In search of Persia" >thumbing it in the mountains of Kurdistan Iran.

I wrote this in Iran and emailed. This is a shortened version.
Iran Government blocks all interactive internet applications Flickr, Facebook, Blogger, Twitter 

The road across the west of Kurdistan

Hoofing it. Waiting for a lift.

26/10/11 Journal entry
We overnighted at a place called Howraman. There was no transport from here to take us to Pavou. So we thumbed it down the dirt road. It was the best day for us. We were picked up several times in small hops until Nivin. 

A beautiful family. We had lunch with them. In time their world will be shattered as the dam will flood their home.

We had had tea (cay) with two families. Lunch or brekkie (we could not agree) with a family of 4 before 12pm.  No one would take a penny for fuel or food.

A Kurd village where the roof is the floor of your neighbour.
Then our luck ran out outside of Nivin or so we thought. We walked for 12 kilometres on the stony mountain road. (Citt is great company in these sort of situations makes it all seem like a huge adventure).

Our drivers and friends to enroute to Parvou.

There was not a car in sight nor a soul and the weather looked like closing in. The packs got heavier and the shoulders began to ache. We rounded a corner expecting to see the next village but it was straight 

up..... no village.

Then we heard it. Unmistakable, a vehicle. Round the corner puffed an old wreck of a Peugeot 1500. Two characters were in it with half the farm in the boot and the rest on the back seat. Not to worry as always out went half the farm and in we went. The car stalled and it would not start. The car runs on gas and I think it has something to do with the vaporization in the carburetor or at least that is what we hoped.

Citt waiting for a lift

Try it 100 miles from anywhere and do not know the language do not really know where the next town is nor what the weather is doing. But these guys are Kurds and nothing stops a Kurd and they know Harry Kewell. Right! (:

Poppie and grand son

The road to Pavou

These engineers gave us a lift part of the way and practiced english.

Lunch stop 2.00pm, in a building at the bottom of a ravine. The biggest bloody rocks I had ever seen hung over this building and Van had just had an earthquake couple of hundred miles away!

Not happy Jan.  I got indigestion, Citt got the giggles. Eventually after cleaning up their plates We were off.
No earthquake.Yes!
We continued to the biggest cave with spring water gushing out. Fabulous.

They were going all the way to Pavou. The journey was a constant stall and start process. The poor old Peugeot had trouble on the 15% grades (had to get a good run at it) and the mountains kept going up and up.

Some miles out of Pavou we rounded a corner and we were stunned......
There in front of us was a huge construction site. This whole beautiful valley was to be flooded. The construction site was a hydro scheme.

The dam work site. Does not make a rats where you live, the corporate will get you!

All of the people in this traditional Kurdish valley with whom we had shared cay and laughed and joked with would be homeless. We were dismayed.

Crest fallen we puffed into Pavou. There the guys put us on a bus for Hermasham a 3 hour ride. We bid them goodbye.  We all had had such a good time together riding in that old Peugeot in the mountains. The old Peugeot coughed and spluttered off up the road. Citt and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.

The day was not over. There was more to come.

It was dark, raining buckets and cold. We were contemplating how to get to a hotel while sitting in the bus as we approached Kermasham, a medium sized city with not a lot to offer.

We were deep in conversation when a gentle voice said "Hello where are you from"?.
Where are you going?
Then he asked "where are you staying tonight"?
Then he said, "I have a hotel in the Teachers quarters. Please come and I will get you a bed. And so it was we were in the University quarters for the night. Sheets, hot water and he even ordered pizza for us.
Gosh how to repay hospitality like that it makes us humble.


27/10/11 Journal entry
Kermasham to Esfahan
10 Hours by bus.

Our coach awaits us for the journey to Esfahan. 

The carvings at Kermanshan.
Celebrating the triumph over the Romans 200 AD

So on and up the road to Esfahan,  Capitol of the Persian Empire from 1200 AD till 1600 AD. 

We hope you are enjoying our journey 



On the bus journey we have an experience with the teachers and the polis board the bus.

In search of Persia: Into the mountains of Kurdistan.

Our journey from Tabriz to Sanandoj then onto Merrivan form there to Powe to Kermanshan

25/11/11 Journal Entry

Sanadoj to Merrivan then Hawraman on the Iraq border. 

(Do not worry there is a huge mountain range between us and Iraq, one road). We are safe, 2 military checkpoints and a police road block to go through.

As usual an early start and another magic brekkie of tea, biskit, honey and fetta. We got some good advice from a passer by and got a taxi out to the mini bus stands and onto a bus on the spot and we were away front seat and all.

Arrived Merrivan and a good Samaritan told us there was a new hotel at Howraman which is where we wanted to go. 

But how to get there. 

Easy hire a driver and car. 

Our car and driver

Right on the spot.

Off we go.

Nosoud. 

Then the hotel. 

Hotel Howraman wowwie.
No problem we were the soul inhabitants of a 35 room brand new hotel.

No food 

No heat

But hot water and a loo. 

Yes, gold at last.

Carpets and all. Our hotel fabulous felt rugs.

Now who are these foreigners. A local watches us.

Time to explore as it is mid afternoon and we have had nothing to eat since brekkie.

We found there is no eating house in this village. 

Enter this young samaritan. This guy and his mates drove us to the closest kebab shop about 30 minutes down the road and waited for us to finish then drove us back. 

Our good samaritan, or angels as we called them.
30 minutes to the Kebab shop and back.

Citt with the girls at school

This old fellow. Which one is oldest?

Tomorrow we leave this place. 

Howraman and the valley

Is this the last bastion of true Kurdistan?

Houses on steep hill. The roof is your neighbour's floor

National costumes 

Kurdish tongue

Hospitality like no other

No power 

No running water 

But heaps of heart and passion. 

They have told us there is no transport and the road hardly exists from here to Pavou. 

So we are just gunna wing it again. 

Citt reckons it will be OK. 

What do you think?

Searching for Persia: Aras Valley and onto Kurdistan.

Journal Entry 23 October 2011
We decided to travel to the Aras Valley along the Armenian and Azerbaijan borders. For us the area is important as it was a major route on the Silk Road. 
The Aras valley leads from Armenia to Turkey. The roads have been heavily fortified since 1920 when the area was the first line of defense against the Russian juggernaut.

The Aras valley makes up the border north of Tabriz. Our journey will take us along the border looping back to Tabriz. 

The valley has been occupied since prehistoric times. It has been occupied by all the usual suspects and the last lot were the British and the Russians. Once the Persians got rid of that lot, the Armenians and Azerbaijan decided to have a go. The border is still a disputed area between Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Take a good look at the map and you will see that Armenia holds a sliver of land fronting onto Iran. Azerbaijan is split and Azerbaijan is not happy. 


We did not need a military pass but cameras are banned in some sensitive areas. 


The valley is dotted with historic sites. Armenian churches, Zoastrian temples, Caravansaries, forts, barriers and walls, even a Hammam (bath house). The valley ends at the the Caspian Sea where the river empties. 
Short of the Caspian is a mountain range we will cross to get you some magic views. There are ski resorts in the area and 4 star hotels are planned but that is a long way off.

Tomorrow we plan to make an early start to get to Sanandoj in Kurdistan. Then travel along the Iraq border joining the main highway at Hamadan for our run into Esfahan. Probably 4 days time.

23/10/11 Journal entry
Our day started before dawn with our driver waiting at the door. 
The Iranians (Persians) 
They never travel anywhere without a flask of boiling hot tea and some sweets. Tea is taken black, usually with 3 lumps of sugar. Then you put a lump in your mouth after every swig. Then there are sweet cakes and biscuits.  It is a dentist's dream. Not to mention the hypos. Sure have a sweet tooth. 


Off we go! 
Out onto grid locked roads before dawn. There is no room for soft stomachs or poor nerves here mate. There are 2 speeds, stopped and flat out. The pedestrians cross roads, even motorways, with any fear. The drivers have no lanes and no rules. 
You would love it. It is awesome.  
Just wear a seat belt. What seat belt?
Red light. What red light? 
To be fair, they are really good drivers as they do not waste a square metre of road. They do not miss a weakness from another vehicle. Their horn is the best form of warning. 
Yep, mine is louder than yours! Bugger off!  
Most cars have bangs all over them looking like prize fighters on a bad day. 

Citt at the Khaje Nasar Inn Caravanserai with our taxi car.

The cars comprise old models, locally manufactured Peugeot and Hyundai, basic 4 cylinder jobs. There are a lot of BMW 4 X 4 black and flashy. We guessed these were the government or the rich manufacturers.
Fuel
As I can best figure it out, each car is allowed 60 litres of fuel at .45c/litre per month. After that the fuel can be purchased in 20 litre lots at near $2.00/litre. Commercial vehicles are free of all tax and can fill up at designated fuel stops. Most cars are running on LPG but the same rules apply. It all seems good but our trip was to take all day and we were to stop at least 3 times. Each fuel stop has a queue of about 30 cars. With 4 pumps manned by jocks. No more need be said.

The army watch towers all along the roads.

 After stopping to collect some Venezuelan bananas and biscuits for our day we were off into the wilds of the Aras River Valley.

Khaje Nasar Inn Caravanserai 

First stop is the Caravanserai being refurbished, Then onto the most beautiful Christian church, The Church of Saint Stephan. 

Saint Stephan Armenian Christian Church Iran/Azerbaijan border 

Saint Stephan the monk was so successful back in the 1300 spreading his Christian word that the Mullahs took to him and along with 3000 of his followers stoned the lot to death. 

2nd century BC Zoastrian Temple. Fire worship.

 The old church is situated in a valley filled with walnut trees. The site also houses a very well preserved Zoastrian temple.

Saint Stephan Church Iran
It is one of the most spiritual and beautiful places I have ever been in my life. 

The front entrance looking North West

The rest of the day we spent traveling along this wonderful place with history on every corner, ancient and modern. 

The road along the Aras valley

The Hammam was the most humbling experience. Ceramic art work at its best. Arches, domes and pillars all being refurbished. Do not know who will visit. It is totally deserted. Maybe, maybe one day. 

We did not get the shots of the mountains. We became engulfed in fog. 

Travelling into the mountains Aras Valley

We arrived back in Tabriz late. But we got our taxi man to drop us at the Jameil Mosque or the Blue Mosque as it is called because of the ceramic tiles. it is in the state of repair after the last earthquake.

Landscape of the Arras valley

24/11/11 Journal entry.
Bus from Tabriz  to Sanadoj Kurdistan.
Again and early start, too early for our hotel to supply brekkie. The buses were not booking when we got to the bus station. 

A bus take a close look at the back.

Getting going at the bus station.

We had tea in the shop. Then found the best local food in the way of hot bread biskit honey and fetta. Man that is the best honey in the world.

MMMM the best breakfast in the East. Fresh bread biskit, honey and fetta.

We spent all day on the bus and had a good time with the other people on the bus, 
Our stay in Iran had only been 3 days but we have found only kindness, hospitality and interest from all the people. (except those #$(&^ heads on the bus from the border) but hey, shit happens.

Our driver, jockey and spare man. Note the nose job.

Arrived in Sandoj in the dark. It was packed with people and busy as all. There is no English only Farsi here and we got a little lost. Eventually ended up in a hotel cost $12 for two. And was probably the worst hotel I have ever stayed in other than a hotel in Gua Masang in Malaysia. 
Still what do you expect for $6?
The silver lining is we are in Kurd country and they are all in their native clothes with poo catcher trousers, sashes and scarves. We loved the feel. 
Went out to a restaurant for dinner. It was the most unusual place and of course as always we got involved with a wedding party. Yep, everyone has some relatives in Sydney even folks from Sanandoj in Kurdistan Iran. 

Restaurant in Kurdish country Sanandoj

We had a great time. Gotta tell you this one. 
Citt went to the toilet and came back with a strange look on her face. 
She exclaimed the toilets are multi sexual.


25/11/11
Tomorrow we travel to the mountains along the Iraq border. It will maybe take us a couple of days. We do not know what to expect as we are told there is no transport or hotels. 
The reason we are going? 
Beause it is the heart of Kurdistan and we can.


We will just wing it. 
It always works.