The King of the Hill
Coming back from Ngorno Karabakh, there was a plenty of stuff for me to do before I could leave Yerevan. Much to my surprise the tire from the UK actually arrived and I could replace the old one.
A Clash of Cultures
In Bushehr I decided to move on and leave Iran, but Persia wouldn’t let me go without a bang. To travel from the Persian Gulf to Armenia, I had to ride 1500 km, crossing all of Iran from South to North, thereby traversing its hottest regions, the Khuzestan plains in southwestern Iran
The Ultimate South
After the desert I returned to civilization and visited Shiraz, the third of the three cities, that apparently every first time visitor to Iran has to see. There I did…
Out Into the Desert
To get from Isfahan to Yazd one has to cross a desert. Together with Kenny, a motorcyclist from Australia whom I met in Isfahan, and enough water (that’s what you need in the desert, right?) we set off to reach Yazd and hopefully not die of thirst
Nightly Shenanigans
Today, I had a mountain range to cross. In between me and the Caspian Sea were the Alborz Mountains. With peaks exceeding 4000 m (Mt. Damavand being the highest with 5670 m) and a pass road that climbs up to 2200 m it divides the region in two distinctively different kinds of vegetation.
A Tale of Two Castles
Before going on a trip, there is the preparation, Ali had to get new brake pads and an oil change to do before we could depart for Babak Castle.
Enter Iran
Border crossings are always accompanied by anticipation of the unknown that lies beyond, but on that day my excitement was especially intense. There was something strangely unsettling in the prospect of entering Iran, I was nervous and very excited and not exactly sure why.
Nemrut Dağı: the finale
I left Nemrut Dagı and set course for Nemrut Dagı. You doubt my sanity here? This notion might not be totally wrong (there will be further evidence later in this episode) but this statement isn’t actually as idiotic as it seems.
Nemrut Dağı: the debut
In Cappadokia I got the very valuable tip to visit Nemrut Dagı, a mountain in southeastern Turkey. It was on my towards Iran and I didn’t have any different destinations, so why not go there?