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.