Mirjaveh - Zahedan - Bam - Kerman - Shiraz

  Shiraz, Iran
Monday, November 12, 2007

Itinary : Mirjaveh - Zahedan - Bam - Kerman - Shiraz
Dates : 10 th November to 12th of November 2007
Mileage in Iran : 1220 km
Mileage so far : 12920 km
 
Finally in Iran! The border was once again a relatively easy border to cross and the authorities were friendly...We were treated as VIPs and they made us skip all the queues! And when we reached the customs, they even asked us to come behind the counter to have a seat and offered us tea! So in less than 2 hours we were out of the border. Well we were out of the border but not out of the police grip! It was actually worse than in Pakistan...Apparently, this area from the border up to Kerman which is 600 km away is very dangerous so we were escorted up our first stop in Bam (400 km from the border). At the beginning, we were bounced from police station to police station in the border city of Mirjaveh for 2 hours before we actually took off for Bam! The army check post are really scary and aggressive...They wanted to take our passports and bike keys to make sure we couldn't go or run off...We managed to convince them that we were not going to take off, so they left us alone. During our way up to Bam, they didn't take their eyes away a single second and we were not allowed to stop along the road for a break. Like in Pakistan, they were handing us to their colleagues when changing districts...At one point, we were handed to a military post and we were escorted by a pick-up truck with a huge standing machine gun on the back of the pick-up. We understood that this area we were crossing was very dangerous and every time we entered a mountainous area, the guy would stand up and hold the machine gun, look around and point it in a direction. There was as well other pick-up trucks parked along this mountain road with guns pointing out of the window...Hmm...I really don't know what was the situation but maybe we are lucky to have the army escorting us. The good thing is that the further away we got from the border area, the nicer and less aggressive the army guys were. I think that they are less paranoid...Or maybe the threat is not as big...Sorry but we were not allowed to take any pictures...When we arrived at the hotel in Bam, some business man explained us that a Japanese and German tourist disappeared in the last 2 weeks in this area between Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan, so they want to make sure nothing happens to us. We understood that normally we should be escorted the next 200 km until Kerman, then we are on our own...Can't wait because I have been riding with the police since Bahawalpur in Pakistan...2000 km ago! Actually the Kashmir region is not a war zone...This is!
 

Mission accomplished...I'm in Iran!

Afghanistan behind those mountains...

Police escort in moped! Not reassured at all!

 











So we woke up the next day at 6 am after a 10 hour sleep but we still left around 11 am as I told Kevin that I needed to rest. He had his rest in Dharamsala but I didn't as I was doing my Kashmir ride...I was feeling sick and feverish for the past 2 days and was under antibiotics. But after this good night rest I felt almost brand new again! We left our hotel wondering if the police was waiting for us outside and they weren't! So we were pleasantly surprised until we checked out and the lady in the lobby informed us to wait as she had just called the police to escort us! Argh...One more day being pushed around from police station to police station, and no stopping allowed on the road...The army guys are OK but some of the police are really dodgy. We started the day by looking for a petrol station so the police brought us to a petrol station at the exit of Bam. We still don't understand how petrol works in this country...Fuel is rationed and you apparently need a card to get petrol but no one seems to know where to get them or to be able to help us get them...So we have been negotiating and buying our petrol from other people's cards. I understood that the government decided to ration the petrol and to allocate only 3 litres of petrol per car per day. So yesterday we got a bit ripped off as we paid 60 cents a litre off a guy's card but this morning the guy was rather honest and he didn't make any money out of us, meaning we paid 10 cents/litre! Cheapest petrol I will ever pay...I did almost a full tank of 30 litres and it cost me 3 usd! Quality is not the best but the bike works (moving forward)...Then there was my tyre still loosing air so I have been pumping it every morning. I will change my tyre at the BMW in Teheran next week...So after the petrol and air was sorted out, we were back on the road, escorted by 2 policeman in moped again until the exit of Bam where an army pick-up truck with 5 guys was waiting for us to escort us up to Kerman. No pictures, no stopping once again...Nothing much but desert at 2600 meters in altitude. Then, 50 km before Kerman, it was freedom! Yes! Without any notice they just U-turned and we found ourselves on our own...When we reached Kerman, we landed in a nice little town and we found a good hotel in the main street of the city. Arrived early so we managed to get some time to walk around and eat...Finally! Got to eat meat again! I've been craving for meat for 2 weeks now! I have to say that Kerman feels like the safest place I've been in since New Delhi...And it was a relief to find a clean place, organized and the people are friendly as well. And there's food! Well food that we can eat without being too careful or having to sleep on the toilet bowl...Tomorrow heading for Shiraz where the Iranian adventure will really start...With no police escort, no army escort...And hopefully some good photos...The only thing that was nice during those first 2 days is the French part of Iran where you can see quite a number of Peugeot, Citroen cars...And the famous R5 or "2CV"! We are also driving on the right side of the road in this country...I have to admit that being French helps a lot and when I say that I am French, petrol seems to be easier to negotiate...The country you come from is actually the first question they ask every single time, unlike India where the price of the bike is more important...Then they ask if your Muslim...Feel a bit unease when asked so I reply by saying that I'm thinking of converting and I'm letting my beard grow to prove it...As for my friend Kevin who is Irish, well they don't know where Ireland is so they immediately assume that it must be a good country and help him out with the petrol...
 

A citroen 2 CV!

 
The hotel manager where we stayed in Kerman organized to have some petrol from the black market brought to us to the hotel so we can ride out of Kerman without having to manage that in the morning...And paid 60 cents/liter which seems to be the standard price for black market petrol when you don't have the "rationing card". Tomorrow we planned to go to Shiraz...
 
Our day ride to Shiraz was fantastic! For the first time since Thailand, I felt comfortable riding...Meaning no escort, no traffic, world class roads, great scenery, no animals sleeping on the road and the people are relaxed and helpful. This place is awesome and I'm smiling on my own under my helmet while riding again! Most people speak English and some even speak French! Indeed, during a lunch stop in Sirjan, a guy noticed my French flag on the bike and came up to me speaking very good French! He was a French literature teacher in the local university. 
 

Iranian literature teacher, cool guy!

 
The scenery on our way to Shiraz was pretty much the same than the past 2 weeks with desert, desert and desert! Starting to get tired and I'm not so impressed anymore...So looking forward to getting in the north of Iran in the mountains and on the coast of the Caspian sea. We reached Shiraz in the late afternoon after spending almost 10 hours on the road. 
 

Why we won't be able to come back in 6 months...

desert, desert and desert!

On our way to Shiraz, going from 2600 to 1600...

Sunset arriving in Shiraz...

 
 







Once in Shiraz you pass by impressive historical buildings with architectural designs like I've never seen before and once again, I was impressed by the cleanness of the city. Felt good to enter a "normal" city" again and I felt like being in a city in Europe. I would say that it's the equivalent of Lyon in the 1980s. I can finally eat what I want to eat and buy what I need to buy! A -20C sleeping bag for example because the one I bought in Leh was cheap, too cheap that the zipper stitching broke the first time I used it...Enjoyed seeing the Middle Eastern chaotic markets on the pavements of the main road. This city is much bigger and much more advanced than I imagined. Meaning the infrastructures, the shops and the people. When I went to walk around the town, which by the way I felt very safe doing, I saw teenagers with some of the most stylish haircuts and clothing. As for women, they have only their faces exposed but you can't help noticing the amount of make-up they put. Really cool city and happy to be here...
 

Fort in Shiraz...6h30 am sunrise...

Fort that was built 200 years ago...

Normal city with avenue and no animals on the road

Sarko and Borlot, the iranian version...

Was happy to take pictures of this boring avenue!

Kevin's favorite hotel...

 
When I went to walk around later in the evening, I got to enter into what looked like a military shop where I saw some army caps which I was interested to buy. There were several models with different logos on them so I asked the meaning of each one of them and I got a bit excited when I heard the guy say "Hezbollah". When they saw me laugh about it, they laughed at their turn as well...They explained that they were not allowed to sell them to me but they would do an exception. So to my federation friends, you know what is your Christmas gift...Tomorrow, we're going to visit Persepolis for the day. Will try to take some more pictures but I am not yet at ease taking out my camera...