Archive for March, 2008
Thursday, March 20th, 2008
90km Kaalzard to Azmighan
The Iranian New Year arrived today and it seemed the whole country was out celebrating. As we rolled into Tabas, the only major town in the middle of the Dasht-e-Kavir desert, we first noticed tents and crowds of people around the mosque. Many little girls particularly caught our eye, skipping and running alongside their families in bright pink dresses and headscarves. Everywhere the streets were bustling until we entered the hammam. It seemed we were the only ones who wanted a bath on the first day of the year! All the better for us. We had the showers entirely to ourselves and it felt fantastic to wash away a few days worth of dirt and sweat.
Thank goodness for Bijan who managed to lead us straight to the hammam, something we’d have struggled to find on our own. Aside from the company and friendship, Bijan’s ability to communicate with the world around us has been a real luxury the last couple of days. (more…)
No Comments » - Posted in Cycling Trips, Iran, Journal Entries by friedel
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
110km Robat-e-Posht Badlam to Kaalzard
We all woke up early this morning. We could say it was our energetic desire to get on the road at the crack of dawn but in truth we really couldn’t have slept in even if we’d wanted to. Even before the sun was up, buses started pulling into the rest stop in their dozens, letting their crowds of overnight travellers use the bathroom and do their morning prayers at the mosque. Friedel got up at 5:30am thinking that would be a quiet time to wash her hair, only to find the small bathroom filled with at least thirty women and no way to get near the sink. We packed up surprisingly quickly and the three of us set off for the desert, loaded down with water and food for a couple of days.
We’d been told to expect nothing for the next 170km to Tabas but as it turned out we found a mosque with cold water in the morning and an emergency medical station in the afternoon, where the attendants were also happy to refill our bottles. The cycling was surprisingly easy with some nice downhills and beautifully desolate scenery. Even some camels poked their heads over some nearby hills to say hello as we flew past.
Before we knew it we’d broken the 100km mark, without even really trying. We probably could have carried on but we spotted some buildings and from a distance it looked like the perfect camping spot. Our instincts were right. What we found was a shelter run by some government wardens, who keep an eye on illegal hunting in the area. We were warmly welcomed to stay the night with them and use their water and bathrooms. They even brought us tea in the evening: five-star camping! We chattered into the night with Bijan – it’s so nice to have some company – and then decided to sleep under the stars in the mild weather. You have to take advantage of perfect nights like this.
No Comments » - Posted in Cycling Trips, Iran, Journal Entries by friedel
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
67km Saghand to Robat-e-Posht Badlam
Today we took life in the slow lane, dawdling towards the last town before a long stretch of desert. We had good reason to take it easy because we were waiting for our good friend Bijan to join us but he was only able to leave Tehran yesterday so we knew he was pedalling like mad somewhere on the road behind us, trying to catch up. While we were enjoying ourselves, taking a long two-hour lunch in the cool shade of a bridge, most of the motorists seemed to be in a more stressed frame of mind. The Iranian New Year is coming up so the traffic is like you’d see during the Christmas holidays at home with everyone trying to get somewhere and all at the same time. Every car is packed with families travelling around the country, particularly to the holy city of Mashhad. We’ve hardly seen a vehicle, from the smallest cars to the biggest trucks, with a free seat and the roof is usually stacked with luggage. To get away from the traffic, we took a short morning break at an abandonned caravanserai. These buildings used to serve as hotels in the days before motorcars and they’re often beautiful designed with patterned brickwork but now they stand completely empty. We climbed to the roof and imagined what life might have been like inside these walls a few decades ago. A few hours of leisurely pedalling brought us to a popular rest stop where we decided to wait for Bijan. We thought he might turn up the next morning but much to our amazement he arrived that evening, after cycling a marathon 186 kilometers! We were impressed to say the least. Unfortunately for Bijan, while the rest stop made an easy place for us to meet, it also turned out to be a rather noisy place to spend the night. When he most needed a good night’s sleep, he didn’t get his wish. We’ll have to try and make for that with a peaceful night in the desert tomorrow.
No Comments » - Posted in Cycling Trips, Iran, Journal Entries by friedel
Monday, March 17th, 2008
71km Kharanaq to Saghand
We made an early start out of Kharanaq, something that’s both easier now that summer is on its way and necessary here in the desert as hot temperatures make cycling unpleasant after 11am. A new routine is starting to form: get on the road as soon as possible, pedal until about 11:30 and then find a lunch spot to spot for a good two or three hours. After a nap, we then feel ready to pedal again for a few hours in the late afternoon when things have cooled down a bit. We’re very thankful for our tarp, which has given us some valuable shade in an otherwise desolate landscape. Today our early start was thwarted somewhat by a flat in Andrew’s back tire.
It’s a good thing we replaced our broken pump (it stopped working a few weeks ago) before we left Yazd! With the bikes back in working order, we started a long but gentle uphill climb through miles and miles of nothing. Just one road, leading through a long and sandy landscape. There are a few trucks on the road and plenty of people going home for the Iranian New Year but towns are spaced at least 60km apart and there are only abandonned buildings in the middle.
With the warm temperatures, we had to refill our bottles a few times with water from the passing trucks. One kind driver even gave us four oranges. It doesn’t sound like much but for us it was really like a gift from the heavens. We haven’t seen fresh fruit anywhere since we left Yazd and the taste of a juicy orange in the middle of the day is undescribably good. That’s one of the things this trip has taught us, to enjoy simple pleasures.
Late in the day we were surprised to see an old Citroen coming towards us. It turned out to be driven by a French couple, making their way to Laos. We chatted for a while, enjoying the company, and soon discovered we had a common friend, a Belgian cyclist we’d met at the Turkmen embassy last week. It’s a small world.
Soon afterwards we arrived in Saghand and decided to stay the night in a room at the local shrine. There’s no furniture but we were happy to spread out our sleeping mats and enjoy the evening without putting up our tent and in a place with electricity and water. Such luxuries! Evidently a few other people also thought this a good place to stay because all the rooms (they provide half a dozen or so for travellers) were full, mostly with families making the trek to their home villages or to Mashhad for No Ruz.
No Comments » - Posted in Cycling Trips, Iran, Journal Entries by friedel
Sunday, March 16th, 2008
85km Yazd to Kharanaq
We had butterflies in our stomachs this morning as we headed back out on the road after a lengthy break. It’s funny how the pause in our routine made us feel like we were taking those first steps out our door in London all over again. Now that our life is usually on the move, we get attached to places very quickly and it was hard to leave the comfort of the hotel in Yazd.
It was difficult cycling for most of the day, not because of the terrain (mostly flat) or the weather (sunny and about 25 degrees) but more because our muscles have also gotten used to relaxing. A lunchtime snooze under our tarp, perfectly tied onto the metal poles of a high tension power line, gave us the energy we needed to carry on. (more…)
