Swapping the bike for a horse in Iran.
I am not sure "Travel Hint and Tips" is the right section but anyway:
Ive just been told a story this morning at work.
The story was about a Frenchman friend of one of my colleagues who travelled in Iran last year.
He was backpacking and at a certain point he couldn't find (or didn't want to, we don't know) any decent transportation suitable to his route so he bought a horse from locals and carried on his travelling through the northern region of Iran riding this horse.
At the end of the trip he couldn't sell it back (my colleague said he paid £200 for it) so he gave it away in exchange of accommodation and food. I think he was riding (that's proper "riding" I suppose) following the Karakoram Highway and apparently didn't have any problem at all, he knew something about horses from back home, though, and in these regions a horse is probably a common mean of transport.
I was thinking, just to share on the HUBB my mid-afternoon delirium at work:
If your motorbike gets stolen or somehow terminally unusable, there is a lot of gear that can be used on a horse:
-panniers (especially the soft throw over ones would be perfect and comfortable for the animal too).
-your riding boots/jacket/pants
-helmet (in case of a fall)
-gloves
-you can neglect petrol stations but you probably need to carry extra water (it can go in the jerrycans instead of fuel = fuel for your ride), for the rest all your stuff is good and can be fitted on a horse with minimal/none modification - it will look a flashy too.
-no spare parts needed
-no oil (I am not sure about "maintenance" - don't know anything about horses)
I am sure there are a lot of downsides like it is slow and it hasn't got a 12v socket etc.
I believe the story to be true, the following bit about swapping rides is my little sick fantasy for the day but to get me out of a desperate situation I would definitely consider it. Don't you?
I was wondering though: can you cross borders on a horse? Will the custom officer ask you for a Carnet? It would be funny to see how they check the frame number...
Regards to all.
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... and Nelly The Elephant packed the trunk and said goodbye to the circus...
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