This is part of the twelfth section of our around the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview & Map

Coming from Turkey or read our previous visit to Iran  

24/11/06 The border post is right on the border. There is hardly spitting distance between Iran's and Turkey's formalities. We were well received. Kay had bought an abeyya (all encompassing cloak) and head scarf for the occasion, a requirement for women visiting Iran, and was now wearing it. A few questions, where were we going and why, a thorough inspection of the passports and carnet but no inspection of our luggage. This was also the case on my last visit, last year, and after less than 30 minutes we were riding on better quality roads but with much more traffic. Knowing petrol was cheap here, we had only a few km's in reserve, and filled up at 4% of the price we had been paying in Turkey, Less than 9 cents a litre instead of almost $US 2.00 a litre. Being government owned, and with the national pastime of driving, petrol stations are a bit scarce and short lines develop at most of them. The day did not warm, nor did the snow disappear from the roadside and surrounding hills. We travelled 250 km's to Saqqez, along the road to Sanandaj. Saqqez is our stop only because it has a hotel and we had slowly been getting colder as the day progressed. Fog was settling in, blocking out the sun. Whilst buying petrol we asked a taxi driver if we could follow him to a hotel as most Iranian cities are traffic filled and spread out with few hotels, whilst taxi's are cheap.

25/11/06 With petrol prices so low there is no need to burn wood or coal so the air here is clearer and more breathable. Another early start trying to get beyond the mountains, and out of the snow that still surrounded us, but not today. We travelled 350 km to Hamadan, left with the white stuff and arrived the same. This is a great mountain plateau and whilst we descended to Sanandaj in sunshine another pass brought us back onto a higher plateau with bitter cold. Even after midday the frost hung from bushes and trees whilst in weak sunshine the ploughed fields were covered in rising mist, creating small whirlwinds of rising fog. We are wearing everything. Three layers of socks, thermals, track pants, windproof rain pants, five layers of shirts and jackets, and we still need to stop every hour to warm up at one of the many small heated truck restaurants. We are well received, even though Kay is the only woman. Viewed a little as crazy westerners riding a motorcycle, however there are many local motorcycles still on the roads here. We had ordered heated jackets and gloves when we decided to ride through this region at this time of the year but due to a change in Harley-Davidson's policy of  discontinuing local distributors in Australia and taking on the role themselves it took five weeks for the goods to get from the USA to Australia. That combined with us moving quicker than expected meant it was too late to have them air freighted to us. Although this delay might be teething problems it does not give us confidence for taking home the engine top end, from India, to be rebuilt, if parts are going to take five weeks to arrive, we will only be in Australia for four weeks. The dealer, Morgan and Wacker of Brisbane, who arranges our parts, is as frustrated as us over the delays.

26/11/06 Awoke to another frozen morning. Every 50 km's a couple of crazy Australians could be seen jumping up and down or running on the spot next to their motorcycle trying to get the circulation back into feet and hands. The road slowly moved down off the plateau and the snow disappeared from the roadside but not before a last flurry was sent to remind us. It was 500 km into Esfahan, where we hope the weather will be warmer. Iran has changed quite markedly from my first visit in 1997 to this fourth visit. The most noticeable change is the amount of consumerism, but also the individual wealth of the  people, and the more liberal personal appearance of dress, style and face makeup. The hospitality shown to strangers hasn't changed and is still amongst the friendliest we have encountered. Shops are full of products. We see mostly clothes as the current display of personality. Younger women, even in remote cities, wear plain coloured coats, well above the knee, revealing slacks, the occasional ankle is bared beneath. The compulsory head scarf is sometimes behind the crown of the head with a fashionable hat on top. Even the older ladies have shortened their cloaks which rarely drag on the ground anymore. A slow change in ten years compared to the 1970's revolutions which within a couple of years brought mini skirts and hot pants to the west. In many ways Iran is more liberal than most strict Muslim nations. The women are seen in the streets in equal numbers to men, often alone, occasionally a few with a young male friend. We are told that the religious police are still about, checking to see that lone couples are married, and suitably dressed. Men are also displaying their individuality more with varying hair length, sometimes below the shoulder. Their dress could even be considered flashy at times.

27/11/06 When I was at college in the early 1970's the Hillman Hunter was a popular car and in Iran, the equivalent was still made here till a couple of years ago. They have kept that popularity here, representing, from a quick survey, 50% of cars on the road, the Iranian people's car. The large American vehicles, from the days of the Shah in the late 1970's have all but disappeared, from age, and a new breed of smaller cars have replaced them. We enjoyed the late morning sleeping and the company of the first travellers we have seen in a long time. Esfahan is probably the most popular Iranian city for tourists and a place where overland travellers congregate. We are about the last bunch heading south for the winter, almost no-one is going north. A couple of bicyclists, another motorcyclist and half a dozen bus travellers, all heading for Pakistan and India. It was reminiscent, walking around the Imam Square, of Kay's and my visit here in 1998. A teahouse tea overlooking the magnificent blue hue tiles of the Imam Mosque and the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque on the square. A quiet place in the cool day devoid of the peak tourist season we could walk unhassled and alone through the buildings.

28/11/06 Pounding the pavement. Esfahan is probably Iran's most beautiful city. The Zayandeh River flows through and is crossed by eleven bridges, some dating back to the 12th century. We enjoyed tea beneath one. A male only establishment, tourist women are allowed, but only inside, outside is strictly for men. Couples were paddle boating downstream and a spread of open park areas flanked the river. A treed, well watered place, making strolling pleasant. Lunched at a traditional restaurant off Imam Square and a walk through the old bazaar where old men live and work as they have for centuries and mosques dot densely populated lane ways of mud and fired brick homes.

29/11/06 The nights are still freezing but the days warm in sunshine. We left for Yazd, just 320 km, more into the desert region. We don't recall seeing any naturally growing trees and only a few planted ones outside cities since entering Iran. One cold mountain pass had us again jumping on the spot to increase our circulation but otherwise it was a lovely ride past a mud brick caravanserai and some mud and brick walled villages. An oil change, along the way, where prices matched the almost free petrol. Yazd was just a quick overnight stop eight years ago for me in Iran but having had good reports we have decided to stay here for three nights. The Silk Road Hotel has become quite famous amongst travellers. In the middle of the old town, and situated near some historical mosques, it is constructed of brick and mud. The rooms are tastefully modernised but have local construction and design. The main courtyard is one story below ground level but open to the sky with a windowless level in the cool basement. A great meeting place. Again there are travellers by bicycle, but mostly by bus. Japanese represent the majority, possibly the policy of easy visas for Asians.      

30/11/06 The covered bazaar is the forerunner of the western shopping mall and Yazd's has one of the largest and oldest, believed to be over 1000 years old. Brick arched pedestrian lane ways criss cross the city. Small shops front each and getting lost in the labyrinth is half the fun. Wind towers draw air across water to keep the inside cool in the summer heat and being partially underground the temperatures remain pleasant, even in winter. The sliced bread shaped, sundried brick that is used in almost all Iranian construction, often covered with a mud and straw mix, creates the walls and arched or domed roofs, forming many appealing ceiling designs and patterns. We climbed to the top of the Imam Hossein Takieh, a three story construction and the highest building in the city other than the many minarets. Much is underground with only one mud brick story covering the landscape of half a million people. As a mud house collapses, or is beyond repair, a new dwelling is built on top of the old one creating many layers of past history beneath. We also visited the Zoroastrian Fire Temple where the sacred flame, that has burnt for over 1500 years, is now housed. Zoroastrianism first started in Persia more than 500 years before Christ and was the dominant religion before Islam. Until recently their dead were left for the vultures to pick the bones clean at the Towers of Silence on the outskirts of Yazd, which we visited today.

1/12/06 Hardly left the Silk Road Hotel all day. The greatest concentration of travellers in the last 12 months. Eight nationalities relaxed in the courtyard. A Friday, most things are closed and a day to plan the road ahead. An Australian travelling in from Pakistan, the only person heading wes t, had the latest on that volatile country. The Pakistan Embassies require a letter of introduction from most peoples embassy's to issue visas. The French and German Governments have travel advisories against travel in Pakistan and think it contradictory to then issue the letter, so they are currently unable to obtain visas to travel overland. It appears a free police escort is necessary from the Iranian border the 1200 km to Multan via Quetta for people not travelling on public transport, bicyclists must go by bus. The lone Japanese female motorcyclist we met in Esfahan, is also here, and would like to travel Pakistan with us for better security. The unknown ahead the main talking point of the congregating travellers.

2/12/06 A Dutch bicyclist on his way to South America?, the long way round, was pedalling in our direction. Living on just 3 Euro a day, escaping the work drudgery of Europe, we chatted roadside for an hour, his first encounter with westerners since leaving Istanbul two months ago as he has been travelling the smaller back roads. It takes a certain type of person to bicycle alone, with thousands of hours available for self reflection time, individually against everything encountered. We rode on to Kerman, 350 km's, just a stop over night, where two more, again Dutch, bicyclists have been staying a couple of nights, also on their way towards Pakistan. The roads are narrowing all travellers to just one, from Kerman to Quetta in Pakistan there is no choice of a different path. Petra and Wim, ex truck drivers, dissatisfied with the overpopulated and overregulated Netherlands have headed off indefinitely. In this small world of coincidence, Petra owns a Harley-Davidson and was at the 100th Anniversary in Milwaukee in 2003 but also toured with Mike Ferris's Himalayan motorcycle tour in India, the same organisation we are touring Bhutan with in February. It is rare we meet a disgruntled bicyclist. The peace of the solitude either creates a relaxed mentality or it is that type of person who is interested in cycling. More often we find motorcyclists or motorcar drivers less comfortable with their circumstances. There seems to be less expectations from bicyclists compared to motorised travellers. 

3/12/06 The road rises to over 2500 metres as it climbs out of Kerman on a plateau between two mountain ranges. Mt. Hezar, Iran's highest, at almost 4500 metres is surrounded by cloud and small beads of ice are falling, blowing like sand across the road. Rayen, a little off the main road, has a 1000 year old citadel, a mud walled city. Not inhabited for the last 150 years it is now being restored. The newer Rayen city, in the older parts has little difference in building construction techniques and materials to the citadel. Mud and sun dried bricks, domed rooves, still the preferred method. Restoration of the citadel is partially completed and shows a good mix of the decay and how the city would have looked with its massive exterior walls, opulent governor's quarters and basic common people's houses. The last 70 km's into Bam is down off the plateau, gradually warming, where we again met the two cyclists from last night. It seems the snow on the mountain pass had increased later in the day, they were advised not to ride, so hitchhiked a truck into Bam.

4/12/06 On my visit to Iran in 1998, the citadel, Arg-e-Bam, was an amazing construction of mud. Having been situated along the trading route from east to west it's had many famous visitors including Marco Polo in it's 1200 year history. Unfortunately the earthquake that struck this region just three years ago, killing over 30,000 people, almost completely destroyed the complex. The restoration work, now well underway, is unlikely to be finished in my life time. The nondescript city of Bam was also destroyed and now looks like a war zone reconstruction area. There are few old buildings. Most new ones are not finished. Steel and brick, the new earthquake proof materials, are being thrown up into dwellings everywhere yet many people and businesses live and operate out of shipping containers. A bustling city of hurrying people attempting to grab quick money, with local and migrant workers vying for jobs it has taken on the feel of a frontier gold rush mining town. We learnt later today that the road over yesterday's pass was closed due to snow, as we rested in sunshine at our hotel. 

5/12/06 Miki (Minori), a Japanese woman, was planning a motorcycle ride with her friend to the USA when the friend died in an accident. They had not decided where they would visit in America, so to honour the remembrance of her friend, Miki rode solo to all 50 states. She has since ridden across Russia to Europe and is now finishing her third solo trip, this time from South Africa to Nepal through some challenging countries for a woman on her own. We first met her in Esfahan, decided to ride together from Bam to Quetta in Pakistan and this morning left Bam early for the border. Miki is riding a 250 cc dirt bike and travels at 80 to 90 km/hr and hasn't been stopping except t o refuel. Often refused entry to restaurants here as a lone woman and receiving more attention from men than she likes she has been moving from hotel to hotel with few stops. The 300 km to Zahedan was uneventful other than seeing a horrendous accident between two trucks and three cars, passing by soon after it had occurred, with one car still burning and a number of people dead. The driving in Iran is usually fast and close, with vehicles often passing us with centimetres to spare. Just one miscalculation, we have seen many accidents. From Zahedan to the border, pickup trucks, carrying smuggled goods from Pakistan filled the road. Pickup truck loads of plastic drums of petrol have been heading into the desert, destined for Pakistan, and creating a shortage of petrol near the border in Iran, but these other pickups are in their hundreds, ferrying goods. In this lawless region tribal chiefs, not the government, control most of what crosses borders. The official border had almost no traffic, a couple of trucks, a few bus travellers and us. The Bam hostel we were staying in for two nights had a steady stream of Kenyan's moving through. Evasive to questions, when pressed they said they were tourists. We didn't see any other Kenyan's or even dark skinned people in Iran, and I hardly think Bam would be high on the list for Kenyan tourists, perhaps also a result of a loose border. An easy crossing, one hour, but as the time difference is 90 minutes between Iran and Pakistan we needed to hurry to be assured of getting into Pakistan before they closed at 5pm.

Move with us to Pakistan
 

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