Lonely Planet suggests "don't even think about going to Yazd in hot season"
Red Rag... So now I have been here 3 days.
The ride from Shiraz again was amazing oh the scenery (it really is a shame that its so hard to download stills from my video, I have tried too slow internet)
Yazd is supposed to be the oldest city on earth (over 7000 yrs) surrounded by 2 deserts, I know I keep saying I am going to get out of the deserts.... It may not mean it is twice as hot but it is trying. I was invited to go for a free trek in the desert with one of the guides who works out of the hotel here, are you kidding? I'm not going out walking in that with out a huge umbrella and water tanker..I declined.
I am staying at the Silk Road Hotel (said to be the best budget/midrange hotel in Iran LP) I won't argue it is very nice, lovely traditional courtyard in which to lounge around in the evening. Very relaxing which is why I have decided to stay an extra day. There is a fantastic bazaar in the old city which is pretty easy to get lost in but great fun trying to find your way through the maze. The alley's are hemmed in by 3m mud walls which gives you the impression that the place is virtually deserted but in fact the population is over half a millon.
Yesterday I gave the bike a service. I changed the oil even though not really necessary as I'd only done about 3,500 km since the last, but hey oil is cheap here.
It was quite interesting trying to get the right oil though not know the words for synthetic, semi synthetic or mineral oil in Fazi language, let alone 20W50 grade.
Still we managed to make ourselves understood as always and whole job took little over an hour.
I've discovered a new Iranian delight, icecream, I thought that we did pretty good icecream in NZ but I have to concede that their icecream with carrot juice on top takes a lot of beating. I know...carrot juice? but yes it is amazing. Either that or the heat has got to me. I did try an icecream in a cone but not really suitable as you have to eat it so fast before it melts all over your hand, no time for licking.
Tomorrow I head to Esfahan then on to the cooler mountains beyond Tehran.