23.06 Turkey Dogubayazit to Iran Tabriz
Left our hotel - Grand Derya - 9h30 to ride the 30 Km to the border on a 3-4 lanes road, did not stop to see the 2nd biggest meteorite crater on earth, neither to see Noah's arch. The road is magnificent with the Mt Ararat surrounded with clouds, it's a bit cold.
The Turkish border is a 30 minutes formalities, we had a go-between who requested a fee of 10 usd/bike, we gave him 5 euro.
Then needed to wait at the out of Turkey gate, for the in Iran gate to be opened; as the Iran custom is working by batches of +/- 15 vehicles only.
We had a friendly go-between, free of charge provided by the tourism authorities. The process is a bit long, need to provide passport with Iran visa, carnet de passage + EC insurance green card who covers Iran. Just wait for each process to be completed, papers are checked about 2 times, then verification of plate number, chassis number, and get the carnet stamped, they are used to the carnet and it's not a problem.
During the process we had time to get information from our guide, and from various custom officers. So benzine is 0.28 Euro/L for foreigners and the locals get 14.2 L/euro... There is no longer gasoline restriction card for the foreigners.
Keep handy your passport to cross the gate 1 Km after the office, as well as the bike paper that will be given to you; our belongings had not been checked. Processed within 1 hours.
The first petrol station is a 500 meter queue of 2 lanes of trucks who of course did not wanted the expensive Turk gasoline.
The road is a 2 lanes in a good condition, sometimes becoming 4 lanes. Ride till Tabriz with no problem. Finding our hotel was a bit a trouble, we used our usual way of hiring and following a taxi.
Arrived 17h00 in Tabriz, after 270 Km, "Tabriz international Hotel".
We took a taxi to the walking street, looking for a restaurant, no luck, no restaurant in that area. We bought 3 Iran cellphone numbers as we discovered that our roaming was not working. We can send SMS (with several trials) but can't receive any from aboard. Now that we can communicate again, we called the hotel to get address of a restaurant, got a taxi when rain started, got to the restaurant when the rain stopped. Tabriz is a 1.5 Million people city and traffic is as bad as Istanbul.
Back to the hotel walking.
Time : we traveled east 1h30 hour, so we now are +2h30 from European time and - 2h30 hours from Thailand time.
24.06 Tabriz - Teheran
Left 10h15 arrived 19h30 700 Km. Our hotel was well located to get out of the city, just straight ahead. Meet with our first radar on the motorway, speed limit is 120 KM/h, the police when looked at the plate told us to go.
We have been looking for petrol stations as our last full up was in Turkey for the 1200, I did a full up on the way to Tabriz, a petrol station desert, we started to be worried about how to get benzine, so we started to stop and ask to the car drivers on the road side. The Iranian people tried to explain to us, till we found a English speaking person.
He called the police to get the nearest station that we passed 40 Km before, but we said that we didn't see anything, so he explained that the petrol station consist in a truck by the side of the road, we drove back 40 km to find it, and we did.
I rode a total of 360 Km with 21 liters, that is the exact capacity of my tank, and this is my record breaker - longest distance with a full tank. Then meeting radars every 100 km +/-, and at the tool gate of the motor way (before lunch) the Serbian who where ridding a bit faster than me were stopped by the police who told them that 180 Km/h is too fast, but no penalty... (motor way are free for big bikes - small bikes not allowed) - stopped in Qazvin for lunch, been lucky to find easily a small restaurant.
Nearly no traffic on this motorway, traffic start 150 Km from Teheran.
Arrival in Teheran following GPS info (world map does not give you much roads, it's good enough to know when you are not where you think you are!), we stopped a taxi (see pic), and here we went in the traffic. Actually the traffic is not that bad comparing to Bangkok and Istanbul, the driving style of Iranians in the cities is as bad as driver style in Istanbul but on motorway and road quite Ok.
Our hotel Persia Hotel, shower and ride by taxi to a superb restaurant (see pics) Khayyam traditional restaurant.
25.06 One day in Teheran by Taxi
Visit of the Bazar, followed by a a lunch in a nearby fast food, more bread that meat. Visit of Iran National museum, lunch in a nearby restaurant recommended by the curator of the museum (eating kebabs start to be boring).
Back to the hotel for a break, then taxi to the north hills (20 Km) to see the sunset (see hills pics).
We tried a local soup that we will give you pic later, the taste was "interesting" Walked down the hill a bit, then taxi to the food alley Darban street, a spot to see. Came back late to the hotel.
26.06 Teheren to Ispahan
Up 5h30 to beat the traffic, on the bike 6h30, following taxi to get out within 30 minutes, that was a good move.
arrive 14h00 - 420 Km. The altitude barely drop below 1.400 meters and goes to 2.000 +, temperature 25 DC at departure for a 38 DC at arrival. This highway with not much traffic, is crossing desert mountain sceneries, with salty lakes.
If you think that we are crazy or somehow mad, we found better
this Austrian guy was pedaling on the same road... please visit his site:
www.stefanneuner.at
he left Austria 10 weeks ago on bicycle. We stopped, driving 120 is a bit slow, to greet him and talk to him. We gave him water, cakes, and nuts, and wished him good luck on those hills under a unfriendly sunny hot day.
Hotel is Melal hotel, near one of the oldest bridges of the city, with view on the river, who unfortunately is only sand as there is serious shortage of water all over Iran. Lunch at Shahrzad resatuant, for a change no Kebabs, then ride to the "half of the world" imam palace
to walk in the shops surrounding it and to finish with a tea and sunset on the roof of a cafe. We stopped at the tourism authority office to get a pass to visit the city the next day and we hired the manager of the office who is free as Friday is his day off.
Bye bye
Comments
Add Comment