Eastward Ho!: There is a hell on earth....

The burning gas crater at Davasa, Turkmenistan is the closest I think (and hope) I will ever come to seeing what hell looks like. It is a huge crater that was dug by the Soviets in 1971, and the ground was unsafe and collapsed leaving a gaping hole in the earth. It was someones bright idea to light the
leaking gases, and they have been burning ever since. An awesome sight though, and best seen after dark, so we all clambered into a monster truck which took us out to the crater where we got as close as we dared to the edge to have our photos taken. As hot as hell but some cool pics were shot, Mandy even winning a photography competition for one of hers.


Bushcamp close to the gas crater

Bush camp


Our mobile homes and Calypso

Darvasa gas crater

Burning pit

Don't get too close!


Mel, me, Clare and Aoife next to the burning pit


Boy it's hot!

A hawk by another crater dug by the soviets

The next day we drove through dry arid deserts, then stopped off at a place where you paid a minimal fee to have a mid afternoon shower to alleviate the desert heat. It was quite bizarre, but a short reprieve from the dry heat and dusty air.

A group of inquisitive people in Turkmenistan wanting their photo taken with us

Building a clay oven in the desert

Lots of nothing.....just miles and miles of desert

and of course the odd camel.............


and sand storms!

Leaving the weird and wonderful Turkmenistan behind, well, more weird than wonderful, we arrived in our next destination, Uzbekistan. You didn't have to look far before you saw colourful tiled minarets rising from the ground, and a real sense of silk road history.