Reflections: Crossing the Caspian Ocean

Your trip over the Caspian may supply a few of the scariest & most fulfilling moments of one’s entire trip.

– A veteran journalist we fulfilled in Tbilisi, Georgia who acquired seen everything in the previous Soviet Union.

Although we have been publishing this from Pingyao, China, we dial back again several clicks to the start of our trip in Central Asia so that they can adequately address the pictures in our brain and the notes inside our journals.

Oddly designed like a broken index finger or perhaps a distressed plume of smoke cigarettes, the Caspian Ocean pumps out essential oil and caviar amid the encompassing desert and extreme scenery. For most people, its name conjures pictures of a faraway, mystical or mythical property. Our experience with it had been rather practical, however. To get from Baku, Azerbaijan to Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan, we had a need to cross it.

Since there have been no schedules, just the Caspian ferry gods understood when and when it might run. Because of long haul of rough climate that had lately plagued the spot, the ferry hadn’t still left for several times. Although these delays appeared to location our departure time in danger, our frustration has been offset by relief to listen to that some semblance of protection standards were at the job.

A Cast of Character types

The ticket female holding courtroom at the interface didn’t understand when or what period the boat would depart, but she marketed us a ticket in any case and informed us to return another early morning.

Off to an excellent start included from Baku to Turkmenbashi.

Whenever we returned, we invested a long time watching train cars packed with goods roll in to the ferry’s cargo tummy. After going for a lesson from the Azerbaijani border safeguard on Azerbaijani- Armenian relations, we walked the rickety steel gangplank and were safely inside.

We were fulfilled at the entry to the ferry by way of a woman we found call “comandante.” To assume what she appeared as if, look at a genetic mash-up of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow and Michelin guys. Put in a wicked skin-piercing Russian accent and a dosage of lingering Soviet sadness and you’d possess the image we were too scared to take.

She rapidly seized our passports and demonstrated us to your cabin. In a predictably unfortunate proceed to earn some extra cash, she tried speaking us into upgrading our cabin for a couple extra dollars, repeating “Area number eight bad. Extremely bad.” again and again. We feigned pleasure with the windowless, stale internal cabin we’d been designated and declined her present.

The Night time Show

Because the sun begun to descend, the sky gradually transformed right into a colour gradient, featuring rich tones of reddish colored, orange and violet. Our craft shifted nearly imperceptibly to us, departing just the subtlest ripples in its wake as proof. The waters of the Caspian had been so placid, it had been nearly frightening. We were encircled by the type of silence that delivers space – a thought room – into which it is possible to unnecessarily put in pictures of sinking ships.

Silhouettes of essential oil rigs punctuated the horizon which shaped our circular visible boundary. Although essential oil rigs don’t epitomize fantasy, almost anything assumes a chimerical look in this spectacular lighting. Dwarfed naturally, we continuing scanning, rotating our look at in order not to miss an individual moment. A 360 diploma turn rendered the feeling that people were floating at first glance of a huge water glass. They are the moments that peripheral vision was produced.

This was Mom Nature’s show. All we’re able to do was view in awe. Every time we believed the sunset had been at its climax, she’d outdo herself once more with darker shades coming and more excellent iridescence on the water’s surface, therefore treating us to most likely the longest sunset we’d ever witnessed.

Once the sky was lastly filled up with darkness, we descended, chilled by the evening atmosphere and amazed with what we’d just witnessed.

Summary

When you can deal with the uncertainty of ferry traveling and have time flexibility, we recommend taking the gradual boat over the Caspian (to Turkmenistan once we did, or even to Aktau, Kazakhstan). The sunset alone will probably be worth the trip and will be offering a dazzling screen you are unlikely to encounter somewhere else. Furthermore, the ferry provides an ideal slow-paced changeover into uncommon Turkmenistan.

Photograph Essay – From Turkmenbashi to Ashgabat

Useful Information: Boat from Baku to Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan

• Engaging in Turkmenistan, the boat: To access the Baku ferry constructing, require Parom, the Russian phrase for ferry. The over night ferry leaves Baku of all times (i.e., there is absolutely no schedule) in the first afternoon. On your day of your preferred departure, arrive around 8:30-9:00 AM to get a chair ticket for an arbitrary amount of cash between $45-$60. Thoughts is broken on board, it is possible to negotiate a cabin (ideally with a windowpane) for another $5-$10. When there is no boat that time, keep attempting until a boat ultimately leaves. It’s far better bring some meals with you up to speed since you in no way understand if the “chef” could have extra foods for travellers. Arrival in Turkmenbashi ought to be around 9 AM the very next day. We’ve fulfilled individuals who were docked beyond Turkmenbashi for yet another 12-24 hours, nevertheless. So, you merely never know.
• Engaging in Turkmenistan, the bureaucracy: Turkmenistan is among the most difficult nations on earth for which to obtain a visa. The procedure is lengthy and convoluted. In order to stay in the united states for a lot more than five times (which is the normal optimum for a transit visa), then you’ll have to book an authorized trip. Your guide will be technically said to be with you all the time, except in Ashgabat.
• Visa assistance for Turkmenistan: We utilized and will recommend Stantours for the visa assistance (Letter of Invitation – LOI) and visit. The LOI took around three weeks as the actual visa just took a couple of days to concern from the Turkmen Embassy. After we experienced possession of the LOI, we requested our Turkmen visa at the Turkmen Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia. We recommend this location. The procedure was painless and shipping quick.

To be able to control the expense of your trip, let your visit operator know that you are looking at joining a preexisting tour or adding tourists to your team. This not merely helps financially, but you’ll likely meet some fascinating people.

Turkmenistan-interested tourists is definitely an interesting breed of dog. The characters inside our tour group certainly added a confident and humorous dimension to your Turkmen experience. We furthermore gained some new close friends.