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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Oct 20, 2006 02:00 PM Iran-Kashan: Tea in the bath...
When I arrived to Kashan a guy in "Golestan Hotel" asked me to pay hefty 120000 rials for the hard bed! Not recommended! Just round the corner you will find "Gocharian" place where beds are also hard but they charge only 45000 for single room.
I like Kashan except nasty school kids. It is home to the best traditional mansions in Iran decorated with incredible stucco panels, mirrors, coloured glass. each mansion has a series of interlinked courtyards with fountains and flowers.
Kashan has only one internet cafe. They charge 5000 rials per hour. But, sorry - all 5 compurets were occupied when I arrived and they are closing at 6 pm because of Ramazan!
I visited long bazaar with jewellery, carpets, household items, sweetts and dried fruits on sale... In the middle of the bazar there is former hammam (traditional bath) converted now into chaikhana. It is little run-down but still nice enough to spend here an hour after busy and hot day. A water pipe cost 10000 rials per load and the pot of tea is only 3000!
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Oct 19, 2006 02:00 PM A thousand and one evening...
Esfahan - Iran. I still remember yesterday's evening in the park on the Zayandeh river. The men bubling their water pipes. Gas flames around. And two pretty Iranian sisters sitting in front of me. Serving strong tea... Stars in the sky. Stars-like eyes looking at me... They still wear the scarves. but they are multi-color (women should not tempt the men showing their hairs). Thay said they wear black scarves only going to the university.
I was listening to the Persian music and to the stories like from the thousand and one night... Unforgettable... Thank you Leilli for meeting me and for that enchanted evening...
Now it is time to teke the bus to Kashan - it is only 10000 rials and 3 hours drive.
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Oct 18, 2006 02:00 PM To the bath? Put your trousers on!
Esfahan - Iran. Heavy traffic on the streets. Noise, too much pollution - I have problem with my throat... I stay in the centrally located Shad Hostel - Abbasi Street - just in front of the tourist police kiosk. Yes, they now have special police to protect and help the tourist (there were countless scams involving bogus police in the past). I feel safe...
In Shad Hotel (bring your earplugs - it is very noisy!) they charge 90 000 rials per little room with comunal shower. You can use the kitchen and there is even hot water all the day! I was going very happy to the bath in my shorts when the staff asked me to put my trousers on... Wow!
It is only 8 m from my room to the bath... My shorts are clean... My legs, hmmm... there is still some lovely sunburn on them... But put the trousers on and respect the local rules!
Regarding monuments Esfahan is the most important town in Iran - not to be missed. I was walking with my smart, voluntary guide (thanks a lot Amir!) to the huge mosques and lovely palaces... I was impessed again by the ornate decorations ob the buildings. Sorry - some of them are under restoration so the pictures are so-so... Just a bad luck! The entry fee (5000 rials) is not as high as before but there are many places to visit so plan your budget carefully...
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Oct 17, 2006 02:00 PM Iran - segregation in the buses...
Transport is dirty cheap in Iran. City bus will cost you 300 rials - just few cents. But remember that the men can enter only via the front door - the back door is for ladies only... Do not try to take the seat in the back of the bus - those places are for the ladies in black...
Intercity a/c bus from Yazd to Isfahan cost 24000 rials - like 2,50 USD. Be prepared for erratic timetable. They have computerized ticket reservation but on your ticket you will have everything printed in Farsi (the worms - I say) - including your name - it is nice souvenir. Somebody friendly will read for you departure time: 11.30. But if the bus will depart at 11.50 you should be happy. The drive is your master: he decides where and how long to stop. He will pick up the people without tickets on the way (to repair his budget...) he will take the bike of his friend (it is good to have friends). Then there is bagage attendent: little rude young man dealing with passengers. He think passengers are for him (he is not to serve passengers). Well maybe it depends also on bus company.
I reached Esfahan in the evening. Taxi drivers asked 20000 rials from the terminal to the town. But there are also share taxi (blue and white) for 2000 rials. Good luck Mr Wojtek!
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Oct 16, 2006 02:00 PM Riders in the old bazar...
I am in Yazd - Iran. UNESCO qualified Yazd as one of the oldest cities in the world. It has very special atmosphere - there is labirynth of narrow streets, arches and corridors - made of mud bricks, brown color... It is easy to be lost in the streets of the old town. And that's fantastic. But it is hard to accept local guys riding tis narrow streets and also the bazars on moto bikes. They make a lot of noise and pollution... 21st century... The highlight of Yazd is Friday Moosque - beautifully decorated in and outside... There are Towers of Silence of zoroastrians just on the outskirts of the town. I saw also their temple with eternal flame...
I stay in the little Amir Chaqmagh hostel - they charge 50000 rials for single room with shared bath. Abbas - the manager speaks English and the staff is very friendly. But the advantage of this hostel is its location - just near the high towers of old Amir Chaqmagh complex. I see the glazed coupola and the minarets of the mosque through my window. Yes, and I hear the calls for pray several times during the day and night. Well - it could be additional attraction...
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Oct 15, 2006 02:00 PM Iran: all ladies in black!
This a shock... All ladies wear black scarves!. But they do not cover their faces - so you can still see how pretty they are...
People in Iran are nice but they do not return the smiles, here they are not as open as in Pakistan - I feel the change after crossing the border... And the knowledge of basic English is very poor...
I am in the town of Kerman - it has interesting, old bazaar - worth to explore. I stay in Omid Inn - double room with shared bath cost 50000 rials. Just on arrival my neighbour invited me for the tea and the smoke... Do you know what I mean? -Thank you - I do not smoke!
Currency problem appears: Count in toman - pay in rials! People in Iran use strange currency unait to count and explain the prices: toman.
1 toman is worth 10 rials. So if they tell you: 3000 tomans for the bus ticket to Yazd it means you must pay 30 000 rials. All bank notes are in rials!
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Oct 14, 2006 02:00 PM Pot of the tea at 3 am...
It is the baren desert so it is good idea to travel Quetta-Taftan segment at night. The road is all paved with some sand on the road and the pavement is narrow so if you will meet another vehicle it is a problem... Dust in the cabin... At 3 am we had a "refreshment" stop at chaikhana in the middle of nowhere...
-Why don't you drink the tea?- ask me Pakistani man. -I spent already all my rupees! No problem! He brought me a pot of strong tea. The cost is 20 US cents - this is not the value. But what a gesture! - thats what they are the Pakistanis! Thank you Friends!
We reached dusty border city Taftan at sunrise. Do not trust the taxi drivers - it is only 1 km from the bus terminal to the immigration post. They open border at 9am. All formalities took 20 minutes. And now?
There is a fence and locked entrance to the Iran. Why they do not open? We were waiting on the only border crossing Pakisatn-Iran about 1,5 hour. Then I crossed the fence with my dirty backpack... Stamp to the passsport... Share taxi to Zahedan cost 160 000 rials per vehicle... 1 USD is worth 9170 rials. Bus Zahedan-Kerman cost 40000 rials. Hot, strong sun and desert around. Welcome to Iran!
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Oct 13, 2006 02:00 PM The last day in Pakistan?
It is the laundry day... I want to look smart before I will cross the border to the next country. My jeans and shirts are drying on the roof of te hotel. I already bught a ticket to the border town of Taftan - the cost is 400 Rp. It is 12-hours night drive throuth the desert - close to the Afghan border - not very safe because the bands and rebels. I hope I'll survive.
Quetta is crowded, noisy capital o the Belochistan Province. Elderly people do not want do be photographed. The main street - Jinnah Road has traffic jams and a lot of pollution. I found the only working internet cafe - they charge 20 Rp for an hour of the very slow connection. But as you see - it works. There is not much to see in the town. I am getting ready for the evening departure. The next message (I hope) I'll send from Iran. Keep your fingers crossed, please!
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Oct 12, 2006 02:00 PM Second day on the train to Quetta...
Horrible night!... Maybe it was better topay twice more and to travel in the highest. a/c class? I do not like a/c... Most of the time I travel alone in my bare compartment. The policemen - alwas on the train - visited me from time to time. On the station platforms nothing to buy - it is Ramadan so trere is no reason to sell food or fruits - nobody will buy them anyway. They do not know that there is the lonely hungry tourist on the train!... Change in the landscape: deserted mountains. Still 6 hours to the destination, Tunnels, stops in the middle of nowhere. Quetta! Tents of the nomads on the outskirts of the town. Station... 5 pm... I will take you to the hotel for 50 Rp! No thank you! - it is not so hot now so I'll put my dirty pack on my back and walk to the Fabs's Hotel - it is only 1 km!
Dirty, sweaty, covered by havy dust I landed in the hotel. Room with a bath, please! 250 Rp... Bugs on the walls but the only thing I think about is the shower. Wow! The great rail journey is over...
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Oct 11, 2006 02:00 PM By "First class sleeper" through Pakistan
They said that the train journey from Peshawar to Quetta will take 34 hours so I dedided to spent 1275 Rp /1USD is close to 60 Rp/ to buy first class sleeper ticket. They are computerized - I got outprinted paper: car: 11 comp: F berth: 1 lower, depart: 7 am.
When I arrived in the early morning to the station they showed me my car and berth: dusty cell with the bars in the little windows and plastic coverage of my berth...
Bells, whistles... We are going... "Quetta Experess" was very slow - stopping at almost every station... Great opportunity to see the landscape... And the heat of te metal box you travel in... More and more dust insude - you cannot lock the windows - there are gaps in them...
I expected they will bring to the 1st class at least one pillow and one blanket for the night - nothing like this... So if you plan to travel by 1st class bring all stuff with you and be prepared for the worst... What a night ahead!
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