A rhythm of 3 nights camping and then a hotel to wash up and enjoy a shower, works well, camping brings the price down too. Had to hunt around changing dollars to local currency (rials), eventually a well spoken bank employee walked me to a money exchange, then i went back for tea with him and his boss - studied English at university, was very excited to talk to use his English speaking person - usually its just DVDs and the BBC world service - he gives English lessons to the bank employees 3 times a week. Got a free lunch too, seems to happen when engaging the locals and trying to communicate - can be hard work, loss of privacy etc.... but rewarding too.

We are well away from the Caspian Sea coast, cycling through superb countryside - luscious green plains between big red sandy hills - some dessert - changes around every corner - a good 20km downhill coasting today - also red sandy hills, the sort of terrain you see in a western movie, great outdoors stuff. Also, there's now hardly any litter around the place, unlike the Caspian beaches, the environment is clean! Lots of intensive farming, wheat fields, irrigation channels all over the place, buildings made from dried mud, towns every 50km or do. The main road is a dual carriage way with huge service lane which we cycle, good conditions traffic on the light side.

Wild Boar

Camped again in a national park - away from the road we had to carry our bikes across the river to get the perfect spot - nature full on bathed/swam in the river, relaxing - pitched tents in forest tree line - then a wild boar walked past - big powerful looking animal, very sharp long tusks, i think you have to see it to appreciate them - then later, 4 or 5 were hanging around the camp site - Kieth & Steve unphased! but i was concerned - what if they scavenged around a tent and we surprised them accidentally -they're very dangerous when they perceive a threat towards themselves. Made a fire, near my tent and listened for movements in the bush - Steve chased them off yelling at them in the process, throwing stones, but the group kept coming back in different directions - finally the fire dies out and it's time to sleep - got my rear cycle light, ie a bright red flashing light, placed on my tent and turned the radio up loud all night, a few stones and a stick - and eventually fell to sleep when i was too tired to care - great waking up, cool experience - Steve was woken up by them scavenging around his tent, banging his pots and pans to scare them away.

Not many places to camp in an area of intensive farming, so we ventured far away from the main road, only to find most of the inhabitants actually live at the end of the track. Thought we had the ideal spot until they showed up in force, they were just curious about us, hadn't seen anything like it before i guess. I like to have a chat to be sociable and leave a nice impression, however, there are times when visitors can be quite annoying, although they don't intend to be. For instance, its obvious that I don't talk Persian, but they keep yabbering away at full speed, thinking I will eventually understand if the say it louder. So I just get on, do my cooking and eat, all the while being watched as if a TV program. Kinda of OK, but the lack of privacy after 2 hours gets to you. They did bring us some food, offered help, etc... but we after some r&r after cycling in the hot sun all day. Just over-curious I guess, sometimes a little oafish now, I know how a celebrity feels about being out in public, media attention, etc... So come the morning, they're back again, needless to say, I cycled off and answered the call of nature in privacy a few km down the road. All understandable, still they were fine rural people, but sometimes we need privacy.