In Bukhara, the day before we left the country, we asked around how much a shared taxi to the border (ca. 150 km) would cost. Starting prices were as high as 50 USD, but went down to 30 USD after another tiring negotiation.
Luckily, we had no need for a taxi the next morning as there was a cheap marschrutka taking us to Olot for 2000 som each (less than 2 USD)... In Olot, we took a taxi for the remainder of our sums: an overpriced 8000 sum but there was little option but to take it. Reaching the actual Uzbek border post at Farab involved walking across 2 km of desert, doable on an October morning but still quite hot.
The Uzbek customs was a bit slow but easy enough: we filled out a customs declaration, copying the information of the sheet we filled out when entering. Our details were noted down by another official and we got our exit stamps: that was that.
Another 15 minute walk brought us to the Turkmen border post: a very helpful, surprisingly friendly and straightforward business. We filled out some forms, handed over our passports for inspection and were asked to pay 10 USD entry fee and 2 USD bank fee - some sort of institutionalised bribery, but we got our entry stamps in no time.
It was an easy crossing, but the onward transportation was a bit more problematic. We took a taxi for 10 USD each, which we tought was going to Ashgabat (600 km) - a good and reasonable deal we thought, as gas is dirt cheap in Turkmenistan. When we were in the car however, and about 2 km down the road, we were told the car was only going to Turkmenabat (30 km) for that price. Confusion, some disagreements with the Russian co-passengers but we decided to stay in the car and see what would happen.
Upon arriving, we payed 10 USD for the two of us, still too much but in that kind of situation, you often have little choice...
October 9, 2008
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