Turkmenistan: From marble excess to fiery desert, the country's surreal, utterly over the top

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Visiting the reclusive nation of Turkmenistan is akin to stepping into a rabbit hole. A driver and guide are mandatory, interactions with locals are avoided. And the obligatory story at each stop is a cautiously rehearsed performance. Capital Ashgabat is constructed almost exclusively of white marble, and on its elegant roads only white cars are permitted.