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Hello everybody, finally time to make the newsletter up to date, we are stocked now in Quetta, the most people we met have problems like diarrhea but Leon has constipation and trough that hemorrhoids and can not drive on this moment!
The last letter end by the border Turkey-Iran, it takes 2,5 hours to past the border, not that bat! We suspected problems to get the laptop over the border but no luggage check, lucky we. Now we could try the famous renowned asphalt of Iran.
The first stop we had was in the place named Marant. A English teacher invited us four to sleep to his place. He had a marvelous house, and as usually in Iran no chairs but beautiful warm carpets on the floor where you can sit on, so we eat a wonderful meal on the floor cooked by his wife. We had a very good time, because Mr. Tabestany could explain use a lot over the living in Iran. The next morning we have to get up 5.00 am, -the man was a mountaineer and he wanted to go to the top- so we left the place early. It was still dark and in spite of the agreement that we never drive in the dark, we have to make a exception. It was a very cold morning and we have to stop because Jolanda's hot handlebars where not working, we saw the sun rising and took some pictures in the mean time Jolanda's did warmed up here hands by the exhaust pipe.
So we arrived nearly frozen to Tabriz, on October the 5.
In a hotel we met the brother of Nasser he told us to wait 15 minutes for his brother, a tourist information guide. He should know a cheep place with car park. Nasser showed up and brought us to the place. He also invited himself to show us the city with al the lovely spots to see. It was a real nice and friendly man. He brought us to the bazaar, showed us the internet cafe, the park and the Champs Elysee of Tabriz with a pedestrian area and a lot of carpets shops, bookshops and off course (the most important) ice-cream shops. Here we eat the best ice-cream we ever had. The next day we went to the park where al the people off Tabriz go to relax, have a picnic and walk around. In the evening we have to give a lesson to a public school Jolanda to the girls section and I to the boys it was really fun to do. They asked a lot about pregnancy, raising the children, live in our home country's in general, The boys: money, how to come to the west, how much salary we get, what we see on the television, and so on and so on. After another ice-cream we took a taxi to bring us back to the hotel it was great fun with Nasser.
Ardabil we arrived again in the dark and one of the moppet drivers was so friendly to find us a (chique) hotel. We could sleep with the four of us in one room $25, the bikes where parked in the marble lobby no problem! The next morning we hid the road to the Caspian see and again the scenery was great : lot of trees, mountains, sheep flocks, small streams, and sun. But after we drove trough a tunnel the fog came fast after the tunnel; the sight was only ca. 6 meters we continued one or two kilometers more and we stopped; this was really crazy work to do, the rest of the traffic was driving without light, taking over with no sight, complete madness, it was time to go back. Later we found out from other travelers that there where some serious accidents. The police burned some car tires to alarm the rest of the traffic dead people laid on the side of the street.
So back to Ardabil there we found a cheaper place to sleep. The next day we give it another try to reached the Caspian See this time we tried the road to Khalkal and also this try didn't succeed. Fog so far as you could see. Back to Khalkal. It was to bad but we have to skip the Caspian See.
We get up really early to go to Zanjan the road was great, another gravel road no trucks and the second river crossing, not a big one, but always nice to do. We took many pictures and have some breaks to smoke, eat, look around us and drink liters of water. The last 100km was a perfect road at three o clock we entered Zanjan it is really ridicules what they dare to asked for a room: locals pay sometimes eight times less then western people, so again a room should cost $25,- it was not fun anymore. While we drove on, people in the car shouted to Leon "do want a hotel" he said yes the car stopped and we started a talk. The friendly couple also agreed that the prices are much to high and they invited us to stay in there home. It was marvelous to see the house, the back yard for the bikes and to speak in English with this family. (For private reasons I don't want give there names). We had some talks over several items and for us it was interesting to get the explanation how things work in Iran. Jolanda had a great time because she was allowed to help by cooking and she had several good recipes for her cooking book! We had a perfect time and we can't find the words to express our thanks.
Teheran
We drove that day more than 300 km. and arrived in Teheran round two o clock. We asked a bus driver for a cheap hotel. First we have to follow the bus trough the inner city, and after that he took a cab and we have to follow the cab; that was something completely different with a speed of 70 80 km per hour behind the cab trough Teheran.( First I was a little bit afraid off driving in a city so big as Teheran but it looked like we had no choice at all. Jolanda also did the job very well and she liked it very much (strange women!). And surprisingly, no hotel but we stopped by his place!
He has his apartment on the fourth floor but there was no sleeping place for the bikes, and also in Teheran there are lots of curious people, the opposite neighbor wants to know more about us, she offered us the parking place for the bikes in the court yard, she also had a empty apartment on the first floor we could use. For us it was very handy to be with the bikes so we took the apartment and explained to the friendly bus driver why we want this place and not his. It was ok but we have to take a shower at his place and we where invited again for diner. Great great. It was hard working to keep them both happy but we succeed, Hossein showed us the city and the family from the house gives us a explanation from Teheran and the life in Iran. We stayed tree days in Teheran and had a very good time. Thanks Mr. Resa and Mr. Ali for the wonderful time we had.
From Teheran we went to Esfehan, the road to Esfehan was fine but the weather absolute not; rain, cold and cloudy so we have to work on the bikes, specially because Leon's favorite wind was blowing from aside and he hated it.
Esfehan this time of the year it has a nice climate, not to hot not to cold we stayed in Ambir Kabir guesthouse the bikes parked in a public parking place Amir Kabir is a good place to be friendly English speaking managers and the price is reasonable we paid for a double room $6,- include parking.
The high lights of the city with are: Masjed-e-Emam (the most beautiful Mosque ever seen) the Emam Komeiny Square (one off the biggest in the world) the great bazaar with al the small workshops, hand painted miniatures on camel bone and carpets shops with the clever salesman's. Also a visit worth were the beautiful bridges with there little choosy teahouses under the bridges. To bad there was no water in the river but you can't have it all. We stayed 3 days in Esfehan and we liked it very much.
Shiraz, on 23 of October we visit from Shiraz (60km. to north) Persepolis. Persepolis is a ancient ruin and worth to pay a visit. Alexander the "Great" destroyed and robed the place almost empty. The remains are still appeal to one's imagination.
The earlier capital of the Achaemenian empire (559-330 BC) was at Pasargadee, further north, but in about 512 BC, Darius I started construction this massive and magnificent palace complex to serve as the summer capital. It was completed by a host of subsequent kings, including Xerxes I and II, and Artaxerxes I, II and III, over a period of 150 years. The city ones has a 18 meter high wall. Persepolis was burnt to the ground, during Alexander the Great 331 BC. If you notice that this place was once draped with jewels, gold and silver and that found back a little you will understand that the mob of Alexander the Great took a lot. To give a idea of how big the place was:
-the whole place 125.000 sq meters.
-a palace of the 100 columns (each of them 14meter high)
-the central hall was supported by 36 columns 20 meters high.
-the stairways with a total length of more than 300 meter.
-the whole palace was ones brightly colored and must have been an amazing spectacle.
In the museum in Teheran are some leftovers remain what Alexander forgot.
October 25-We arrived in Bam, this was a place for the long time rest, the famous Akbar guesthouse is hard to find but a friendly driver in a car brought us to the place. Finally Jolanda and the other girls could take of there headscarf's :what a relief. Akbar a retired English teacher started here his dream a meeting point for travelers, he doesn't not allowed Iran people so we have some time of in a way. Here we met different travelers going to, and coming from Pakistan. A lot of information was spread al over the tables. Akbar wife is a very good vegetarian cook and we have the diner together with the other guest. The place was so good that we hardly could escape, it took us 5 days to visit Arg-e-Bam a beautiful sand castle.
Arg-e-Bam is the original city of Bam with a stunning citadel. Some of the surviving structures must have been built before the 12 century, but the greater part of what remains dates from the Safavid period (1502-1722). Between 9000 and 13000 people once lived in this 6sq km ancient city. From then until 1930 the remains of the city was used as an army barracks and its now completely deserted however there is a nice cozy teahouse to visit (and don't forget to try the cookies). You have to see the sunset falling over the citadel.
When we finally (November 3 round 6.00 am) left Bam (after learning new friends and three new card games). We felt like a cat who's was leaving the house for the first time, it was strange to enter the street again but there was not time to concern a long time: the traffic took all our attention. Today it was the last day of our visa so we have to cross the border today.
After 5 km, a police control stopped us; take our passports, we had to wait for a police escort "only" one hour. They told us it was for our own security the Lut dessert should be very dangerous and people get kidnapped !15 min. later a motorbike 100cc showed up, two young policeman with a "dangerous" looking gun. O my god I shout" we can not drive behind this guys for more than 300 km". But what could we do, they have our passports, so we had no choice.
Lucky for us was the "escort" only for 15 min. we get our passports back and off they went. We where again alone in the Lut dessert. We smoked a cigarette (we have still that horrific habit) and looked around; it was strange to be in a place so deserted so quit, a truck brought us back in the real life with the sound of a loud horn and the smell of a smoking exhaust pipe we climbed back on the bikes for the rest of the track. The rest of the track was wonderful we saw wild camels clay houses and oases.
It took us till 13.00 and we did it 325 kilometers trough the dessert. The Iran border was no problem, we get the exit stamps in the passports and carnet de passages and we could start the adventure Pakistan.