Netherlands - The fortress of Bourtange
Foto: The Gas Crater (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Turkmenistan - We quickly set off towards the gas crater. The road, by Turkmen standards, is good—a wide asphalt road without lane markings. Every now and then, the asphalt is cracked or has large potholes. We’re becoming quite skilled at avoiding the holes. As we drive deeper into the Karakum desert, the sun continues to set lower and lower. Will we arrive at the crater on time? To the left of the road lies a smaller crater filled with water. A few hundred meters away is a second crater where fire burns at the bottom—a preview of the gas crater. When we enter a village and take a sandy path, it proves quite challenging for the motorcyclists. They slip and slide along the way. On the return, Wilco gets stuck—his rear axle is buried in the sand. Chamrat pulls him out with the car. Maybe the road to the crater is too difficult to drive. As an alternative, the motorcyclists might have to leave their bikes behind and get into Chamrat’s car. At the turnoff, we decide to give it a try. We drive the sandy track with the Land Rover, carefully following the trail. Occasionally there are multiple tracks, but all lead to the crater. Seven kilometers later, we arrive at the crater. We already see other tourists standing at the crater’s edge. How amazing to see a seventy-meter-wide crater burning. Heat radiates from the hole. We’ve just made it in time for sunset. The motorcyclists also manage to reach the crater. There were some bad, sandy sections, but without falling, they made it. Quite an achievement. The crater was formed in 1971 when a gas-filled cave collapsed during drilling. They decided to burn off the gas to prevent toxic gases from escaping, expecting it to burn out within a few days. Forty-five years later, the fire still burns. Especially after sunset, the fire becomes even more visible. From a small hill, we have a beautiful view as darkness slowly falls. Stunning! Meanwhile, Chamrat has set up the campsite, made a fire, and is preparing chicken drumsticks. I end the evening on the hill, watching the fire and chatting with the other tourists.
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