I really loved this part of your blogging of Iran.
About the political analysis of Iran I must say I seriously doubt that America wants a democratic powerful Iran. Maybe they say that in the media but the true nature of their policies should be obvious by their actions, that's for sure. America wants a way to keep the control of oil-rich middle east and a democratic powerful Iran would not help that.
good luck again.
p.s. I don't know if you answer any of these comments. But just in case my email address is Okhtay[at]psu[dot]edu
wow! this part of the trip had a lot of up and downs!
I just wanted to correct something in this part. The mountain to the south of tabriz and east of Urmia lake is actually another famous azeri mountain called Sahand. Sabalan is far to the north-east and it is near Ardebil.
Good luck!
I'm an Azeri Iranian and it was really interesting to read about the first part of your trip to Iran. of course, I'm going to read the rest of it but your observations of this part of the country, although missing some points, was quite remarkable and complete. And I must say, I'm sorry about the toilets on the roads!:p
you might be right, they haven't been cleaned up since the revolution!
I really want to do a similar trip around the world on bike. I've already done it around Europe but right now, I'm in US doing the rest of my studies, but maybe some years later.
Have a good trip and enjoy the rest of it!
Hi. I live in karachi, and just happened to search 'pakistan travel blogs' on google, came across your blog. It's very interesting how you two have decided to travel across so many thousands of miles on a bike.
It was very sad to hear about the experience you had with the poilcemen. Sadly, that's what happens when corruption and poverty come together. And given Pakistan's political atmposphere, it just makes things a whole lot worse. A lot of the rural areas of Pakistan do present a sordid scene. Just hope you don't have to encounter any more officials who like to flaunt and abuse their authority while here.(Though apparently you're almost done with the Pakistani Leg of your journey).
Good Luck and have Fun!!
Author's Reply Well I guess some of you have a greater handle on the truth than me.....
But who exactly am I racially prejudiced against Joe?
Despite once being called a 'nigger' (I am white) I have never before been accused of racism.
Yes, I would have liked to see more of the area, but I only had a week and limiteds funds, and hey, I'm a traveller not a journalist or some UN dignitary/inspector. I admitted to having pre-exisitng judgements etc. so no prizes for accusing me of that, and if what I saw didnt change my mind who's fault is that exactly?
If I had seen equality and justice then I would have written about that, I didnt. I saw an illegal aparthied wall (UN and World Court opinion, not just mine), and visible signs of repression. I saw and felt the fear that exists on both sides. It was depressing and didnt encourage me to want to stay longer, even if time had allowed.
And Rotem, I did see the bag searches in West Jerusalem, sorry if I forgot to mention it, but compared to the experience of crossing "the wall" it was frankly nothing. I would rather suffer a bag search on my way to the chemists than have to show a coloured 'pass card' (another form of apartheid) to foreign troops at roadblocks, 'the wall' and so-on and be told where I can and can't go and when, being prevented from reaching places of education and employment or simply visiting relatives.
And there were plenty of businesses that did not have the door searches. If you object to them then you can easily avoid/boycott those who use them. Sadly Palestinians do not have this freedom of choice about the wall.
And I should come up with a solution? but not one that involves simply withdrawing, Nice. It seems that there will be no hope for peace until Israel withdraws from the occupied territory and implements the numerous UN resolutions on the issue that it has flouted for decades. Of course this will not bring peace overnight, but you have to start somewhere. Ultimately both sides need to learn to SHARE. Really, as far as I could see there were more things in common between the 2 peoples than differences, this is something you need to explore. But building a separation wall is not a good way to start.
Peace2All.
Dear Kurdish ass lickers ! Good to hear you fuck off from this country. If you like kurds so much why don't you take some of them with you back to UK or tell your dear president Bush and his flattererr Blair to free them like they are freeing afgan and iraq people.
Kurds are oppressed is a just a romantic lie some idiot westerners want to believe. If there would be a minority group in any wesetrn country who would create terrorist organisation like PKK, that minority group would not face oppression. They would simple be massacreed !
oh damn! Oh Sh*t Oh F*ck Oh Damn!!
i'm still reading, but i hope erika is better...
travellers, dont get ahead of yourselves, have a rest, you have seen half of the world allready.... dont hurry 2 much, or one day you will find out that there is no more room for exploring... and then what?!?!
good luck, i love you guys very much and i hope to see you one day (come back this way :D ) miss u miss u miss u and be carefull, you are not in Cansas anymore...
Incredible Scenery Great Post! There were so many thoughts on reading this blog. Like, "Wow, Pakistan. I KNEW it was safe to travel there!". ---"I'll bet the food in Pakistan was good". ---"That Yak is at once surreal, beautiful and ugly." --- "Damn those are some huge mountains!" ---"That Batura Galcier is otherworldly, I MUST see it someday."----"Wait, are they backpacking in the snow in Pakistan at 4000 meters high at the Chinese border?" -- "Commie Bastards!!"
sorry to hear about all that trouble with the police - i can imagine though i met a few fuckers like that in pakistan as well. Hey shur not too far to India now where everyone is overly friendly and annoyingly so - really enjoying the journal lads - ye should write a book when ye go home y'know
I would just like to applaud your determination to not give in despite what you were up against. I lived in Murree, Pakistan for 4 years and never saw a single tourist - most likely for the very treatment and 'pakistani welcome' you were given. I was very excited to see a blog on Pakistan but then sad to read that those men haven't changed at all over the years. Good luck for the remainder of your journey!
Glad to see that you are OK, we have been getting worried here at CWT. Anthony came in the other day and asked if we had heard anything. That was after Joe had got Erika's e-mail asking about good places to go in India. See, we all care about you! Looks like its been pretty stressful for you over the past two months - I hope things have improved a bit for you now. Nothing exciting has happened in Kendal for ages apart from I had a ceilidh for my birthday and Wal's band Wierdstring pleyed - it was a great laugh. All the usual suspects were there including Chris and Caroline who are now living in Hebden Bridge (although you probably alread know that!). Biggest news in the UK is the recent Stern report which has indicated that if the world govts don't do anything about climate change there is likely to be a drop in word GDP of 20% - an effect worse than the 1930s depression and the 2nd World War put together. Hope that economics will give a push to societal changes where environmentalists haven't been able to. Anyway, keep well and looking forward to your next blog!
? Hi. A random reader here, who got hooked by your bravery and spirit and wonderful blog. Sadly, nothing has been posted in quite awhile. Wondering where you are at and how you are doing - pls post something soon, even if it is to let us know that you are ok even if you have had a change of plans. 'We' are getting worried!
Safe travels
Both Sides I just wish you had spent more time with Israeli people, meeting them, hanging out with them, talking with them...regular people, and finding out what they thought, how they experienced the Occupation, what they were doing to work for peace.
You said you came to check out both sides, but you did not. You enjoyed having a place to rest, a warm shower, a beer out with the Westerners, but didn't really get to talk with the people, even the soldiers with their gun hung over the shoulder...
I wish you had
Your readership is waiting for the next episode. Hi you guys, we do not know each other but I got hooked having started to read your blogs when my daugher and her boyfriend (aka bacon sandwich) had not produced a blog for ages. Can I just say how much I admire your spirit and bravery, I have very much enjoyed reading about your adventures, it is surprising how people blossom into very competant and informative writers. I hope you are able to continue your story soon, I wish you every success and good wishes. Kind regards Gordon
Ulysses S. Grant- Union general of the American Civil War. Interesting blog! I'd like to go to Iran in a year or two provided that things don't get all "War On Terror"ed.
Life on the edge Hello there! Just been shifting boxes from "Erika's Office" as it's still known. Your latest blogs have been the most awe-inspiring yet! I'm just back of a week's flotilla in Croatia which was a blast. However I can't believe I was moaning about marine toilets given what you're putting up with. Off to the cultural phenonemon which is Kendal Torchlight tonight.
Hope you're both feeling better and do you need an agent to negotiate film rights?!
H xxx
rock and roll handbags Hi Erika and Robin!
Great to read your blogs.
Replying a bit late to this one but have been away myself - just got back from italy where i went overland by bus, though i was dreaming of cycling like yourselves - one day ...
Amazed at your tales and discoveries, and great to read about the reality of life in Iran especially in contrast to all the rubbish spouted in the news etc.
It was interesting to learn about the ancient iranian civilisation you mentioned might be the oldest in the world - I'm interested to look more into it..
I liked the ancient hand bag also. I like the rock and roll dancing theme idea - but it occured to me - maybe a more likely use might be as a 'weight' to hold down ropes for tents for example - ???
Seeing the pictures of the city of Bam also blew me away - the destruction that these people have endured - puts the small petty sufferings of western life into perspective. Looking at those pictures of houses in the rubble and container shops - they look like they've been forgotten by the outside world... but to see the optimism and endurance that you've witnessed is heartening.. I guess it must be the only thing that they have left.. It is perplexing though to think of an earthquake there out of nowhere...
Good luck with the rest of your travels.
Bread and Jam I was thinking about you two the other morning, while eating bread and jam. So finally I managed to read all your blogs. e-mail wasn't up to much in ethiopia and most of the time wouldn't even open the full page. Sounds like your having a fantastic trip, shame the water caugh up on you in the end. I'm off to Zanzibar in a few days to drink heavily for 2 weeks and celebrate my, god forbid it, 30th b'day. Then I'm back on the bike across tanzania to Rwanda. Bike problems!!! I'm currently using a rear rim that cost me 2 quid, and a gear lever that cost 80p. take care guys...best of luck...
ben
don't know you but.... I've been reading your blogs. I don't know you well at all, but I must say, I sure hope alls well where you are right now. I know north american tv dramtizes many issues, but none the less.... onwards!
Good Luck
Lucienne
hope you're ok Just been reading about the trouble in Quetta, due to the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, and thought of you two immediately - hope you're safetly holed up in a hotel now, or maybe you made it out of Quetta before the trouble. Either way, I'm sure you'll have some story to twll!! Good luck!
We are Erika and Robin from Scotland and in April 2005 we quit our jobs and set off to cycle from Scotland to İstanbul.
We reached İstanbul in October 2005 having discovered that cycling truly is the best way to travel and so decided to keep going beyond the Bosphorous......
We had never cycled any long distance before but had been wanting to travel for a long time and had finally saved enough and realised ıf we didn't set off now we never would. We decided cycling would be the best form of transport as we wanted to learn more about the countries and people we passed through at a s... full info
Okhtay
non-member comment
I really loved this part of your blogging of Iran. About the political analysis of Iran I must say I seriously doubt that America wants a democratic powerful Iran. Maybe they say that in the media but the true nature of their policies should be obvious by their actions, that's for sure. America wants a way to keep the control of oil-rich middle east and a democratic powerful Iran would not help that. good luck again. p.s. I don't know if you answer any of these comments. But just in case my email address is Okhtay[at]psu[dot]edu