Turkmenbashi, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, is Turkmenistan’s only large port and ferries leave here for Baku in Azerbaijan. It was founded by Russian troops in 1717 and it still very russified today. It is a fairly quiet place, with a population of around 60,000. The town has a regional museum and there is a Russian Orthodox Church set back from the shore. Out of town the landscape quickly becomes very empty with barren open spaces and large mountain vistas.