Welcome to Turkmenistan. Royally fleeced at the border. We knew we were going to have to pay for our visas at the border, so there was an expectation of money changing hands however this time we got to hand over $200 more than expected. After the relatively extort-free Iran we just paid it.

Fairly easy drive into Ashgabat which resulted in the greatest of surprises.

Where Iran had been mountainous and dusty, the Turks border had been lush and hilly, Ashgabat was totally flat and absolutely baking hot. We were greeted with a Disney world type city. Lots of tree lined avenues lined up with Vegas size buildings. I can't describe how impressive it all looks. Totally empty buildings mind but impressive non-the-less. It transpires that the recent president spent a lot of money redesigning the city with magnificent structures one ofter the other. God knows what he planned to do with them but impressive they are and it was great to see after the relative nothingness of Iran outside of their cities.

There was even a 12m tall statue made in gold that rotates to face the sun!

As we entered the city we also noticed that all the ladies were dressed in Caribbean attire. Long flowing, floral dresses and matching headbands on, stunning to see them all in bright colours walking the streets and after a week in Iran a welcome sight.

There is obviously a lot of oil money here as the cars were very flash.

Heat was 50^ almost impossible to go out in the sun in the afternoons. Iran had been hot but this was truly scorchio!!

Weirdly there was also a Curfew we heard. Didn't seem to matter to us as we went out on the tiles and didn't get in till way after. More of that in minute....

So our place to stay here was like an old Russian hotel. Not much English spoken but we get a room for 50$. Meet up with loads if teams now as groups that had crossed the Caspian by sea were now heading down our way.

Inevitably a few beers turns into a large night out. We head off, breaking the curfew to head to a nightclub but as everyone is in jeans an t-shirts we can only get in the bar. Good to catch up with other teams, especially ones we met at Czech-out. Big shout to team Dino in their ambulance and the other ambulance we hung with at the Iran border. Team Booyakasha.

Anyway after some drunken antics we head back to the hotel in a taxi, only for Huw to say, "This is our place right?". I wasn't sure as we pulled up, it looked right but our car had gone. I ran to the entrance in a bit of a panic. Jeez I'm thinking did I leave the key in the door or something? I normally have the key round my neck on a lanyard. It was gone. Oh s***. It was definately our hotel too. Just as I was heading back out to Huw to face the music a local guy says "hey" and thrusts a note at me. It's in English. Our car was being towed by the police so the hotel knocked on another rally teams door to tell them to move the car. They had put two and two together, got the hotel to open our door even though they didn't know us, found our key which for some random reason I left in the room and moved our car. Heroes. We found our car moved into a nice shady spot in the morning. We knocked up the room And said thank you. Not much English is spoken in these parts so they saved us a lot I'd time and hassle. Do you know what, I don't even know their names!! Thank you London taxi boys.

Ashgabat, top place. Oh and Chrome traffic lights at every junction. Think San Diego. Classy. No whales c*** though!