Currently in Mashad having a rest day, Iran's holiest city popular with pilgrims and honeymooners from over the Muslim world. We're in the central area with all the amenities nearby, the bazaar, and the holy shrine central area etc... Will visit later.
Weather is hotter now with clear blue skies most days, laundry dries faster, sun tan cream twice a day, and I just had a real tasty ice cream yum yum. Talked a couple of hours here last night with some Iranians at the Internet, swapping impressions about Iran/England, ...
Have a roomy apartment here for a few days, great to spread the kit all over the place and re-organise for the next leg of this cycle tour. Will be long desert stretches as we race across Turkmenistan before our Transit visa expires, perhaps carrying up to 15 litres of water each on our bikes. Diet also changes to dried fruit, nuts, biscuits, etc... as cooking wastes too much precious water. There are some stagnant ponds on our dessert route, but no worries, we have iodine to purity the nasties, tasty yum yum.
Shopping
We decided to get supplies in the best shopping centre we could find - a long taxi ride, but so worth it - a visit to heaven - a big clean shop, relaxed atmosphere, trolleys, choice and good quality - and that combined with the piped music (didn't notice at first) - was in a relaxed trance dropping all the goodies into the basket - oh wow - and of course, this is the western style 'weekly shopping experience' that we all love - but you do miss it, when things have been basic for the last 4 weeks. Was like a dream, really. Don't think i will ever enjoy shopping so much again.
One good thing about crossing the border next week:- can finally have a cold beer, our guide book says it's cheaper than water. Nice to have the odd one, but I also do like the 'juice bars' here, brilliant freshly squeezed anything you want - recommend the banana milkshakes, pistachio nuts & all the trimmings - out of the world on a hot afternoon.
Hopefully we'll get 7 days for transit which will allow us some time in the famous silk road towns of Mary and Merv (sounds like a TV situation comedy?). Used to 5 days, but indications its now 7. Of to find Turkmenistan embassy for part 2 of our applications, um, too complicated really, fingers crossed.
Caravanserai
On our last day in Iran we detoured to a caravanserai, a roadside inn where silk road travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey, water the camels and resupply. There are only a few left now, this one was crumbling back into the dessert, 10km from the main road.
Onwards to Turkmenistan
Iran was fine, and after 4 weeks I am looking forward to a new country and experiences, from Mashad to the border of Turkmenistan the green terrain gives way to desert. Lucky to come across a cool stream, so we camped and lay on our backs in the cool stream. Later that night had another visit from a group of wild boar, this time I didn't care, just banged my pots and pans, yelled out, and they left me to sleep. The next day we will have beer, over the Iranian border.