Darvaza Gas Crater is located in the Karakum Desert.Turkmenistan, something I have wanted to see for years, so here I am on a Highway to Hell.
Piling into some really comfy diesel powered 4X4 vehicles, very civilised, none of that fucking battery nonsense here,(white as you may have guessed, that is the only colour available in Ashgabt) leaving the OTT capital behind a journey that will take not that long, about 4-5 hrs.
Elbows out grab the front passenger seat? nah it was more civilised than that, I had mentioned in a previous post that my CI had packed in and I was virtually totally deaf, sot of! i suggested I sit up front and let the three in the back seat enjoy chatting away. Agreed with no arguments, Elbows out? sort of!
The main highway between Ashgabat and the uzbekistan border 350 miles away was very straight, not too may potholes and not much lane discipline either, seemed to me that unless there is something coming towards you, just drive where you want in Turkmenistan seems the order of the day.
The wastelands are quite flat and bordered by scrub and sand which whips up when the wind blows, which doesn't seem to have any impact upon our driver who maintained a steady 65mph.
The P1 highway links Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan, there were quite a few containers moving in both directions. said to be a six lane motorway though as I say no one adheres to lane discipline. Construction started in 2019, replacing the old road and its full completion is sometime in 2026.
Tarmacadam as it cuts through a salt lake, salt deposits drying out on the surface
脻erbent, a Turkmenistan pit stop
Leg stretching time
In the middle of nowhere, half-buried by the sands of the Karakum desert; Yerbent a population of under 3,000 probably unheard of by the closeted ruling facist family in the capital city.
Just a bunch of single storey shacks and ancient vehicles of all descriptions
Yerbent was a rural desert outpost and the people of the region semi-nomadic camel breeders and herders, that was all to change with the Soviet regime in their quest for collectivisation especially in agriculture, together with the policy of "settled living" which totally disrupted their nomadic lifestyle.
Its only monument dates to the Soviet era, commemorating their struggles, it features a Turkmen lady in traditional dress, head bowed mourning the death of 11 men who fell during the 1931 Basmachi Revolt against the Soviet state that had spanned central Asia since the days of WW1.
Camel breeding is the primary and probably the only livelihood around here.
In fact there semed to be more camels than people
Animals wandering freely through the town and across the desert sands, they are branded so their owners can identify them.
The inhabitants are mainly descendants of the traditional nomads who were forced to settle in this permanent village location.
There were not many people about, what I found different were the kids, normally on my travels they rush up inquisitively, often with their hands out for something. These from the village were quite the opposite shy, reserved and uninterested in the strangers in their midst.
Leaving the tarmaced highway behind at Yerbent, it was nothing but sand sand and sand as far as then eye could see.
The truck handled it very well indeed
"Is this it" I asked "Rather disappointed if it is", only to be told that I had missed the blurb about where we were, wrong truck to the leader, amyways I was given a bullet point explanation; to be honest that is all I need. Has anyone else experienced anal retentive guides who like the sound of their own voice, spewing out needless and pointless information?
About 12 miles we had travelled from the village stopping to view Darvaza water crater. It seemed to be over 150 ft wide with a vertical drop of about 50ft to a water-filled basin. The water a strikingly rich turquoise waters, very inviting but swimming is strictly off-limits here, not only due to the question How the fuck would you get out? but also the threat of escaping natural gas.
I guess civilisation isn't far away, blown in from the highway by the desert winds, the litter of plastic bottles.
Eventually after another hour or so......Journeys end, "The Gates of Hell"
*A horse with no name, 1971 America.
[//]:# ([//]:# (!worldmappin 39.31382 lat 59.04868 long d3scr))