New Years day was our last in Ashgabat before heading onward to Madrid. We met up with our friend for lunch and some last minute shopping. On a whim I asked to borrow her cell phone to check our reservation. That’s when I discovered that United had canceled my ticket on Turkish Airlines.
You heard that right. Ticket canceled. With our departure scheduled for the following morning, this was a problem. To make matters worse, the Turkish Airlines office in Ashgabat was closed, the city’s internet cafés were closed, and the long distance rate to the US was ~$15/minute. Even if I could get a UA agent on the line in the wee hours of January 1st, there’s no way I was shelling out that kind of money for a phone call.
Just when it seemed like we’d have to show up at the airport and hope for the best, our friend had an epiphany. She works at an international organization in the city, and the computer in her office had Skype. Hurrah! As expected UA’s US call center was closed, but the UK line only took two rings before someone picked up. The agent confirmed the error and reissued my ticket – the only problem was she could only get the ASB-IST leg in economy. I was so relieved at that point I didn’t care. With my MileagePlus account now showing the new itinerary, I could enjoy my last day in Turkmenistan.
Getting back into a car near our friend's office. In response to my attempt to take a picture without the guard noticing, our friend remarked "If you don't want people to think you're a spy, don't act like a spy."
Our final drive past the Stargate during our last night in Turkmenistan
Sure enough, before sunrise the next morning when we got to the lobby of the hotel, our STANTOURS driver was waiting. The drive back to the airport was just as surreal this time as it was when we arrived. Ashgabat really is a beautiful city in the dark. The gigantic, uniquely designed buildings and liberal use of LED lights give it a kind of post-Soviet Las Vegas feel.