Driving in Iran

My Driving Route through Iran in 2017

I drive around 7000 km in Iran, and it was quite a different experience than driving in Europe.

I entered Iran from Azerbaijan (Bileh Savar بیله‌سوار) border, and we can say that it was only by the grace of god that I got entry inside Iran without having proper documents for my bike (Carnet De Passages) or may be due to the ultimate hospitality of Iranian people.

At the entry point of Iran border, they took me in a room and my bag was so thoroughly searched that I myself was seeing many of my things after a long long time ( "Oh, so its here. I didn't lose this. Oh, that is also there etc. 😅).

Every bit of my bags was on the table and when I said that "I know no liquor allowed in Iran, so don't worry, I didn't buy anything like that" then the young security personnel thanked me for respecting their culture and law and concluded the search. 

After the bag search, they took me to a room and I was interviewed like 30-45 minutes by a senior immigration officer with the help of the same young police officer playing the role of a translator.

No, I was not scared or fearful for denied entry. In-fact, I was excited that after a long time someone is so interested knowing about me (I guess it’s been month since someone talk to me for so long in person). 

"Kon sunta hai kahani Hamari , aur phir Vo bhi Jabani hamari" 

( Who listen my story and that also from my mouth)

First Shockwave: After completing the interview with the immigration officer and stamping my passport, my state of joy didn't last long as they did not allow my bike to go inside country. Only me. I said how it’s possible. 

I understood from them is that I am not carrying an important paper (CARNETA for bike) so I am not allowed but when I requested they said you stay in the hotel, in front of this border-post and come back tomorrow.

I stayed in the hotel where one has to keep the shoes outside of the hotel just like our homes in early 90s. Same as In Turkey.  I felt like a 'Time escape' in to the Past while living in that border village that day. 

Second Shockwave: In the evening, I went for money withdrawal and came to know that any of my card won't work here (that's the beauty of coming unprepared and get shocked, good-one or Challenging-One). One immigration officer who lived there, knew English and recognized me. He took me to all ATMs and banks and finally told me that these 'Visa' or 'Master Card' or any other International card might work in Tehran only and not here because Iran is in black list from IMF ( international money laundering fund).

I hardly had any money as my 1500 euro were stolen in Baku. No dollars in hand and I thought with the bad experience in Baku, I will start fresh in Iran. Now how I will makeup up to the Tehran. I checked Tehran was around 750 km and moreover I wanted to go to Tabriz city first which was off route ( towards Turkey border).

Next day I went back to the border post office and they ask me to sit and I guess they are waiting for some senior person. The Senior  came after 2 hours and I understood that they were putting my case in front of me (I don't know the language) and then the senior officer asked me something which I couldn't understand but I think  he concluded and the good thing is that they allow my bike inside with using some special technicality in their law (because they ask me to report to another custom office near Tabriz after leaving from here). I think I was destined but was still thankful to them. 

So I started my journey and below is the First View of Iran after getting Clearance for my Motorcycle in 2 days.

And My selfi as a proof (😁).

Regarding the Money issue - I checked and got lucky in my Back-up wallet that I found 150 Omani riyal/ Omani Riyal is a big currency. That become about 400 USD and I was able to somehow reach Tabriz and get it converted. 

Tabriz is the City, exactly of my dream (I don't know If I have past-birth here or not). Typical and Pure Muslim world, unpolluted by tourism or by west culture. 

As I told before, the custom department at the border did some paperwork for somehow manage my entry in the country (that's the hospitality of Iranian people, they could have simply denied me the entry) and asked me to go to another custom office in Sahlan (Near Tabriz). I met a person who spoke English, Mr. Ibrahim. They kept me sitting for full day but they treated me like a guest and provided me lunch and tea in every hour or two.

So after first day sitting in the custom office at the evening I asked them where I can stay because I will  have to come tomorrow. So he suggested one nearby city which is Marand and I went there.

A funny thing happened is that in a small hotel (I think that is the only hotel there). I asked for the Wi-Fi password and the old man didn't know (of course) my language but also not the Roman numbers so when he was trying to gave me password, he was writing something in Iranian. I understood that these are numbers so I need to know Iranian numbers. I got an idea. I made him understand to draw the lines equivalent to each number. He understood and converted numbers in lines corresponding to each number. This way i got the Wi-fi password. (like Stone age 😁).

In the morning, his son was in this hotel kitchen and I asked him, "can i cook myself". He allowed and I cooked my vegetarian food with eggs. People here love and respect the tourists I guess.

Then I went to the custom office again. I sat there for the whole day. I was asking what is the problem. He told that he's trying to figure out and by the two clock they asked me to go to the exit port whenever I finish my travel. I said ok and thought at least they allowed me inside the country and I can drive and if I had to leave my bike, I can leave it at the end of the tour (that's my reason always buying a cheap bike). Anyway, I said goodbye to them and thanked for their hospitality. When I left the office and came out of the premises, one guy came running behind me and seemed trying to say "what about your lunch" like I am their "State guest". We in India used to give same care even for anyone but now it's decreasing. I guess it's the progress, as people call it. 

I thanked him and left from there (I don't know why I was in such hurry after finishing the job. I think this is the problem that prevents One to enjoy the moments). 

I went back to the same city and then one young guy came to meet me. He was fluent in English (I don't know why he came to meet me but I was okay with that). He said that his father is fond of Indian actress Vajayantimala a lot. He didn't Iran much. he said we don't have much freedom. I am not sure why he was talking this. May be wanted to get under my skin. So I said you should not talk about your country like this; instead love it and improve it And this is much much better than any other country or maybe the same like any other country.( My defence mechanism techinique :)

He took me to this workshop at a house. They made all type of handicraft items. At the workshop, I met many people and one young girl wanted to get a picture with me (itni izzat, kutto ko ghee hazam nahi hota, anyway jayada milta hi kaha hai). I think just to show her friends that they got foreigner in their house. Below is the picture and in the middle of that picture is Mr Salim.

I properly remember his name as he was the translator when the lady (In Black Burqa) invite me to her home in the backyard along with a young woman and Mr Aamir.

They were so keen to know about the Bollywood. They dream to visit Mumbai and they became sad to know that I live far from Mumbai. Later they asked me many questions out of the curiosity like "why you burn the dead instead of burying in the ground" ? 

I explain them by an small example. I said if we have two piece of paper and burn one piece and buried another piece in outside lawn and asked them "now about which piece of paper you will think more?" . Obviously they told about buried one because that is still there and than I explained  why we burn the body. Its easier to forget the person and move forward when you burn their body in front of your eyes (I don't know if this is the reason of our ancient people to start cremation but this is my logic).

Then they asked "why you don't cut the cow or don't eat the meat". I said that "I think there must be purely economical reason for our ancestors and later they enforce it by including it in religion because cow is very very useful for humans in many ways. Everything is so useful, milk, dung, urine etc. (I myself feel that presence of a cow has a different, motherly vibe but that might be just my mind's conditioning). 

After sitting there for on hour or so I said I have to go and thanks to you and your Sister. She said "She's not my sister, she's my daughter".  I said "No it cannot be your daughter" and the lady become so happy that she rose and walked inside and brought a basket of the fruit for me. (Thanks I needed that food as I was running low on money till I reach Tehran).

Tabriz to Terhran via Zanjan and Qazvin

So after having good memories in Marand, I had to go to Tehran ASAP because my money was emptying out fast and I had to get money in Tehran as some people gave me a hope that my cards could work in Tehran. I spent three nights on roadside hotels and lived cheap till I reached Tehran. At one time I thought a lot because the hotel was looking like a resort but then I get courage to spend the money. Still the lavatory here was in Indian style. Many places, people simply refuse to give hotel even though it seems empty as Iran is not touristic except few cities. later I find out that I have to say "I am not Pakistani, I am Indian and the guys changes their response to "yes". Its harsh but reality for my Pakistani friends. 

The road side dhabas (restaurant) were very typical. See below a guy in a normal restaurant enjoying Hukka ( No chairs, they all sit on an elevated platform with an elevated plate keeping stool (call chowky in India), just like our old days at home.

Usually sitting Arrangement in an Iranian restaurant is not chair and table but sitting on a high platform with shoes off and a small desk for keeping Food (Just like in Indian traidition) 

And below is the Best Veg one can get in Iran is :

In Tehran

When I reached Tehran, big big city, again found it difficult getting a hotel room without declaring yourself Indian. I stayed in a better hotel, hoping the guy will be having much better touristic exposer and could tell me about money transfer or the ATMs where I can get the money. the guy sent me to a nearby currency market but nobody was interested. I mean nobody can work on my ATM or Visa card (the good thing was that wherever I went, they first offered tea and then they talked about this thing).

After all the disappointment, I  talked to the Indian consulate. They were so bad as usual. I had had two experiences previously with the Indian consulate, in Chile and in Spain. And now in Iran. They were not at all helpful. I don't know but there must be some reasons form them to 'No'. I said "I can give you money in India and you can give me money here as my cards not working here".

"No no, we don't have any money here. Just put our salary in India, we get very few money for our day to day life......blah blah" said the conslate person. 

Anyway I got lucky as I found one shop that would give me money against my credit card transfer but they offered very low rate. I decided to try the market one more time (I am a Kanjoos Aadmi : Stingy man).

After two hours searching here and there, I again came back to that shop (I was afraid that what if the shopkeeper might have change his mind and can offer now even lower exchange rate but thank god he didnt change his mind (He is not Indian at all ☺). If he had refused, I wouldn't be able to continue the trip. I would have had to just leave my bike here and fly off from Tehran. 

Anyway, as per God's wish, he made me do some transition from my credit card in Australian dollar to somebody out of Iran and then he paid me the cash in dollar and some money in Iranian currency.

Now becoming rich enough for the trip, I was not sure should I drive towards Ishfan (The most famous touristic city in Iran) or should go towards my exit point : Chabahar. Since I was left with only 15 days to my visa expiry, I decide to go towards Chabahar and reached Kashan that day.

In the Journey , I found many interesting scenes e.g. Watermelon seller with water fountain on shop ( I guess to attract buyers), some nomadic life on side of highway as below:

The old house ruins in below pictures has so thick walls and half buriend underground must be a technique to keep the house cool for the Iranian Summer.

I found three different colors of mountain/terrain in Iran- Red, Black and Yellow. See below -

Teharan to Kashan: I think that it is the only touristic city I found so far in Iran. Lots of good touristic old houses are maintained for the purpose, and it was just like home in my city ( I don't know who follow whom culture wise, but these cultures are so mixed. Now see below. No Indian ( North Indian specially or Pakistan border side guy) can say that this is not an Indian home but an Iranian City home.

The Entrance Gate with sitting arrangement what we saw in Jaipur Old city and might be all over north Indian, Pakistan border side (That's my bike by the way). It's called "Gokha" in my city by the way and all teen boys meetings used to take place here as boy prefer talk outside of house.

I met Robert, a Dutch guy and his daughter. She has taken some study course on Iran. That's why she came to visit Iran along with her father. Robert was a wonderful artist (Sketch artist) too. The girl told me that there are many many undercover youth working for government (Now I could relate the Mardan Guy and others so far during the my trip, unexpected Hindi speaking visitor).

We had dinner together that night. 

The hotel Properiter (Aamir) was also very kind, He took me to the places in the city at the night to show me the city view and I promised to him that I will come back to Iran one more time for more days.

Kashan to Kerman

Next I started traveling towards Chabahar and I reached to another touristic city Karman and in Karman, I meet with many interesting people of Indian origin. I don't want to share the detail about that one but he invited me to his home also and I enjoyed lunch at his home and then talked about how secretive is Iran and how government monitor everything, very secretive blah blah and asked me to leave my mobile in the bag when coming along with him to his home as the government tracks the location. I thought  I am in a mission movie here. Anyway I told him that since I didn't purchase any SIM card here so no point to carry mobile everywhere. So I usually leave mobile in the bag in the hotel.

I encountered one beautiful Punjabi girl living in Australia and she just didn't like me. I don't know because I think she was a little of ashamed of origin or something like that. I said something and she just got upset.

I met another beautiful couple from Europe and they were traveling with their one year boy. So I understand that having a baby should not be an excuse for you to travel around the world and the boy was always the center for attraction for the everybody in the night at restaurant on rooftop of that hotel.

I spent 3 days and it was good and then I started driving to the next city.

In Karman street, back of the Hostel (Like a hidden passage)

And see below, In one of the city, I found this very convincing message on the tourist information center " Coming back in 10 minutes".

And I check after 2 hour, when returning back to hotel, it was the same "Coming back in 10 Minute".

Is this applicable to Government employees or to the most of the humans - "Corrupt"?

Kerman to Iransahr via Bam

Now the road was getting deserted and there were very very unusual scenes. At one time, I saw five tornados in a single moment. You cannot believe, three in one side of the road and two on other side of the road at various distances. I was enjoying the scene and then suddenly one tornado hit me (I guess it was on the road for long time and since it contained no dust inside, it had become invisible). I almost lost control of the bike but somehow didn't fall on the road. It was a sort of trauma to me and I started driving slow but suddenly one more air-gust hit me and again I almost lost my balance from the bike. I mean you cannot do anything if it hit me suddenly again. I thought what should I do?  how I will cross this area up to the Port?

I decided to stop in a nearby city and drive early in the morning like around the sunrise because I had heard in Turkey when I took the balloon ride that that air is most stable at the time of sunrise, so this is the only way I can survive. It came to my mind that this is why I never saw any bike in these highways so far.

I stayed in another city, Bam which is the center or the near the Zorastrian religion origin. I stayed at the hotel room which was very good and I saw beautiful Arabic Quran ayat and I totally agreed with that one but I forgot the meaning of that later. There was nothing to see in the city. I witness rain in the City

I mean I didn't explore much and I just went it to Iransahar the next day. 

And I do remember that in Karmen, when I came to know that one of the worker is from the Iranshar and I asked him if he could suggest me some hotel or something like that. On hearing my request, he started avoiding me every time. I didn't understand why he doing so but now I understood how Iran government works. 

Anyway I think the ignorance is bliss because when I came to Iransahar, I understood that I entered in the Balochistan.

Driving In Balochistan and back to Bander Abbas.

I Googled and understood that Baluchistan is divided between Iran and Pakistan and I entered in this region when I reached the Iransahar.

People were resilient to give me hotel and a big hotel gave me the room but without Wi-fi . I requested them that I need to talk to my family through WhatsApp. they didn't agree but one worker there helped me later and gave me the Wi-fi password.

Here again in the hotel kitchen, I was so welcomed because I came from India. The kitchen workers shouted to me delightfully "Sharukh Khan, Salman Khan"  and I said "Zindabad" and went straight for cooking my meal (Of course I had to cook myself my meal because I am vegetarian. Okay Eggetarian).

All Hotel staff (Kitchen) brought me many vegetable to choose and cook. ( People in Iran love people specially from India as I said Bollywood and Khans rules here but I also found a fan of Amitabh Bhachchan and Mithun Chakravarty also.

Anyway when I went for City walk I saw "TEA" cup at this electrical JB, and like I saw,  God, I took the Picture and since the tea is here , the Tea Vendor must be nearby. I enquired Shop keepers and I got him, he was nearby and the second good thing happened: He talked in Hindi. Oh my God, I felt like I found my people after months. He was funny guy and looked like and talked like Sindhi. I asked him what time he will come here tomorrow because I would like to catch him again, he told me his time.

I saw a bit of poverty and nothing as bad as we find in big cities. I saw a medical shop as small as this also. I roamed around and bought some stuff for my Omani friend for gift in a ladies market, and saw the natural beauties of Balochistan.

Next day I went to same market where I found the tea and searched for the tea vendor. He was happy to see me and soon we start exchanging Jokes e.g. "they will pick you up like they picked up Kulbhushan Jadhav" (the Indian spy picked up by Pakistan recently)", he said. So It's confirmed that he was picked up from here and not inside Pakistan territory- I thought.

"You know, I have come to rescue him", I told him in the same manner.

My new friend and I both laugh.  2-3 shopkeepers also gathered and one shopkeeper was a bit of serious type person. He said "you should not come here, this place is not safe". Suddenly the atmosphere become serious and I said " Okay, I am already planning to leave tomorrow to Chabahar as not much to see here".

He asked me for the route. I showed him. Than he and other people who I think forgot the laughs and  really became concerned for me, advised me not to go from that side and go from other side and said when you start driving, do not stop anywhere and go straight to Chabahar so that I can get out from the Iran safely. I knew that they know everything and I didn't know much but as I think ignorance is a bliss. More the knowledge, more the fear and I didn't want to know. May be an Ostrich.

Anyway, next day I started my journey toward Chabahar through the suggested route and road was good.

I met few truck drivers at a stop and they were very happy to see me because I guess nobody ccme there as tourist, especially from India. They greeted me so much and gifted me the ice creams from one person's ice cream truck and also ask me to pose with him in my motorcycle. They told me to take so many ice creams to last for two days. I said they will melt. "No problem", said he, "you put it in the freezer again and it will be good" (All of this, we talked in sign language). 

It's hard to find such lovely alive heart (Zinda Dil) people in Europe (So sad Europe is already aged I guess).

I also noticed that during my stops that whenever I stopped, someone will come to that place after some time who knows English or Hindi (I didn't mind and I enjoyed talking to all of them. I loved how this coincidences were happing again and again 😁.

 

Anyway, I reached Chabahar  before 12 PM ( 400 km in 6 Hours) 

When I inquired there for the Port office, a guy who seemed to be a Malayali ( Big, fat, black, must be his ancestors settled from Kerala to here) agreed to show me the office and to my surprise, he didn't try to explain me the direction but simply sit behind me and ask me to drive in one direction for office (my poor 150 cc engine bike with that 100- 120 kg man behind me). He took me to the office and I went inside.

I inquired and find out that a ship used to be sail to Muscat but now has been abundant due to the recent smuggling of what they call MAWAD (drugs) to the Oman. I was heartbroken and when I inquire about other places to try, they said that I have to go to Bander Abbas Port and they said so easily that its just like on the next road. It was around 750 km from here. Nobody would have been corrected for so big a distance. 

I knew I cannot make it in one day, anyhow I didn't have any other options so I started driving toward my destination. I left the guy in the same place from where I picked him up and drove my bike towards Bander Abbas direction, 750 km more.

Good thing about this region was that  everybody understands and speaks Urdu and then I felt a surge of confidence (I think that's mother-tongue Effect).

I stopped on a petrol pump and the guy understood that I know Hindi so he started talking to me and I inquired about the ship or any way to go to the Oman because Oman looks 150 km from here through Sea but I have to go to 750 km to enter UAE and from there I have to drive around 400 km to reach Oman. The guys said there is no legal way to go to Oman. There are some illegal boats operated through the coast. I said I need the Stamping on passport to enter in the Oman otherwise I would be an illegal  there all the time so this option is not for me.

When I almost about started driving back, one person asked me for lift and I took him. After some distance, two more person on the bike followed me. They asked me to come to stay at their home etc.  I got afraid. I don't want to go there. Maybe their intentions were good, one of them shouting to tell me that "Come, come with us I say.  you are Punjabi. We have lots of Punjabi there" etc etc. 

I said " No thanks, I will come later".  The guy sitting behind me was also signaling me to not stop and go straight.

Later when the guy's stop came, he took me to the their cottage ( A brick klin) where all of his friends were there. They told me that they are all illegal immigrants from Pakistan and work here in this bricks manufacturing. The guy asked me to talk about a little bit about me. They all were listening to me when their boss came and initially he also listened to me and my free opinions but suddenly he declared that "you become Muslim". I got scared and then my friend who took me here also go scared and I said no I don't have a time I have only five days left in my visa and how its possible. He said okay you get it now and stay here. I said I have only five days left. He said, "no problem you can stay here for 15 days and we will get this sorted out ultimately". I was regretting my free talks about religion there and I get freed by promising him that I will read Quran and at least in my life even if I don't become Muslim. He was okay with this because he said once you read the Quran, God will guide you and you automatically follow.

When the boss agreed to let me go,  my friend gave me the chilled water bottle for the trip and when I was putting it  side pocket of the bag, he said "no, no, don't put it there, put it in the middle of the bag between the cloths, so that it will be the remain cold for the longer time. And the guy was right. It remained cold during the rest of the day. Lesson of the life:).

Two more incidents happened when I was driving that day.

First, when I was driving and suddenly got confused on a road junction about where to go and picked one road from my judgment. Two people on motorcycle shouted from the distance "no no, not this way, go that way". How the hell they knew where was I going?

Second incident happened when I took a break under a tree and was resting. Suddenly a person on motorcycle came like crazy searching for something and got relaxed when he saw me. I guess he was following me and suddenly lost so when he found me under the tree, he got relaxed and then he sat there and than he asked me, "where you going to stay?'  I said  I will see in the next town.  He said "there is a police check post ahead". I said "I don't mind. Police is good for me". Then he left and  I was surprised why he was thinking that I would be afraid of police force or like this?

Anyway I went ahead and got the police post and I asked the police where I can stay at the night because I had covered already 300 km. The policeman said that there is one hotel in the city. I went there and found out it was a home and the billboard on the home is of the hotel which is on the back side.

Funny story start again that the hotel denied me entry because they had some function the next day. I said, "I don't know any place here" and asked if there were any other hotel in the city.  He said, "no". I said that I cannot go anywhere and I could sleep outside the hotel (we were talking in a sign language because they didn't know the Hindi). Then after making a lot of calls to their owners, hotel persons finally agreed to give me a room. I thanked them. And first time I saw the non-hospitality of the Iranian people because there was a lot of fruits coming in the morning to decorate in the every room of the hotel and they didn't ask me one.

There were hardly any Traffic on the route from Chabahar to bandar abbas so is for the restaurant, I got lucky that I found one. There only one person and I was the only customer (till I stayed there). He gave me a room for eating and prepare a veg lunch for me. See below-

Next day I reached Bandhar Abbas and remembered the guy who told me in the Chabahar that "it is nothing in the Chabahar, you will find the real heat in Bandar abbas. He was really really right.

The city does not have that much temperature, maybe surround 40 or 42 degrees centigrade, but it was like I was dripping water from my head or everywhere anyway.

I went to the port area and I talked to the guys and they said, "okay you can come tomorrow with the ticket to UAE ship". I was so happy that its being done very easily. But those were only the gatekeepers and I had to find out the real the next day.

Anyway I took a good hotel this time because I was almost end of the my trip so no need to save money. I went for ticket and I bought a ship ticket. I forgot the hotel of course and I roamed around for search ( because Port Officers had asked me to the park my bike there only).

The Next day I went to the port and found out that it's impossible to work upon without hiring a broker. I talked to a broker. He agreed with some money to prepare papers for my bike on ship and also asked me to go for some application to the an authority. The Goverment Official ( I think Port-in charge) rejected my application and I got afraid that he is denying my exit but I came to know that this application was only to forgive my penalty of 1000 rupees so not a big deal i deposit the fine and finished my papaer work.

At the end, I give the brokers 500 dollars for the whole process and he was so bsd thst he want more because he has seen my 500 dollars in my socks, I said sorry , than he started socializing with me e.g. wanted my facebook and whatsapp.

The second shock came when I came to ship boarding point and the guy sitting with the ticket checker  took my passport. I was so worried and constantly bothered the guy there until he came back after one hour. I was asking again and again where the guy went with my passport. Now I understand they must have taken my passport for some verification or something like that. 

At the shipping lounge, when I was waiting for the ship, I went to a restaurant and told by the hand gesture to the guy that I don't want this non veg. I want something vegetarian with rice and he gave me some curry with the rice/ After finishing half of the meal, I found out some pieces of meat in the curry. I just left it and (my achievement is that I didn't vomit there), later I realized that it might be  because of some communication gap.

Anyway, on boarding the ship there was a complimentary biryani. Again it was non-vegetarian so I couldn't eat it. But I was so hungry that I decided to take out the meat pieces and give it to somebody instead of throwing it in sea because I understand that this is still a food and I should respect the food.

I went backside and there was a father and son sitting. I asked them to take my meat pieces. They were happily surprised and didn't understand why I am giving the real thing to them and want to eat  only the rice. I think they must be laughing inside their head that what is left is the rice only and this stupid guy is not eating meat and is only easting rice. Anyway I don't mind as its difficult for me to make them understand. I came back to my seat, finished the rice. It was a 12 hour journey to UAE port .

In the morning when I woke up, I was so happy to see the Port because I sew so many South Indian people, My People. It was a relaxing and comforting zone for me.

Next blog you can read about the my bike clearance from the custom in UAE and my journey towards Oman.