Want To Go To The “Roof Of The World”?
Well, you are looking at it! It’s a truly incredible place, and while I haven’t been there, it’s just one of the places on my wish list…would you go here?
I’ll tell you where it’s located in a moment, but since we are full on into #wanderlust, how about taking a fun trip to a glass beach?
Or perhaps you just want to see a place known subtly as the “gates of hell!” If that’s the case, here are 3 unique places that I want to visit, so I know you must as well!
Welcome To Turkmenistan’s “Gates Of Hell!”
OK, you all know how much I love to travel – and the world is an amazing place, with new things to discover every day – like the country of Turkmenistan, and their “Gates Of Hell!”
AKA “Door To Hell”!
Amazing natural wonders often go by many names, and that is especially true in Turkmenistan.
Yes, there is a country called Turkmenistan, and I will happily tell you where it is, because that is where the “door to hell” exists!
Check out this video:
As reported in Newser:
“A fiery pit has been burning in the middle of a Turkmenistan desert for more than four decades, and little has been done to get rid of it. The Darvaza gas crater, nicknamed the “Gates of Hell” or the “Door to Hell,” has been on fire since 1971, when scientists were looking for oil fields in the Karakum Desert, then part of the Soviet Union. The spot where they began drilling turned out to be a haven for natural gas—and the site collapsed under the weight of the drilling gear, Smithsonian magazine reports.”
The story goes on to report:
“Several craters were formed, the biggest of which is 230 feet wide and 65 feet deep, and it was full of methane gas that began killing local animals. So scientists decided to burn the gas away, a common practice when unwanted natural gas is sticking around. They thought it would be gone in a few weeks; now, more than 40 years later, it’s still burning, and experts aren’t sure how much gas remains.”
Still, it gives locals the chance to take cool pictures like this:
That’s right, adventure travelers can stay in tents and view the site – the internet is full of pictures of tourist silhouettes around the crater.
The internet is also full of THESE!
Monster Spiders!
Yes, the article points out that there are “huge and largely harmless spiders” that hang out nearby the crater….they must enjoy the warmth and it helps them grow grow and grow some more…enjoy!
Welcome To Turkmenistan!
So, where exactly IS this place? Well, Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest, and the Caspian Sea to the west.
Check it out here:
And It’s The Marble Building Capital Of The World!
One more thing you can see in Turkmenistan – marble! Yes, they LOVE marble there – click here to see the rest of the story about this unique country, where they have an airport shaped like a Falcon:
While you are in the area, why not head to Russia’s Ussuri Bay:
Yes, it’s a beach that is actually glass! Here is where it’s located:
OK, it’s kind of tucked away in the corner of the world, but imagine watching long this!
Click here to see more pictures and to find out how this glass beach came to be:
And finally, why not take a train to the “roof of the world”? Here’s where it is:
The terrific Travel Writer Paul Theroux did just that, and he wrote a great book about it as well:
He recounts a wild and fascinating trip, which is worth it because at some point you end up on the “roof of the world”:
I loved this book – it’s full of history, spectacle and misadventures – see about it here:
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Categories: Books / Media, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, nature, Pop Culture, Real Estate, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
There’s also another place called ‘Hell’, which we visited when on a Caribbean cruise. These days I prefer to be an armchair traveller. I like to read blogs where people have travelled to different places, but have no wish to actually see them for myself.
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Who wouldn’t want to visit the Roof of the World? I wonder if the glass along the glass beach is smoothed by the ocean. And that fiery pit- what a shame it happened, but what beauty. Great post, John.
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Yes I believe the glass “rocks” are smoothed by the very cold water there! Thanks for the comment!
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Thanks, John!
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I feel like I could spend the rest of my life on that glass beach 🙂
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I have been to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan when they were still in the Soviet Union. I never got to Turkmenistan though. (Or the other places featured. )
I would really recommend seeing Samarkand, and walking in the footsteps of Marco Polo. It is a fascinating place. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samarkand
Best wishes, Pete.
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The world is a wonderful place, indeed. But it seems to me it needs a great deal more nature . . . and more genetically engineered creatures. I’d like to see dragons inhabiting the planet, one day . . . and griffins, and vampires, and . . .
Come visit my blog, and leave some comments, if you like
http://www.catxman.wordpress.com
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yes to all except for the gates of hell, and no way do I want to hang out with those monster spiders. I do hope that you two go, though, and give us a full report –
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Amazing places.
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My wife and I plan a big vacation every year and this part of the world is on my list…of course, pending issues int he area being stable…thanks for the comment!
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I don’t know how different it is now from what it was under the Soviets, but it wasn’t too civilized – just a word of warning.
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