I am the god of Hellfire and I bring you..........* Turkmenistan

Those of a certain age will remember the opening lyrics.**

After that long bumpy drive through the sand blown desert, we arrived at the gates of hell, bit disappointed that there was no horned devil to greet me, just a gang of blokes preparing our over night camp. So time for a wander leaving them and the sweet smell of dead sheep roasting over an open BBQ, and the beer chilling in the ice box.

To say that in the daylight it was quite underwhelming would be an understatement

So returning to the camp to feast before the sunset and the real fun begins. The trek back was fine, only about half a mile through the sand dunes.

Now we are talking adventure.

Why? because that gentle uphill stroll through the loose sand, navigable in the falling daylight, became a hope for the best stumble in the darkness, and stumble I jolly well did!
More than once ending on my arse.

Darvaza Crater, known as “The Gates of Hell”, or other similar “hellfire” variation is the site of a 1971 industrial accident; turned fortuitously into a popular world renowned tourist attraction.

The crater was “created” when a Soviet drilling rig collapsed into an underground cavern. It caused a massive gas leak and the collapse apparently caused the deaths of at least a couple of shepherds who were camping nearby.

To fix the gas leak, the same brilliant Soviet engineers decided to light the pit on fire, calculating that the gas would burn off in a “few days”.

Well my friends, some 40+ years later and I can confirm that yup, it’s still burning.

There was no elf n safety, restricting where you could or could not walk, guess it depends upon how risk averse one is and your tolerance to fucking bloody heat that radiated outwards.

Outside of Ashgabat, there not be a lot for a traveller to see let alone a tacky tourist. Turkmenistan is 70% desert so this can probably, quite rightfully claim to be Turkmenistan’s most visited attraction; this despite the fact it is literally a hole on fire in a desert and apart from a few yurts is totally undeveloped. Now c'mon if this was Yankmenistan there would be hotels, motels, billboards with neon arrows shouting “Visit the gates of hell, come off at the next exit!have a nice day y'all.”

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, the current President visited back in 2010. He reportedly thought that it was a “waste of gas” and ordered it filled in.
But
It's still burning bright in the night sky.

Now to stumble back

It was too fucking hot to sleep in a yurt, no through draught made it feel like I was stuck on that crater. So under the moon on top of the sand I go, pillow for my head and a sheet for company. Morning comes and I had slept the sleep of the just; maybe the scorpions, spiders and desert foxes gave me a miss and had other things to chew on.
Everything is better done with a sense of adventure?

**The Crazy World of Arthur Brown 1968

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