I rode my bike to Nepal this year .. Turkmenistan, Pamir Highway, China, KKH, etc.

[doyle]

Stunning, thanks for sharing. The Pamir highway is one of my goals. Did you cross into Afghanistan at all?

[emiles]

Originally Posted by doyle

Did you cross into Afghanistan at all?

Actually, I really wanted to. I thought about going to Herat, Afghanistan from Mashad, Iran and then from Herat north to Turkmenistan.

Unfortunately I was unable to get an Afghan visa before leaving. The consulate in The Hague wouldn't give me one. I was told that only via a guided tour would I be able to get a visa. I probably would have been able to get the visa at the Afghan consulate in Mashad, Iran, but the security situation around the previously calm Herat area was deteriorating. So I decided to pass Afghanistan.

Looking back, that was probably a wise descision, although I'm still sorry that I didn't visit Afghanistan. I really would like to go back in the future, if that country can find some kind of peace.

[emiles]

The hotel in Yazd had a really nice courtyard.


Putting on the new tires in Iran (TKC80 - highly recommended)


After 7.000km I put in some oil: 0.5l !!
The engine had done about 35.000km and, for all practical purposes, didn't consume oil. You have to admire Japanese engineering. Although I think after the 80's at Honda the cost-cutters started to reign.

[emiles]

[Csavargó]

A resounding im hooked.

[emiles]

[emiles]

[emiles]

In Maku, just inside Iran, there was another biker at the hotel where I stayed. He was an expat who was going from Abu Dhabi via Iran/Turkey back to the UK.

They let us park the bikes inside the hotel next to the reception

[emiles]

Whenever you stop in Iran (or any place east of Istanbul), people come over to checkout the bike. Almost always I was the only foreigner around.

Most of the younger people in Iran speak pretty good English and are very interested to hear where you're from, etc.

They all want the newest mobile phone and spend a lot of time on the web.

Often they would ask me what kind of mobile I had. When I showed them, they were usually disappointed, because they had expected me to have the newest one with a zillion features ..

Iran was so different than I had imagined before leaving ..

[emiles]

The north-western Kurdish area of Iran was stunning. Gentle flowing hills and great roads. I went south-east, parallel with the Iran-Iraq border.

[emiles]

[cyprys]

Oh Man....looking at your pictures brings back the memories. I have been to many same places as you...apart from previous russian republics. I have never managed to get my bike up KKH though. I really wanted but all I could do was flying from Islamabad to Gilgit. I envy you my friend...I really do!! I will return to Pakistan and Iran as I am already planning

Great pix. great report.Write a little more! we also want to read!!!

[emiles]

Originally Posted by cyprys

Great pix. great report.Write a little more! we also want to read!!!

Ok, some more stuff.

I camped in the desert in Iran halfway between Esfahan and Mashad. That was really cool. When I found a nice sandy path leading away from the main road, I got on it and followed the path for about 10km. I then stopped and looked around .. nothing .. perfect!
I pitched my tent and got the cooker out (works on gasoline). So there in the desert, all alone, I cooked my dinner and afterwards made some coffee.
I remember that during the night I woke up several times, certain that there were 'bandits' stalking my tent. I would then get up, look out the tent and see .. nothing. Besides the wind, there were no sounds. For someone who's always lived in a (sub-)urban environment, it was a really cool experience.

[emiles]

In many ways, Iran is a very modern country. For example, there are places to stop your car alongside the roads. These car-stop places often have benches where you can sit and garbage bins for your waste.

Why anyone would want to sit on a bench alongside a road in the middle of the Iranian desert is beyond me, but someone at a Ministry in Teheran thought people would like to do that, so they put concrete benches in the desert.

But because Iran is an Islamic country, the car-stop places also have a unique sign, not found in the West. At most car-stop places there is a sign pointing to Mecca!

I also saw something disturbing at one place I stopped: injection needles. It's well known that there is a huge heroin problem in Iran. With Afghanistan as a neighbor, heroin is really cheap and easy to find in Iran. Easier than alcohol ..

[Global Rider]

Originally Posted by emiles

I'm still sorry that I didn't visit Afghanistan. I really would like to go back in the future, if that country can find some kind of peace.

When one looks at your tour report and all the incredible pics, one can't help but comment on how lucky we are to live on this beautiful planet with such interesting people.

Its too bad that greed and countries with self interests have to screw it up.

I find the facial expressions of the people as interesting as the scenery.