Not only that, they don´t brake to overtake, they stop to take a picture with their handy. No matter if you are suffering to cycle up the 35 degree slope. You are just another tourist, they think. I am not. A tourist travels to reach destination, I have already reached mine. I don´t care the country I am in. My intention is to go back to my starting point one day, but I won?t be the same person. You cannot be the same after having seen so many sunsets, having kissed so many different women... having seen beauty so close passing by
Like when I went into an old tent close to the road to find a grandfather with his grandson inside. They sleep there till they finish off their honey pot. The grandfather teaches his grandson to look after the bees, to wash in the river, to make a fire.
I will never forget the sunsetting in Kandovan. My tent on the other side of the village, observing the lights of the houses lighting up. A warm light giving an extra dosis of magic. At more than 2200 m of height, the night is clear and cold.
The day I arrived, the cars were flooding the air with their pollutants, a huge traffic jam. Nobody has had the brill idea of building a parking plot outside the city. Last week there was a bank holiday because of the anniversary of Homeini?s death: tea time by the road. I saw a guy getting off the car and dropping a rubbish bag into the river, incredible!.People in Iran have no behavioural codes whatsoever. Another threw away a paper, I picked it up from the floor and gave it back to him, he threw it again, bins are useless here.
Streets are full of black flags with Homeini picture on them. People are not that happy with the government, annual inflation rate at 30%.My friend X, I do not give his name to avoid him problems, has been hit many times. The police want him to have his hair cut. Women should wear a scarf and let only one eye be seen, but even that eye is hidden. They are covered in black clothes. Perhaps they are pretty, but I have not seen any yet.
Life of a bike traveller in Iran is cheap. Bread is given away at the bakeries, they do not charge for the use of internet at internet cafes. Although I insist and they end up accepting some money (for the shop owner).
I left the main route and headed towards the mountains. More than three times above 2500 m high. Up and down non stop. But putting up the tent up here and observing the stars is undescriptable. Even if there are hard days, like today, once again I have reached my target, good enough. It is already 6 pm and I am starving, I am falling asleep.
I will try to reach Teheran by the 14th June.
Day 1301, Peace and Well Being, the biciclown.
