Lazy Sunday

Rest Day in Mary
August 31st
0km

I was woken at 7am by a hotel employee returning my laundry. 7am on my rest day!!! To make matters worse, it was SOAKING wet, half of it was missing, and she didn't speak any English. After a few calls to the front desk and a lot of gesturing, I got everything sorted out. Everything was returned at 5pm...dry this time. (Except for my cycling shorts, which hold water like sponges. I hung them outside to dry – the one benefit of the heat here.)

The only internet cafe in town is closed on weekends, so I'll have to wait until we leave Turkmenistan to get online. Nicole found a phone center and made a call back to Australia for the bargain price of US$4 per minute. She had to pay in advance, and give them her passport, and tell them the phone number...all of which was recorded.

Went to the local bazaar, which had a lot of parents with there small children going back-to-school shopping. Colorful notebooks, pens, and backpacks were on display – exactly like they would be back home.

I skipped Paul's tour of the Merv ruins and spent most of the day reading in my air conditioned hotel room. Washed my bike around 6pm, once the sun had lost some of its power.

Hard to believe that August is over. I moved out of residence on May 7th and have been traveling ever since. Started cycling with Al more than 3 months ago! Less than 3 weeks until we enter China...the last country of the trip!

Bright fabrics in the local market. The women here love to wear bright clothes:

The local market:

Small statue of a Turkman in the central sqaure: