Ka Pai Kiwis

We were up and away before 7 and made our up to and through the barren hills which is the border to Turkmenistan. The bike was sitting forlornly on a loading dock. We got permission to move it and took it to where we could load it. Mirrors and handgrips twisted and a few rope burns but otherwise intact. Border procedures on both sides were reasonably straightforward, just shelling out money left right and centre but everyone was helpful and professional. Robyn and I were separated for over an hour while I handled the bike stuff. Yay for the first time no bike passport games to play. Thank you to Dick and Diana for the laminating tip. It worked a treat. So I emerged from customs and caught up with Robyn but no guide. The local officials seemed keen for us to leave so we did. The road was deserted and the country hot and barren, temperature well into the 30’s. About 15km down the road we came to a massive checkpoint which is the place where everyone must have their documents che...

After breakfast we headed back to Mohsen’s place to do a little promotional stuff to help him and Hossein with their business enterprises. Just a few pics and a little video. Bojnurd is a very nice town with NO litter. Woohoo. Not too much for the tourist but if you like just wandering and taking in the local scene then it is very nice. We have noticed some subtle changes in the people here. As we have moved closer to Turkmenistan we move into Sunni territory. These people are a minority here and apparently feel a bit neglected, whether real or perceived I am not sure. They are more likely to be practicing Muslims than their Shi’a cousins. This is partly evidenced by most of the women dressed completely in black as opposed to the colourful headscarves in other areas. The people are still friendly enough but maybe not quite as open. There is also a bit less tolerance on the roads. We then set off for Quchin, our last stop in Iran which is about 90km from the border. It is ve...