Iran 3

(see Dutch version and/or photolinks for pictures)

We are getting stronger! We're noticing that when we cross the mountains north of Teheran on our way to the Caspian see. We enter the Damavand area (mt Damavand 5671 mtr). There's fresh air, snow capped mountains en beautiful green nature. We treat ourselves for a stay in a small mountain village with hotsprings. In our appartment we bath in this hot water. When we go for a walk in the afternoon we meet an Iranian family, they gesture us to come with them. I mount a horse, get a young child sitting in front of me and we follow the cows. We walk between the roses while the women sing and laugh. We've just entered a true movie scene.

In one day we trade the snow capped mountains for rice fields when we descend to the Caspian see. This part of Iran is almost tropical, it's hot and humid but it's also flat and the wind is on our side. On the side of the road there's a family waving to us. The head of the family is part of the Iranian Cyclist Foundation and we have to promise to come and have lunch at his house. So we do. The house is full of family and when we agree to stay for the night, everybody is screaming of joy. At night we eat at granny's, with fourthy other relatives. She has just returned from her pilgrimage to Iraq.

We continue our long journey to the holy city 'Mashhad' en run into another cycling couple. The landscape is very desolate so it's great we can camp with four instead of two. We find a great place in the middle of Kholestan national park between the many trees, next to river. The next night we sleep in the hills of a desertlike landscape under the starts and moonlight. Heading for the city, we cycle again with two, or actually with four again. We get a full day of police escorte (because if the traffic). We haven't seen such a relaxed road on our complete journey to Iran, so it's not really neccesary. We look like celeberties when we enter the city, especially when the traffic is being stopped so we can pass. We learn a new meaning of a 'drive by shoot' : a car slowely passes us and shoots a picture or video shot.

Before some enthusiastic readers decide to book a cycle holiday in Iran, I have to let you know that it's not only as bright as it seems.

• Often the traffic is horror. There are no rules (so it seems) and we are happy if there's a 40 cm lane on witch we can cycle.
• Iran has a beautiful nature, but there's rubbish everywhere. Especially the dried out rivers look disgusting.
• For a woman, cycling in a full covering outfit in the heat, is hard. Maarten is the only person everybody talks to, because he is male and I'm a woman. After four weeks I'm looking forward to step into my old and familiar role again.
• Getting sick in a desolate place in Iran (in the hills where we camped) is no fun. For the sick Maarten there's no other option than to cycle anther 40 km in the heat to the nearest hotel. We have to stop every 5 km for some misery.... He fully recovered after 2 days.

After cycling non stop for twelve days, we've finally reached Mashhad where we can rest. Tonight we are probably going to watch the dutch footballmatch with other cyclist. We've go TV in our appartement!

Iran 2

(see dutch version or photolinks for pictures)

Zanjan owns a beautiful restored Caravanserai where we spent a full evening, having dinner and talking with students. We cycle about 350 km to Teheran through a big wide valley, which is boring from time to time. We have to make big distances and really have to be careful for the crazy traffic next to us, but there is always something to take your mind of the job; an historical site, a beautiful landscape or someone reaching out to help us. Like the man who was determined to give us some money. After refusing several times, I take the money and we're both happy. At some picknicks on the side of the road many cars stop to give us something. When we leave our supplies have grown instead of shrunken.

The closer we get to Teheran, the crazier the traffic. In Karaj (45 km from Teheran) we decide to take a taxi to Teheran for Janneke is totally fed up with the traffic.
Our mission in Teheran is to arrange some visa, but we'er up for some dissapointements. China is due to the Olympic games very difficult to organize. You have to able to show a detailled schedule of your booked hotels, quite some work! Tadjikistan does need a letter of invitation after all and Kyrgystan can only give visa after a week, time we don't have....We only manage to get the transitvisum for Turkmenistan, we can pick it up in Mashhad.

We quickly leave Teheran for a two-day trip to Esfahan, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The bikes stay in the hotel, we take the nighttrain. The city fully matches our expectations. It's beautifully green with great parks, though it's located in the middle of the dessert. There are many palaces, romantic bridges en impressive mosques for it was the Shah's capital 400 years ago. Esfahan also has the second biggest square in the world (after Beijing).

Around this big square there's a big bazaar full of art. We cannot keep our wallets closed and we sent a big packet of souvenirs home.
We are most impressed by the bridges at night with their magical lights. There are families everywhere to picknick or to relax, entjoying this scenery. You can have a pretty good night with only thee and sweets!

We're now back in Teheran and tomorrow we're heading for the holy city Mashhad. First we have to cross the mountains in the north to the Caspian see en than cycling to the east. In two weeks we are in Masshad, near the Turkmen boarder.

Iran 1

(see dutch version and/or photo links for pictures)

Mister, please come to my house!

Crossing the border is done in just a few minutes. Janneke quickly changes clothes (fully covering shirt and headscarf) and before we know it, we are in Iran. Apparently the colourful clothes of Janneke draw a lot of (laughing) attention, so in the first city we buy headscarf number 2.

Many times we are begged to come and drink tea (only one sir, please!) or to stay for dinner or the night. Sometimes difficult after a long day of cycling and you just want to be left alone.

The Iranian people really love to talk to foreigners and they are very interested in what we think about the country. To only answer 'we like it' is not enough, because they'll ask the next question: can you please give a few examples to justify your answer? Here they are:

• A car pulls over to give us two cool cans of orange juice which he has just bought. The man says 'for you' and takes off again.
• When we stop to make a picture, we are given two pieces of bread by a man pointing to the sky.
• A couple helps us to find a hotel and to carry our luggage. The next morning we hear a knock on our door; its the couple to ask if we've enjoyed the hotel.
• At dinner we have a conversation with a couple. When the man hears we come from Holland he says ' your governemt enemy of Iran'. For a moment we don't know what to say, but 5 minutes later we are invited in their house and Janneke gets a new headscarf (number 3).

The best times we have in Tabriz where we visit family of an Iranian living in Holland. For 2,5 days they spoil us, show us all the best places and sites of Tabriz and around. Like the little mountain houses in Khandovan, the huge bazaar with a lot of carpets and gold, and we hang out in the beautiful Elgoli park. We visit al family members and after the magnificent dinners we dance on the perzian carpet.

On our way to Teherean the landscape gets drier. We pass many fields where the working men wave their thermoscan "cai!" (tea). The parked donkeys normally think we are one of them (they are almost right!). We pass the Virgin Bridge in the surroundings of Miyaneh, an important bridge of the ancient silkroad. Next to the river we see beautiful flowers and orchards.

In the cities other "sisters" sometimes aplaud for Janneke and the man yell "mister, welcome to my city" or even "merci". As you can read, we really like Iran. The justification for our answer is set out in this text!