of Konye-Urgench which I had
the pleasure of visiting albeit on a cold and mostly gray day.

I understand a trip through the desert, on what I’ve been told are some of the best horses in the world, is also quite rewarding. My fantastic guide, host, translator and now friend, Mahri also tells me that the Balkan region along the Caspian Sea is quite lovely in the summer. The Turkmen Hamptons I’m sure!