Turkish Delight - Part 1

The Bazargan border crossing for my exit from Iran looked extremely busy on approach, queues of mostly semi-trailer trucks and vans had me thinking I’d be in for a long afternoon. I parked adjacent to the building with the most people coming and going, and no sooner had I removed my helmet I was greeted by a fast talking young man asking for my passport and carnet, a so called fixer I assumed. I told him straight up I had no money to pay for his assistance and I could manage the formalities on my own. As expected he was not deterred by my refusal of his services and he told me to follow him, so with passport and carnet in my hand I followed. Over a forty (40) minute period we entered, exited, re-entered and exited the main building returning to the same officials each time, filling in my carnet, inspecting my motorcycle and finally completing the requirements of my carnet. I now had to join the queue of vehicles at the Iran exit gate, and it was a long one, the fixer said if paid him money he would speak to the guard and I could by-pass the queue, I pulled out my wallet and showed him my money, all 15.00 Turkish Lira or the equivalent of $AU7.50, the fixer said 10.00 TL would do, I said 5.00 TL, he said 10.00 TL and walked to the border guard and asked for the gate to be opened and for me to be let through, to my surprise the guard opened the gate. The fixer returned and asked for his 10.00 TL, I said no, I’ll give you 5.00 TL, he had a whinge, said that will only buy me a packet of smokes, I said that was better than nothing which is what I originally offered you, he took the 5.00 TL and left. I then had my passport stamped and I exited Iran straight into another gated area. Once in the compound I realised there was no “no-man’s land” between border posts and I was in fact in the Turkey immigration and customs compound, I then thought to myself the fixers assistance was worth $AU2.50 and it would have been a long afternoon without him.

There were no officials in the small compound I shared with about a dozen vans and cars, so I asked a vehicle driver what we were waiting for, he said it was lunch time and we had to wait. After only about five minutes there was movement in the compound with Customs officials inspecting goods carried in the vehicles, one official inspected the contents of one (1) of my panniers. All vehicle drivers and passengers then placed vehicle documents and passports on a desk in a booth, the young lady in the booth shuffled through the pile of document and picked out mine, called me over, completed the formalities and returned my documents, I put on my jacket and helmet, moved forward to a closed gate, showed the guard my passport, he then opened the gate, so after a cross border exit and entry that took about two (2) hours I was on my way, on the road in Turkey.

The first thing I had to do was get cash and fuel for my bike, a thirty (30) kilometre ride had me in the town of Dogubayazit, I rode into a petrol station, extremely relieved when the attendant said I could pay for fuel electronically using my bank card, I filled my bike with petrol and decided to continue to the next town before calling it a day. The town of Agri was where I spent my first night in Turkey and accommodation came at a premium, there was 6000 graduating student teachers in town throughout the week and hotels were mostly full, I eventually found an over-priced room for the night.

Back on the road the following day I skirted rain showers throughout the morning before riding over a 2,409 metre pass where the temperature dropped from 19 degrees to 14 degrees with rain. Thankfully the rain was brief and soon enough I was in the town of Bayburt, I settled into a newly constructed and very nice hotel for a two night stay, spending my time wandering the streets, visiting the town centre and Bayburt Kalesi (castle).

 

Leaving Bayburt the temperature was a cool 9 degrees, rising to 14 degrees as I continued north. After about 150 kilometres I rode over a mountain range, then another 30 kilometres further on as I approached the northeast Black Sea coast and the city of Trabzon the temperature rose to a pleasant 22 degrees. Trabzon is located on the historical Silk Road and became a melting pot for religion, languages and culture for centuries and a gateway for trade with Iran in the southeast and the Caucasus in the northeast. My hotel was situated opposite the city port, cranes were active loading and unloading container ships, while the street vendors outside were busy selling fish from the local fleet’s daily catch.



 

The following morning I took a short ride out of Trabzon, where nestled on a steep cliff in the Pontic Mountains overlooking the Altindere valley I visit Sumela Monastery, founded in AD 386 the buildings have been restored several times over its long history and these days the primary function of the monastery is a tourist attraction.





Moving on again I continue my ride westward along the Black Sea coast to the city of Samsun, on arrival the weather was cool and windy with drizzly rain but I walked the streets regardless, visiting several local attractions including a replica of the cargo ship SS Bandirma which was used to transport Mustafa Kemal Ataturk from Istanbul to Samsun, arriving May 19, 1919 he established the Turkish liberation movement against the Allies, the date traditionally marks the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence. I also visit a Statue of Ataturk by the Austrian sculptor Heinrich Krippel in Samsun's city center. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was a Turkish army officer, reformist statesman, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey. His surname, Atatürk (meaning "Father of the Turks"), was granted to him in 1934 and forbidden to any other person by the Turkish parliament.

 

Sticking to the Black Sea coast I rode further west to the seaside city of Sinop, my days in Sinop were spent visiting the local sights including Sinop Fortress, Sinop Fortress Prison, Pasha Bastion, Aladdin Mosque and Balatlar Church.
 

My next Black Sea port of call was Amasra, and after a five (5) hour, three hundred (300) kilometre ride along a winding road surrounded by forested mountains I settled in for several days. Amasra is a picturesque little town and a popular tourist destination, while visiting the Amasra Castle I happen upon a group of fellow Australians in town on a bus / cruise ship tour of Turkey, they were on their way eastward, where I had already been once back on the ship later that day.

 

 

 

 

 

It was now time to head inland, I had a short ride day in drizzling rain before reaching the city of Safranbolu early afternoon. The name of the town derives from ‘saffron” and the Greek word 'polis' (city), since Safranbolu was a trading place and a centre for growing saffron. Today saffron is still grown at the village of Davutobası which is 22 km east of Safranbolu and is regarded as probably one of the best quality saffron in the world.

 

Safranbolu was added to the list of UNESCO heritage sites in 1994 due to its well-preserved Ottoman era houses and architecture. So with the rain passed I visit the “Old Town” sites including the Ottoman quarter, the Clock Tower, the miniature replicas of Anatolia Provence clock towers, Kazdagliglu Mosque, Ulu Mosque, City History Museum, the Bazaar and the Cinci Haman (Turkish Bath).

 

 

 

 

Clear blue skies were a pleasant sight the following morning so I was back on my motorcycle for a visit to the nearby Incekaya Aqua duct, Crystal Terrence’s and Tokatli Canyon before riding back to Safranbolu via the Bulak Mencilis (cave).

 



While stopped for fuel at a service station in Osmancik on the way to an overnight stop-over in Corum the following day I met a Russian guy by the name of Uri riding a Yamaha FJ1300, he was on his way home after a six (6) week tour of Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece and Italy. He was riding long days of up one thousand (1,000) kilometres to make it home before the winter snow prevented his return. He was a little concerned after having spoken to a home town friend earlier in the day who said it was already snowing and he’d best hurry up.

While the cold weather and the possibility of snow was on my mind, I had no intention of hurrying up at this stage. After my stop-over in Corum I rode to Bogazkale to visit the historical town sites of Hattusa and Yazilikaya.

 

 

 



After a ride around the site I continued on to one of the most popular tourist destinations in Turkey, Cappadocia.

The Cappadocia region has many areas with unique geological, historic, and cultural features. The most important towns and destinations I visited in Cappadocia are Urgup, Goreme, Ihlara Valley, Selime, Guzelyurt, Uchisar, Avanos and Zelve. Sedimentary rocks formed in lakes and streams and ignimbrite deposits that erupted from ancient volcanoes approximately 9 to 3 million years ago, underlie the Cappadocia region. The rocks of Cappadocia near Goreme eroded into hundreds of spectacular pillars and minaret-like forms. People of the villages at the heart of the Cappadocia Region carved out houses, churches and monasteries from the soft rocks of volcanic deposits.

 

 

 

 

 

During my week long stay in Goreme I caught up with Daniel, a German guy travelling the world by plane, train, bus, ship and car. I first met Daniel in Uzbekistan, again in Turkmenistan and then once more in Turkey.

 

 

 

Daniel drove us around in his hire car, we visited Derinkuyu and Kaymakli underground cities. The region also has a couple of underground cities worth seeing, so I took a break from riding while.

 



We also visit the town of Mutafapasa, Keslik Monastery, Sobessos Ancient City Excavation area before returning to Goreme.

 

 

 

Daniel was now heading to Iran, to get there he was to endure a fifty two (52) hour trip that included a train ride and an overnight lake crossing on a ship, I on the other hand loaded my motorcycle and rode at my own pace further south to take in more terrific sites in Turkey.


Unforgettable Iran - Part 3

A five (5) hour ride day with no break downs felt good, and gave me confidence that Saeed and his brother had done a good job repairing my motorcycle. I rode into Isfahan and after checking several hotels for accommodation found one within my budget, unpacked and then set out on foot to explore the city sights. Isfahan is located at the foothills of the Zagros mountain range on the plains of the Zayande River and is known for its bridges which provide some of the finest architecture in Isfahan. My hotel was conveniently located opposite the now dry river bed of the Zayande and within easy walking distance of the Joui Bridge, Pol-e Khaju or Khaju bridge and Si-o-She Pol or bridge of 33 arches so I walked a circuit across the bridges photographing each on the way.

The following morning I set out on foot again, this time to Naghsh-e Jahan Square were I meet Hussain, an eighty five (85) year old retiree who is happy to share his local knowledge with tourists, all be it for a small fee. Hussain and I visited all the sights in Naghsh-e Jahan square, also known as Shah or Imam Square including Ali Qapu Palace, Shah Mosque, Sheikh Loft Allah Mosque and Isfahan Grand Bazaar.

 

Later that evening I met up with Hussain again to visit a traditional Iranian gymnasium called the Zurkhaneh literally the "house of strength" where we watched wrestlers practice varzesh-e bastani. These gyms are covered structures with a single opening in the ceiling, a sunken 1m-deep octagonal or circular pit in the centre known as the “Gaud” and around the gaud is a section for the audience, one for the musicians, and one for the athletes. The main portion of a varzesh-e bastani session is dedicated to weight training and calisthenics, notably using a pair of wooden clubs “meels”, metal shields “sang”, and bow-shaped iron weights “kabbandeh” or “kaman”. Weight training is followed by exercises like “sufi whirling” and juggling, all of which are intended to build strength. The athletes move in unison to a drum beat and singing of religious hymns by the morshed “master”.

 

After an enjoyable two (2) night stay and sight-seeing in Isfahan I was back on the road headed to Qom for a one (1) night stop over. Arriving late afternoon I stretched my legs with a walk to the local bazaar and the adjacent mosque, before relaxing for the evening and doing little else.

I was a little nervous the following morning, the road to my next destination had me heading to Tehran, the capital of Iran, with an urban population of about nine (9) million people and a metropolitan population closer to fifteen (15) million people I was hoping to connect with a ring road that allowed me to skirt what I imagined would be a traffic nightmare. As I approached Tehran the traffic thickened as I kept an eye on road signage for that ring road, I was in luck when a turn off had me looping off one freeway onto another heading West, exactly where I wanted to go. The traffic by no means thinned, it was very busy until I reached a town about sixty (60) kilometres from Tehran, then I was able to ease my concentration a little before reaching my destination, the city of Qazvin mid-afternoon.

The city was a former capital of the Persian Empire under Safavids. Shah Tahmasp (1524–1576) made Qazvin the capital, a status that it retained for half a century. It is a provincial capital today that has been an important cultural centre throughout history. Qazvin contains few buildings from the Safavid era but perhaps the most famous of the surviving edifices is the Chehelsotoon (Kolah Farang) Mansion, today it serves as a Calligraphy museum in central Qazvin.

 

After a visit to the octagon mansion I continued my walk to the Jame’ Atig Mosque of Qazvin before returning to my hotel.

During the evening I did a check on my money situation and found that I was running out of cash. There is no facility in Iran for the use of foreign bank cards or credit cards, I knew this was the case and was carrying sufficient US dollars to cover my time in Iran but I had not factored in repair costs for my motorcycle. I crunched a few numbers and figured I had enough money left for three days in Iran with a little left just in case. I had three more cities to visit, so now I had three consecutive riding days to get through Iran.

I left Qazvin the following morning and rode towards the city of Rasht, during the morning the landscape started to change significantly, dry desert hills and plains became grassy, then there was forests of trees, then twenty (20) kilometres short of Rasht after I took a turn off and started heading North West there was water on the road, I had just missed a rain down pour, this was the first sign of rain I had encountered in Iran. Early afternoon I arrived at my destination for the night, the hill side town of Masuleh.

Masuleh village is 1,050 metres above sea level in the Alborz (or Elborz) mountain range, near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Masuleh is surrounded by forest from valley to mount and fog is the predominant weather feature. Masuleh architecture is unique. The buildings have been built into the mountain and are interconnected. Courtyards and roofs both serve as pedestrian areas similar to streets. Motor vehicles are not allowed to enter due to its unique layout and it is the only city in Iran with such a prohibition. However, the small streets and many stairs simply wouldn't make it possible for vehicles to enter. The spectacular architecture of Masuleh is popularly known as "The yard of the building above is the roof of the building below". Yellow clay coats the exterior of most buildings in Masuleh. This allows for better visibility in the fog. Buildings are mostly two stories (1st floor and 'ground' floor) made of adobe, rods and bole. A small living room, big guest room, winter room, hall, WC and balcony are usually found in 1st floor. A cold closet, barn and stable are located on the floor below, which are connected to the upper floor by several narrow steps inside the building.

 

Masuleh is a very popular village for Iranian picnics, with many families laying out a carpet and cooking jouje (chicken) kebabs and a pot of berenge (rice), the single road into and out of Masuleh also served as a picnic spot and car park, in the very busy little village.

After raining through the night my morning ride down the hill from Masuleh was in cooler weather than the mid to high thirty (30) degree temperatures I had encountered elsewhere in Iran, sitting at about twenty six (26) degrees it was a pleasant ride with forested mountains and rice paddies to my left and the Caspian Sea coast to my right. Late morning I skirted the city of Astana turned south and began the climb over a mountain range along the Iran and Azerbaijan border. Reaching the top of the winding mountain road the temperature dropped to fourteen (14) degrees, I then rode into a tunnel and exited the other side where the landscape was once again dry and desert like.

My stop over for the night was in the city of Ardabil, arriving late afternoon I had enough time for a quick walk around the city area before light showers and a cool temperature set in and I returned to my hotel room. The hotel I had chosen for the night did not include breakfast the following morning so I walked a street block or two (2) and as is the case in Iran at 8.00 am in the morning there was not a lot open. I did noticed one small restaurant with locals eating breakfast but I could not see what they were eating, I entered regardless and gestured that I would like one of the same, sat down at a table and was served tea to drink, warm flat bread and a dish of honey which included a large portion of the hexagonal wax cells known as honey comb and sold as comb honey, it was the most delicious honey I have ever eaten.

Clear blue skies and a mid-twenty (20) degree temperature provided for a great ride day to the city of Tabriz, for my last night in Iran. Tabriz has several buildings of note and after checking into a hotel I spent the afternoon visiting a couple. Goy Masjid also known as the Blue Mosque, was my first stop, the mosque was severely damaged in an earthquake in 1779, leaving only the entrance “Iwan”. Reconstruction began in 1973 but the tiling is still incomplete. I then walked a block or two (2) to visit The Bazaar of Tabriz, it is a historical market situated in the middle of the city. It is one of the oldest bazaars in the Middle East and the largest covered bazaar in the world, it is also one of Iran’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The choice of my evening meal on my last night in Iran was an easy one, jouje kebab and berenge, a salad, natural yogurt and tea to drink, a simple yet delicious meal I have enjoyed regularly in Iran.

Iran was a real surprise and a terrific country to visit, it’s difficult to put into words what a wonderful experience I have had, the people are the most friendly and hospitable I have encountered on my trip to date (sorry Indonesia, you have “just” been nudged into second place), the food is great, the historic buildings and sites are pretty special too. The motor vehicle drivers I think are a little crazy, they drive door handle to door handle and don’t give you a lot of room when passing at 100 kilometres per hour, perhaps they are just getting close enough to wave and smile or take a photograph. Though I still wonder about the sanity of the driver of the car I rode passed, then while I was stopped at a red traffic light further down the road he ran his vehicle into the back of my motorcycle, I turned around only to see him with both thumbs up and a huge smile on his face. Being invited into family homes for a meal, to drink tea or to stay for twelve days was not only a very kind gesture on their behalf, but a great experience for me that I really enjoyed.

So with these memories in my mind I rode towards the North West Iran border passing through rich farmland where workers were harvesting the last of this season’s crops and preparing the soil for the next.

I reached the town of Bazargan late morning, exchange the last of my Iranian currency and received the equivalent of $AU7.00 in return, certainly a close call money wise, I then approached a very busy looking border thinking about what experiences my next adventure destination will bring.