Goodbye Turkey and hello Iran.
We have had a fantastic three weeks in Turkey, but it is time to move onto our next country. Mother nature came up trumps for our last drive to the border with Iran so that we had a clear view of Mount Ararat as we left, all the girls are dressed in black and covered up. We arrived at was believed to be a difficult border, what do you know it was over before it begun and we were met by a hoard of money changers on the Iranian side, I think they could not believe their luck with 22 westerners wanting to change money. All transactions done, and generally more than the official rates. After that we met our guide, Mohammed, and off we went for our first kebab in Iran, which cost us about 95,000 Rials! (about five pound), we then drove to a stop in the dessert for a bush camp, straightaway the land became less green, the houses were made of mud and the writing is indecipherable, we were stopped by the police on way, which caused some concern as they gave us a route we could not deviate from and lots of stops at police stations. The locals stare at us and the bus we wave back. With rumbles of thunder in the background we find a dried river bed and park up the truck for camp, whilst waiting for food, we dodged rain and wind, then a herd of about 100 camels trundle past, (we see them on their commute back to food grounds in the morning).
Next day for an early stop at a police stn as we have to sign with them, and after negotiations by the travel team we are allowed our original itinerary. We make it to Tabriz and watch its mad traffic and pedestrians battle it out, while we wait for our hotel to be sorted and Adam changes another tyre, Mohammed just stops a passing pick up truck and we put the tyre on the back to be taken and fixed, the rest of us get our rooms the become introduced to the friendly Iranian people and complicated currency and a short wander round Tabriz.