Hi,

Nothing really new but two of us bikers have had the same thing a day or so apart. A third is coming through in a week or two and I've warned him. We'll see how he gets on.

On the Iran side at Bazargan passport control is fine, it is the customs helpers who are the problem.

Firstly, they might well be quite efficient at getting the paperwork stamped and signed but then they operate two systems:

1. they take you down the hill from the main crossing to a semi-deserted building where they explain that you need to pay EUR50 for the terminal. I guessed they meant the Iranian Petrol rationing card. Whether you're legally meant to have one is moot you can quite easily get by without one. They will pester you and point at a dusty board saying cars and trucks pay much more but just say no.

2. they then take you (they have your paperwork so there's not much avoiding it unless you avoided them in the first place) to the insurance shop -- it's clearly sign-posted Iran Insurance on a sky blue sign on the left side near the exit. The poor lads in there looked intimidated and were unsure what to do but I was asked for EUR100 for 30days 3rd party insurance. I was shown no prices or paperwork and was at a bit of a loss so had to cough up. Matt refused and was taken outside the border to another Sigorta where after arguing left with only 2 weeks insurance for EUR40.

Learn your Persian numerals (it's very easy, 2&3 have fallen over and have a tail, 4&6 are upside down, 7&8 are a V and an inverted V, 1&9 are normal, 5 is an upside down heart and 0 is a .). They read L2R as in English.

The precise figures are written on the computer printed document (six tear-off sheets). In the top left sheet, fourth line down, right hand side is the price in Rials: 215,400 in my case (ie. about EUR18).

On the bottom two sheets are two dates three lines up written as yyyy/mm/dd and are listed L2R as to and from (in Persian they'd be reading the whole piece R2L so it would be from/to to them). The year is currently 1389 and in my case 30 days starting in September means that the dd part remains the same and only the mm changes by one.

They might show you a yellow sheet written by hand in English. This is simply rubbish. Mine has a child's attempt to overwrite 30days and 18EUR with 70days and 50EUR. I think they would have shown me this "proof" had I argued. It's made up rubbish and in my case laughably made up. The problem being they didn't show me any of this until I'd paid up.

The proof is on that orangey-pink computer printed sheet. Demand to see that and check the numbers.

My hotel man here in Tehran (at the Parasto Hotel) very kindly phoned up Bazargan (I only asked him to double check which numbers were which) and got hold of the main man who naturally said that I had paid these helpers for their service, his office had only received the IR215,400.

Anyway, nothing especially new but at least you can now check the document for the precise figures and tell them where to go!

It's a real shame as Iranians are the friendliest people and I can't fault them. Except their driving is crazy.

Cheers,

Ian