Esfahan
Trip Start
Sep 20, 2007
1
25
40
Trip End
Dec 24, 2007
Esfahan,
Iran
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Date : 18th November 2007
Mileage in Iran : 2100 km
Mileage so far : 13800 km
Today was another relaxing day! Like I said in my previous entry, I think that the adventure is becoming a holiday! So I had a bit of a chat with Kev to convince him to harden the Iran part as it is too nice and comfy...Actually to harden the whole trip again! Kevin agreed and so we headed for the coffee shop with my map to have a cup of tea and discuss the next 3 weeks of the trip...Well there was nothing much to discuss as my itinerary was already all planned a long time ago in Singapore. The great news is that we are a little bit in front of our schedule and the plan to go to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, that I had put on standby, is back on track! So starting today, it's going to be riding every day for the next 3 weeks! The difficulty will be raised starting tomorrow, where we will be hitting the north western part of Iran and then eastern Turkey. It will be difficult in terms of riding mileage, of weather and lodging. But I'm looking forward to it and nothing scares me after the Kashmir experience...I know I can ride at -15 and still be ok...But it's going to be a real test for Kevin...Apparently there is snow in those parts of the country at the moment...Then, once in Syria, we will be back to reasonable mileage again and the weather is going to be warmer...
Once the meeting ended and the next 3 weeks itinerary finalized, we headed back to Esfahan's Emam square to have this time a daytime view...So nothing really different and the pictures are the same as yesterday night except that the background is Gray instead of black...The main highlight of the day was entering a mosque for the first time...And I'm lucky because it's known to be one of the most beautiful mosque in the world...
Bridge connecting our hotel to the square...
Emam square...By day this time...
Entrance of the second mosque on Emam square...
Even horses have to hide their face!
First mosque in Emam square...
I have not mentionned anything up to today on the rules applied to women in Iran and I would like to share with you a few of the scenes I have experienced since I arrived in Iran. First I would like to say that I find Iran relatively relaxed in term of clothing. Although they have their big black cloth hiding most of their body, they all have their face exposed. Moreover, I noticed that they all wear jeans underneath and put a considerable amount of make-up. On the other hand, it's surprising to see how men and women are separated in almost everything...When waiting in the bus stops or when queuing in front of the pastry shops, men and women are separated and there are 2 separate queues. Even in the bus, the women are all sitting in the rear of the bus and the men in front. Those are some of the example and there are a lot more...Those rules make me feel a bit uncomfortable and I don't know what are the limits...Can I talk to women? Can I ask direction to a woman? Yesterday, I was weirdly stared at by a group of men passing by while resting on the bus bench and I realized today that I was sitting in the women's bus bench! Last night, while I was in the bazaar walking around, I young women looked at me and said hello but I looked down and completely ignored her not knowing what I was suppose to do or allowed to do! I heard some stories and I'm a bit paranoid...Probably for nothing but I don't want to take any risk...I still have 7000-8000 km to do! Even today, when on my way back to the hotel, I flagged down a taxi to bring me back to the hotel and when I saw that there was someone in the back, I turned back to look for another one...But the taxi had stopped and was waiting for me, so I jumped in the back beside this lady that was of a certain age and said hello but she didn't even look at me...Felt very uncomfortable...I realized that this was nomal and that taxis pick-up several customers at the same time. Then, maybe a km down the road, the taxi stopped again and this time there was 2 young iranian women...Oh shit I told myself...What do I do now? I'm going to be stuck between those 2 women in this taxi and I don't think it's a good idea...Then the driver gave me a hint and told me to seat in the front seat to let the 3 ladies sit behind...Hmm...That's how it works...Well, like I said ealier, didn't want to do anything stupid and wasn't sure to have understood the driver properly, so I gave a dollar and jumped out to walk back to the hotel...I later realized that when I first jumped into the taxi and saw the lady sitting behind, I should have probably gone to sit in front straight away...So it was not the lady being a grumpy old grandma...
It's very difficult for me to take pictures to show a bit of this part of Iran and I heard that 2 weeks ago, a french couple on holiday was put separately in jail for 2 weeks because they were suspected of spying... Probably just taking the wrong picture at the wrong time...I'm not very keen to discover Iranian prisons, so sorry guys but no "macho" pictures...
Tomorrow going to Qazvin, then Masuleh and Tabriz, before crossing to Turkey on the 23rd of November.
PS : Celine, I have scheduled to pass to Amman and would be glad to see you and your husband (and sleep for free, haha!). Is your offer still on? I scheduled to be in Amman between the 28th of November and the 1st of December.
Comments
See you soon!
Hi Chris! Of course my offer is still on! I'm so glad you've decided to come this way. I tried to find out information for you regarding crossing the borders with your bike, but unfortunately I kept getting a different answer! Anyways, I think if you have the correct papers for your bike you just have to buy a visa at the borders (very cheap, about US$7) and you should have a smooth entry. Steph has my number, give me a call when you're close by and you'll have a warm bed, clean shower, hot food and cold beers waiting for you!
see you soon,
Celine
BIEN SUR QUE JE SUIS TON BLOG
Salut ma poule,
J'ai bien recu ton SMS et a la question: 'est ce que tu suis mon blog', ma reponse est: EVIDEMMENT!!!!!
Et d'ailleurs Bravo pour cette mise a jour en reelle, cela nous permet de te suivre et accessoirement d'etre malade de jalousie ;-)
J'etais un peu inquiet lors de ton passage au pakistan, mais apparemment tout s'est bien termine. Je peux voir que tu es un peu plus relax maintenant, profite bien!!!
Cela m'a fait tres plaisir de recevoir de tes nouvelles.
Take care
A bientot - Simon
salut branleur
Merci pour ton blog, je ferai un petit résumé ce samedi avant le match contre les Latinis. Je ne sais pas si c'est un hasard, mais depuis que t'es parti on a pris pas mal de taules, tu reviens quand?
Je vois que tu es presque en Europe, c'est fabuleux de faire cela. On est un paquet à te jalouser, crois-moi! J'attends que tu sois en Turquie pour me dire la vérité sur les iraniennes, à mon avis t'as écris sous censure.
Surtout prends bien soin de toi,
A bientot,
Philippe
Pour repondre a tes questions
Mon gars
Je ne sais pas si ta question est relative a l'Olympique Gaulois ou a la ligue 1?;-) je repondrai au deux.
Pour l'olympique Gaulois, tres peu de victoire mais je ne suit pas trop car je n'ai pas eu le temps d'aller a beaucoup d'entrainement et n'etant plus dans liste je n'ai des nouvelles que par Vincent.
Pour le foot, Marseille est toujours en bas du classement mais n'est plus releguable a la difference de but (les temps sont dur). Sur les points positifs, Marseille a mis une bonne petite claque a Lyon au stade Gerland en championnat en sortant un tres bon match 1-2(Esperons que ce soit la reference). En champion's league, il va falloir aller gagner au Besiktas ou faire un nul et faire un bon resultat contre liverpool a domicile.
Pour resume la ligue: les 4 premiers dans l'ordre: Lyon(31pts), Nancy (28pts), Bordeaux(25pts), Rennes. Marseille est 14 pts (vraiment a la bourre) et Paris est aussi en Galere avec 16 pts (C'est bon ca!!!!!)
Sinon poru le championnat Anglais Arsenal et Manchester se tirent la bourre et font de superbes match.
Pour les potes, Vincent va bien, il revient d'un voyage en France pour le boulot et a fait un tour a phuket pour un petit tournoi avec l'olympique G. Il m'a donne des nouvelles de Fred qui a l'air en forme.
De mon cote, je travaille comme une mule mais j'ai pu passer un petit week-end au vietnam. Sherie va bien et le ventre grossit de plus en plus. Au fait, je ne sais pas si avait eu la nouvelle mais la femme de Vincent est egalement enceinte, et oui bientot papa: tout un programme.
J'espere que tu profites bien et a propos de ton nouveau look tu sais ce qu'on dit: 'Barbu mangeur de cul'.
A bientot , take care.
News from Singapore
Salut Christophe,
Je suis ravi de voir que tout se passe tres bien etant donne que tu es probablement dans la partie la plus ' craignos ' de ton voyage.
Vu ce que tu as accompli jusqu'a maintenant, je pense sincerement que le reste du voyage se passera sans souci...jusqu'a ce que tu te fasses agresser par des racailles a ton arrivee a Lyon.
C'est une bonne chose que tu aies ta becane...car en France...je crois que tu peux oublier les trains et les avions avec ces putains de greves qui durent.
Je me demandais...vas tu reprendre la route pour le retour a Singapour? Ou vas-tu prendre l'avion?
Moi je suggere le retour en solex...c'es classe et ca n'a jamais ete fait auparavant...
Ici, tout va bien, mon nouveau job chez les tigres se passe tres bien, je n'ai jamais autant joue au golf de ma vie...he...he...et je suis a peu pres bien installe dans mon HDB a Holland Village, ou tu seras le bienvenu pour boire une ou deux mousses.
Essaie de m'envoyer une reponse rapide pour au moins me dire quand tu comptes revenir a Singapour.
Ciao ma couille,
Flo
Kaninahhhhhhhhhh làààààààààà!
Heureux de voir que ton trip se passe bien Chris!
M'enfin, ces photos d'Iranienne, on les zora...ou on les zora pô!
Si tu cherches asile en France à ton arrivée hésites pas, la mosquée est ouverte..!
Bonne continuation,
Ton meilleur coach sur Philip Island ( ICR Nov 04)
Re: Kaninahhhhhhhhhh làààààààààà!
Salut lolo,
je sais que la mosquee est ouverte, elle me reveille tous les matins a 5h00 du mat depuýs 3 semaines!
Re: News from Singapore
Florent, je ne rentrerai qu'en solex uniquement si tu montes derriere et fais le voyage avec moi...
Re: Pour repondre a tes questions
On reconnait tout de suite le Marseillais! je te demande des news et tu me fais un telefoot! Genial!
Je peux continuer mon voyage peinard maintenant...
Re: See you soon!
Thanks Celine! Skip the food, the shower and the warm bed...Just take out the beer! I haven't had a single drop of beer since the 15th of October in Nepal! Kevýn has been secretly drinking...So if i fall asleep after the first bottle don't be surprised! Steph gave me your number and will ring you when approaching. Thanks agaýn for your ýnvitation! I think I will stay longer than planned...haha!
Re: salut branleur
Philippe! merde tu me connais comme si tu m'avais fait! En effet, je te feraý un resume verbal complet sur la situation des iraniennes lors d'un de nos entrainements...