going back a bit.....
After Kashan, we headed across a vast flat dry landscape from which they harvest salt for industrial use. The area is a brown colour for all but a month or so when the soil dries out the salt turns white and is scraped off. Very hot dry long road
Came across some semi deserted villages that were fantastic to see. There were still people in this one.
A bike maintenance session in Neysharbur. Probably the wrong spelling, but every official sign had it spelt a different way. A pic of the motorcycle street where I was searching for nuts and bolts.
Some of Dave's pics of Mashad. Because we were in the religious centre of Islam in Iran, I had to leave my camera in the 'cloak room'. Dave got through a frisking at the enterance by the Religious Police and we entered. The quide who was appointed to accompany us, then told Dave that if he had a camera, it was OK to take pictures!! Click on the pics to read the signs that were scattered around the area.
Anyway, we left Mashhad and headed to the border with Turkmenistan. The country side became more mountainous and spectacular.
Stayed in a forgettable town in an even more forgettable hotel/hovel. I'll admit that we weren't that tidy, but we were in pretty cramped rooms. We had been without a real drink for some time.
Even when we turned off the fluro light, one tube flickered brightly every 3 seconds. Strobe like! I wore my eye mask from the airflight and Dave pulled his beanie down over his eyes. Don't think the aircon worked either.
We headed to the border and it wasn't too bad getting out of Iran. An hour or more, but that's typical. Then getting into Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan was the visa that took about 5 visits to embassies in Istanbul and Tehran before they finally allowed us the pleasure of visiting their fine country. We had all applied for the same length transit visa..... 5 days. They chose to give Peter and Ben 5 days and Dave and I 3 days.
Fill out heaps of forms in duplicate. They don't have photocopiers or carbon paper. Then the extra costs mounted up. They held us up by our feet and shook us for every $ we had. Then they made us empty every bag we had and then everything in every bag. searched our sleeping bags, camera bags, sleeping sheets ..................... took hours as they did each of us one at a time. And then found more charges to get more $s. We then rode on to Ashgabat.
The most bizarre city that I've ever seen. The previous President was a complete fruit loop (Google him, its a hoot) and built the city as a monument to himself. Everything is grand looking but some are just narrow buildings that look huge. The roads and footpaths are empty because everything is built to suit a population of about 5 million when there's only about 800,000 there, and everything is really expensive.
Everyone seems to be employed. some not a high paying jobs. We saw women cutting the median strips with hedge shears, and this is a pic of a crew scrubbing the white painted lines. There were crews on each block hand sweeping the kerbs.
Peter removing his lid to treck back down to help me pick up the bike
After Kashan, we headed across a vast flat dry landscape from which they harvest salt for industrial use. The area is a brown colour for all but a month or so when the soil dries out the salt turns white and is scraped off. Very hot dry long road
Some of Dave's pics of Mashad. Because we were in the religious centre of Islam in Iran, I had to leave my camera in the 'cloak room'. Dave got through a frisking at the enterance by the Religious Police and we entered. The quide who was appointed to accompany us, then told Dave that if he had a camera, it was OK to take pictures!! Click on the pics to read the signs that were scattered around the area.
Even when we turned off the fluro light, one tube flickered brightly every 3 seconds. Strobe like! I wore my eye mask from the airflight and Dave pulled his beanie down over his eyes. Don't think the aircon worked either.
Turkmenistan was the visa that took about 5 visits to embassies in Istanbul and Tehran before they finally allowed us the pleasure of visiting their fine country. We had all applied for the same length transit visa..... 5 days. They chose to give Peter and Ben 5 days and Dave and I 3 days.
Fill out heaps of forms in duplicate. They don't have photocopiers or carbon paper. Then the extra costs mounted up. They held us up by our feet and shook us for every $ we had. Then they made us empty every bag we had and then everything in every bag. searched our sleeping bags, camera bags, sleeping sheets ..................... took hours as they did each of us one at a time. And then found more charges to get more $s. We then rode on to Ashgabat.
The most bizarre city that I've ever seen. The previous President was a complete fruit loop (Google him, its a hoot) and built the city as a monument to himself. Everything is grand looking but some are just narrow buildings that look huge. The roads and footpaths are empty because everything is built to suit a population of about 5 million when there's only about 800,000 there, and everything is really expensive.
We headed north next morning in the hope of camping beside the huge burning gas hole, sometimes referred to as the Gate to Hell. We rode up on the road that go progressively worse. Stopped off at Yurbent, a lovely village just off the road for afternoon tea.
The government here stops spending on infrastructure as soon as you can't see Ashgabat.
We rode for a couple of hundred km and them headed off road to head the 7 or so km to the hole. The track turned into an even smaller path thru some very loose sand dunes. Peter and Ben powered ahead while Dave and I struggled. Even after my first real lesson in the Iranian desert it wasn't long before my bike wanted a lay down and rest.
Picked it up and headed further in (stupid), caught up with Dave and we discussed the merits of continuing.
We managed to turn the bikes and head back to the train line and camp on the platform. We had little water and food and there was none to be had except for some warm bore water stored in a railway tanker. We didn't get to see the hole but could see the glow during the night. There were about 20 or so railway construction workers camped at the station who were a bit bemussed at the 2 strange motorcyclists who set up camp on the platform.
They had some wonderfully roadworthy vehicles. This one was really good as it only needed one rock as a parking brake.
The star display was fantastic with the Milky Way in all its might. We caught up with Peter and Ben and continued our way the border and Nukus in Uzbekistan. The road become terrible and for part of the trip we road in the gravel beside the road as it was less dangerous. The potholes were rim breakers and set up so if you managed to miss the first half dozen, then you MUST collect the 7th. We continued towards the border.
Adventure plus. The sand/dirt roads look fairly unrideable but it also looks like they'll get worse before they get better (ie - your next good road will be from Melbourne airport to your house.
ReplyDeleteNot too much news here. I called Marie a few nights ago, Dave, and she hasn't been back to Melbourne since you left. All sounds good though, although Scout sounds like she's turning into a Dingo. Checked the factory last week (did some cleaning!) and its fine. VW is going down the shitter here with lots of bad publicity on the performance of the new autos (a coroner has ruled that a woman died because her Golf suddenly decelerated while she was in front of a truck). VW has handled it really badly but there's a recall now. Tell me your make and model, Dave, and I'll see if it's included.
Level of political debate leading up to the election (100 days away) is putrid but there'a ANOTHER move to replace Julia with Kevin. Things are going so badly it might work this time although they'll have to kill her to get her out of the hot seat.
Hope you're all well and happy.
Oh, nice pics, Paul. Your crashed bike and some other pics will be in the next issue of Motorcycle Trader. Look for "Pictures by G Roff"...
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