leaving Peshawar and heading into the lush green hills that are the start of the Karakoram `highway was a delightespecially as the temp dropped! We were all happily oblivious to the fact that we travelling through some of the most dangerous areas in Pakistan...due to the proximity of the Afghan border! Bush camped in a nice little roadside spot where the entire population of the area came to wash their trucks...and to watch us....sitting and chatting and cooking ...

Well...country number 11 and the hardest yet! After an interesting border crossing and an armed escort through the Balochistan wilderness we 'enjoyed' a night in Dalbandin sleeping on the roof of a derilict(or should be) hotel! We did induldge in some beer along with food chosen from a menu which should have read Biriyani or Biriyani or Biriyani! I awoke the next morning looking like I'd done a few rounds with Mike Tyson...a mossie bite!!!! Did cause ...

So after a very pleasant evening in Yasd it was time to move on towards the Pakistan Border at Taftan. Another Desert bush camp was made interesting by Nicole's 'Random Truth' game...actually it's a lot of fun if you ever find yourself bored in the desert! Basically everyone submits a truth about themselves and then you have to guess who's truth it is....I came 8th and got a free Efes t-shirt! Oh aren't I the lucky one! After yet another early rise we headed f...

Hi all. Currently in Yasd in central Iran! It's very hot and as I sit here and bake in my hijab headscarf I'm dreaming of ice cold rivers and no headscarf! Left Esfehan on wednesday morning to head towards Persepolis. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit Shiraz....another time I hope. The ruins at Persepolis were  quite impressive but some have been rebuilt and lost their charm a little! Darius the Great built it aroung 515bc....so it's pretty darn o...

So here I am safe and well in Iran.(big sighs from lots of folks) Sitting near hostel in Esfahan tired and hungry after a city tour wearing my headscarf and actually feeling comfortable with it! Today has been full of Mosques, churches ( in the armenian quarter), shaking minarets, a trek up to the temple of fire and lots more!  Well...after my last blog entry I thought I had experienced the most excitng taxi ride of my life! Boy was I wrong!!! After leaving t...