I got to the Turkmen Embassy at about 9.30 and there was a large congregation of Mongol Ralliers.
Communication breakdown - we were supposed to be on a list which gave us acces to Turkmenbashi but the Azeri authorities would not let us on the boat without valid visas.
After protracted negotiation, we secured a validated copy of the list. We headed straight for the port.
What a dump!
Another diesel smelling series of sheds and rutted tracks, but, to our total shock, there was a boat waiting.
We knew we were being ripped off but we didn't care. We managed, after extensive paperwork, to get on. The hold was full of trains carrying granulated chemical products - this did not bode well. There was also an ice-cream van!!!!
The boat was pure post-communist mess - it was a tired out rust bucket with the ever-present diesel smell. Nothing fitted, nothing worked and the loos - well, lets just not go there.
All seemed well, dinner at 8, there were supplies (we had been led to believe it was BYO).
We sailed at 5 in very strong winds. After the stern had scraped half of the dock wall off.
All seemed well.
At 8 we ate! Then, the sound of an anchor and the engines stopped. We managed to ascertain that the ship would have to stay put for 48 hours until the wind died down - I was in dispair.
I went to bed early praying for calm.
Communication breakdown - we were supposed to be on a list which gave us acces to Turkmenbashi but the Azeri authorities would not let us on the boat without valid visas.
After protracted negotiation, we secured a validated copy of the list. We headed straight for the port.
What a dump!
Another diesel smelling series of sheds and rutted tracks, but, to our total shock, there was a boat waiting.
We knew we were being ripped off but we didn't care. We managed, after extensive paperwork, to get on. The hold was full of trains carrying granulated chemical products - this did not bode well. There was also an ice-cream van!!!!
The boat was pure post-communist mess - it was a tired out rust bucket with the ever-present diesel smell. Nothing fitted, nothing worked and the loos - well, lets just not go there.
All seemed well, dinner at 8, there were supplies (we had been led to believe it was BYO).
We sailed at 5 in very strong winds. After the stern had scraped half of the dock wall off.
All seemed well.
At 8 we ate! Then, the sound of an anchor and the engines stopped. We managed to ascertain that the ship would have to stay put for 48 hours until the wind died down - I was in dispair.
I went to bed early praying for calm.
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