Yyldyz Hotel Buffet - Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is a uniquely weird country that feels like a little bit of the Truman Show and the Twilight Zone. It is dominated by one man (see here) and is what I imagine a country dominated by Donald Trump would be like if he had no opposition. When I hear the term "Trumpistan," as I have a few times, I think the comparison is to Turkmenistan. 

One of the most amazing hotels we've ever stayed in, the Yyldyz Hotel, was in Ashgabat, the capital city of Turkmenistan. It rests on a hill and in the evening its rotating color teardrop shape stands out for miles. It is the fourth largest structure in Turkmenistan, is 24 stories and has 155 rooms. 

The Yyldyz Hotel from a monument we visited. 

Blue light.

Green light.

Yellow light.

I believe our hotel room was the largest we've ever stayed in. It felt about half the size of our house. Unfortunately, we arrived late and left early in the morning. I would have loved several days there. 

The present leader of Turkmenistan loves horses.

The three photos are of art in our hotel room. 

We had a rushed buffet in the morning. It did not match the magnificence of the building,  or the uniqueness of the country, or some of the other hotel buffets we've had the opportunity to sample, but it was pretty nice.