Land Ahoy 4th May

The following morning we were treated to an all day breakfast, yes the one in the aluminium pouch as all food you provide yourself
It was very tasty with sausage, bacon, eggs and beans, lots of beans
Ok we arrive at the port in Turkmenistan and we have to wait 2 hours for the immigration authorities to come aboard and check our passports, then we are greeted with a welcome and we can unload the bikes. Surely this could not have been all we had to do.
Of course not it will take another 6 hours to get officially into Turkmenistan. Passports is stamped you then go to the cashier and pay $12 .Then go to a set of chairs and wait your turn for the department of transport who fill in a form, that you must keep with you all the time, where you are taxed for the fuel you will use on this route a further admin charge and disinfection. $90 please as the fuel is only 21p a litre.
Then form a queue again at the cashier to pay the extra dollars which really sounds very quick but we are talking here about and old soviet controlling state which has not changed and no computers.
So every cash exchange is recorded by hand in triplicate in three different books and you must sign all the copies and with 17 people, 13 motorcycles and one van, this is time consuming, oh and don’t forget the language barrier. Robert finally came to be very useful as being from Poland (former Soviet Union) he had learnt Russian when he was young
You will also notice that no pictures as yet again you are watched and the camera will be taken away and all picture deleted an you will be fined.
Finally early evening, we leave the port and head for the hotel and i am amazed at the number of people who come running to the side of the road to wave at you




You will notice standing in the backgroubd of my picture is a guy in a shirt and tie watching what we are taking picture of (security officer). However i did not stop someone nicking an Ortlieb waterproof bag off Michaels bike.
We have picked up a guide who must escort us along the whole route and his name is Max. He is always on the phone, chain smokes and was in the army for 9 years. We still think he is working for the government under the appearance that he belongs to an agency for travellers.

4427 miles –Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan