Almost 300km north of Ashgabat through the Karakum Desert - which incidentally makes up 70% of Turkmenistan - past camels wandering haughtily along the road in pairs, alone or in small family groups completely oblivious to traffic; past small flocks of multicoloured goats and long haired sheep; past villages built on sand; and through sand dunes reminiscent of Australia. Past expanses of water which was such a surprise in this arid place. This water is part of the drainage system from further south where they collect the run off from irrigated fields and pipe north to the desert against a future need.
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| This village is very slowly being buried in sand |
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| The water is slightly salty but in a bad year would be very welcome |
Almost 300km along a bone-shaking road through the vast Karakum Desert only to then go off-road along an even bumpier 8 km drive through sand dunes. But then we came upon it, our destination, a huge burning crater! Known as the Door to Hell or Gates of Hell, but officially it is called the Shining of Karakum. This is natural gas perhaps oil territory!
Before we got there we stopped at two small craters - one a flooded mine with gas still fizzing to the surface and the other a crater of plopping mud and fire. The wonders of this part of the world - just amazing!!
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| L: gas fizzed up through the water. R: plopping mud pushed up by gas leaks and burning gassy earth |
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| The Shining of Karakum or Door to Hell - it is awesome |
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| It is a very big crater - with no safety barriers! |
Whatever the reason for this phenomenon, it is mighty impressive. This is a natural gas site that went wrong the end result being a crater of continuously burning gas, flames licking and leaping out of rocks, rubble, earth and sand, blackening and scorching the sides of the crater. Hundreds of small natural gas fires illuminate the floor and rim of the crater. Some local geologists have claimed that the collapse of a crater happened in the 1960s and was set on fire only in the 1980s to prevent the emission of poisonous gases into the air. Others assert that the site was drilled by Soviet engineers in 1971 as an oil field but it collapsed within days, forming the crater, with the engineers choosing to flare the crater to prevent the emission of poisonous gases but they underestimated the volume of the gas. Whatever the explanation it is truly awesome in the extreme! Billowing heat rising skyward in a wall of shimmering heat-haze searing, scorching from metres away. A great gaping hole of fire and searing heat in the middle of nowhere. I got as close as I dared but when the wind changed direction slightly it was enough to singe your eyebrows.
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| Lindsay dared go very close trying to get the ulyimate photo of Hell! |
A desolate place but rather magical in the particular way that vastness and isolation can create. Silence but for the sound of wind rushing past your ears or the roar of fire close to the crater where jagged edges draw you hypnotically closer to peer into the fires of Hell. It generates that shuddering feeling of fear and riveting fascination simultaneously - mesmorising. And do you know they found life down there in the hellish centre! Have a look on YouTube National Geographic channel, search for Crater of Hell or Darvaza or Turkmenistan (I don’t have access at the moment).
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| A simple BBQ but with million dollar views over the desert ..... |
A great place for a BBQ - simple but with million dollar views over the desert! And of course we did just that or should I say our guide and driver prepared one for us while we wandered in the desert. We ate later in a cozy yurt. There is a camp near the crater with 6 yurts and there are even toilets and showers. While our meal was being prepared Lindsay followed pippets fluttering and bobbing along the ground while I fossicked around looking at desert vegetation - small tufts of feathered grass, a desert herb with pretty creamy-green flowers, desert ‘dog’ or rat burrows and other stuff which caught my eye. We had plenty of time because we were staying late so we could see the crater as the sunset and the sky became dark.
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| Absolutely breathtaking and terrifying - magnificent! |
As the sky darkened the glow intensified. Absolutely awe-inspiring and terrifying - magnificent! Of course staying late meant that we didn't get back to town until after midnight rather shattered because of the hour but also because of the bone-jarring roads (which we are accustomed to of course but .......). What a day it had been! Our heads were abuzz so sleeping proved difficult as images kept flashing before our eyes.
Central Asia and the Caspian region represents the most concentrated mass of untapped wealth in the world. It is worth a visit! As a matter of interest we have managed to do this trip thanks to our wonderful travel agent, Bev Edwards, working with Sundowners Overland and the local agent in Turkmenistan, Ayan Travel - if you come you should ask for Atu as your guide. He is a walking encyclopaedia and a delightful attentive ambassador.
Next stop over the border to Mashhad, Iran .......
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