Iran 2

I remain a crap tourist. While the bicycle collects dust with my friends in Qarazyaadin I go out to explore Iran. I feel more like I'm doing the proper tourist thing now – I guess I am. Even though I chose to do it this way...I don't think it suits me. I've mentioned before how bad I am at sightseeing – little seems to have changed. I'm now in Tabriz for a couple of nights. Booked myself into the cheapest hotel I could find – it's in a good location allowing me to explore. After some directionless wandering and a quick peruse of the Bazaar I'm getting bored - bored enough to spend the evening in my room watching films on the laptop.

You wouldn't know it - but even I preen on occasion...

I have come to the conclusion that cities are not the place for solo travelling (for me at least). If I must visit cities alone then CouchSurfing would be a smart move. The kind of things one does in cities – hanging out in cafes, drinking, museums and shopping etc are, in my opinion, better done with company. I will persist with this lifestyle for the remainder of Iran – only fair I give it a good try before I poopoo it. And perhaps with cities better equipped for tourism it might be more fun. I certainly feel like the outsider here – I'm able to count on one hand the people who don't stare at me in the street. Turkey is still winning in the smile game...


Eight hour bus to Tehran. When I arrive I'm not “feeling it” and so decide to continue onwards. I get a very expensive taxi to the southern bus terminal and jump on the next bus to Isfahan. I thought I'd feel worse than I did after fifteen hours couped up in a rolling metal box. The uncomfortable restless sleep on the metal chairs in the bus station allow me to reach a suitable level of zombification.

Iran 1

My first week disappeared almost without my noticing. When I wasn't teaching English I was being paraded around various friends and families. I always recieved the famous Iranian hospitality (not to mention epic home cooking). There were also nightly trips to the swimming pool - one of which stands out particularly... After a few lengths we dropped into the hot pool to natter (I'm coming to realise that conversations frequently revolve around politics). Iwas swiftly introduced to the local wrestling instructor (and ex national champion at that). He asks if I would like to join him in the steam room for a massage - and while "yes" is far from the first thought that comes to my mind... I don't see a way out. With a hearty slap on my shoulder he jumps out of the pool, revealing a splendidly opaque pair of Tighty Whities, and ushers me into the steamy abyss. For the next ten minutes I lie face down in a puddle of man sweat while Hulk Hogan works his magic - the grand massage finale being me, up in the air, stretched across his back...a move that was more WWF than physiotherapy. I must add - it wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience.

Other inbetween lesson activities included: football, hiking, copious amounts of eating and hanging out with my hosts friend - who was a vet. Through him I learned much about life in this particular town and also went of field visits to various farms in the area.

Most days in Iran were filled with some form of adventure. On the odd days that were a little lacking on the thrill front I had to improvise.


One such creation was "extreme film watching" - the idea being very simple. Pick a film with taboo subject matter and view most blatantly on a public bus. My choice film was 8mm (the main theme being snuff porn) - light blue touch paper, stand well back.

Random Note

As my plans change with more frequency than the weather I'll take a moment to enlighten y'all as to my travelling intentions form here onwards.


With a thirty day visa I've decided to travel by bus around the majority of Iran. The main reason being that I'll be able to cover more of the sights I want to see. This is also the point at which my travel East stops. I can't afford the train back and I'm still not prepared to commit my ultimate sin of air-born travel.

So. From here I'll nip up to Georgia (with/without the bike) to meet Stu – and abuse my liver. I then hope to try my luck at the Syrian border as I figure it to be a more interesting route home.