Turkmen Splendor.
It is past the midway point of October, and the weather is only mildly cooler during the day than it was in the summer. Our air conditioning has been taken away from us, not to be seen again till some time next spring. That's what happens when your AC is centrally controlled by the building, not by unit.
It would be one thing if we were able to leave our windows open all the time- the wind we see on the 9th floor (late in the day when the sun is behind our building) is cool enough that the apartment is breezy and not that warm. The sandstorms, however, make it impossible for us to leave them open all the time. If you are in the apartment you can see them rolling in, across the city. It always looks like a big yellow cloud enveloping the city block by block. They're not really something you want to drive in, either.
We had another carpet/arts&crafts/ yard sale this past weekend. I ended up buying more gifts for home. We also picked up three more carpets for home. One for the baby's room, and two to hang on the walls. I do not expect that these will be the last carpets we buy while in Turkmenistan- they are one of the few really neat things to be purchased here. This is after all an amazing place to buy spices (hello saffron!), carpets, silk, handmade textiles, objects made with camel hair, giant fuzzy hats (sometimes of wool, sometimes not) and of course silver jewelry. I plan on making at least 1-2 more visits to New Talkuchka before heading stateside to deliver in order to purchase more gifts for family. I can't really get a decent deal in the nearby markets for silk bags because they will change the price in a heartbeat if I speak English. Which sucks, but there's nothing (aside from walking away from the vendor) that you can do.
This weekend we are heading out again to the Fire Crater. This trip, unlike the last time we visited, is work. I don't mind though- the place is worth seeing again even if I had to organize it as part of my job responsibilities. The week after, Halloween- which will be another work event, but fun! Next month, among other things, will be a trip to Nisa (which is just outside of town, and you can view on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites). No lolly-gagging around for me!
It would be one thing if we were able to leave our windows open all the time- the wind we see on the 9th floor (late in the day when the sun is behind our building) is cool enough that the apartment is breezy and not that warm. The sandstorms, however, make it impossible for us to leave them open all the time. If you are in the apartment you can see them rolling in, across the city. It always looks like a big yellow cloud enveloping the city block by block. They're not really something you want to drive in, either.
We had another carpet/arts&crafts/ yard sale this past weekend. I ended up buying more gifts for home. We also picked up three more carpets for home. One for the baby's room, and two to hang on the walls. I do not expect that these will be the last carpets we buy while in Turkmenistan- they are one of the few really neat things to be purchased here. This is after all an amazing place to buy spices (hello saffron!), carpets, silk, handmade textiles, objects made with camel hair, giant fuzzy hats (sometimes of wool, sometimes not) and of course silver jewelry. I plan on making at least 1-2 more visits to New Talkuchka before heading stateside to deliver in order to purchase more gifts for family. I can't really get a decent deal in the nearby markets for silk bags because they will change the price in a heartbeat if I speak English. Which sucks, but there's nothing (aside from walking away from the vendor) that you can do.
This weekend we are heading out again to the Fire Crater. This trip, unlike the last time we visited, is work. I don't mind though- the place is worth seeing again even if I had to organize it as part of my job responsibilities. The week after, Halloween- which will be another work event, but fun! Next month, among other things, will be a trip to Nisa (which is just outside of town, and you can view on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites). No lolly-gagging around for me!
Comments
Post a Comment