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Tuesday 18th June, 2019

The scenery changed as soon as we came down from the pass after the border crossing and everything turned to green. It was made even more striking having spent the last few days in beautiful but bleak landscapes in shades of grey and brown.

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We immediately noted the contrasts. Yurts in the meadows and horses, lots of them! As we came down in altitude, we started to see more red earth and red rock formations.

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We made it to Osh, in time to have a walk through one of the oldest and busiest bazaar in Central Asia.

Wednesday 19th June, 2019 – OSH –

After spending the morning getting the tyre problem sorted out, we took the road to Arslanbob. We followed the main route to Bishkek, so it was pretty good and a nice change from bumping up and down all day. We took the turn off to Arslanbob, in a valley perpendicular to the road, 40 km after Jalal-Abad. We camped a few kilometers from the village alongside a stream.

Thursday 20th June, 2019 – Arslanbob

We continued on the road to the village and met a succession of large herds being moved to pastures.

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Arslanbob is at the centre of a vast relic walnut forest, covering 11,000ha. There are several legends attached to the name but what is certain is that the forest predate the 11th century. It is also a pretty village, essentially Uzbek ( not far from the border and the eastern part of the Fergana Valley). The quality of the walnuts have long been recognised and they were one of the goods transported west along the Silk Road, when at its prime. Walnuts are still an important part of the region’s economy today.

There are 2 waterfalls within hiking distance of the village and we went to the “large waterfall”, initially following a dirt road in the car and trekking by foot for the last hour or so, going steeply uphill. This is a tourist spot and there are stalls selling drinks and cheap souvenirs on a small jailoo (Kyrgyz name for summer meadow) just before the last couple of hundred metres to the view point. There is an ugly chicken wire barrier at the top , stopping you from going too close and it is a bit of a shame as it spoils the view of the waterfall.

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View to the valley and Arslanbob, on the way up.

After lunch we came back to the village and rejoined the main road, this time to go to another valley further along where Lake Sary Chelek lies.

The scenery alternated between cultivated areas, especially near the border with Uzbekistan and more mountainous views. This also turned to not so pretty mining sites, some abandonned before the turn off for Arkyt and then the road again went through lush green jailoos and red rock formations. We found an ideal camping spot, away from the road and with views.

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Friday 21th June, 2019 – LAKE SARY CHELEK

We drove the remaining 50 kms or so to the lake, going through Arkyt village which is the gateway to the Biosphere Reserve. ( entrance fee for foreigners KS 900 for 2 people and the car- around 13 dollars). The road then turns to a dirt road leading to the lake, with lots of wild flowers by the side.

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Sary Chelek means “Yellow Bucket”. The Lake is relatively small and stands amid conifer and relic fruit and nut forest at 1,873m. It is popular with the local and we came across lots of minibuses going to the lake. We understood later that it was “vipustnik day” i.e the last day of school for School Leavers and they came to the lake with their family and friends to celebrate.

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There are a couple of “tchaikhona” (tea houses) by the lake and places where you can cook you own “Shashliki”.

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We did a small hike along the lake and decided to come back to the camp spot of the previous night and relax there.

Saturday 22nd June, 2019 – TOKTOGUL

Rejoined the road to Bishkek and drove along the man-made Toktogul reservoir. The town away from the shore has no particular appeal but it is a convenient stop on the way to the capital. We booked in a hostel with WIFI and a nice interior courtyard.

Sunday 23rd June, 2019 – CHAEK

We had no intention to go to Bishkek, so took the turning to the Suusamyr valley, leading to Chaek and a turning for Lake Song-Kol, one of the famous Kyrgyz Lakes.

Ala-Bel Pass ( 3,135m) on the way to Suusamyr

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The road after Suusamyr had some impressive views:

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Not long after Kyzyl-Oi, before Chaek, we picked up 2 hitchhikers who were going to Min-Kush in a different valley. They had been waiting by the side of the road for most of the day and had only seen 1 car! Both were French students (Thibaut and Clara) on an extended summer break and were planning to hike from Min-Kush to Karakichi before making their way to the Lake too. They were pleased to get a lift, especially as the weather was turning.

After dropping them off, we carried on for a while, before settling for the night near a field of pink flowers ( a crop) and superb views

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Monday 24th June, 2019- KARA-KICHI – SONG-KOL LAKE

We continued on the track , going through Kara-Kichi. This is a mining settlement which appeared to be abandonned but as we climbed up the pass we understood that the main activity was away from the road and that the site covered a vast area.

We arrived at Lake Song-Kol at midday. There are a number of Yurt camps for tourists, some not very authentic ( with a PVC door!). There is a track going round the lake and we followed this for a while before setting camp on the western side of the lake. We went for a hike giving some panoramic views.

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Wednesday 12th June, 2019

We were at last close to what is considered the start of the Pamir Highway, when starting from the west: Khorog, the last significant town with shops, banks and a bustling bazaar before the long and deserted road to Murghab which goes through a high plateau at 4000m for 320 kms.

The road follows the Panj river which acts as the border with Afghanistan. At times we were very close to the other side in narrow gorges and you could almost talk to people on the other bank of the river. The scenery is arid and rocky punctuated by small oasis of green when a village has settled and cultivated what ground is available. On the Afghan side, we saw typical mud houses, sheperds leading their herds, but very little traffic, which was in contrast to the Tadjik side where we came across numerous convoys of large lorries ( mainly chinese) using the only access road between China and Central Asia.

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Seventy kilometers before Khorog we noticed a clicking noise coming from the front wheel on the driver’s side . We stopped in a small village but the local mechanics could not help. He determined that it was the “stabilisator”, part of the suspension, which was broken but our only chance to find some spare was to go to Khorog. The part is not vital and we could drive. We drove on, but as it was getting late, we decided to stop for the night and camped in a field near houses. One of the local brought us a jug of milk fresh from the cow and still warm!

Thursday 13th and Friday 14th June, 2019 – KHOROG

Arrived in Khorog and went straight to a car repair, but they did not have the spare part we needed. They phoned around and someone brought a Nissan “stabilisator” but it was for a different model of car and was too big. In the end, after offering us to share their lunch which had just been brought to the workshop, one of the mechanics thought we could get someting similar in town so I went with him. There, we found one which could work but had to be altered slighly ( was too short). I bought 2 ( only 4 dollars) and after some welding in the workshop, they fitted it, checked the front breaks and we were good to go… We decided to have a couple of days rest in Khorog .

On the way to Khorog:

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Saturday 15th June, 2019 – ISHKASHIM

The main reason we wanted to go through Ishkashim ( further south than the Pamir Highway) was that a Sunday Market is held there over the bridge across the river on the Afghan side and you can go there without a visa for a couple of hours ( leaving your passport at the checkpoint). Alas, the tourist information in Khorog told us that it was no longer happening. They indicated that there was another “Afghan market” in Khorog on Saturdays, but as we found out, that also had been cancelled on that day as the Tadjik President was visiting the region and it was deemed too sensitive….

Disappointed we took the road to Ishkashim. We stopped on the way at one of the best Hot Springs in Tadjikistan : Garm Shasma. We arrived when it was a ” men only” session. ( you are supposed to go in completely naked). Paul could go to the open air pool and see the main spring but I had to stay close to the covered part where some of the rock formation created by the sulphur deposits could be seen. It ressembles Pamukkale in Turkey but in a much smaller scale. We could touch the water and it was almost too hot to keep your hand in.

Garm Shasma Hot Springs:

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Khakha Fortress

The road after Ishkashim, follows the river and goes into what is known as the Wakhan Corridor. This is a narrow strip of Afghan territory that extends to China and separates Tadjikistan from Pakistan.(350km long but only 13 to 65 km wide). This was created at the conclusion of the Great Game between the British and the Russians at the end of the 19th century and served as a buffer zone between the two Empires. We were on the Tadjik side of the river and had some nice views to the Hindu Kush.

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The corridor has some contrasting scenery with rugged mountains and a series of small villages surrounded by cultivated plots. it has always been of strategic importance and there are ruins of fortresses and even an early bhuddist stupa dating from the 4th century in Vrang.(some historians think it could be some zoroastrian temple)

We stopped at the Khakha Fortress. Built in the 4th century as part of the fortification of the valley, it had 56 towers and though partly destroyed by time and winds you can still get an understanding of the size and military might it must have had.

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Further along , we took a side road leading up the mountain to a rocky outcrop where the Yamchun Fort stands . The fort was built in the 3rd century BC. It stands at 3000m and was well protected and difficult to assault as 2 sides have deep river gorges and the third side with a deep slope, where a succession of walls and towers allowed to retreat further upwards if needed. At its peak, the fortress covered an area of 75 hectares. Today only the upper bastion has survived but the outline of the walls gives a good understanding of the size of the fort.

Yamchun Fortress

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The weather which had been overcast started to clear and we could see some of the snow capped peaks towering at more than 5000m.

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Sunday 16th June, 2019 – LANGAR

Drove the few kilometers remaining to the village of Langar.

“Langar village is at the foothills of a spur of the Shakhdarya Range with Karl Marx Peak being its highest point (6,723 m above sea level) opposite the confluence of the Pamir River which bursts out of a narrow canyon and cuts through the high ranges of the Hindu Kush to join with the Afghani Vakhandarya River. Langar is located in the foothills of a small, but steep and narrow pass. A traveler descending from the side of the Pamir Desert to Langar would find the first village, Badakhshan, a paradise on earth because of the drastic contrast of natural landscapes. Langar is at the crossroads of many caravan routes. This determined the significance of the area as indicated by the abundance of rock images. “(Eurasia travel)

There, on a steep slope of the mountain are over 6000 ancient petroglyphs . Climbing on the unshaded scree is hard work due to the altitude ( over 3000m) but the views make the efforts worthwhile. From there you get a full view of the confluence of the rivers and of the high peaks of the Hindu Kush.

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Two local boys took us there. We wanted to carry on to Enghels Meadow ( 3 hours away) but it proved difficult to find the path so we simply had lunch admiring the views before descending back to the village.

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We took the road, heading north which rejoins the Pamir Highway, some 100km away, going through the KHARGUSH Pass (4,344m). This is a dirt road, quite rough in places, especially when you drive over ” wash boards”, a succession of hard ripples in the ground, perpendicular to the direction of driving which makes the ride very uncomfortable. This can go for kms on end. The landscapes, though, were spectacular. The pictures speak for themselves!

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The scenery changed quite dramatically after the pass and we knew we had reached the Pamir Plateau ( of High Pamir), a huge area covering the east of Tadjikistan at an altitude ranging from 3,500 to 4,700m with high peaks reaching close to 7,000m.

The High Pamir is one of the harshest mountain deserts in the world comparable, in this respect, with Tibet. Its main climate features include high altitude aridity, and an extreme continental climate that causes cold winters with little snow and a short cool summer.

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Once we had rejoined the Pamir highway, we had planned to go to Budunkul a small settlement at the end of a dirt road, giving access to lake Yashikul but we had a flat tyre before the turn off and decided to carry on to Alichur instead 30km away. ( we did not want to risk going in the middle of nowhere without a spare). The Pamir Highway is partially asphalted and it was bliss after spending the afternoon bumping around on a dirt road. You have to stay alert though, as potholes and rollercoasters appear out of nowhere.

ALICHUR

We arrived late afternoon and tried to find someone who could fix the tyre but we were told to try Murghab ( the largest settlement on this side of the Pamir Highway, over 100km away). We decided to stay in Alichur for the night.

Alichur is a small village (3,991m) surrounded by endless empty moonscape. The village consists of very little other than several homestays, a small shop, and a few wells for drinking water.

The wind had picked up and it was rather cold . We booked in a homestay, quite basic and without heating, it was cold inside. We welcomed a hot meal. As is the norm here, the toilets were in a shed at the back of the “garden” and the water for the shower had to be heated on a stove. ( no running water in this part of Tadjikistan)

Monday 17th June, 2019 – MURGHAB

Drove to Murghab and arrived late morning.( saw yurts on the way).

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We found someone to fix the tyre but he told us the slash was too big and we really needed a new tyre. He had some second hand ones but not in the right size so he agreed to fix the existing tyre as best he could. In the meanwhile, he invited us to his house to have tea. There, his wife was preparing lunch and inevitably tea turned into lunch.

We did not want to hang around too long in Murghab so drove on to Karakul, 130 km away. We had no choice but to keep going, hoping we did not get another flat tyre as the repaired tyre would probably not last very long! Our best chance to get a second hand tyre was in OSH, in Kyrgystan, over 400km away…

Karakul

The road to Karakul gets very close to the Chinese border and goes over 2 high passes : Naizatosh Pass (4,314m) and Okbaital Pass ( 4,655m). The village of Karakul is on the shore of the lake of the same name. Karakul means “black lake “in Tadjik because of the colour of the water when the sky is overcast.(luckily for us, it was a nice blue on that day).The lake lies at an elevation of 3,960 m and was formed by the impact of a meteorite.

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The village, like most settlement along the Pamir Highway is quite bleak and desolate. The only “shop” stored a limited selection of dry food( essentially biscuits, sweets) and soft drinks. We found someone baking bread in her back yard in a tandoor oven and were glad to be able to buy some.

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We walked around for a while, saw a family erecting a yurt by the side of the lake and the yaks coming home!

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We camped by the lake and admired the sunset but it was very windy and cold especially once the sun had come down. We ended up in bed by 7.30 pm!

Tuesday 18th June, 2019 – Crossing into Kyrgystan

The border is 60km away but it is at the top of a pass and we wanted to get there early enough to be able to carry on to Osh.

Journey uneventful, we saw quite a lot of marmots ( bigger than a cat and with a black tail). We have seen them all along the Pamir Highway. They seem to be able to survive even in the bleakest conditions. We also saw a massive eagle circling , looking for a prey and more yaks.

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Striking and ever changing landscape. We had a hail storm going up Uy Buloq Pass (4,232m), and the retun of unpaved road !

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Sunday 9th June, 2019 – KHOVALING ( 40 km north of Kulob)

Arrived in Khovaling around midday and asked the way to ” the 40 Virgins Rocks” as we had read there was a nice hike there. As he turned out the guide book was incorrect and the access for the hike was from another valley ( parrallel to the Khovaling one). Nevertheless, there was a road going north from which you could see the site . The road was unpaved and quite bad but we did see the Rocks from a distance.

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The legend is that 40 young girls prayed for deliverance from the approaching Mongol troups and were turned into stone so that their bodies would stay pure forever.

As we had gone that far into the valley and further north the road rejoined the M41 which leads to the Pamir Highway,(where we were heading to), we decided to carry on . The road was really quite bad.

Around 6pm we had to ask for directions and told the route ahead was under re- construction so we would need to ask our way as we went along. ( the existing road had been washed away ). The family asked us for tea.

We were lead to the guest living room, where the Eid table ( tablecloth on the floor) was still led with bread, sweets, pastries, chocolates etc ( Eid celebrations last 3 days and people go and visit their family members).

We spoke with the elder son who spoke russian. He had recently married after finishing his studies and his wife had come to live with his family. There is not much work around and he stayed at home to help his father on their small holding. After a while he told us we could stay the night so as there was not much day light left by then, we accepted.

There were 7 families living in this small settlement which was a previous gold excavation site dating from soviet times. A huge excavating machine was still there, dominating the houses and rusting away.

Monday 10th June, 2019 – TAVILDARA

A DAY FROM HELL….

We left early. It was raining and had been raining for most of the night. One kilometer or so away, we hit the first hurdle. The region is exploited for gold and there are huge quarries on the side of the mountains. We came to a barrier and the guard told us we could go but would have to ask our way ahead as the road keeps changing places… The rain was quite heavy but men were around and we asked for directions. This led us to the bank of the river Yakhsu which had swelled overnight and was now pretty fast flowing with banks of stones in the middle, creating several channels. We could see the “road” on the other side which was quite steep and at an angle from where we were on the other bank. We surveyed the area to try and find the best approach but were not sure we could do the crossing. We waited for a while and then a car turned up with 3 men . Two of them stripped down and went into the freezing river to remove some big stones and find the best channel. The third man then drove into the water, guided by the other two…. and we followed. We made it to the other side! Little did we know that there was worse to come…

Second hurdle:

We carried on but took a wrong turn at one stage and had to go back. Then we came to a second river crossing, even wider than the first one! Once again we were really unsure about crossing. We looked at various options to cross but some involved crossing the river perpendicularly to the flow and we feared the water would push us against the rocks. The river again had several channels and was around 200m across. We waited for a while, pondering what ro do when a man turned up on foot. He was travelling to Tavildara, where we were heading too. He volunteered to go into the water and helped us to go across. We offered him a lift ( and the chicken he was carrying in a pouch around his neck).

Third hurdle:

We were making slow progress as the so called “road” or rather track, was full of potholes and boulders. Half an hour later, you guessed it, we hit the river again! This time we were further upstream and it was not as wide, may be 30m across but it was even faster flowing and had large boulders under the water. There was a small wooden bridge but not strong enough for cars. We were stuck! Some men saw us from a distance and came down to see us. They were security guards on a former excavation site a couple of km away. The opinion was divided as to whether we could attempt the crossing. One of them stripped down and went thigh level into the freezing water to try and remove the bigger boulders but despite his best efforts, he could not get it to roll away with the flow of the river. He got very cold and was shivering but one of his mates offered him a swig of vodka from a bottle he had in his bag! We waited and pondered what to do. Our passenger with the chicken decided to carry on on foot, there were still around 15kms to reach Tavildara. Eventually, Zafar, the man who went into the water told us he knew someone with a tractor who could pull us through but at a cost ( TJ 500 – around 50 dollars!). We did not have the choice so we agreed and the man came about an hour and a half later. In the meantime, we had a bit of a walk and when we came back noticed that we had a flat tyre! The truck was not in the best position but Paul managed to change it just in time before the tractor arrived. Once the tractor was there, it was over in 15mn, a cable was attached to the car, Paul was in the car with the engine running and although we had some concerns with that big boulder still in the water we made it to the other side. The only damage was the reversing light at the back which got broken and loosing the registration number in the front…. That was not the end though as we had been told there was another difficult crossing ahead!

4th hurdle:

A couple of km further, we had to be pulled by the tractor again as the bank of the river were quite steep and we could not get through. We had 2 extra passengers in the car, one who came with the tractor man and another one who was working at the excavation site and returning to Tavildara. They assured us that the road was ok from there on and it was not too bad, all things considered.

When we got to Tavildara, it was after7pm by then, both men wanted to have us stay with them as guests. Akbar won (both men were related) and he even took us to the tyre repair shop so that the tyre would be ready the next morning. That day we only managed to do 32 km in 7hours (+ 4 hours waiting and pondering !)

Akbar was very proud of his house. He had worked in Russia for 15 years and saved money so that he could build that house and now also had a flat in Dushambe and a couple plots of land, one in Dushambe and one local were he grew potatoes to generate some income. He was very interested in knowing the cost of living, housing and salaries in England and gave us the average salaries for teachers ( 150 dollars a month etc…). He had three young sons and a 13 year old daughter who was away at the time. We were guest of honors and were shown to the guest receiving room ( once again the Eid table was still led). We only had a glimpse of his wife who did not speak russian and did not come to the room. The bathroom was in a cement built shed in the garden where the water was heated in large pans on a stove , making the room really warm, more like a russian banya. The waste water was simply going away through a hole at the base of one of the walls. The toilet, in a separate shed at the back of the garden was very rudimentary ( hole in the ground). Nevertheless, we were very grateful for having a warm place to sleep and good company.

Tuesday 12th June, 2019 – QALAI KHUMB

After breakfast we went to pick up the tyre and took the road again. This time we had been told by Akbar that it was”OK”. There were 2 options and he recommended to stay on the M41 ( Pamir Highway), at a fork some 15km away. We followed his advice but , having gone through a very muddy and slippery patch we came to a halt as a landslide was blocking the road . We had no option but to turn back. Before taking the other road we went back to a village we had passed through to make sure the road was passable. We were given the all clear and so we took the road going through Sagirdasht. The weather was still overcast but the scenery was great. We went through small villages lost in the mountains and up a pass ( 3252 m) where snow had fallen not so long ago. On the way down in the valley, the sun was breaking out and there were lots of wild flowers by the side of the road. We arrived at Qalai Khum mid-afternoon, small town with a couple of hostels and even a 5* Palace hotel and took the rest of the day off.

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Tuesday 4th June, 2019

After finally receiving the spare parts for the car and going round various garages to get them fitted, doing oil change etc…. we are back on the road. We ended up spending 2 weeks in Tashkent but are eternally grateful to our friends for having us and helping us through this stressful period.

We left about midday as the border at Oybek is only a couple of hours away. This time it took longer on the Uzbek side and only had to pay USD 25 ( for use of the road…) on the Tadjik side.

KHUJAND

We drove on to Khujand where we stayed the night. There are a couple of sights there but were disapointed by the fortress as it has been completely rebuilt. It houses a museum but it was shut as it was still a holiday for Eid. We strolled in the nearby park (nice) and took a small cable car to cross the river and get to the statue of the national poet and hero Ismoili Somoni.

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Wednesday 5th June, 2019 – ISTARAVSHAN

Arrived early afternoon and as we parked the car, 3 teenagers approached us and volunteered to be our guides (free of charge!). They spoke reasonably good english and wanted to practice.

Saw the local landmarks but nothing too remarquable. There is a large fortress dominating the town but it has also been rebuilt so we gave it a miss. Left late afternoon with the intention of camping. Took a side turning on the road to Dushambe, leading to the Okhtagi region.

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Thursday 6th June, 2019 – ISKANDERKUL LAKE

Woke up under the rain and low clouds. Drove on to junction with the road leading to Panjakent( west and close to the border with Uzbekistan). The intention was to go in that direction to get access to a side road which leads to a base camp (Artuch) for hiking in the Fann Mountains. The weather was really quite bad and we could only have short glimpses of the snow covered peaks around us.

On the way we passed a few tunnels, not great but at least they had some lighting which is more than the Anzob Tunnel, so called “Tunnel of Death”, which is practically pitch black, with potholes and as it is single lane the cars have to vere into the oncoming lane to avoid them. It seems to go on for ever ( it is 5km long!) and has no ventilation, hence the name, as if you breakdown you will probably choke on the exhaust fumes…. On the good points the tunnel avoids a long twisty road up to a pass and cuts down the journey to Dushambe by a couple of hours.

As we stopped at the junction, we must have gone over a sharp piece of metal as we got a flat tyre: the first one in 20,000km but of course it had to be when it was pouring down ! We were near a petrol station and one of the attendant came to have a look. A passer-by also helped and went down the road with Paul to get the puncture fixed. ( for some reason we could not get the spare tyre down from below the car). The not-so desinterested helper then asked for 40 Somoni ( around 4 dollars) not a great sum but it seemed to be high by local prices and we negotiated down to 20 Somoni.

As the weather was still bad and we were not sure on how long the fix would hold on the tyre we decided not to go to Artuch as it involved going on a rough mountain road in the middle of nowhere. A real shame, as we really would have liked to do some hiking….

We continued on the way to Dushambe but as the weather improved we decided to take the side road to Iskanderkul Lake 30 km away (unpaved and bad in places but manageable). We had some nice views on the way. The lake has some legends attached to it. One is that Bucephalus, Alexander the Great’s favorite horse died there and if you look into the water at night you can see both Alexander and Bucephalus… We did not stay to find out if this was true !

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We rejoined the main road which went through some great scenery too.

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We arrived in Dushambe late afternoon, had a quick look around but then decided to camp on the outskirts. Had some trouble to find a suitable place as the mountains around the capital have numerous little villages. In desperation we asked a local if we could park the car by the side of his house and spend the night. He readily agreed and his wife later came out with a tray full of sweets, biscuits and bread. He even invited us to stay in his house but we decided to sleep in the car. We could hear the young children in the courtyard next to us until quite late so it would have been noisy anyway.

Friday 7th June, 2019 – DUSHAMBE

Drove back in town and found a place to have the tyre better repaired.Had lunch in a self service restaurant popular with the locals then had a walk on Rudaki, the main avenue (running north-south), pleasantly shaded by tall trees on each side and in the center of town with a pedestrian central walkway ( a bit like the Ramblas in Barcelona). Walked as far as the Ismoili Somoni monument. Went to the Ethnographic museum. Tried to find our way to the town of Hisor where there is a citadel, mosque and mausoleum but some of the roads were blocked by roadworks and we kept running in circles so gave up and took the road to Kulob instead.

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On the way to Kulob, we stopped at Norak (also spelt Nurek), small town on a reservoir with a dam built in soviet times ( 70’s), the second higgest in the world. The dam is very high but not so wide. The road then climbs to a pass and we had some nice views over the Reservoir itself.

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At the view point, we asked a typical older man if we could take his picture. He was pleased to pose and invited us to stay in his house in a town further down the valley. He was on his way to Dushambe but “his son would welcome us” he said. We only had to ask for him in the bazaar and everyone would know which house it was ! He kept repeating his name and even said he would come back with us if he could…. very friendly and welcoming: a national trait.

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Saturday 8th June, 2019 – KULOB

The town has no particular appeal apart from having the Mausoleum of the 15th century persian writer and missionary Khoja Mir Sayid Hamdani ( of whom the town of Hamedan in Iran derives its name from ). This is a pilgrimage site and women are not allowed inside the Mausoleum.

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It is also the easier access route to the Pamir Highway and the road is mostly well paved.

Monday 20th May, 2019

Arrived in Taskent mid-afternoon where the family of a friend was expecting us. We were happy to see everyone again and made very welcomed.

Tuesday 21st May, 2019 – Saturday 25th May, 2019

We have to get the car fixed and this is proving to be a headache. There are practically no Nissan cars in Uzbekistan and the one so-called dealer in Tashkent was not very helpful. He quoted some ridiculous price to order the part from Japan. Our friends did all they could to try and source the part in neighbouring Kazakhstan, but again it was at a premium and it would have to be ordered from England…. the local mechanics could repair/fabricate the part from scratch but just could not find the right steel …

To cut a long story short, we ended up ordering direct from England and after a few more upsets due to late delivery by the courrier, the parts are due to arrive on Saturday 1st June!

Monday 27th May, 2019 MARGILAN

Since we are a bit at a loose end, decided to go to the Ferghana valley for a couple of days. We were due to visit after Tashkent but our time will be limited when and if we can get the car back on the road, so might as well go now.

The Ferghana Valley is a narrow piece of land ( 300 x 170 km) that extends east of Tashkent and is surrounded by the Chatkal and Ferghana mountain ranges (Kyrgystan) in the north and east and the Pamir-Alai (Tadjikistan) in the south. This is a fertile flood plain of the river Syr-Darya. and as such has been coveted by many, from Alexander the Great to Turkic, Chinese and Arab and more recently Soviet rulers. The valley is the most densely populated part ofCentral Asia (almost 30% of the uzbek population live there).

There are no long distance buses going into the Ferghana valley so we had to take a shared taxi. It is a 5 hour drive to Margilan, going over the Kamchik Pass ( 2,268m).

Margilan has long been privy to the secrets of sericulture and a major Silk Road stop from the 9th century onwards. Its name is said to derive from “murgh” (chicken) and “nan” (bread) which were offered to Alexander the Great upon his arrival in the town. During soviet times mass machinery transformed the local sericulture from handicraft to mass production. Today only a couple of factories still produce the silk in the traditional way. We visited one of them ( Yodgorlik), where you can follow the whole process.

Сenturies-old traditions of hand-woven silk and cotton fabrics have been an essential part of national clothes, culture and interior. The designs have various names, the most famous ones are: atlas, khan-atlas for silk and adras for cotton. The multi coloured patterns are obtained by twisting and tying the silk threads before the dying process. (this is called tie-dye or dye-resist process).

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Margilan does not have much in terms of historic monuments. The Khonakhan Mosque we wanted to visit is undergoing renovation and seems to have lost its old intricate fergana woodcraft stairs and ceilings…

We instead wondered round the bazaar, where freshly-baked nons were in evidence everywhere along the usual selections of dry fruit, nuts and spices. We could not resist the delicious aroma of strawberries, fresh apricots and cherries. We tried some “white” apricots ( looks almost like a plum) but the taste is definitely apricot: juicy and sweet.

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Tuesday 28th May, 2019 – Kokand

Took another taxi to Kokand, an hour or so away. The town had an important role in the 19th century and lent its name to a powerful Khanate that extended from the Ferghana valley to Tashkent and southern Kazakhstan. Between 1863 and 1873, Khudayar, the Khan of Kokand built an extravagant palace citadel, the legend says for his Kyrgyz mother, who persisted in using a nomad yurt. Only 19 rooms survive from the original 113! Today it houses a local history museum.

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In the old part of town, the Juma Mosque has survived too . Built by Omar Sharif Khan between 1809 and 1812, it was shut in Soviet times but re-opened in 1989 after restoration. Built following the rural ferghana design it has a magnificent Iwan (covered portico), 100m long and supported by 98 wooden columns and decorated in the various colour and carving of the traditional ferghana architecture.

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We are still in Ramadan ( Ramazan in uzbek) and restaurants only offer food after sunset, though not as strictly enforced as in Iran, the majority of people still observe this, especially in the Ferghana valley which is more religiousy conservative.

Wednesday 29th May, 2019

Took a local taxi to the shared taxi pick up point and got surrounded even before we could get out of the car by at least a dozen drivers and touts eager to get our business. They shout in your face and try to get you away to their car. ((one of the reasons we wanted to travel in our own car !). It is almost impossible to speak but we managed to get a ride with one driver who already had one passenger waiting so we could leave immediately and the driver agreed to drop us off at a metro station in Tashkent so it was easier for us to get back to our friends ‘house. We got back in Tashkent around 5pm.

Monday 13th May, 2019

Drove to Nukus , around 30 km from the border and decided to stay the night. Walked through the bazaar, bustling with activity as it is also right next to the bus station. The town itself has no appeal but it has a couple of good museums, one of which (Savitsky Museum) is reputed for its collection of russian avant-garde paintings.

Tuesday 14th May, 2019 – KHIVA

Visited the Museum before leaving for Khiva. We were assailed by excited school children who wanted selfies with us:

We then drove on to Khiva, some 205 km away (and very close to the border with Turkmenistan). The road is one of the main road running across Uzbekistan and was in good condition.

Found a hotel very close to the wall encircling the old city (“Ichan Kala”) and went to rediscover this city which we had loved during our first visit, 8 years ago. We were not disappointed but of course tourism also leaves its mark and there is a growing number of coffee shops selling capuccinos and lattes and restaurants offer western food alongside local dishes. A shame as this mondialisation takes away some of the appeal of travelling ( at least for us).

Khiva is one of the important sites of the Great Silk Road and has a long and rich history as shown by the number of Madrassah, mosques and mausoleums.

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We happily wandered around the meandering alleys until sunset.

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Wednesday 15th May, 2019 – BUKHARA – Central Asia’s holiest city.

We continue to retrace our steps along the Silk Road, driving east to Bukhara, 450 km away ( 7 hours on fairly good road except for the last 80km).

The old town is still very much lived-in, the streets are barely wide enough for a car but full of typical houses with inner courtyards. (though a great number have already been turned into B&B or hotels).

There is plenty to see but we just wandered around and revisited the Poi Kalon Ensemble (or “Pedestal of the Great). This is the religious heart of Bukhara, where students still come and study at the Mir-i-Arab Madrassah. The Madrassah is separated from the Kalon Mosque and its minaret by a great square. This is one of the landmarks of the city. There has been a mosque on this site since 795 but the current one dates back to 1514. It was built to house the entire male population of the city during the weekly prayer ( 10-12,000 people) and is one of the oldest and biggest in Central Asia.

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The Minaret has also been called “the Tower of Death” as up to well into the 19th century, on market days, serious criminals were led up the 105 steps, their crimes enumerated to the crowds and the criminals were then tied into a sack and thrown off the top. A gruesome but sure deterrent for the population…

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Thursday 16th May, 2019 – SAMARKAND

Samarkand  is perhaps the most famous city of modern Uzbekistan.

Samarkand had a central position on the Silk Road between China and the West. In the 14th century Timur (Tamerlane) made Samarkand the capital of his empire. The city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

One of its most famous site is the Registan. It ranks first in Central Asia and among the greatest of all grandiose and magnificent works of the Islamic world.

Registan, meaning sandy place, after a stream which washed sand over the earth was a crossroad where six arteries of Tamerlane’s empire met under a domed bazaar. His grand-son, Ulug Beg built a beautiful Madrassah (1417-20) and two centuries later the local governor dismantled a mosque and caravanserai and ordered the construction of two new madrassah of complementary size and ornamentation to complete today’s layout.

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Gur Emir

Not too far from the Registan stands the Gur Emir, Tamerlane’s Mausoleum. There were originally a Madrassah and a Khanagha (dervish hostel) built by Tamerlane’s grandson, Mohammed Sultan, but when the latter died in 1403, Tamerlane erected a mausoleum to complete the ensemble. Tamerlane and his descendents down to Ulug Beg are buried there too. Today only the portal of the original Madrassah and the mausoleum survive.

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Inside the Mausoleum:

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Tamerlane’s tombstone, a dark green slab in the centre, was once the largest piece of jade in the world (1.8m long).

South east of Gur Emir is another Timurid Mausoleum, the Ak Serai (White Palace), built around 1470 and recently restored. The cupola ceiling is quite impressive.

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Sunday 19th May, 2019 – ZAAMIN National Park

Decided to go to Tashkent via the Zaamin National Park which is tucked right on the border with Tadjikistan. We took a wrong turn at one point and we ended up on a bad road going through little villages until one of the locals put us back on the right tracks. The road seemed to go on and on and we had to ask our way a couple more times as by then according to the map we should have been in the National Park but we had not seen any signs. People were really helpful, we even had an invitation to go and have some food ( and drinks!) which we had to declined as it was getting late and we wanted to carry on. We inevitably had to have a photo and a few selfies….

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We had planned to camp so we started to look for a camping spot. We were so close to the border that one side of the road was off-limit with no trespassing signs indicating that this was in fact Tadjikistan ! We eventually found an ideal spot right on the shore of an artificial lake.

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Next morning, as we continued on our way we had some great views of snowed peaks in the distance. We went on for a further 20 km or so and understood why we had not seen any sign for the entrance to the park: we had simply entered it from a different direction, where there was no official gate… and no entrance fee…

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The road went through a small town with a sanatorium, popular in soviet times as the fresh mountain air was deemed to have some curative effect on lungs problems. Both sides of the road were lined with open-air restaurants and tea houses with tapchans (large wooden bed where you sit crossed legged on which you can have food or relax with tea). The area is popular at week ends.

Not long after this we realised that something was wrong with the car. After inspection we found out that the leaf spring on one side had broken and this affected the traction. As we were not so far from Tashkent we carried on, hoping we were not making matters worse.

Thursday 9th May, 2019 – Ashgabat

Got to the border at Bajgiran just before 9am. Iranian side quite straightforward, one of the officials at the gate even asked for a selfie with us and the car ! but when we got to the Turkmen side, it was another story.

We were first ushered in the passport control building where we had to wait for a lady to turn up and then pay 24 dollars. Another wait for the official to look at our passports, enter us in ledgers manually and on the computer, take fingerprints, photo and stamp our passports! Then I had to go through the customs section as a pedestrian and Paul with the car. I went through quite quickly but Paul had to go to various offices, pay 192 dollars for various fees including insurance, get a GPS tracker and sign a form agreeing to have it on at all times and return it in good condition ! ….. Then get the custom inspection of the car… by then I had been waiting on the other side of the terminal for almost 45 mn. I could see the car but the soldiers on duty would not let me near it.

The customs official came with his sniffer-dog.There were also 3 other officials circling the car. They asked to see the inside of the car and poked at a few bags. Had to open the roof box and take bags down, open other boxes on the roof and they went through the contents. Then came the dreaded question: have you got a drone? we had to admit we did, they looked at it and said it was prohibited in Turkmenistan so they sealed the box to make sure we could not use it. They still seemed to be unhappy about it but eventually they agreed we could go. In all just over 3 hours…. and the border was quiet, no other car whilst we were there, only pedestrians Turkmen returning from a shopping trip to Iran, loaded with lots of plastic bags.

There is a 20km or so ” no-man’s land ” before you cross the last checkpoint and show your passports again and your details are yet again entered in manual ledgers….

Ashgabat is a further 20km away. We had read and seen videos of the town and the description fits. Huge empty avenues lined with massive buildings clad in white marble all to the glory of the former leader (Saparmurat Niyazov ), under the pretence of reviving the great Turkmen spirit. All official buildings are guarded and off limits, no pictures allowed.
Nice on a postcard but soulless… and money would be better spent on improving the roads( as we will found out later).

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Hotels are clearly designed for foreign tourists , decor is ostentatious and they asked ridiculous prices (USD 200+), there are a few medium range ones but rooms do not justify the USD 75 or so demanded. There is a lot of traffic police on the streets, hiding under the cover of trees and keen to stop you for speeding or just to check your papers. (This is true on open roads too and near city limits where you inevitably have to go through a police check and stop so a camera can take a picture….) We had intended to stay for one night but decided to move on. We took the road to Mary, our next stop, and camped !

Friday 10th May, 2019 – Mary and Merv

Arrived in Mary and again difficult to find somewhere to stay. It seems hotels are either top of the range or low cost for locals. We ended up in a low cost at an unbeatable price: 50 Manats (USD 2.70 at black market exchange rate), and we even had a private “bathroom” where the shower worked intermittently… but there was no sink!

Mary is the third biggest city, located in a big oasis in the middle of the Kara Kum Desert. It is a major center of cotton industry, large traffic point and the main center of gas industry .However, the main reason to come to Mary was to go and visit the archeological site of Merv about 30 km away.

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There is not a great deal to see but the site is of archeological importance. Today only the Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar (died in 1157) remains and has been restored. It is a simple square shape. Originally it had a magnificent turquoise-tiled outer dome, said to be visible from a day’s ride away, but that is long gone. There are also remains of old fortified walls and a fortress.

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Saturday 11th May, 2019 – Gazadzhak and Dashoguz

We are on a transit visa and have 5 days to cross the country. (otherwise you need to be on a guided tour). The country is mainly desert so today we have 460km of the Karakum desert to look forward to!

We left early and it was interesting to see people setting off to work, waiting by the side of the road for a lift or the local “minibus”, children walking to school( young girls have a green dress and older ones a red dress etc… Women wear colourfull long dresses with elaborate embroidery at the neck. They also wear scarves with what appears to be a pre-moulded shape underneath which give it a peculiar shape ( quite square at the back of the head).

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We crossed agricultural land at first and it was still quite green with sheperds taking their herds to the fields… that did not last. We soon hit the desert and the road was BAD. It had been asphalted at some point but now it was a bone rattling interminable stretch which ran in a straight line as far as you could see. We had to constantly zig zag to avoid the worst potholes or use the shoulder which created large clouds of dust. The temperature was in the low 40’s C and you were assailed by flies and insects the minute you stopped. In one place, it was butterflies ” attacking” us

We made it to Gazadzhak (north of the country) in 8 hours. We filled up with diesel and the attendant confirmed there was no accommodation in town. We were tempted to try and cross into Uzbekistan there and then (the border was only 3km away) but doubted if we would be able to do so as our visa specifically mentioned another crossing. It was almost 5pm and the crossing closed at 6pm, the next town Dashoguz was 200km away, going west ( and more or less following the border) and we hoped we could get to it before dark.

How wrong we were !

The road turned out to be even worse than the one we had been on the whole day. On top of this there were military checkpoints every 40 km or so where we had to wait around whilst they were entering our details in manual ledgers and radio-ing ahead (we supposed) advising the next post of our presence? It was getting close to sunset and this is when it turned to hell. A massive sand dune had overtaken the road. The road (now reduced to sand track) forked and we took the wrong side and soon got stuck. We spent over an hour trying to reverse out but only managed to move a car length. We were only 15m or so away from the solid road but just could not make it. It was getting dark now. A truck driver who had been parked on the road about 50m away, fixing something on his lorry all this time was about to leave but after some hesitation ( he was afraid to get stuck himself) he agreed to try and pull us out with our tow rope. It worked and was such a relief. We went on the other branch of the road this time, keeping the foot on the gas hoping the speed would help us clear this patch. It was about 600m long and we were bouncing around like crazy. We managed to get through !

It was the first of 4 such ” sand trials”, made all the more hair-raising because it was dark and we could hardly see where the track was going! At one of the checkpoints, the guard tried to cheer us up saying there were only another 40km of really bad road left and then things improved…. The road was so bad that our roof box went flying and landed on the road, thankfully without major damage ( cracks we hoped could be fixed)

We finally arrived in Dashoguz close to 11 pm and settled in a soviet style hotel which had seen better days, but was in the centre of town.

Sunday 12th May, 2019

We spent the morning” leaking our wounds”, cleaning and re-organising the inside of the truck as everything had been turned upside down and was covered in dust. We had lunch in a new and modern restaurant down the road and the owner who could speak some english went out of his way to help us find a garage that could fix the box for us. He dispatched one of the waiters to accompany us. After trying a couple of places we eventually found someone who could do it. We also had someone else reset one of the windows which had slipped out of its groove and was stuck. We were as good as new…. (almost!) and hoped we could leave this bad episode behind.

Monday 13th May -Konye-Urgench

Only 93kms away and close to the border… we could not wait to cross into Uzbekistan. Nevertheless we stopped to visit the site.

” Konye-Urgench (from Persian ‘Old Urgench’) is a rural backwater with livestock wandering its chaotic, unpaved roads. Yet centuries ago this was the centre of the Islamic world, not the end of it. Today most of Old Urgench lies underground, but there is enough urban tissue to get an idea of its former glories. Its uniqueness was acknowledged in 2005 when Unesco named it a World Heritage Site. “(Lonely Planet).

There are several Mausoleums spread over a large area and a minaret, leaning noticably. It was once attached to a mosque, it is currently 59m tall but must have been taller in the past.

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The Il-Arslan Mausoleum is Konye-Urgench’s oldest standing monument. The conical dome, with a curious zigzag brick pattern, is the first of its kind and was exported to Samarkand by Timur. Il-Arslan, who died in 1172, was Tekesh’s father. The conical dome with 12 faces is unique, and the collapsing floral terracotta moulding on the facade is also unusual.

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It was time to leave. We got to the border around 12.30pm and started the passport control process only to be told that it was lunchtime and would have to wait until 2pm We passed the time chatting to 2 of the young soldiers who were eager to practice their english. They were doing their military service (2years) and were dreaming of travelling…Once the border re-opened, we cleared passport control fairly quickly but had to go through fingerprinting and photographying again. We gladly handed back the car GPS tracker (more forms to be stamped). Customs had another good look at the car, asked if we had any carpets, antiques , guns or drugs!… and then on to the Uzbek side.

There it was straight forward, customs did inpect the car and asked questions but we we were done in less than half an hour. We were glad to be back in Uzbekistan as we have happy memories of our first trip there 8 years ago.

Friday 3rd May, 2019

Took the road early today. The next 2 days will be spent crossing the desert that spreads across most of the north east of the country.

We left Kashan in the direction of Zavareh, a small town which was an important centre on the trade routes in Sasanid times until the late 11th century. The covered bazaar, sadly now virtually empty must have been impressive . There was some renovation work going on in the Hosseiniyeh Hall (congregation hall for Shi’a mourning ceremonies during Muharam month, the first month of the islamic calendar ) and the great metal “alams” were gathering dust! ( these are carried during the ceremonies )

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The Masjed -e-Jame is considered one of the first mosque in Iran to be built on the four -ivan courtyard plan in 1135. It has a beautifully carved plaster Mirhab with koranic verses in Kufic script.

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The landscape was monotonous with a road that ran straight for miles on end. We passed numerous danger signs for camel crossing but never saw any…

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After almost 500 kms we reached the small village of Mesr in the central desert of Iran called “Dashte-Kavir ” in persian and drove to Farahsad, the last settlement on the asphalted road. From there was the open desert with only tracks leading to a salt lake and sand dunes.

We ventured a few kms in and admired the landscape ….

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… before setting camp for the night. This was going to be a night for star gazing.

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Saturday 4th May, 2019

Resumed our route to Mashhad, driving through Tabas. The temperature definitely went up today and it was already 32degrees at 10 am. By late morning it was 38 degrees and we were only in early May….

Petrol stations were far and few between. Diesel is only used by trucks and buses and not all stations have it. Another problem is that you need a special card to purchase diesel and we have to rely on the goodwill of truck drivers to let us use their allocation. They sometimes agree reluctantly and only for half a tank or less. On the plus side, it is so cheap that you can fill up for less than 4 dollars….

The landscape was getting greener as we approached Ferdows where we stayed the night

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Sunday 5th May, 2019

Last stretch to Mashhad and out of the desert. Arrived mid afternoon and had no problem finding a hotel as the city is the most important religious centre of the country and caters for a large number of pilgrims who come here from all over the country and abroad, especially from the Middle East.

Monday 6th. Tuesday 7th May 2017

Visited the shrine to the 8th Imam (Imam Reza shrine). Huge complex divided into 4 courtyards with mosque, mausoleum and madrassah.

You cannot bring any bags or cameras into the complex and you have to go through a metal detector( airport style) before entering. Ladies have to wear the chador (available free of charge) and cover their hair completely.(you are quickly reminded to do so by one of the officials if any hair is showing).

Some of the pilgrims come with a piece of green cloth ( holy colour) which you can buy in the shops and stall around the shrine. They rub it on the side of the tomb and bring it back home where the cloth will be cut in small pieces and given to family and friends to bring them God’s blessing.

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On Tuesday we got our visas to Turkmenistan. then drove to an old caravanserai East of Mashhad. In Fairly good condition considering that it dates back to the 12th century.

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Wednesday 8th May, 2019

Left Mashhad and drove north to get closer to the border. Stopped overnight in Quchan.

Thursday 9th May, 2019

Last day in Iran. Left early to get to the border at Bajgiran and cross into Turkmenistan.

Sunday 28th April, 2019

Landed in Tehran early in the morning and spent the day catching up with housekeeping before going with our friend Mohammad to one of his english lessons in the late afternoon. His pupils were two young women from well-off families living in north Tehran in a plush appartment.

Once again we were made very welcome and were offered fruit, cakes and tea whilst we were having conversation in english. They were delighted to have the opportunity to speak with native english speakers and we had some interesting discussions regarding genetics !

We had a farewell dinner in the eveningwith Mohammad and Ma’in and were sad to leave our friends.

Monday 29th April, 2019 – Hamedan

Drove to Hamedan, around 4 hours South West of Tehran. The town is a gateway to the Zagros Mountain range and was always a mercantile route. Little remains of architectural interest but the town has a dynamic feel with some trendy shops. It has a large pedestrian square giving access to the Tomb of Avicenna (Ibn Al-Sina) a 10th century muslim scientist who fled Bukhara ( Uzbekistan) and settled in Hamedan around 1015 to practise as a doctor. Most of the books he wrote have been lost but his “Book of Healing and Canon of Medicine” was the standard medical textbook in Europe until the mid 17th century.

Hamedan used to have one of the largest jewish community in Iran but today only the Tomb of Esther and Mordichai remains and according to the custodian only 10 families still practice their faith. The tomb is of medieval origin with a low and narrow entrance forcing those who enter to bend their heads in respect.

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Another building of interest is Gonbad-e Alavian, mausoleum to the Alavian family who controlled the city for 2 centuries although experts argue over the exact time it was built ( 14th century ?). The building has wonderful plaster work despite the present dust and gloom inside and out.

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Tuesday 30th April, 2019 – Bisotun

Continuing our way south we stopped at Bisotun, 30km before Kermanshah to admire the immense rock reliefs dating from 521 BC and depicting the victories of Darius the great. The reliefs are very high on the mountain face and scaffolding erected for conservation work block the view. There is no access. However with the help of binoculars one can admire the picture set in stone. Very impressive considering it was carved 2,500 years ago and must have sent a clear message to anyone passing, even from a distance.

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Wednesday 1st May, 2019 – Kermanshah -Taq-e Bostan

The town of Kermanshah was heavily bombed during the Iran-Irak war and many posters of “Martyrs” :young men killed in the conflict, still adorned lampposts and city squares. ( This is true of many cities and small towns in Iran too). There are 2 huge military bases near the town.

North-west to the town is another site of interest:Taq-e Bostan. Two small “grottoes” with elaborate carvings are set in the side of the mountain. The exact function of these manmade caves is unclear but the hunting scenes depicted suggest they were part of
what is called a paradeisos ( hunting garden) dating from the Sasanid period: ((224 – 658 AD).

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On the way, we passed wide valleys with fertile soil and saw lots of sherperds leading their flocks to pastures.

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We stopped overnight in the small town of Aligudarz. There, after failing to find somewhere to eat (nothing appealed…) we were coming back to the truck to have a frugal dinner of bread, tomatoes and cheese, when a young woman accosted us and after some exchange in english, invited us to her house where her family was eagerly waiting for us. We took a taxi, but had to walk the last hundred meters as a wedding party was underway on the street with loud music and traditional dancing. We feasted our eyes and ears… Once in the house, we were greeted by the mother, brother and a younger sister who spoke good english and did most of the traduction during the evening.( sorry cannot remember your name !) The house comprised one large room with carpets on the floor but otherwise devoid of furniture and a couple of bedrooms to the side. The family were genuinely pleased to have us as guests and they shared with us their meal of Gormeh Sabzi ( another staple of iranian cooking: chicken or lamb cooked with beans and a mix of herbs giving it a slight sour taste). Sonaz and family, if you are reading this, a million thanks for the pleasant evening and delicious food.

Thursday 2nd May, 2019 Kashan

We made our way to Kashan arriving early afternoon .This town is a popular tourist destination thanks to some wonderful example of rich merchant houses dating from the late 19th century. We visited these on a previous trip so our main aim was to go to the Maranjab desert some 60km away. The road goes as far as Aran and Bidgol then you pass a checkpoint where you are told you need a guide and cannot go any further without an irani person on board your vehicle. The area is sensitive due to military installations but I suspect this is also a nice little earner: we were asked to pay USD 40. Not such a large amount in the scheme of things but we refused on principle as it did not seemed justified and thought our access would be limited.

We instead visited the Shrine to Hilal ibn Ali in Aran and Bigdol ( he was the son of Imam Ali (AS) who himself was the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad ). Just outside the mausoleum building one can notice the sound of melodic prayers that some visitors say upon the graves of fallen heroes of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war (embedded in the floor of the courtyard). Women have to wear the chador as this is a religious place. ( provided free if you do not have one !) Many visitors offer sweets and cakes as part of their devotions. We stood out as tourists and a young girl offered to guide us through the building. It is quite impressive with its blue-tiled minarets, arched arcades, domes and halls. 
Inside is heavily decorated with mirror-tiled ceilings, stained glass windows and chandeliers.  

We chatted for a while with our volunteer guide, she offered us ice creams and her father who was there to remember his deceased father even invited us to go and stay with them. We had to turn down the offer as we wanted to move on.

Tuesday 23rd – Wednesday 24th April, 2019

We altered our original plan and decided to fly to Sirjan rather than driving (would have taken at least 2 days). We arrived in the evening and were greeted at the airport by our friend Ellie and her mother. We spent the following day relaxing and went cycling in the evening on the shore of a salt lake on the outskirts of the town.

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Thursday 25th – Friday 26th April, 2019

Left in the morning to drive to the Lut Desert with Ellie and her family. It took almost 4h to get to Shahdad where Ellie had booked an overnight stay and arranged for a 4×4 car and guide to go and see the Kalut ( 20km away). It turned out that the reserved car had broken down and after some delay to source a replacement, we were on our way to go and see the sunset in the desert. We got there only just in time….( this is after we had a flat tyre on the way and had to wait for someone to bring a spare).

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The next morning, since we did not have the time to see the sand dunes the previous day, our guide agreed to takes us for sunrise. This meant a 5 am start…. but worth it. It was quite windy and the sand appeared grey at first. It turned yellow when the sun came out, creating shadows and bringing a warmer glow to the sand. It was quite windy too and you could see the sand flying off the side of the dunes. Our tracks were rapidly disappearing, covered by the sand.

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After breakfast at the guest house, we went for a short walk in the village. I had seen some intriguing towers from a distance and wanted to investigate… it was part of an old fort:

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On the way back to Sirjan, we stopped at Mahan for lunch and enjoyed some time in the park near the Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine. We played some badminton and attracted the attention of a group of street kids. Paul taught them to count to five, creating much amusement when they mispronounced number 4, meaning something totally different in farsi!( swear word)

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Saturday 27th April, 2019

We drove to te site of an old zoroastrian fire temple on top of a hill outside Sirjan, then in the afternoon sat in the park near 2 old ice houses. These were the ancestor to the refrigerator ! The wall joining the 2 towers is pierced with a series of holes, allowing the wind to circulate up to each ice house and keep things inside cool. The cone shape overground is only 30% of the whole structure which goes deep underground.

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In the evening, we were invited for dinner at one of Ellie’s best friends who had just moved into a new appartment. The building was designed by her husband and the flat was nice and modern.

As customary, we had tea and a selection of fresh fruit and dry nuts before sitting for dinner. We had one of the staples of iranian cuisine: Fasenjen (chicken stew cooked in walnut paste and pomeganate molasses, giving it a slighly sweet taste) and also neck of lamb cooked to perfection: the meat was really tender and falling of the bones, served with rice of course !

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This was a fine way to spend our last evening in Sirjan.