I left the Hotel Dousit at 7 ish and rode to the border (5mins) I thought I would get there early as I had the 350kms ride to Ashgabat. It opened at 7.30 am but the staff that deals with the Carnet doesn’t turn up until 8. Eventually I get the carnet stamped out of Iran after telling
the guy were and what he needs to do with it. So now I am all clear on the Iran side, I have been briefed by my friend Shane about the Turkmenistan Border. The first check point is a very friendly Officer speaks a little English checks my passport and say where you have come from. Mmmm me things I have just ridden across a bridge of which the other side is Iran there is nowhere else to come from. I have a little laugh to myself and ride on to the next check point now the fun really starts. Lots of questions of who am I, were I coming from, what am I
doing here. So the first thing is to go to the bank and pay for the entry clearance etc. $84 about what I had planned. He then asks me for the Carnet I say you don’t need it its only for Iran, but he keeps asking so I give it to him and for 2 or 3 mins he is reading it upside down he talks to another officer and he then starts to fill it in I am watching him very carefully as this Doc is
worth money to me when I return back to the UK. He then as the stamp in his hand and I think I’ll just give him a little guide were to stamp he mumbles and give it back to me. All down I think back to the bike and the officer there tells me that I cannot go to Ashgabat’s its not on the Visa So we have a little conversion and I tell him its only entry and exit on the Visa. He say no you can’t go his boss then come out who is a 6 ft. Lady in military Uniform has a one way conversion with him then turns to me and say he is wasting time you can go to Ashgabat. Great I am off. Oh no the customs guy then come over and it all starts again open up all my bags ask me if I have any drugs. Then another officer come over and say Carnet stamp,
stamp. I tell him it’s all done but he has to check and I go back to the first office and another guy puts a stamp in the wrong place. They just love being in charge. Any way all done and I am now allowed to go. The first think that strike’s me of Turkmenistan is its very flat and smells of oil and fuel. The road out so Sarakhs border is bloody orfull I spend the next hour dogging pot
holes. At about 40 MPH. The road gets a bit better so I get a shift on, the music is playing and I am enjoying myself, until a Police man pull me over. Oops.92 in a 50 stretch of the road stood up overtaking he’s not amused. He asks for my licence and very bad English tells me it’s not good, I play dumb just keep saying I don’t understand he call a friend who thinks he
speaks English again I play dumb. Eventually he say slow slow, sit sit, he lets me go. A little wake up call for me too so I slow down (a little). I reach Ashgabat what a cool place. I am trying to locate the Kazakhstan Embassy without much luck. As I am sat by the bike in a car park look at the directions I have a British couple say hi can we help turns out they live here. I tell them I am looking for the Kaz Embassy and he (Jerry) makes a call he then tell me where it is and where am I staying he then makes another call and says his driver will pick him up in the morning then come and get me and take me to the Embassy. Now that is real help (thanks guys) so in the morning I am off to try to get the Kaz visa sorted. Right now I am off to get a
beer.
the guy were and what he needs to do with it. So now I am all clear on the Iran side, I have been briefed by my friend Shane about the Turkmenistan Border. The first check point is a very friendly Officer speaks a little English checks my passport and say where you have come from. Mmmm me things I have just ridden across a bridge of which the other side is Iran there is nowhere else to come from. I have a little laugh to myself and ride on to the next check point now the fun really starts. Lots of questions of who am I, were I coming from, what am I
doing here. So the first thing is to go to the bank and pay for the entry clearance etc. $84 about what I had planned. He then asks me for the Carnet I say you don’t need it its only for Iran, but he keeps asking so I give it to him and for 2 or 3 mins he is reading it upside down he talks to another officer and he then starts to fill it in I am watching him very carefully as this Doc is
worth money to me when I return back to the UK. He then as the stamp in his hand and I think I’ll just give him a little guide were to stamp he mumbles and give it back to me. All down I think back to the bike and the officer there tells me that I cannot go to Ashgabat’s its not on the Visa So we have a little conversion and I tell him its only entry and exit on the Visa. He say no you can’t go his boss then come out who is a 6 ft. Lady in military Uniform has a one way conversion with him then turns to me and say he is wasting time you can go to Ashgabat. Great I am off. Oh no the customs guy then come over and it all starts again open up all my bags ask me if I have any drugs. Then another officer come over and say Carnet stamp,
stamp. I tell him it’s all done but he has to check and I go back to the first office and another guy puts a stamp in the wrong place. They just love being in charge. Any way all done and I am now allowed to go. The first think that strike’s me of Turkmenistan is its very flat and smells of oil and fuel. The road out so Sarakhs border is bloody orfull I spend the next hour dogging pot
holes. At about 40 MPH. The road gets a bit better so I get a shift on, the music is playing and I am enjoying myself, until a Police man pull me over. Oops.92 in a 50 stretch of the road stood up overtaking he’s not amused. He asks for my licence and very bad English tells me it’s not good, I play dumb just keep saying I don’t understand he call a friend who thinks he
speaks English again I play dumb. Eventually he say slow slow, sit sit, he lets me go. A little wake up call for me too so I slow down (a little). I reach Ashgabat what a cool place. I am trying to locate the Kazakhstan Embassy without much luck. As I am sat by the bike in a car park look at the directions I have a British couple say hi can we help turns out they live here. I tell them I am looking for the Kaz Embassy and he (Jerry) makes a call he then tell me where it is and where am I staying he then makes another call and says his driver will pick him up in the morning then come and get me and take me to the Embassy. Now that is real help (thanks guys) so in the morning I am off to try to get the Kaz visa sorted. Right now I am off to get a
beer.