When it comes to welcoming foreign tourists, Turkmenistan is close to the bottom of the list. It was hard enough to get visas in the first place, and when we did, they were only good for 5 days. Now broken down with serious car problems, we have to try to convince officials to give us more time.
Breaking down
Just plain weird
Culture clash
An eye-opening experience
Not what we expected
First there were a series of terrorist attacks in Istanbul and Ankara and a threat from Kurdish separatists vowing to target Turkey's tourism industry to inflict economic harm. Then an attempted military coup followed by a government crackdown on dissent. As we followed the news in the months leading up to our planned drive across Turkey, it was easy to feel nervous and uncertain about just what we would encounter.
The real rally begins
Mad dash across Europe
Hitting the road
So far I've told you about the massive amount of preparation this trip required, from planning our route to securing visas, getting vaccinations to buying a car and learning to drive stick. On my latest podcast, I pick up where I left off, on the day last summer when we finally embarked on our journey!
For a good cause
As my brother and I have spent the past several months driving 11,000 miles across Europe and Asia, those of you following us on Facebook and Instagram have seen what a fun and crazy adventure it's been. But while we've been going to all these places, meeting interesting people, and having incredible experiences along the way that we'll likely remember for the rest of our lives, we've also been trying to make a difference, raising money for several great charities whose work we support.