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Published: April 16th 2010
Just the two of us!
The Paykan alongside our car was hauled in to make a contrast for the journalist and photographer who were doing a story on us for the largest circulating newspaper in Tehran.Thursday 15 April
I am sitting at a table writing my next blog, with John opposite me writing his diary, in a coffee room of the Hotel Shiraz Parsian, Shiraz which is a major city in Iran with many attractions for visitors who can get here. The city is situated some 700 kilometres south of Tehran. We have had two full driving days since leaving Tehran, stopping half way at Esfahan, a beautiful city that used to be the capital of this country, for one night last night. But before I relate any more about the journey thus far, I should return to where I left off my last blog and that was shortly after we had arrived in Tehran. We ended up spending three nights in Tehran and the reason mainly was because of the wonderful hospitality that we received. During our first day there, having arrived in Tehran the previous night, I said I needed to prepare the next blog so John said he would go out of the hotel to find some Paykans to photograph! Not just ordinary ones but ones with a bit of character or carrying unusual loads, because here, it seems anything is possible to
Tehran telecomms tower
Barry beside the car with the Tehran telecomms tower in the background-the fourth tallest in the world. carry, either on two or four wheels. A couple of hours went by, I was working on the internet and then returned to our room with the intention of putting a local SIM card into my phone which I had bought that morning. Suddenly my phone rings, after having no reception since arriving in Iran, and answering it I found John on the end! “Can you come and find me, I’m lost because I was picked up by the Diplomatic Police and taken away for questioning and now I am released, I can’t remember the name of the hotel and I don’t have it on me.” John was so lucky that at that moment I was in the room and had not changed my SIM card - he might have still been out there! Fortunately, earlier on we had been helped in finding a map of the city which was a really good detailed one so once John had been able to give me his whereabouts above the terrible din of the traffic around him I was able to go to him and get him back to the hotel. Well, that was fun and games and perhaps a message for
Shihan's friends
Sobran and Sina came along on the final night and took us off to a wonderful kebab restaurant in the north of Tehran, and then came back to the hotel to help us with an interview with another local paper. both of us in strange places. It also has to be said that it was unlucky on his part that his photography was in a ‘diplomatic area’ so photos were prohibited so close to the many foreign embassies in that area. That evening we returned to the coffee shop a second time that we had been introduced to by a gentleman from a tour operator company we had visted to ask if they had a map of Tehran. He had been so kind that he not only took us to get one but showed us the coffee shop, which we would never have found on our own. So we benefited several times as a result of that visit because it turned out that the coffee shop, one of a few in Tehran as coffee is not a drink common to the citizens of the city but getting more popular amongst the young, was regarded as the best ‘in town’. The atmosphere in there was so friendly and made so by the young man who greeted us on our first visit there. It also had internet that allowed me to make contact with folk back at home.
That same evening we
En-route - a typical garage
This picture was taken when we called in to see what one of the small garages did that were situated on the highway as we drove towards Shiraz in southern Iran. had a press interview and photographs taken. Our Iranian visa people have been absolutely great. They had arranged the interviews, and because the Iranian people are so interested in hearing all about us as people and what we are doing, the interview went on for several hours. Then the paper decided they would like to take us in the morning to a famous landmark in Tehran. We had no idea what that was so our interest was high. The following morning we were duly collected and followed the photographer through the busy Tehran traffic - neither of us could believe the antics of the photographer who was asking us to come up alongside the car he was passenger in to take photos of us. I hope he lives for a long time because he was a great guy but hanging out the window of his moving car in that sort of traffic was not the sort of thing that would lead to a long and meaningful life! Our destination turned out to be the newly built telecommunications tower in Tehran, the fourth highest in the world and not yet open to the public. So John and I were immensely impressed
Carpet man
So many carpets were laid out over the review floor, John and I were able to leave the building by carpet! I know he wanted to buy one. by their desire to show us their new landmark, which was a real feature of engineering and gave us both an amazing view of the city. All thanks to Hamid and Anouska from Iranianvisa.com who have been instrumental in making our visit to Iran so memorable by arranging over night accommodation at our destinations as we make our way to the border with Pakistan. He even helped find a garage where we had an engine oil change and a check of the car suspension - all was in order, which pleased us enormously,
Our second full day was not finished after that. Our man in the USA, Shahin, who has a Paykan web site, had been telling us to contact his friends, Sobrab and Sina, which we duly did and as a result were collected by them and taken to the north of the city to meet with their wife/girlfriend and to be taken to a Kebab restaurant that was most memorable. Both of us were treated to a banquet of food that reflected Iranian culinary traditions and both of us were so grateful to them both for taking the time out to host us and spend time talking about
Esfahan Square
A moody late evening photo of this lovely square so many things.
So the day came to leave Tehran and head south for Esfahan. It was 350 kilometres but worth the time on the road. The city, the old capital of Iran was full of wonders - a remarkable square, the fourth largest in the world after (you name those that you think are bigger?). John and I were roaming around the square admiring the lit up mosques when a young man (they all seem young now!) came up to us and just engaged us in conversation that led to us being taken to a carpet outlet in the bazaar of the square where we were treated to seeing some magnificent and ancient Persian carpets as well as carpets from such places as Afghanistan, that had been made by Afghan people who had been pushed out of or lost their homes because of the wars in that country and to make money many had turned to making carpets. What was so overwhelming was the content of the carpet - they all reflected the war by each carpet, unique in its own right, creating a picture of war machines, guns and missiles. I knew John was finding it hard to
The Mosque
This was known as the man's mosque because it had two calling towers, where as over the other side another mosque had none and was known as the women's mosque! resist a purchase! This morning, before we left, we had another look around the square and then on the way out saw the historical bridges that the city is famous for - it is a place to return to.
The rest of today has been on the road, sharing the driving, keeping the water intake up and trying to avoid the police speed cameras that are numerous on all express ways and highways over here. We even had time to stop and enjoy a cup of ‘che’ (tea) and an icecream. On our way down we also stopped at one of the many roadside garages that are there to make repairs to trucks and cars that break down on route to their destination. Pictures tell the story. The final leg I drove as we seem to have settled into a routine where John drives and I get us out of the cities, and then I take over half way. It seems to be working very well, although I suspect that the heat to come will ensure we swap more often. But after passing many police cameras we finally (or should I say me) got caught by one and spent a
Cycle Hire
John thought Barry about to hire a bike to get around! It is dangerous enough in a car around and in major cities in Iran. very enjoyable 20 minutes extricating ourselves from a fine by discussing our epic journey, and asking about Shiraz and especially about Persepolis that we are visiting on our way to Yazd tomorrow.
So folks that just about brings us up to date with where we are. We both are finding the currency exchange rate and the use of local money quite difficult to comprehend. Its all notes and they are marked in thousands of Rials except that the locals also know rials as tomans so that causes complications because I think that 10000 rials is a different value to 10000 rials! And 10000 rials is equivalent to one US dollar. The joys of travel, eh?
Until the next time.
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Fran Lewis
non-member comment
Following every step
Hi John and Barry, Wow, what an epic journey you are having, Nick and I are following you every day, and this is better than Michael Palin's around the world in 80 days. I did giggle when John got picked up by the diplomatic police but only after I read he was released with all his limbs intact!! All well in sunny Exmouth, love to you both, Frannie and Nick. xxx