Day 54. Ashgabat - Mary
We got up early, met our guide in the lobby, gobbled down a couple of small croissants and a boiled egg and hit the road. We motored out of Ashgabat just as the sun was appearing over the horizon. They sweep the roads around here so much they are shiny. It feels coolish at 27C. After a few km we had our first stop to view an ancient mausoleum which had been pretty well destroyed in the 1948 earthquake. Apparently it measured over 9 on the Richter scale, these mud brick building stood no chance. There are still beliefs pertaining to this place, an old lady was sitting in the steps with her beads going and then a group of young women arrived and wandered around the ruins. Apparently if your baby is overdue or you can’t find a mate then a visit to this place will do the trick. None of them looked to be with child so I can only assume it was the latter. I chugged down my 3rd bottle of water for the day and we were off again. Next was to a caravanserai which dated to the 3r...