My first night in Turkmenistan I spent in Turkmenabat. It was not easy to find the Amu Daria Hotel close to the station. Why? They do not use already Russian Script and I do not know Turkmen language. You see the building, sometheing is written on it but you do not know what… I asked elderly people – they know Russian. I found the hotel… Yes -we have the room, but foreigners must pay in dollars! It will be 20 USD! Sorry, too much… But there is other, cheaper hotel: Gunesh – they charge only 6 USD. I found Gunesh Hotel. Run-down, but OK for one night… Then I took a walk to see the first gold-painted monument of Turkmenbashi…
Today I took a share taxi to Mary – provincial town closest to the ancient Marv. It cost 50000 manat per seat. I found empty Sanjar Hotel close to the station – and I was not surprised when they asked for 15 USD. In the afternoon I found taxi driver who took me to the ancient Merv – once important town on the Silk Road, destroyed completly by Jengis Khan… They charge 22000 manat per entry plus for cameras… In comparison to the other hubs of the Silk Road there is not much to see, but still worth a visit…
