Blogs from Iran, Middle East - page 8

TABRIZ. REST DAY 13 SEPTEMBER, 2016 What a difference a single room makes, no snoring, no lights being turned on in the middle of the night, a dry bathroom !! Small things I know, but after 30+ nights, memorable! Headed off for the bazaar at 9am as it was opening later due to yesterday's religious holiday. A huge expanse, bustling with people. The alleys were named for the products sold, shoes, jewellery, pots, etc. More like a flea market with mostly home products - soap, etc. To my mind not as magical as the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. After a few hours I needed to escape. Later spoke to other riders who visited, spending 5-6 hours there. Lucky for me I went independently!! Phil and I then went in search of the Blue Mosque, which was ... read more

TAKESTAN to ZANJAN 9 September, 2016. Stage 94 143.23 Kms SubT. Kms 2036.40 kms . Road Condition: okWeather: BLUE SKY MILD 28c Time in Saddle: 6:00:58 Av Speed: av. 23.8 kph. Av Cadence. 70 RpmElevation: 500 m up; 150 m downCalories burned : > 5500 Today was another clear sky, thankfully the wind subsided from its fierceness yesterday afternoon, although prior to lunch rode in a peloton of three to conserve energy in the 20 knot headwind. After lunch we changed direction and the wind subsided and we virtually had little or no wind, which made the cycling more enjoyable. Made a deviation on route to view a construction built or commissioned by Genghis Khan in the 13-14th century. Whilst he was a bloodthirsty marauder, he did build some amazing construction, interesting to think that he ... read more

Along the highway are photos of men, who were killed in the war with Iraq about 20 years ago. About 1 million soldiers were killed on both sides. It hardly rated an international mention!... read more

TEHRAN REST DAY 1. 6 September, 2016. Today is a rest day, however everyone is programmed to be up at 5 am, so the hotel restaurant was full of riders at 7am. Breakfast wasn't worth the effort. I am disappointed with the Iranian food I have eaten, only one good meal to date. Not as varied or as tasty as I was hoping! Today walked to the Tehran Bazaar, the oldest here, was expecting something like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Firstly it was difficult to find, they are constructing a train station in front of the entrance so wandered aimlessly for an hour, until finally finding an unassuming ally which I by chance walked down. The building contains numerous stalls, but is not remotely colourful or bustling and was under whelming. It was a long ... read more

Photo upload attempt 2!!... read more