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5 days into Iran and so far nothing but great experiences. We started couchsurfing in Tabriz before heading South East on our way to Esfahan.
Our first night on the road ended by knocking on a farmhouse door asking if we could put our tents in the garden – we were invited into the house, fed and had a great night with a fmaily of 5 – who remarkably all spoke English!
The Next day a random guy who stopped his car and talked to us on the road invited us to meet him in Zanjan. He bought us dinner, paid for a hotel room for Xavi and I and then, in an unexpected move invited us swimming. We ended up spending a great evening swimming in the local baths, including a sauna and jacuzzi with Ali and his friends, before being given a whistlestop tour of the city at night. If there is one thing crazier than cycling on iranian roads it is getting in the car with an Iranian driver!
After Zanjan we continued east and after a late start just made 80km before the sun began to set. We again knocked on a farm door and were invited to eat and sleep inside the house. We had a fun evening with another large family. The children excited when Xavi started juggling!
This morning we were given a gift of around 5kg of grapes (despite our protests of their weight!) I tried eating as much as possible, but they still fill half a pannier!
We have madew it to Qazvin now. After this we will cut south, to skip Tehran. I’m busy writing up some more blog posts on my laptop, but haven’t found anywhere with wifi yet – just internet cafes. SO uploading photos and my GPS rides to strava has so far been impossible. Hopefully we’ll find something better in Esfahan, where we hope to couchsurf again.
So until then!
