Arkadag: President, Protector and DJ

[topum]

Ok, we are trying to get a visa to visit Turkmenistan this summer on our way to Kamchatka. Oh my, I wonder why everyone keeps talking about North Korea but you never hear about Turkmenistan. I guess it is because they don't have nuclear weapons there. But it is up there with North Korea if not more bizarre. I am fascinated.

The visa is super hard to get though, they have over 90% rejection rate. I will have to write a separate post summarising my research on Turkmenistan now, the place sounds surreal. The president is called Arkadag which means "protector". They renamed the months of the year and they have the names of the (former) president's relatives now I think. I need a separate post for this.

Oh and "The Protector" likes to DJ too. Here he is. You might consider clapping enthusiastically while watching this, they tend to shoot everyone who doesn't.

Comments

[dreamsugar.livejournal.com]

It seems very interesting, and this is my first time hearing about the country. Cool tunes in the video. I'd say be careful when you go. I'm nervous just imagining it. Good luck obtaining your visa.

[topum.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Apparently it is not dangerous for visitors at all. They just restrict you quite a bit at what you can do there. And I am an experienced traveller. I have visited North Korea, a couple of tribal areas, etc.