Iran

The border crossing was chaotic and tedious on the Turkmen side and disorganised on the Iranian side. We didn't care though as it was just so wonderful to be there. The welcome we got as we entered the country was without precedent on this trip. The Iranian Motor Federation were there with a big welcome banner and a display of their lovely old cars. They were clapping and cheering us, calling 'welcome to Iran' and all had huge grins. It was tremendous. Leave all your preconceptions about this country in their box and be prepared to be surprised. It is the end of our second day here and we have been constantly surprised. The warmth and welcome we are being shown everywhere is overwhelming. People are lining the streets and cheering and clapping, all the time shouting 'welcome to Iran'. Cars hoot and all their occupants wave and cheer, even the old ladies. The policemen, of which there are many, all wave enthusiastically too and show us where to go and, every time we stop, appear to help us and stop too many people bothering us. Stopping for petrol, for example, soon attracts a huge crowd of people all keen to welcome us and ask where we are from and do we like their country. It is quite something here.

The landscape from the border was stupendous; massive mountains with wonderful valleys, very arid, but beautiful. There were odd villages perfectly in harmony with the landscape and all looked unchanged and almost biblical. Everyone we passed jumped up and down to see us, in villages and towns. Boys on motorbikes rode beside us cheering wildly, shopkeepers ran out to greet us and all the policeman stopped traffic for us.

There is one downside and that is the scary driving. The roads here are very good and the the traffic heavy and fast. We wee nt surprised to read that Iran has one of the highest death rates in the world from traffic accidents. There is little lane discipline and in, their enthusiasm to greet us, come along side and are so close we could probably shake hands. They then are inclined to pull in front of us and brake. We have old brakes and so it is all frightening. In their bid to get great pictures of us they take huge risks.

We both feel, for the first time ever, that we are real Ambassadors for our country. In other, remote areas that we have visited they at least have some contact with foreigner's; but here, there is almost none. Tourist's do not visit Iran and so we are very keen to always return the warmth that we are being given, even when they do seem to be trying to kill us with dangerous manoeuvres, it is all very well meant.

Entering one town today, day two here, we were flagged down by a police car. We sighed and stopped . Time to get rid of those preconceptions again. They wanted to give us a little bouquet of flowers all tied up with pretty ribbon and were eager to welcome us to their city.

At the entrance to another town huge banners had been made and hung across the street. They were all, in English talked of the friendship they wanted to give us. One, rather bravely I thought, even talked about nuclear power being for energy only not warfare. They had also but markers all through the city to guide us. Again, the streets were lined with enthusiastic crowds, even in the rain. We have been skirting around the Caspian Sea, how exciting is that?

I cannot finish without mentioning what happened last night. We were staying in Gorgan, a punishing 600kms drive after a slow border crossing. We had also had a breakdown and Adrian had to fit a new condenser, fortunately, this was not a long job but we were delayed. We had been warned at the border that there was a problem with our hotels. We were meant to be in a few different ones as there was none large enough for us all with secure parking. The car's have priority with accommodation. Apparently, the President was visiting Gorgan and no foreigner's were allowed to be in the city as all the rooms had been requisitioned.

We were lucky as, even with a breakdown, because we had got through the border in the first group we arrived at about 9.o'clock after an exhausting and sometimes terrifying journey. There were no rooms available for us anywhere. Heidi ended up managing to beg a very few rooms and some people squeezed in 6 to a room. Adrian decide to share with the Little brothers but I decide to sleep in the lobby on a small, rather hard sofa. Some people pitched their tents on the roof, others laid out their sleeping bags on the floor of the lobby and the whole thing looked like a doss house. So, even though rooms were available the hotel was unable to give them to us for fear of trouble with the authorities. They were very kind though and went out to the market to get enough food to feed us all and were very apologetic.

Local people were coming to the car park with their children, who were translating, saying how embarrassed they were that their country was treating us like this. We were also warned that we had to leave very early as once Ahmedinajad came to town it would be sealed off and we would be unable to leave. You cannot blame a nation for the tyranny of it's Master's just as you cannot blame all Islamic people for a minority of fundamentalist extremists.

Some of the people who were through the border after us did not arrive until the middle of the night and just found a chair and slept where possible. It wasn't too bad. The hotel was very clean and there was a bit of a Dunkirk spirit, amongst some of us anyway. Other's were not quite so sanguine about it. I think it is silly to let things like that get you down. It is all part of the adventure. So, with little sleep we set off for where I am writing this, The shore of the Caspian Sea and a room for the night. What a bonus!