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Published: December 2nd 2011
On Tuesday, 11.10., I was leaving Esfahan in direction of Shiraz. Saeids mother gave me lots of food that I had difficulties to pack all the stuff in my packages 😊 Thanks a lot to Saeid and his family! I hope I can give something back in the future!
It was the season of Pomegranates. I was given so much Pomegranates. And they are heavy! It was a big challenge to eat them faster then getting new ones! But until Shiraz I made it😊 I could also recognize that I get into the grape region. I was also given much grapes. But they are not so heavy...
The first three days I was quite fast, I made over 400km. On the way to Shiraz I visited some historical sites. I thought a bit history in Persia I should see. I was in Parsagadue, Naqsh-e-Rajab and Persepolis. However, its nothing for me to see some old ruins and was lucky that it took less time than I thought. At least is was very cheap, only about 0,30Euro. In Efes in Turkey we spent about 8 Euro for similar stuff!
Shortly before Shiraz there were for guys on 2 mopeds who pushed resp.
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moonrisepulled me. It was quite fun but the police came and forbid that😞
The guys also gave me some tobacco to suck. I never tried this and I felt quite dizzy, as I would be drunk. I went in a shop and bowled nearly everything down...
In Shiraz I spent two days. One day I met a jobless tourist guide who guided me a bit through Shiraz. He could speak very good German. And of course after the tour he wanted to have some money. I think I actually gave him more than I would have spent for a booked guide. I met Mohammed, a friend of Rehza, the guy who helped me so lot in Tehran. He and his friend gave me another tour through Shiraz by car. They both couldnt speak English, so it was a funny tour in Farsi. For the next day he invited me to lunch.
Sending a postcard, part two: I wanted to send a postcard. A friend of Mohamed went with me to a post office. It was a little store and that was maybe the fault. I was told as in Esfahan to put the postcard in an envelope. From Esfahan I
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...and sunset on the other side. Fantastic! knew that it is much more expensive than sending just the card. So I asked how much it will cost. She said to me she will say this when I have put the card into the envelope. I asked why she cant say the price before that. After a while of thinking: 7000 Toman, about 4 Euro. I said thats too much and I know that it is possible for only 1800 Toman if I just send the postcard without a crazy envelope. She said, wait a moment. Discussion with her colleague, a few phone callings: Okay, I can send it for 2000 Toman but it will take 3 months! Hmmm... Again 10 minutes waiting, phone calls and discussions: 6200 Tomans. I said it is too much and why cant I just send only the postcard without an envelope? Yes, of course, no problem, you can send just the card. But write here on the envelope the address... So the address on the envelope, address of sender? Just the name and Iran. Card in the envelope, 6200 Toman. Too much! Again 10 minutes waiting, discussions, phone calls, card out of the envelope (yes,yes,yes!) and in another envelope (no,no,no).
Stamps on
it:6200 Toman. No, too much! But I resignated and paid the 6200 Toman. Just funny, that the value of the stamps was 4440 Toman...
She said that is already the special price. The normal price would be 7000 Toman. I hope that doesnt mean that the postcard will take 3 months to Germany...
I wanted to give Mohammed back the phone of Rehza, but they said I should keep it until I am in Bandar Abbas and then send it back to Tehran.
I spontaneously changed my plan. Originally, my plan was to go directly to Bandar Abbas, but I wanted to see more the Sea, so I headed towards Bushehr at the coast of the Persian Gulf with the plan to follow the coast to Bandar Abbas.
I often could hang on a truck that pulls me some meters. They often even slow down so that I can hang on them more easily. Many people make pictures of me. They often hold on just to make a picture or even make it out of their car. Many people I had a little chat (in Fenglish resp. handsigns) wanted to have my phone number. I never know what for, when
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chocolate stones :) we even are barely able to speak to each other when we can see our gestures, how will a phone call be? One day one guy even tried to phone me. It was of course only Hallo, how are you?, good bye.
In Bushehr I was invited by Ebrahiom and his family. I met him on the way to Bushehr at a dry lake. I asked him where the lake is that is shown on my map and he answered: here! At his family I learned a new game, similar but simpler to Skat. They were surprised that I was able to learn it so fast. And I was at the sea. Finally! I missed water the last weeks. It was very stormy and I felt a bit like at home 😊 It was very nice at the big family, they made much fun. I enjoyed it there!
The next day I was leaving Bushehr again. There was a moment where I felt quite unwell by a presence of a guy. Maybe the first time on my trip. He was on a moped and asked me on Farsi where I am from and where I want to go.
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Pasargade As he realized that I couldnt speak Farsi he was staying behind me. So far nothing special, I often had this situation where they stay next to me for a few km without saying a word.
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The police saw us and maybe found it quite strange and stopped me and said to the other guy to continue. The police checked my passport. After a few minutes I could ride again. The guy on the moped was so slow and waited for me. When I was overtaken him he stayed again just behind me. It was already late afternoon and the next city far away. The street was not very busy so I started to get a bit worried. I decided to go in the bushes. Luckily he didnt follow me. I was a bit angry, it was such a nice cycling day. Strong tailwind.
I already had 130km, but I felt as much more. But I had a great sleeping place under palm trees. It was a great view with the half moon behind the trees! I tried to fotograph it but my camera is not good enough to make such pictures.
The next morning I had a puncture. The policeman from yesterday came and asked many Questions (on Farsi, of cfourse). He propably wondered why I made from yesterday evening to now only 2 km. He phoned some people until he found somebody who could speak some English. He asked the questions I thought I have already explained to the policeman. I am from Germany, travelling by bicycle going to Bandar Abbas. However, when the word "tourist" came, everything seemed to be suddenly clear. The police man was leaving and was making some gestures that I have to leave, too, and made a sign of handcuffs. Erm, what? Luckily, that he havent returned, because I had at the other wheel another puncture...
This day I had another great operation. I saw the sea and thought it was a great idea to have lunchbreak at the beach. The way leading to the
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explanation coast was stoppping after a few metres and there was almost only sand, very comfortable to go there with the bike. After a while I had to go. The distance was getting more and more. Suddenly my front wheel made Phshshshhh! -flat. The last metres I made without bike. I wanted to have a refreeshing bath and wash my clothes, but the water was very flat and the underground was extremely muddy that I sank every step until the knees into the sand. There were sharp stones and shells that scratched my legs bloody. nevertheless I tried to wash my clothes and lost my undertrouser. The way back out of the water I tried to crawl on hands and feet to reduce the pressure. The result just was that my hands were also scratched. However, I insisted on taking a lunch and was looking forward to fix my puncture and the whole way back. It was hard work to fix the puncture at this wind! Finally back at the road I had another puncture. 4 flat tyres in one day! New rewcord! In total this operation payed off: about 3h, 2 punctures, scratched and muddy legs and arms, one lost
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...and English translation :) undertrouser, probably clothes that are much more dirty than before... but I was in the Persian Gulf! The night I could stay at a very simple locatoin where a guy who is nursing two falcons. In the next town, Dayyer, I looked for an internet cafe. The falconer phoned to a friend in the town. This friend met me and brought me to his computer shop where I could use his computer for free. He was telling me there that his friend was announcing me, what I didnt know until then. It seemed that the guy from Dayyer waited for me at the main road. Crazy!
At the South coast of Iran it is quite different to the rest of Iran I have seen. Many nationalities, there are many Arabs and Africans living here. You see guys in the typical white Arabic clothes and some colourful dresses of the women, not only the boring black. And I heard the first Hindi words: Nam kya hai? (What is the name?) I see I am coming near to my destination! The asker said it is Urdu, which is spoken in Pakistan, I think, but it is quite close to Hindi.
It seems that at the Persian Gulf they are even more hospitable than in the rest of Iran. I was invited so often for lunch, dinner and even stay the night at their home, unbelievable. One host also invited me to join the prayer at a mosque.
I always tried to get as close to the sea as possible. One day I was very close with a great view and I wondered why the road is so quiet. After a while I understood why: maybe after 15km there was suddenly a fence and a sign that there the pass is forbidden. I tried to go along the fence, but no way. So I had to turn back. Another day I was again very close to the sea but on a very bad gravel path. It was often interrupted by crazy canals such that I had to carry my bike. However, I had quiet roads and often sleeping places at the beach with refreshing baths. One night, it was maybe 1 am I was awaked by two guys. And they indeed asked me if I want to sleep at their house want something to eat or some tea. Definitely not!
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not the nicest place to sleep so far! I just want to sleep!
I made a sidetrip to the Kish island, for Iranians very famous because there are big and cheap shopping malls ( I think duty free). And even a beach for women. In the rest of Iran it is forbidden for women to swim in the public. Okay, for me as I am not interested in a duty free DVD player and am used to have beaches where women and men can swim even together it was not so special but the island has a bicycle lane round the whole island and that I didnt want to miss! 😊 And indeed it was quite nice, nice beaches, everything clean proper air, much flowers. You could see it was very touristic for the rich Iranians. However, it was very complicated for me to get to the island. In total I was asked 5 times for my passport to get to the island. I think it took about two hours after I arrived the port of the Island for burocratical stuff. I dont know why, are they afraid that I want to smuggle? In my Lonely Planet it was written that the departure from the island is
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next historical site difficult not the arrival, so I was worried that it will getting worse on my way back. But that was no problem at all. Maybe it was due to the fact that the ferry wanted to leave and still had a place free.
In Bandar Abbas I made Couch surfing , just the second time on my whole trip. I stayed at Danial, or better said at his family's house. He himself had an English exam in Tehran, so I have seen him only a few hours. But I could use his room. Great! His brother Ilyad was having a little sit-in with some friends and I was joining them. Much drinking, eating, laughing, not very different from home😊 Ilyad is a metal fan and also knows Wacken. He immediately recognized my armbands. Its a dream of him that he one day also will be in Wacken. It was great at the family. They are very open minded. The mother is running in the house with shorts, the father is making the housework as cooking, cleaning and laundry. Danial had already about 100 Couchsurfers.
The father helped me to get a ferry ticket to Sharjah. Then we went
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Persepolis to a post office to send the mobile from Rehza back to Tehran. It's quite complicated, you have to fill in some formulars, it was good to have him who could make it. I also send a postcard which was astonishingly no problem here and only costed about 0,70 Eurocent. Crazy. But maybe it was not the right stamp and it wont be sent to Germany? Who knows.
On Wednesday, 2.11., 9pm, I left Iran with the ferry. Good bye, Iran! I liked it very much! I was so positively surprised of this country and I hope that the Iranians will get a good government that they are worth of!
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