We took a 45 minute flight from Ashgabat to the city of Turkmenbashi, situated along the Caspian Sea. From there, our driver and guide picked us up. First, we stopped at the local bazaar in town to buy food and water for the overnight trip, then we began our four and a half hour drive through the desert to reach the painted canyon.
We made our way along the desert road. Our driver had to constantly dodge huge ruts and holes in the road, as well as navigate around whole sections of completely decayed road. In some cases, the road was completely buried under sand dunes.
Along the way, we stopped at a pilgrimage were Turkmen rest during their travels, saw wild camels and horses, and camped overnight at the painted canyon. I looked on in wonder at the massive painted canyon, and enjoyed chicken shashlik and hot tea. As a bonus, I had the chance to view the milky way galaxy in the early morning hours before sunrise, made possible by the fact there was no source of light in any direction.
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| Painted canyon region relative to Turkmenistan. |
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| Painted canyon region relative to Central Asia. |
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| The road ahead. Most the road was in terrible condition. It was not uncommon for large segments of the road to be completely deteriorated. In other areas, nature reclaimed the road. |
