Ashgabat, Turkmenistan + St. Pete Beach, Florida
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Alison is obsessed with her air humidifier, after her doctor informed her that her A/C and fan combo at night is probably drying out her nasal passages, causing her current respiratory troubles.
Lulu is obsessed with Nora Jean, her dog she shares with her ex, and she gets to have her with her right now! 3/4 Great Pyrenees, 1/4 Border Collie… she’s a big girl with a big heart, and Lulu is loving this down time with her dog.
Alison is wishing for a lymphatic massage. We’ve researched a lot of massage treatments as we’ve imagination spent money on spa treatments all over the world, and now it’s time for some irl manifestation. Alison’s health could use a boost, and she thinks the lymphatic massage is the way to go!
Lulu is wishing for the personal cooler that Alison was obsessed with last week.
Alison has “been” to Turkmenistan before, very near this week’s destination of Ashgabat, actually. In an episode title “Door To Hell.” she spent a day in Derweze, Turkmenistan, a desert village about three hours north of Ashgabat. That trip she slept in a plane and danced with the devil, so to speak, but this week she is more into weird history, weird nature, and weird food. Ashgabat is weird, if by weird you mean repressed, strange, or extreme. Despite the harsh climate (both ecologically and socioeconomically speaking), Alison is going to make the most out of her day!
Alison is basing her adventures in Ashgabat at the Ýyldyz Hotel. (Here’s a pronunciation, we had to listen a few times and are still not quite there!) It means star in Turkmen, as in the cosmic light source or a celebrity, the latter of which you will feel just like when booking this awe-inspiring accommodation. It is a spectacular building, the pool is breathtaking, and the amenities are divine! Alison has booked the Presidential Suite Room, which is really several rooms, including a bedroom, living room, dining area, and bathroom, with views of the capital!
Breakfast is going to be at Merdem, the same place she had dinner while visiting Derweze. It seems like they are mostly known for their exceptional catering services but you are able to dine there as well. In fact, they have individual dining yurts, each outfitted with traditional decor and furniture. Alison samples a fe traditional dishes in addition to the continental pastry/coffee combo, specifically palaw and traditional manty.
Alison’s discovery of The Walk of Health is what inspired her to call this day - and this place - weird. This “walk” and much of the capital was the brainchild of the longstanding totalitarian president Saparmurat Niyazov, who became famous for the weird laws he instated, like his ban on dogs, lip-syncing in concerts, and the circus. That is all fun and games comparatively to the true tyranny of his reign. A profile on him in the New Yorker reported disturbing control over citizens and a country cut off from the world. During his 15-year-reign in the capital city, he would require that every year all government and civil service officers walk the 22-mile paved walkway alongside a treeless mountain. As in, no shade in this incredibly harsh climate. He would be at the start of the walk, but would then ride a helicopter to join them at the finish. Apparently after the walk, many people would end up in the hospital with heat stroke. Quite the health walk huh?
This gave Alison an idea on how to creatively spend her $10,000 here in Ashgabat. While President Saparmurat Niyazov is deceased and this walk is no longer required, Alison decides to make some “additions” to the walk for any that embark on the endeavor. She buys 15-ft patio umbrellas to install at every mile marker, and is going to have 500 medals at the end with “I didn’t take the Helicopter” engraved on them. An imaginary kudos to all who willingly complete the walk once mandated by - in Alison’s words - “that crazy ruler dude”.
Next Alison heads to Turkmenbashi’s Land of Fairy Tales, Turkemenistan’s answer to Disneyland, if the question was how can you trade the whimsy for weird? It cost 50 million to build, yet seems to not be in the best of shape. There are rides that resemble more of a carnival than an amusement park, faceless animal statues, and just a general ambiance of “huh?”. According to Alison’s research, this place is weird… which of course means she’s going!
Next is a visit to the Ýyldyz Hotel Spa, where she spends a grand indulging in the infrared sauna, balneotherapy pool, salt grotto, and snow shower, as well as a massage!
For some “weird” food Alison heads to Minara. It occupies two floors of a shopping centre, with a rooftop lounge with incredible views! According to a USA Today article, the menu is one of this restaurant's biggest draws with dishes like squirrel salad, fish hedgehogs and English cakes with brains making the cut. Alison understands it to be Indian and European cuisine, and is most interested in the wine cart that comes around to the tables offering wine… and a fish pairing.
Seeing as how Ashgabat holds the Guinness World Record for having the highest density of white marble buildings, she wants something marble to remember her time by. She also happens to have over $2500 of her budget left, so she buys this Serena Fanara marble bowl from Artemest as a souvenir of sorts.
We’ve done Saint Petersburg - aka St. Pete - before here on 10K Dollar Day, way back in our ninth episode: Flexible for the Flirtatious! In fact, it was even a “staycation”, just like this week’s! Except last time it was Alison doing the lounging in place, and this week it’s Lulu’s turn to loaf-and-leisure at home.
If of course by “home” we mean the Don CeSar Hotel. $5,000 is getting Lulu two nights at “the ‘Pink Palace’ of St. Pete Beach” in the Penthouse Bayside Suite, a two-story suite with stunning with views of Boca Ciega Bay 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a kitchenette, and a balcony with fire pit.
She is leaving the hotel - just for a little bit - to grab a brunch of Benedicts and Bellinis at The Library, a restaurant at John Hopkins’ All Children’s Hospital.
Lulu is going to spend her staycation at the pool! The Don CeSar pool is gorgeous, and she is more than ready for some fun in the sun! She’s got a Chanel Deauville Tote as he beach bag, Unicorn Snot biodegradeable glitter sunscreen, a hat with SPF 50+ protection fabric under the brim from Hemlock Hat Co., a wearable UV sensor, and anything else she decides to bring from our arsenal of previously purchased beach-or-pool paraphenalia.
Lulu hires a somewhat suspect Craigslist driver to drive her around and run errands. She’s going to want some food brought to her from some local-ish businesses. She’s thinking Cappy’s Pizza and Evos for some healthy fast food will be the way to go throughout her day. For a post-pool day activity Lulu rents out an entire movie theater through AMC.
Once she hits that bed on this day-off she is straight chilling, not getting up for A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Whether its for her favorite post-pool-afternoon-nap or bedtime…to make her day really cozy and the not-getting-up possible, Lulu has purchased the Bearaby Knitted Wighted Blanket and a bedside carafe. That’s all folks! Hope you enjoyed this staycation inspiration!
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
The Edible Peace Patch Project
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