I think you need to ask yourself what the value of $1,500 is to you. If it's the sort of money that you make back quickly, then don't worry about it, but if it'll compromise future travel plans then for sure you can get better value travel elsewhere.
I managed to see just about everything I wanted in Turkmenistan on three trips with 5 day transit visas, which together would have cost a lot less then $1,500. If money is tight, try to work with a transit visa.
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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.
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