World’s weirdest country

[@irlSwampy]

"it's got this weird and eerie feeling" it's called a dictatorship ☠️

[@majohladky3249]

Clean streets.... What a terrible country

[@Kepler10b]

True but where is everyone? Even Pyongyang has ppl in it, those who are approved to be there but still. This place looks even more empty

[@artebax9966]

​@@majohladky3249🧠🤏

[@MegaAtOh]

you're the same person who accepted years of lockdown.walked around with your face covered 😷😷😷😷and took an idiot juice 💉💉💉💉💉because *democracy*

[@randomdudeplayingrandomthings]

​@@majohladky3249 Brother it's because no one can live there. Whether it be prices or they aren't allowed to.

[@SeventhGod77]

Bro went to a dictatorship surveillance state and said “loved it despite the eerie feeling”.

[@Cb22075]

lmaoooooooooo X-D

[@yaelz]

😂😂😂

[@napoleonicprussiaball]

Ngl would be pretty cool to travel to some dystopian dictatorship n shiet

[@bigbk3278]

@@napoleonicprussiaballno

[@tylcouli7207]

Come to canada

[@miklosholloszabo]

Let's be clear... It's nice but disgusting. It's a horrible dictatorship where the people are suffering

[@thomasandrewclifford]

If a population suffers in a country, but no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

[@jjackieo31]

What people 😅

[@Agape122]

Where are the people thou?

[@thomasandrewclifford]

@@Agape122 a lot of bad dictatorships will essentially create small tourist towns that are uninhabited for the most part and they essentially escort tourists through. North Korea is the most infamous example.

[@Agape122]

@@thomasandrewclifford aah wow! It is for them to not see what happens with the actual inhabited places? What a waist of money to create such luxury hotels etc, keep employees there and all that to just make a show!

[@DesusChristus]

guy witnesses a strict dictatorship first hand “i loved my time here so far“

[@RikaMakara]

The naivety of his privilege. 🤮

[@LalalandLizzy]

Spoken from the privilege of knowing he’ll be leaving.

[@dolphsantitho5301]

🤣🤣

[@merrygrammarian1591]

They made him say that

[@QAZ-OMEN]

To be fair. I've had enough of the people in my country. A place with no people would feel like a dream.

[@Dschannel7]

Turkmenistan is just a better version of North Korea

[@joeabosssands2481]

We have more freedom nowadays then you silly democrat voting Americans

[@appleeyefunkky]

lol😂

[@MS.independent8934]

Oooh really

[@manciamusic]

The city's architecture and art is based on sun worshiping and Freemasonry principles. This city is supposed to be the city where the new prophet that going to unite all religions will reside . AKA Antichrist

[@sattasana7753]

I see

[@RaccoonNation]

“The cars are all ordered to be white” Ahh I see the Dictator has OCD.

[@FUNKY_BUTTLOVIN]

The president had a dream that informed him that, like a black cat crossing your path, having a black car cross your path generates bad luck, and untold mountains of bad luck were constantly being created, every time a black car crossed anyone's path. They went out and just towed off all the black cars, forcing their owners to pay far too much to have them painted white in order to get them back. Presumably, whichever oligarch got fatter off of that car-painting contract persuaded the president to then go down the line with every other car color, taking all cars and holding them ransom, to be painted white at exorbitant rates, until they'd painted every car in the country white.

[@suspicioussand]

​@@FUNKY_BUTTLOVIN how can someone that stupid have so much power, like this is just ridiculous ☠️

[@asteroidrules]

​​@@FUNKY_BUTTLOVINWhich dictator was the one who made that decision? Turkmenistan has had three since gaining independence and they've all been insane in different ways. Nyazov declared that he decides who gets into heaven, banned hospitals and libraries outside of the capital city, and renamed most of the country after either himself or his mother; while his successor Berdimuhamedow was sexually obsessed with horses and Guinness world records, and released a rap song where he rhymed Turkmenistan with Turkmenistan; and they're currently in the process of transferring power to Berdimuhamedow's son who will presumably be no less despotic and weird.

[@RLucas3000]

@@asteroidrulesthe car thing was pretty recent, so horse guy? This among man other things is just the reason there is no God. It’s a (sometimes) nice myth, but that’s it. Is there some way to arrange a war between Turkmenistan and North Korea?

[@katrinajones9823]

😂

[@Pseudocilicia]

Dude did the bare minimum on researching where he was going.

[@tainadelcaribe]

He’s probably keeping it low key and not calling them out, so he doesn’t burn the “bridge” and can go back. Also, some influencers rather not touch on this type of subject to avoid backlash and to not be labeled as “problematic”.

[@TheAilmam]

I mean he's travelling. Not making a documentary and finding people's fault. He's still healthy and living, what more do you want?

[@ShortFuseMan]

Let’s be real; bro wasn’t tryna get political here. His objective was to simply share the travel experience, lol. He doesn’t intend for us to be ignorant of the truth‥… He just knows discussing it isn’t for this video.

[@user-qn6dn1ht4j]

I already have a "gas creator",

[@pastorbee9939]

He probably knew exactly where he was going but wanted to see it firsthand~

[@sprites4ever482]

The previous ruler of Turkmenistan was the most cartoonish dictator imaginable. The current guy is his dentist, who got the position after the previous guy died from a heart attack outside the capital. (He banned all doctors from working outside the capital.)

[@thedigitalodometer945]

I thought the current guy was the previous ruler’s son?

[@sprites4ever482]

@@thedigitalodometer945 Maybe the son of the dentist?

[@AHandele3546]

Shit keeps getting crazier

[@suspicioussand]

​@@thedigitalodometer945 maybe the real son was the dentist we made along the way

[@mantisbrains]

Lol,this is funny

[@lucasrobbins2705]

My dude has NO survival instincts. "Nobody around? No contact with the outside world? Under constant supervision? Huh, so weird."

[@mhug162]

Survival? Lmao they aren’t killing tourists for nothing. It ain’t Kampuchea

[@user-lk4ge3ns2g]

​@@tazepatates4805 for the same reason they care about making giant luxurious city

[@corpsehandler5321]

it's giving white guys in horror movies

[@squibbelsmcjohnson]

Lmao😂😂 or he is paid for this

[@lburkesf86]

Well, they have a guide with them at all times.

[@stevememc8160]

"Tourists who do visit are under requirements to have a guide with you at all times" that just explains it all

[@NH-hp2nn]

I wonder why they need a guide at all times?

[@thorr18BEM]

@@NH-hp2nnsame reason for all the restrictions in N Korea. A true dystopia.

[@NH-hp2nn]

@@thorr18BEM and what are the reasons for that one? I’m not aware.

[@thorr18BEM]

@@NH-hp2nn North Korea's regime uses isolation, indoctrination, and repression to maintain control and protect its propaganda and ideology. North Koreans are not allowed to leave the country without the government's permission, and leaving without permission is punishable by death. Visitors are likewise not allowed to enter the real parts of the country where exists more than just the fiction put on by the regime. They can not take unapproved photographs and smuggle them out of the country because it gives the rest of the world a window into how evil things are there. They can not talk to the general populace because that would break the isolation which is key to control.

[@ethansprague2005]

​@NH-hp2nn some dictatorships want to avoid any chance of any information of what is going on inside to leak, so they do every measure possible to prevent it. North Korea happens to suck at it because we know about a lot more than we know about turkmenistan

[@thefearmongerofficial420]

_describes a horrifying dictatorship_ Yo, this place is so sick. Maybe a bit eerie but...

[@armingleiner5292]

You havent been there. There is nothing horrifying about it.

[@yukine6327]

I am from Turkmenistan and let me tell you this. All those KZbinrs always go to the most far away places that locals don't visit. But truth is that there are plenty people in Ashgabat. They just don't show u this because it will ruin the "mysterious" image. Go visit local bazars and markets u will see so many people. And he also visited it in winter when locals definitely don't go for the cave pool or Darwaza

[@wendyamsterdam8482]

You left?

[@yukine6327]

​@@wendyamsterdam8482nope I live in the capital

[@MsZephyra]

I thought you wouldn't have internet access??

[@fleurelise997]

​@@MsZephyra Clearly the people do. Not everything you see in videos is entirely true.

[@leeroyjenkins323]

​@@MsZephyradon't be naive

[@ljss6805]

If y'all are wondering, Tuekmenistan is basically the Soviet version of North Korea. I dated a girl from Turkmenistan and she was traumatized, always being afraid we were being watched and surveilled (we were in NYC).

[@saltandsriracha]

I feel this way too. But I'm from Canada. 💀

[@ljss6805]

@@saltandsriracha And yet, you have the freedom of typing that comment and specifying where you live. So, you clearly have freedom.

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

​@@ljss6805 little more freedom

[@ljss6805]

@@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman Incomparably more. The Canadian government's protection of others from bigotry is the championing of freedom, not censure. It's like saying your country isn't really free because you can't speed without getting a ticket or shoot someone on the street without being arrested. Give me a break.

[@andrewcall8961]

If you had a cell phone on you, you were being followed and watched

[@deathblade8107]

"President" My brother in christ that's a dictator

[@TheTioram]

True that man doesn’t deserve the veneer of legitimacy. You cannot polish a turd

[@coc235]

That's just your opinion. His official title is president.

[@Arnavkadam9966]

​@@coc235 I mean hea acting like a dictator

[@justincase5002]

@@coc235 There are absolutely no dictators in the world by your statement because a dictator is not an official title since like 100BC. Turkmenistan being a dictatorship is not just someone's opinion, it's a scientific (historical) fact.

[@coc235]

@@justincase5002 This doesn't make calling him president wrong

[@CheerKelcieWale]

Their president has also forbid women to get any kinds of beauty treatments, like lips, nails, eyebrows, also using taxi alone and many many more. This was super insane and rapid change, not something that changed during the years, but literally in a day! This is crazy to see especially for me (I’m from former ussr country), and all these countries were developing under the lookalike laws at that time. Which makes the whole concept of Turkmenistan law super scary, because how Baltic states are super progressive European states with freedom and greatly developed democracy, and on the other hand there is Turkmenistan where they have these sudden changes and some groups of citizens are very limited in their rights.

[@friedawells6860]

Honestly this is a communist dictatorship where you could be imprisoned and executed just for being suspected of disagreeing with the authorities. No nail treatments is one of the most minor things that they are subjected to and I think most women there might no be able afford it if it were legal

[@littlegirllost2654]

Does Putin have his eyes on the country?

[@thatonetitan8456]

No beauty treatments or plastic surgery? Based.

[@pihermoso11]

​@@littlegirllost2654 Russia tried to conquer every country ending in stan except Pakistan, they wanted to include in the USSR Tajikistan Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Azerbaijan and Afghanistan, USSR collapsed before they could get them

[@hakooplayplay3212]

There are Second class citizens in Latvia... So democratic and progressive 😂

[@raviolibirb8009]

Turkmenistan is basically just less popular version of North Korea

[@diyac9554]

“Popular swimming hole” … but no one else is there!

[@salehmohamedal-olofi196]

Exactly ! How can it be popular when nobody's there ?

[@MindfulMatters734]

Yeah he has a weird definition of 'popular'.

[@rickwrites2612]

​@@MindfulMatters734 Im sure he was told it was popular, or it's listed as being popular. It's also possible it is popular only at a certain time or holiday

[@user-wj9jm1ox8i]

@@rickwrites2612yeah they probably intentionally showed him the least popular places hence no people

[@Rose-qw2eb]

Someone once told me... "Listen to what people say... for they will always Tell on themselves!" ~ real wisdom

[@sumuqh]

“Popular swimming hole” Popular among whom ?

[@netta96]

Ikr

[@corpsehandler5321]

ghosts, probably

[@squibbelsmcjohnson]

The "president".... That was hilarious 😂

[@re_loyola]

The camels

[@SWOONYMOONY]

Thats a minecraft cave 😭

[@user-ro7cn3hy4q]

Soon as he said "its a weird and eerie feeling" the video goes off 😂😂

[@jessicagalvin4598]

The architecture is gorgeous. It’s like a twilight zone story. Pristine and beautiful but empty and haunting.

[@1003JustinLaw]

People share N. Korea horror stories because there are actually more people that visits N. Korea than Turkmenistan. People who break the rules in N. Korea goes through shit but stories do make it back out to the West. People who break the rules in Turkmenistan just disappear because there won't be anyone to tell the story.

[@never_give_up90]

Yep! People can disappear anywhere in those areas but camera man never dies!

[@ivann129]

Belarus

[@john.premose]

Sounds like florida

[@never_give_up90]

@@ivann129 what about Belarus?

[@Alexandra_Indina]

​@@never_give_up90Belarus is a dictatorship. That's it.

[@kathy2940]

However, it is common knowledge that Turkmenistan is an extremely repressive country led by a dictatorship that has been widely criticized for its human rights record.

[@RetroRift.]

It's not common knowledge, because I didnt know, but still this place looks pretty nice to live in, you can even record it so I am impressed

[@Abeahdieheoidjdhksowwjjw]

@@RetroRift.it’s beautiful but suffers under a bad government kinda like most countries in the world

[@studio107bgallery4]

Worse than the United States?

[@rgCA_01123]

​@@studio107bgallery4 look up Yeonmi Park's story. It's horrific.

[@TheMavosa]

​@@studio107bgallery4 if you believe the US is on the same level as this type of government, you must never level your room

[@Daughter_of_the_Most_High]

Everyone’s watching from their windows with complete envy that he’s outside

[@Esseas_World]

What if they're underground or in to next town?!

[@novado.5493]

😅😅

[@homemadegingercolada2341]

You won 😂😂😂

[@Daughter_of_the_Most_High]

@@homemadegingercolada2341 I know ☺️

[@rtx64]

A country being werid for tourists is normal, a country being strange for it's own folk is way more werid.

[@stevengreen9536]

That city is super empty because it was created purely as a show piece. No one is allowed to live there. The gas crater is an accident. Decades ago Turkmenistan wanted to become the primary natural gas supplier to Russia. So the previous dictator built this big refinery solely for this purpose. But something went terribly wrong. The refinery got swallowed up into a huge fire crater which is still burning to this day.

[@nunyabidness6045]

Creepy.

[@olechristianhenne6583]

​@@nunyabidness6045yeah something tells me there's more to it then spooky scary skeletons

[@CleverAccountName303]

Why would Russia need to import natural gas?

[@newdivide9882]

Does it actually attract spiders like that one post on the internet floating around for years has said?

[@stevengreen9536]

@@newdivide9882 I seriously doubt it.

[@uletitlinger]

The welcoming and friendly "locals" are paid actors😂😂

[@OurResistance]

Sadly, most people in this world are paid actors. At least in this case they are being paid to be friendly. In America, I know my dentist was a paid actor because he said I had 6 cavities when I probably didn't have any!

[@RJH1971]

@@OurResistance there's your proof right there!!!

[@gabex730]

Not even paid

[@jsk3005]

Their “payment” is not being killed or imprisoned.

[@HermitKing731]

Everyone in the country is a paid actor.

[@ravensghost2008]

“Everything should be white” Why did this remind me of the Queen of Hearts saying everything should be red 💀

[@shiny_red5801]

When you read 1984 and want to go to the place

[@aqhasassy]

Foreigners live in the sky rise apartments. Most Turkmenians live in cramped and crumbling five-story apartments dating to the Soviet era, or in bare villages. As one said, one notch above N Korea.

[@toryburke137]

😂😂😂

[@missmayflower]

Why would foreigners live there?

[@christophera556]

Thing is why would any foreigners want to travel to such a brutal country, its the North Korea of Central Asia thats in itself should say avoid altogether.

[@toryburke137]

@@christophera556 because of who the foreigners are and the activities they participate in. They clearly have spent a lot of investor money building up such a well kept empire city. I wonder what types of products they produce.

[@angelauska]

How do you know? Are you from there?

[@Gunslinger1928]

You can film a horror sci fi movie in this country, there's no one there.

[@nathanbaribeau2833]

28 days later!!

[@frisco9568]

A zombie show or film

[@yt_tenshi]

North korea too

[@EverywhereMf]

​@@yt_tenshino shit💀

[@ScottBanj]

you can't really because guard may stop you​@@yt_tenshi

[@knuckleheadwestwind3585]

Context: the dictator of Turkmenistan decreed that inflation not apply to the capital city of Ashgabat, a decree which didn’t apply to the rest of the country. While input costs rise elsewhere in the country, the cost of everything in Ashgabat goes up. Ashgabat is by far the most expensive city in the world to live in.

[@jamesnardei7353]

It’s got this weird and eerie feeling because what you’re seeing is everything they want you to see.

[@Robert043]

Turkmenistan❌ North Korea Ultra Pro Max✅

[@AroAce_Psychopath]

This is both funny and painful

[@Itsdasummer32]

😂😂😂

[@SueChef100]

😮

[@user-og1vb6pw6f]

It's better than north korea

[@bibule]

@@user-og1vb6pw6f *wheeze*

[@agnesfox8349]

The word for it is "creepy"

[@linmonash1244]

He pretends he's a seasoned traveller and then goes to a country without first checking it's politics and culture? This is the embodiement of FEAR. It's so dangerous to go to these places. Not only for the visitor (you take a photo of something you shouldn't and can wind up in jail - with no trial and no release date and years later some diplomatic solution MIGHT be found.) Remember the US guy who -for fun - stole a poster off a hotel wall in Nth Korea? # ALSO really Dangerous for LOCALS - who don't want ot go anywhere NEAR ANY outside visitor - for the VERY Justified FEAR their own Governement will accuse them of "collaborating" with 'Western Spies', merely for the 'crime' of smiling at one, or exchanging a few words. Not worth your life - or the life of your family. Te locals who were selected to interact with your were highly vetted, scrutinised and most probably stil terrified anything could be misinterpreted.

[@OrezEdit]

It is where world loaders meet

[@thewebheadgt]

The real word is Hardcore dictatorship.

[@B_Bodziak]

​@@linmonash1244 that's why you're required to have a guide with you anytime you leave your hotel room. The bigger question is how does the country receive money to build lavish hotels, monuments, eyc

[@linmonash1244]

@@B_Bodziak Oil?

[@blockmango.7933]

As introvert thats look like dream country

[@queenpink6119]

Myself as an introvert will love this place!😂❤❤

[@mutteringcrone1210]

Same. Beautiful architecture and natural places. No chasing by vendors. Easy to enjoy the swimming hole. Sounds pretty nice. Too bad it comes with a dictator.

[@verified_tinker1818]

Blink twice if you're held at gunpoint.

[@musicisthefoodofthesoul]

"there's just sort of a weird and eerie fee--" Bro got shot mid sentence 💀

[@Cb22075]

lmao X-D

[@otantix1029]

😂😂

[@brendatomlinson]

@@musicisthefoodofthesoulI love dark humor 😂

[@Besafe782]

The airport is full of security guards so the locals don’t leave 😅

[@zellz91]

They'vr already left to Russia and other CIS countries

[@PhoenixBlacke]

Lmao you goin to he11 😂

[@FUNKY_BUTTLOVIN]

A past president made them create this resort city thing on their coast, inspired by Las Vegas. It's a place for tourism, but they only allow, I think it was 10,000 or 20,000 visitors in each year, almost all of whom are in the gas/oil business and there on a work trip

[@julireep278]

As screwed up as the US is now, I'm still thankful to live here and not THERE! 😬 Oh, it's absolutely beautiful, don't get me wrong! But that place is messed up on too many levels! Just watching this made me afraid for you, even knowing you already made it out safely 😅 Prayers for the locals...no telling what type of horrors they have to live through. 😢

[@Derkarberdi]

Which day of the week did you go there?As a person from Turkmenistan, I can say that we have less population for our territory, and people have jobs, universities, schools to go😃

[@mistypuffs]

That sounds both awesome, and terrifying at the same time

[@CallMeGailyn]

The real question is, who is doing all that dusting?

[@maryamcoco3683]

😂

[@rookinblue]

Nobody is there so there wouldn’t really be dust maybe once a year max they dust it

[@CT-uv8os]

Roomba?

[@CinderellaRaptured333]

I’m a housekeeper. I was wondering the same thing! Everything I look at, I think of in terms of cleaning, lol! That mall!!!!! Good grief!!!

[@CallMeGailyn]

@@rookinblue Dust doesn't need company.

[@shaneemanuelle6243]

I cycled across Turkmenistan in 2014, from Uzbekistan to Iran, on a transit visa, so could go alone. 47 degrees C every day; cool at night. Had to cover 500 km in three days, so some serious cycling. Didn’t see another foreigner, but did meet plenty of locals. Camped three nights, once on the desert sand, once amongst some scrub and finally at the edge of a farm field. Stopped to get get fuel for my cooking stove and the total came to about 8 US cents for half a litre. People’s shared watermelon, plov, liver and bread with me. Visited a market in Turkmenabat, the ancient city of Merv and stopped at several roadside restaurants for tea and something to drink. Definitely an odd place, but not too odd after visiting Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan beforehand. Learn Russian if you want to visit this part of the world.

[@mericusta1988]

Do you have a blog or vlog?

[@aiyulee6366]

Wow awesome way to travel man

[@bri......]

Really interesting :) ty for sharing

[@gethriel]

What a mooch. They really could have used a few SCRAPS from your abundance - but no, you're more than willing to pillage the already pillaged.

[@Limesecretgarden]

@@gethriel apparently they were WILLING to give&share

[@NcessNasya]

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se" Basically same vibes with this.

[@Brunoki22]

This is basically like North Korea but most people managed to leave the hell whole.

[@iyxec]

Airport has more security guards than passengers 😂

[@FUNKY_BUTTLOVIN]

They built a crazy state of the art Airport with a giant like falcon structure spanning its entire roof... for a country that doesn't let anybody leave, and tightly controls who can come in

[@iyxec]

@@FUNKY_BUTTLOVIN it's madness at its peak.

[@FUNKY_BUTTLOVIN]

@iyxec it's just wild, when Putin came to power, he seemed for a while like he was thinking about doing the right thing... he started executing the oligarchs. Then he realized that, now that they're in fear for their lives, he can just make them all give him half and be stinking rich But no consumer goods would ever feel so good to me as to actually stifling corruption, plucking the very worst out of society and just ending them, Robin Hood'ing all they had, and actually elevating my millions of countrymen. Actually being loved by the masses... that'd be the best life. But none of them have the imagination to see it

[@Browniera_]

​@@FUNKY_BUTTLOVINbasically Soviet version of north korea

[@notadaytrader]

Ah, Turkmenistan. It’s “known for its archaeological ruins including those at Nisa and Merv, major stops along the ancient trade route the Silk Road”, and also for having “an upper-middle class in-come status.” Not known for its “Unitary presidential republic under a totalitarian hereditary dictatorship” government and being a “repressive authoritarian state where political rights and civil liberties are almost completely denied in practice.”

[@amymata8995]

I just read this on google earth 😂😂😂😂

[@JL-cr1lr]

After Silk Road I could’ve sworn you were describing Singapore 😮

[@TrojansFirst]

It's crazy to visit a place where you have zero rights.

[@Raw_Empirical_Truth]

Ahhhh the familiar names from fake history

[@mariahardy1201]

Yikes

[@pakguongtepaks4540]

Introverts Paradise I guess😂😂😂

[@kohtan13kumi]

I mean, I can see why he had a decent time. Quiet, no lines, no noise, lots of activities, and the few people he did interact with were nice. Plus, he knows he’ll eventually get back to WiFi and unblocked apps, so it’s just a break from screen time. Without context, it sounds like an enjoyable place for a vacation. But it seems like it’s designed that way for the pleasure of a select few and occasional tourists.

[@MaBlose.]

POV: when the president tells everyone “We are expecting visitors tomorrow!”☠️

[@someguy2744]

Everybody put on your invisibility cloaks so that he thinks that nobody lives here.

[@LoonasSubway]

Introverts: huh! Found it

[@Vahidaam]

Introverts need internet!

[@castlecritique]

That would be Japan.

[@_martian101]

@@Vahidaam they got books and music, no need for internet!

[@meropale]

No thanks.

[@stephclark4715]

​@@Vahidaam Just books. Books are enough.

[@SebHaarfagre]

When you're only allowed to see certain places, you *KNOW* it's *REAL* bad all the places you aren't allowed.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

Ok but I gotta admit, the architecture is pretty cool 😂

[@ZonnexNecton]

The uploader is super clueless lol “Man, this controlled dictatorship country is surprisingly empty. I love it here. My friend seems to be missing though. Ah well.”

[@timopper5488]

“My friend seems to be missing though. Ah well…. Must’ve gotten a free upgrade to a VIP suite!” 🤣🤣🤣

[@ThePotaToh]

Think again. Is that your judgment of a person from a super short video? And do you really think that a person who's been to over 130 countries is that clueless? Look at the way the script is written. For eg, "we were the _only ones_ there, including this _popular_ swimming hole." Isn't the wording intentionally weird?

[@timopper5488]

@@ThePotaToh If he was being subtle, he was being too subtle.

[@thomasfisher763]

​@timopper5488 why would he want to put himself on the naughty list? He likes traveling strange parts of the world. If he releases a video like "here's all the horrible facts of this country I visited that they don't want anyone to know!" He's probably not going to be allowed back, to others like it, or worse. He knows we will be able to put 2 and 2 together so he just speaks in an objective, curious tone. He can still go to the places, get the footage, tell the objective facts, and leave the obvious uo to us to discern. I'd rather he does it that way rather than just end up in a hole in the ground somewhere after his first 2-3 videos lol

[@squibbelsmcjohnson]

@@thomasfisher763 correct.. You can find that by making videos criticizing China and showing stuff they hide.... They have agent all around the world that can make your life a living hell and they will

[@NatureSymphonicMusic]

It's really difficult for tourists to get a visa to travel there. Not to put anyone off, but it would've been challenging for him to get into the country, once you get there, you're under strict surveillance.

[@TheDecafec4]

😂

[@jajajaja2606]

Seriously, but why? It looks nice, but does it have any death camps, rampant cannibalism or other atrocities? Tbh I doubt, but why on earth would they do that?

[@kirakira9906]

​@@jajajaja2606Nice to visit not to live probably

[@fungoose2195]

​@@jajajaja2606paranoid post soviet dictatorship. a goverment with a single leader has to keep its cards close to its chest. dictatorships rely on the ignorance or satisfaction of its people, its difficult to control ignorance when foriegners are rampant.

[@washabe]

​@@jajajaja2606It's the countries that have that sort of thing that look like this. The big fancy city is empty because it's just for show. Any opposition to the government leads to life in prison, people get arrested for having the wrong religion, confessions are tortured out of suspects, people disappear regularly. Journalists found tortured to death. Labor camps. It's rough.

[@zaze8376]

Actually it looks very beautiful and clean.

[@iceydicey77]

POV: man's first exposure to dictatorship

[@awilborn100]

This makes me fear for their people. 😢

[@kimcham9949]

What people? Where are they?

[@Tortilla.Reform]

@@kimcham9949Because the country Turkmenistan is under an oppressive tyrannical dictatorship, similar to North Korea.

[@kimcham9949]

@@Tortilla.Reform So, where is everybody if all the places are empty?

[@Tortilla.Reform]

@@kimcham9949 The person in this video didn’t visit the entirety of the country, only the beautiful places he was allowed to visit with the mandatory state monitor tour guide So everyone else is probably in all the terrible places the government doesn’t allow you to see, the way North Korea does it

[@kimcham9949]

@@Tortilla.Reform 👍🏾 Ahhh... Now, I understand. ☺️ Thanks! 😀

[@awetistic5295]

As an introvert, my dream is not a dystopian dictatorship where a guide/guard follows my every step to make sure I don't have to disappear.

[@loranlomiller54]

As an extreme extrovert, I second that.

[@bobhadababy6970]

Fellow introvert here, yeah, I would definitely pass on that opportunity if one could possibly even consider that an opportunity. Like a ninja in the night, if I couldn't slip out of the bathroom window, then that guide/guard better hope their teeth are on hinges. Because it's just like what Lenny Kravitz sang about, "I've got to get away. " Animals, they're cool. But, the two-legged variety, more often than not, simply fails to understand our thought process. To me, it's as if we carry around a big box all day, and ¾ of what we take in inadvertently gets thrown into the box. Only to later on get somewhere and start unpacking and sorting everything out. Or maybe that's just me. 🤷😏✌🏻

[@HK_on_YT]

​@@bobhadababy6970Great analogy! May I ask if you have 'hypersensitivity' (i.e. being sensitive to information from your senses) or even a sensory processing disorder (basically an extreme form of hypersensitivty)? I am asking because I have the hypothesis that the difference between introverts and extroverts is their sensitivity to information from their senses where introverts take in more information from their senses, and thus can get overwhelmed at processing so much information in the moment, which is why they need downtime to post-process that information. I myself have a sensory processing disorder and I am extremely introverted. I do need to unpack that box after social interactions, but introverted activities do not fill that box.

[@wheresmyoldname]

Finally! An introvert with common sense! These other morons are calling it "paradise" just because they're introverts... you have a brain and that makes me relieved, humanity is not completely doomed just yet.

[@alaakela]

It would be such a beautiful county to visit. The tribal art, jewelry, carpets are just beautiful.

[@robertklotz9319]

You can every country look strange. When in a rare moment nobody is around.

[@Forest24gump]

creepy when there is no sign of life

[@user-ki4xw2rb8q]

It seems like that city is used just for tourists

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

If only i had the power

[@daisyliwan5278]

Why no people?

[@Nekole1]

I agree. Very creepy.

[@youwilllaugh3136]

I've watched a documentary on Turkmenistan just yesterday. It's a country suffering from a totalitarian dictatorship that's worse than in north Korea. The people there are helpless to Rebel against the opressing regime and 70% of the population is unemployed. They are forced to do cotton harvesting each year no matter their rank or diploma and never get payed for it. Even those working in the gaz industry which is the leading money making industry of the country are not payed well. And everyone is forbidden from leaving the country

[@LulaMae21]

That's totally different from what another comment said. If that documentary was on a site like Netflix, take it with a grain of salt lol.

[@TayWoode]

@@LulaMae21 actually the comments are saying it’s a dictatorship if you actually be bothered to read them.

[@acanimatics906]

Was at a one week long seminar on "propaganda" and they brought up current news coverage on Palestine, some countries aren't as truthful on the situation as they'd like you to believe as well as the anti-europe sentiments of Russian news, talked some about the ways dicatorships in the past influenced people before transitioning to how the ones today do and then talked about Turkmenistan. I don't know about the cotton farming but it's definitely one of the most blatant dictator ships I've ever seen. We saw footage of their leader standing in their Parlament, he said what he wants to happen and evryone sitting there just quietly notted down what he decided (literally dictating) and then clapped. None of the "politicians" sitting there said a single thing! Literally what are they there for??? More like a Parlament full of Secretaries for him then ministers and politicians.

[@PolishBehemoth]

Its amazing wjat the fruits of communism brings.

[@MrZZooh]

Sounds about right.

[@ineedpowers5151]

I personally love Empty Countries!! It just enhances the beauty of the Country more

[@bigdummy9844]

It's like they announced a visitor is coming and the entire country went into hiding, like when someone knocks on your door and you turn off the lights and lay on the floor waiting for them to leave

[@mirali3405]

How does the society function? Offices, markets, banks, schools, hospitals, transportation, etc.? Something is missing in this video.

[@MermaidMakes]

The thing that is missing is his mention that it is a dictatorship, and they only take tourists to certain parts that are designed for tourists. They make their money on giant oil reserves and give none of it to their people. We don’t really know how their society functions , because they don’t allow us to see it.

[@ufo717212]

They have abundant oil and gas.

[@Penelope_777]

Dictatorship. The citizens live on cramped spaces and bad condition houses. This is for the tourists, not for the people living there

[@youtubewanderer3347]

It doesn't. They just happen to be very rich in resources.

[@grimsgraveyard3598]

They are a speck on the map with natural resources empires want like crude oil. So the dictator and his circle own everything and control everyone.

[@faerveldir]

You know what's crazy? His visitors visa probably cost upwards of $10k

[@knives5964]

That's not shocking tho

[@kamikazeabe-ru8735]

WHAT!?

[@B1gBossMan]

​@@knives5964if you've travelled to the US or UK, you'll know that's crazy

[@MrsCourt]

@@knives5964I’m shocked!!

[@Brembelia]

This place looks like some kind of Disneyland after hours when everyone has gone home. The fact that there are no residents just living their lives is a big red flag that this is the Theresianstadt of Turkmenistan. 😱

[@ZeanG_]

Its like an empty vase, its only merit is looking pretty

[@Cubmaniac7]

This is definitely one of those places that you can imagine people finding buried in sand 2,000 years in the future after the oil and gas dry up and then assuming that it was some sort of cultural holy site for an ancient advanced society.

[@alexcisneros2980]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@user-dy3oh7ys1m]

It doesn't look like much fun. It looks like people are told what to do and when to do it.

[@aliasgur3342]

That happens in the west too except the governments over here use media to do it far more effectively creating the illusion of free will

[@takiyaazrin7562]

Iran Enforced 10 Discriminatory Laws 1. Women are not allowed to show their hair 2. Women are not allowed to sing 3. Women are not allowed to dance 4. Women are not allowed to divorce 5. Women are not allowed to enter stadium 6. Women are not allowed to ride motorbike 7. Women are not allowed to go overseas alone 8. Women are not allowed to join military 9. Women are not allowed to become a witness 10. Women are not allowed to become a judge

[@metroservicedapartments9909]

It's an amazing place trust I've been there and it's probably better than dubai lol❤😂 No bate to dubai or Turkmenistan

[@chancechapman365]

You’ve never been to this place or Dubai stop the 🧢

[@bert454]

Bet they have almost zero crime rate though.

[@Dan0__]

Fascinating! Thank you!

[@ALWAYSGIVEUP23]

Hi from Turkey. We support our friends in this beautiful country Turkmenistan.

[@beautifulmythicalbeing]

After doing a bit of research I concluded that no American, introvert or not, would want to live here. In fact the people that live there probably don't want to live there.

[@Factsspeaktruth]

Agree..it's almost like your given a formula on how many breaths you can take 😮

[@never_give_up90]

They don't, that's why so many of them run!

[@indigochild58]

A museum city…. Are the people not allowed to go outside? Businesses and restaurants without customers??? I mean why even bother?

[@atin4353]

M not American but as an introvert, you're right. I prefer to be alone by my own will and not because of circumstances. This looks depressing.

[@Factsspeaktruth]

@@atin4353 indeed

[@BringMeTheMonkeys]

Thought he was gonna say, "Tourists are required to be white." 💀

[@hakeemed]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@sharonfoster7674]

😂

[@verenalai7668]

😂😂😂😂

[@wikiuser92]

Epic fail.

[@ilovejoharai]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@THEE_Kisywisy]

Such a shame. You can tell if circumstances were different, this would be flooded with money from tourism

[@professionalhuman4429]

It's refreshing to see a KZbinr with their own content. 👍

[@EminencePhront]

Turkmenistan feels like some 13 year old kid designed it in an advanced version of Civilization.

[@ornitorincodigenova4260]

Yeah, but the people who designed this are adults

[@diamondgirlal4876]

A guide at all times! Did you have to share your hotel room with this full time prison guard???

[@dillbert4084]

There is no war in Ba Sing Se

[@wilpalkia]

Even when you go to 💩, they will hand you the toilet paper * wink wink *

[@nunyabidness6045]

​@@wilpalkiasounds like Diddy's house

[@lornawilliams-astley2716]

Its like people who cover their furniture with clear plastic.

[@notme8652]

The foggy and greyish sky with the empty streets and roads is giving me silent hill vibes

[@Sleipnirseight]

This feels dystopian and sad as hell.

[@thegamingfox6540]

It is.

[@Catheist]

1984 big brother watches everything

[@Drak_Thedp]

The funny thing is, it's a recent development. The country used to be like any other, they even had free gas(the country is a major gas and oil exporter). Good times lasted until the son of the former president ascended the 'throne' in around 2010. The restrictions began, people started to run away, so the restrictions got steonger. Not quite as hard as North Korea, actually. People can leave the country legally(yes, it's hard, but possible), and the limitations are not quite as strict.

[@kerstingravel8160]

Thank you for those background information 👌🏻

[@ca_kay]

Out of curiosity, is it a situation where they actually live pretty well off, like in a low middle class reading books for fun setting, or is it state communism?

[@Drak_Thedp]

@@ca_kay It's a pretty weird use of communism(communism is a utopian society where people harmoniously work for eachother's benefit). But I got your drift - most of the 'communism builders' end up as a dictators, has nothing to do with communism tho. From what I've heard, it's a bit weird. There are food shortages and a quarter of all population are unemployed. The magnificent resort the guy is walking around in the video is an ambitious project of the former president(whose son is the current president since 2020, yup). The locals can't afford it, the tourists aren't interested for several reasons - the sea there is cold in Jul-Aug, and the country is not that easy to get into. Unlike NK it's not a military state, so you won't just 'go missing' if you break the law. There is a kind of a middle class which consists of professionals and enrepreneurs but it's not that vast. Lots of Turkmen people go to work and live to Turkey(although it's not easy to leave, and only people older than 40 are allowed to). There are food shortages due to droughts, and the government is dealing with it in a soviet way - they ration food supplies by region. You can't just go to the capital and get some delicatessen - you'll be fined and the food confiscated by the police when you leave. All in all, people survive and live, some even thrive. The internet is very restricted, social networks especially, so the information flow is pretty scarce.

[@kkittycatkat1990]

Wow. You are severely brainwashed about China. They have uicde(s) nets off many work buildings as they were losing so many "harmonious workers". Stories are absolutely heartbreaking. You obviously don't know a thing about the huge pro--test. (Can't say too much). The level of people was huge! Sadly, because they have no or very little information incoming from the outside world; they actually probably put MAX restrictions on phones. They had no idea how close they were to fully flipping the...ones in power. Geesh, I can't say anything. Hope this comment gets through. The reason for it is also heartbreaking. You, kind sir, have fully bought into the ganda-prop. I wish I could tell you everything I know, like what happened when I searched for _that_ on the largest search engine. What _really_ goes on there. I can't even give you my very accurate sources, 2 of which are there, talking to the people and seeing everything that they are speaking about. I truly can't believe how many people think like you do. I hope you find the truth.🤞🏻👍🏻

[@Anon1gh3]

@@Drak_Thedp No, communism would be more accurately described as trying to achieve the impossible, i.e. trying to get the working class to accommodate the whole population of the world without actually paying the former or accommodating them.

[@onlypsyche]

Try visiting Omaha, NE!!! 10 lane highways WITH NO CARS! MASSIVE buildings but NO PEOPLE IN SIGHT, etc. It’s like one of those apocalyptic movies and it’s SOOOO eerie!!! There’s a perfectly logical explanation for all of that, because it WAS a very highly populated place back in the 80’s/90’s but due to the decentralization of businesses, it’s now a highly built up GHOST TOWN.

[@laurenb7962]

really appreciate your comment, makes a lot of sense to me. Plus, given the comparison city is a mild-mannered Midwest American town, removes a lot of unnecessary fear-mongering.

[@monicaa7773]

10 lane highways ? No cars ? The highways and other streets have heavy traffic every day and people everywhere.

[@GopalSingh01]

Seems like UK with less people and more surveillance.

[@hurieconerly3946]

"there is no war in Ba Sing Se”

[@S.G.W.Verbeek]

😂

[@peterjon777]

You won the comments section

[@samiribrahim7544]

Him : " Most websites are banned." His phone : no internet connection Search : Turkmenistan facts Edit : it is a joke, guys. I'm just saying 😉 cause of the arguments under my comment . Well, actually, I wasn't joking at the time 🙃 , but now iam 😂😂😂😂.

[@grihateyou]

He didn’t have internet connection, which is what his voice over said too, no wifi.

[@B1gBossMan]

​@@grihateyou he's joking that ofcourse there would be no Internet because he probably searched "Turkmenistan facts"

[@JustSeby]

As he said, there is basically no wi-fi in there, and I'm sure you can't access any website on the few networks that exist there. I've been to Turkey and there are websites that don't work in that country either (I was trying to get on Wikipedia iirc).

[@rehema1970]

Maybe he took those videos back home, put a voice to it then loaded it up to YouYube with the internet service? DUH guys, come on! Think just a little bit.

[@Liga-chad]

Gas creater looking like that one giant fire bowl from Elden ring

[@aquilamccann6096]

I love to visit it because I became allergic to crowds and overpopulated areas! I can breathe the stillness and peace! ✌️

[@diamondgirlal4876]

It looks extremely expensive…where is the money coming from if no one is around really working???

[@ithilpalladium]

They have one of the world's largest natural gas reserves

[@yellowscarlightningscream8347]

The west has turned a blind eye and never brings up their dictator because Turkmenistan sells gas to Europe and Asia. Just how greedy they are.

[@turolretar]

American taxpayers, thanks guys we really appreciate it

[@educational4434]

Like Russia, it's a gas station masquerading as a country

[@ivankaseljanka]

​@@educational4434and here is you, posing as a person, whilst being a twat

[@MorrowMoon_thenightwing]

If a liminal space was a country…

[@ca_kay]

Honestly, that sounds pretty cool. It's basically an art piece.

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

Nice

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

​@@ca_kay I'd love it

[@slu2657]

Can you show the people & their real house & handicraft ?

[@crypandora66]

Okay but i want to gooo! Beautiful architecture

[@cardsgal89]

It's like the city itself is the resort, and only the rich have access to it.

[@peacebeyondpassion2]

They can have it. Only God knows what goes on there!😢

[@sarahpeterson9422]

​@@peacebeyondpassion2 Things only the rich have been caught doing.

[@jugjames6835]

Like Dubai

[@aliceputt3133]

If only the rich have access and no one is there, no one is rich.

[@squibbelsmcjohnson]

Dictatorship is the feeling sir 😂

[@christinelaloba8869]

Sounds like an introvert's dream

[@drewlittell]

This is like when Dennis Rodman went to North Korea

[@joypatrick6802]

Thanks for the info. I'm happy you got out safely. You said quite a bit without saying much....

[@mariopestana3721]

"Popular swimming hole"....in a place that's always empty, the only ones that it can be popular for are demons 😂

[@DarthCoco]

He shows himself to be so natural, despite knowing what's really going on. Good promoting!

[@jacklynb8489]

I love being able to enjoy somewhere like that without huge crowds. But where are all the civilians. ?!?