10. - 11.06.14       Abenteuer Armenien!

Ich schreibe diesen Eintrag mit wunderschönem Blick über den Savansee, vollem Magen, schmerzen in allen Knochen, dem Zelt bereit und dem Moped erschöpft neben mir am tuckern.

Seit zwei Tagen bin ich in Armenien. Habe schon fünf weitere Zweiradreisende getroffen. Unglaubliche Landschaften, tödliche Straßen und Sprittpreise die einen in Angst und Schrecken versetzen... 90 Cent/L!
Yerivan ist eine wirklich schöne Stadt! Aber alles ist so unglaublich verschieden zu dem was ich die letzten zwei Monate erlebt habe. Kulturschock... das habe ich nicht erwartet!

Schon die ersten Kilometer in Armenien sind sehr vielversprechend!

Von Yerivan soll es auf einer Piste etwa 40km über den Berg Azhdahak I bis Gavar gehen. Wieder runter von den grausigen Hauptstraßen.
"Niet, niet!" ruft der Bauer mir entgegen. Er deutet auf den Weg den ich grade befahren will und kreuzt die Arme zu einem "X". Ich versuche ihm zu erklären, dass das überhaupt kein Problem ist. Ich habe gute Federwege und ich möchte ja auch was erleben. Schließlich bin ich die letzten Tage auch schon die gestrichelten Pisten auf der Karte gefahren. Kein Thema.

Steil geht es Bergauf. Große Steine machen den aufstieg echt anspruchsvoll.Was ein grandioses Gefühl! das erste steile Stück ist überwunden. Wenn ich da gewusst hätte was noch auf mich zu kommt...

Nomadenzelte, Kuh- und Schafherden sind auf den Herrlich grünen Wiesen der Berghänge verteilt. Der Pfad gabelt sich alle paar Meter also ist großes Rätselraten angesagt im im Zickzack zwischen den Hirten fahren um möglichst oft nach dem Weg zu fragen. Die sind aber oft keine große Hilfe. Zwar freundlich aber sie zeigen einfach auf die Bergspitze 3597m hohe Bergspitze und deuten mir an, dass ich die auf der nördlichen Seite umfahren soll... Danke ;)
Bevor ich den Pass erreiche muss ich einen Fluss, unzählige Bäche durchfahren und ein Schneefeld überqueren. Vier Stunden sind schon vergangen und ich habe noch zwei drittel vor mir.

Der erste steile Anstieg

Selbstverständlich gräbt sie sich auf den letzten Zentimetern bis auf die Schwinge ein!

Da sehe ich den See! Endlich ein Ziel aber leider kein Weg in Sicht. Also Querfeldein über Wiesen, Streinfelder, und stürzende hänge langsam Bergab. Es ist schon 18:00. bald wird es Dunkel und hinter mir zieht (natürlich!) ein Sturm auf. Ich sollte mir also einen Platz zum zelten suchen. Aber hier am Hang ist nichts mit Zelten. Es geht unglaublich steil abwärts durch 40cm tiefe Rillen die vom Schmelzwasser in den Hang gefressen wurden. Millimeterarbeit während ich Stück für Stück die 270kg Richtung Tal befördere.
Da ruft plötzlich jemand! Ein Hirte kommt auf mich zu. Er bestaunt ungläubig meine Maschiene und zeigt dann fragend Richtung Pass. Ja, da komme ich her ;)
Hier Zelte ich und er hat mir freundlicherweise einen Weg gezeigt den ich morgen früh antreten kann.

Die Ruhe vor dem Sturm

Am Abend liege ich im Zelt und dann geht's los! Der Wind peitscht den Regen gegen die Zeltwand und schlägt die Zeltstangen mit jeder Böe bis auf den Boden. Wasser tropft herein und ich bete einfach, dass das Material hält und dass das Motorrad stehen bleibt. Nach drei Stunden flacht es langsam ab und ich kann etwas lang ersehnten Schlaf bekommen.
Am nächsten Morgen sieht es nicht rosig aus. Es regnet und der Boden ist nass und weich was die Abfahrt wohl nicht erleichtern wird. Um 10:00 Uhr klärt der Himmel etwas auf und die Sonne zeigt sich sogar. Nichts wie raus, alles einpacken und los.
500 Meter weiter werde ich von Hirten auf einen Kaffe eingeladen. Kaum sind wir in der Hütte geht der Regen wieder los. Habe ich ein Glück!

Ein paar Stunden später gehts dann weiter. von hier an ist es nicht mehr all zu steil. Dafür aber arg rutschig! Nachmittags erreiche ich dann endlich wieder Asphalt... Seit über 24 Stunden kann ich wieder in den zweiten Gang schalten!! Kurz nach dem Weg gefragt, ein Vodka gekippt (der hat hier den Chai der letzten zwei Monate abgelöst) und dann los Richtung Tiblisi, Georgien.

Da ist der Berg hinter mir!

Ein Kraftakt, Willensprobe, unbezahlbares Fahrtraining und absolute Befriedigung... DAS IST ABENTEUER!!!!

Da ich's wohl nicht mehr schaffe die gesamten letzten sechs Wochen nachzutragen, werde ich ab jetzt wieder einsteigen und den Rest nachtragen wenn ich was mehr Zeit habe.

07.06.14
Letzter Tag im Iran - Khoy, ich liebe diese Stadt!

Nach einem langen 400km Tag durch die Berge von Ardabil bis Jolfa an der Grenze zu Armenien, sitze ich auf einer Anhöhe und vertelefoniere mein Guthaben während ich meinem letzten Sonnenuntergang hier im Iran zusehe. Dann geht's weiter in die etwa 70km entfernte Stadt um meine erste Gastfamilie zu überraschen.

Eine atemberaubende Piste zwischen Masuleh und Khalkhal

Kühlerleck nach einem Steinschlag auf der "atemberaubenden Piste"! Ja, wir arbeiten ;) 

Kloster des heiligen St. Stephanos. Weltkulturerbe bei Jolfa

Der biblische Fluss Aras ist heute die Grenze zwischen dem Iran, Armenien und Azerbaijan.

 Ich fahre hinein in die Stadt. Keine 300m da überholt mich hupend ein schicker weißer Wagen. Das Fenster wird heruntergekurbelt: "Goschne? Bochor?" und der Junge  Mann begleitet von einem Kumpel, seiner Mutter, Tante und Schwester gestikuliert und reibt sich den Bauch. "Arre! Hatman!" sage ich und los gehts kreuz und quer durch den nächtlichen Verkehr, raus aus der Stadt und über Schotterwege durch den Wald. Horrorfilm Drehbücher spielen sich schon in meinem Kopf ab als wir auf einem kleinen Berg auf einen Parkplatz fahren. Tatsächlich, ein Restaurant. Auch heute spricht wieder keiner englisch aber sie sind so herrlich! Eine wunderbare Familie!!
Wie sich herausstellt hat der 24 jährige Sohn das Restaurant erst vor zwei Monaten selbst eröffnet. Ich darf sogar hier schlafen!
Nach dem Essen nehme ich die Tochter mit aufs Moped für eine Runde um den Berg. Immer wieder ein Spaß ;)
Dann, um mittlerweile 2:00 Uhr geht's auf den heruntergekommen Jahrmarkt auf dem Gelände des Restaurants. Alles verrostet und der riesige Sicherungskasten springt erst nach mehrfachem herzlichen treten an. Die Motoren fangen an zu summen, Neonlicht beginnt knisternd zu flackern und die Wagen und verschiedenen Attraktionen setzen sich ruckartig in Bewegung. So viel Spaß hatte ich lange nicht!!

Der Park am nächsten Morgen

Auf einer kleinen Insel im Innenhof des Restaurants geschlafen und jetzt los zur Grenze. Das war ein wirklich herrlicher Abschied. Danke Iran!!!

Dear All,

After a very intense few days in Isfahan where we spent a lot of time with a wonderfully hospitable family, we took the bus on Thursday lunchtime to Shiraz. The road skirts the Zargos mountains where there are still snow peaks despite temperatures over 30 degrees. The mountains are barren and rocky but where there is water in the broad valleys there are rice fields and orchards. We reached Shiraz after dark and got a taxi to our hotel, tucked away in little side alleys in the old town. Our room looks through big coloured windows straight into the courtyard which is the restaurant, where we had a good evening meal and were as always late to bed.

Our first bus ride 

Shiraz is a town famous for its gardens, birds, roses and poets, and it lives up to its reputation. After getting deliberately lost in the little alleyways of the old town, Leander and I got out hair cut at a local hairdresser, bought bread, cheese and melon for a picnic in the park and visited a big botanic garden. The first highlight of the day was a visit to the shrine of the Iman Reza’s brother, one of the holiest shrines in Iran. It involved Norah borrowing a full-length hejab and us all having to give in our cameras before entering the complex, which is huge and impressive. There are at least three mosques set around a vast central square a lot of which is covered with carpets for Friday prayers. Men and women enter the shrines separately. Inside the walls are covered with small pieces of mirror, symbolizing the diversity of our earthly existence in the face of god. Worshipers in their thousands come to touch, kiss and revere the shrine and recite prayers and then walk backwards away from the shrine to avoid turning their backs to it. Norah got a woman guide who took a lot of pains to show us around and took lots of photos on her mobile (!) which she’ll send us on Facebook. In the evening we went to the Mausoleum of Hafez, the famous and revered Persian poet, set in beautiful gardens and full of Iranian visitors. Finally back to the hotel where we had heavenly double expressos and smoked a hookah on the rooftop café and watched the evening settle over this wonderful city.




Having a relaxing evening in the rooftop teahouse of our hotel

Gates of Persepolis

Off into the desert!

On Saturday we hired a car and driver, who took us to Persepolis, the ruins of the ancient centre of the Persian Empire before Alexander the Great overran it – and then on to the desert city of Yazd, where we have spent the last 2 days. Here the whole town centre is a warren of narrow alleyways between adobe walls. The skyline is dominated by the “badgirs”, tall chimney-like towers which catch the wind and draw cool air down into the houses.  Before entering the house, the air passes over cool water, cooling it still further and adding humidity to it. There are also some specially beautiful mosques to visit, and we’ve had some time to relax.

 

 

Wandering through the dark, quiet alleyways of Yazd 

Tomorrow we head for the desert for 2 days before returning to Teheran and then our flights back to Germany. Leander is so taken by Iran that he’ll try to extend his visa and drive around a bit more on his bike and perfect his Farsi! So in a few days I’ll be back in Germany and it will all seem like a dream from 1001 nights!

Naqsh-e Jahan Square is the second largest square on earth 

We're now in Isfahan where we've been adopted by an Iranian family we met having a picnic in the park on the first evening. They have been soooo kind to us, None of them speak much English, hardly any more than our Farsi, but somehow we have managed to communicate. We spent most of our second day here with them at their house. Saeed the father is a teacher too and he has 3 daughters and 2 sons who we all met. We chatted with them all using our Farsi phrasebook (thanks to Amin - it's been invaluable!) and their Iranian Leo equivalent. The food is of course delicious and it is really interesting to discover a bit of what life is like for a middle-class family, similar to our own, in Iran. At the same time it is a sometimes difficult to gauge what is really meant, either because of the language or because of the mentality.

Saeed & Vida

Nara & Yasmin

Hussien & Lodan

Ali & Liloofar

We had understood that they had invited us to stay the next 2 days at their home, so we checked out of our hotel. However, in the course of the day there was no more mention of picking up our bags and I felt the situation was unclear, so in the end we had to rebook in a different hotel. They had wanted to take us out to see the town, but we didn't set off till about 5.30pm. We then went to a beautiful palace, crossed town at high speed through the rush-hour in convoy to an Armenian church, which had just closed, then crossed town again and climbed a rocky outcrop which had been used for Zarathustrian Fire rituals and where we had spectacular views over the town and a thunderstorm with lightening .

Reza on a kooh in Isfahan ;)

When we got back to the hotel at about 1.30 am they were shocked and a bit offended that we had booked the hotel, but Norah and I were so exhausted that we were glad to get some rest. Leander went back and spent the night with them. He's struck up quite a relationship with Reza, their 21-year-old son, and went out to a tea-house and to a birthday party with him and friends - another whole dimension to life for young people in Iran.

The Hedieh family

Yesterday morning we met up with Leander in town and did some sightseeing, which was pretty Relaxing after trying to make sense of a converstaion with a dozen people using sign language, a mix of Farsi/English and a lot of guesswork. It's amazing that it works and our Farsi has improved in leaps and bounds - but Leander has definitely mastered it best!! It rained all afternoon and we had a bit of a rest in the hotel before going back into town to meet them at 6pm.

The Isfahan bazar at a more peaceful hour

However to our horror we discovered that they had been expecting us for lunch!! It was a very awkward situation, but they were so kind and we stayed the whole evening. In fact it was much more relaxed, the unmarried women could take off their headscarves in the house and we had a really wonderful time, rounded off with another midnight trip to another mountain where we had a beautiful view over the town. They didn't want to leave us and insisted on an ice-cream at the last stand open in town (in fact the police showed up as we were ordering and made them close up. And so to quite moving goodbyes! Today we're off to Shiraz!

Die zwei Wochen die ich gemeinsam mit meinem Vater und meiner Schwester verbringen konnte hat mein Vater dokumentiert und wird jetzt hier als Gastautor ein bisschen Abwechslung bringen ;)


I've made it to Teheran and met up successfully with Leander and Norah,

   Day one: I arrived safely with the 2 motorbike tyres at about 3 o'clock in the morning at Teheran Airport. In fact the computer at theTurkish Airlines check-in desk mistakenly thought I'd already paid so they ended up taking them for free. But no Leander in the arrivals terminal! I waited for about 30 minutes with an insistent taxi-driver who wanted to drive me into town, before I realized I was at terminal A - so was there a terminal B? There was, and it was buzzing with people and there was Leander waiting for me! We had so much to talk about in the taxi into Teheran (almost an hour's drive even at night) so we didin't get to the hotel until about 5am. Then Leander discovered that in all the excitement he had lost his camera - an expensive one he had borrowed from a friend for the trip. He tried phoning the airport but they couldn't help. It seemed like a bad start.  

Day two:: At breakfast the hotel manager came to our table to announce that the the driver of the taxi that drove us from the airport had just phoned to say that he had found the camera and would bring it to us in the hotel!! We were gobsmacked!! Since then we have found again and again that People are not only friendly and helpful but also amazingly honest. It's just as well, because the currency here is a mine-field of potential misunderstanding. Example: I wanted to buy a small bottle of mineral water in a kiosk. The vendor told me it cost 1. That, Leander told me, means 1000 Toman, which means 10000 Rial, which in turn is worth about 30 Cents.
 When we left the hotel we discovered that there was a whole row of tyre shops opposite, but none of them could change the motorbike tyres. However they told us how to get to a workshop. This involved strapping the tyres onto the side of the motorbike, both getting onto the bike (without helmets) and then taking courage into our hands, we plunged into central Teheran traffic! It's a crazy experience of a kind of surreal order in total chaos! Fortunately most of the big roads are one-way, except for the far-left lane which is a kind of free-for-all for mopeds, taxis and buses in both directions. It's not surprising that Lonely Planet lists among dangerous sports to be tried out in Iran hanggliding, rockclimbing, canyoning  or just crossing the road in Teheran. The amazing thing is how quickly you get used to it! In the evening we took the metro back out towards the airport. There is a compartment for women only but in fact it was all completely mixed. The only places for men only seem to be the mosque and the traditional tea-rooms where you are served wonderful tea and water-pipes. We arrived in time to meet Norah at 11.30 pm and this time no problem with the terminal...

 Day three (Easter Sunday): Abbas, a friend from Roisdorf who is Iranian, had put me in touch with his brother-in-law. He has found a place for Leander's motorbike for the 2 weeks we travel by public transport. The whole thing is complicated by the fact that Meqdad speaks no English and we have about 10 word of Farsi between us. Through a friend who translated we got  the idea that he would come and pick us up at  the hotel at 10 am. Sure enough he came on his moped, so off we went, me on the back of his moped and Norah and Leander on the motorbike! The fact that Meqdad has driven a moped for years and survived suggests he's quite an expert and he was quick to show it! This meant Leander had to try to keep up on his much wider and heavier bike while we weaved our way for about 30 minutes through hair-raising traffic. In the middle of it all we skidded to a halt.

Meqdad asks me if we wanted to visit. I wasn't quite sure what, but I said yes. It turned out to be a kind of palace with wonderful courtyards, painted tiles, shady trees and cool arcades. Meqdad gave us a kind of running commentary via his translator friend on his mobile phone. It was totally surreal, but a token of such friendliness and hospitality. When we reached North Teheran. where the city sprawls up into the mountains against a backdrop of snowy peaks, we stopped at a small garage where we met Garzem, our translator, and exchanged the moped for a car, before setting off again - destination not quite sure! We stopped in front of a very beautiful marble villa with big security railings. This was where Leander could store his bike in an underground carpark that was tiled wall and floor in gleaming marble. We were also introduced to the caretaker who had his office in the carpark and promised to keep watch day and night! Then on, now all 5 of us in the car, out into the mountains north of the city to a traditional restaurant. Here Meqdad invited us to an unforgettable experience: seated on low cushions and carpets, we were served starters of sweet-sour fruit with different fruit juices, followed by different kebabs, fish, rice and ab- kusht(?) a special Iranian dish made with meat, chickpeas, vegetables and potatoes mashed with a sauce and eaten on a kind of thin fresh nan-bread - delicious.  To finish off there was fresh water-melon, a tea to die for and we tried out a water-pipe, the most exotic, civilized and attractive form of smoking I've ever experienced!

When we got back to the hotel, I could give Meqdad and Garzem the chocolates and some Easter bunnies for their children as a small token of our gratitude. We were so full,both physically and mentally, that we have had a long siesta. This evening we want to head for the bazar. Tomorrow we take the bus to Isfahan where the adventure continues.  This is an amazing country and such an antithesis to the prejudices we have in the West. We will be returning to Europe, but I believe it will be with a heavy heart!