Day 24: Turkmenabat to Ashgabad (Turkmenistan)

It’s going to be a long day with over 600Km to cover on roads, we hear, are not absolutely fantastic.  We have a relatively late starting time. To give more time to the slower cars the Organization has set the starting times according to the total times achieved to date.  The result is that we are starting in 58th position. The problem is that we’re decently placed in the rankings because we have broken little not because we are fast. Our cruising speed of about 70-80Kph, in fact, is close to our maximum speed of 90Kph.  Most of the cars, even those of our era, can cruise at speeds far higher than ours, some well above 120Kph.  As expected soon after leaving Turkmenabat we are overtaken by the Bentleys, Lagondas, Alvises and even by the 1920 Vauxhall.  Later however we see the Vauxhall on the roadside with its front wheels no longer parallel, evidence of a steering arm problem mechanics are already there so we just wave and move on.

It’s hot and getting hotter.   I consider taking my leather jacket off but like Mattia, decide that it’s probably better to keep it on as a protection from the sun as to keep my body’s humidity inside.  We cross a semi-desert area which soon turns into a fully fledged desert with sand dunes etc.