Hell and the desert

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So after leaving the peace and quiet of Rumbur it was time for the horrible mission South and over the border to Iran.

We cut up the journey by stopping for a night in Dir and then again in Peshawar on the way down. Then it was 23 hours of bus to get to Quetta. Thankfully it was a good bus, and the bus drivers and conductors were completely lovely. At every stop they would take us off the bus to a private room with fan, and put on a huge spread of Pakistani food, drinks and chai. It was the Pakistani hospitality at its warmest and most appreciated on such a journey. It was just mindblowing and humbling.

Quetta was a hot, dusty, hellhole with no eletricity and some bung internet. We did meet some more lovely men who fed us pepsi and tea, and attempted to give us lunch though we were still so full from the bus journey that we politley declined.

Our second bus journey was far from pleasant - long, hot, crazed drivers and very little sleep was had. We arrived around 8am at Taftan and after some chai and money changing, set off to Iran. The Pakistani side was pleasant, quick, and though our last few days were some of the toughest of the trip we were a little sad to say goodbye.

Then it was on Iran, which is a completely different story....

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