After our rough start in Turkmenistan, we headed to the capital, Ashgabat, since we were planning to depart for Iran from there. When we arrived at our intended hotel, we found out it was fully booked. We asked the receptionist to call the other hotels listed in our guidebook, but every place was either full or didn’t speak English. This was the first time we had experienced every listed hotel being unavailable.
Since Turkmenistan has limited hotel options for tourists, we had to look at high-end hotels, which we had never done before. We ended up staying in a 5-star hotel, typically used by tour groups and business people. Despite its rating, the room felt very mediocre: dated decor, uncontrollable heating, and a general lack of character. The only good part was the buffet breakfast, comparable to a Best Western in Canada, but definitely not 5-star quality.
We stayed two nights in Ashgabat and honestly didn’t enjoy it. The city felt bizarre with its massive white marble buildings and an eerie absence of people. The late president wanted it known as the “white city,” and it seemed like it might be the heaviest city in the world due to all that marble. The streets were mostly empty, and when we tried to take photos, we were constantly stopped by police officers. Certain streets were off-limits, adding to our frustration.
To make the most of our expensive hotel, we relaxed with beers, played cards, and watched TV. After two nights, we were more than ready to leave this strange and unwelcoming place. We got into a taxi towards the border, only to find several roads closed by the police. After an hour of searching, we finally found an open route.
At the border, we faced a long wait for a passport check. After flashing our Canadian passports and repeatedly saying “tourists,” we were allowed to move up in the line. After taking an overpriced minibus through no-man’s land between Turkmenistan and Iran, we had to fill out another form and wait again to get our passports stamped.
It was already noon by the time it was our turn at the passport counter, and then they closed the window for lunch. We were furious. An hour later, when the window re-opened, people rushed to the front, and each processing took about 15 minutes. Fortunately, the officer remembered us and generously moved us to the front, finally stamping us out.
Hallelujah, we were out of Turkmenistan! After showing our passports two more times, we were thrilled to be heading into Iran, a country we had eagerly anticipated visiting for years.