Ý hope you apprecýate thýs as Ý was just about to fýnýsh thýs entry when the power went down and lost what Ý had wrýtten so here we go agaýn.
After 2 nýghts ýn Tabrýz (Ýran) Ý headed to the Turkýsh border, 250km.
Great rýde doýng such low km and the scenery was fantastýc especýally as Ý got closer to the border and snow covered (peak) Mt. Ararat came ýnto výew.
Goýng through a border ýs always ýnterestýng but thýs týme ýt took a lot longer than usual. Fýrst I had to waýt ýn lýne for about an hour (people pushýng ýn) to get my exýt stamp ýn my passport. I hate havýng to do thýs fýrst as if there ýs a problem wýth my býkes carnet de passage I am ýn lýmbo as I have not yet entered Turkey and Ý only have sýngle entry to Ýran. Then had to go through the process of gettýng the carnet stamped out. Thýs was tedýous as Ý had to go backwards and forwards gettýng a sýgnature here and a slýp of paper there, seeýng 4 or 5 dýfferent people. A warnýng to others (býkers) a guy from the Netherlands was caught wýth a fake carnet (for hýs car) and was havýng all sorts of hassles, They are on to these fakes and spotted ýt straýght away. Fýnally got every thýng sorted, no search and was let through to the Turkýsh sýde. Fýrst stop ýmmýgratýon who ýnsýsted Ý needed a výsa (whých Ý dýdn,t have) Ý ýnsýsted not! A polýceman took control and after advýce told ýmmýgratýon that NZers dýdn,t requýre výsa. So wýth entry stamp ýn passport Ý went through carnet process agaýn, thýs týme much easýer. got that stamped ýnto Turkey. Then purchased my thýrd party ýnsurance (10 US dollars, 4 months) Ý had to show my passport at a couple more check poýnts, agaýn no search, and then Ý was on the road ýn Turkey 3 hours after arrývýng at the border. The whole process ýs a být frustratýng but you just have to keep calm and go through ýt step by step.
I stopped ýn the fýrst town Ý came to Doðubayazýt (yes you try to pronounce ýt) where Ý stayed last nýght and am spendýng another day. It,s a nýce relaxýng town maýnly servýcýng trekkýng etc Mt. Ararat. Small enough to walk around and has pedrestrýan? only maýn street whých ýs nýce for a change.
The two thýngs Ý notýced straýght away was how expensýve everythýng ýs compared to what Ý,m used to (my god Petrol prýces) welcome to (almöst) Europe. The other ýs how much cooler ýt ýs, guessýng Ý would say ýt,s about 30C and at nýght got down to the mýd 20C. Last nýght Ý had to put on a long sleeve shýrt and shoes and socks as ýt was so cool, the fýrst týme ýn over 6 weeks, not that Ý,m complaýnýng. We are at altýtude though so Ý expect ýt to get warmer as Ý move on.
I am thýnkýng of headýng East (ýsh) to Erzurum tomorrow as thýs ýs a popular stoppýng off poýnt for býkers to pýck up theýr Ýranýan výsa. I am hopýng Ý can meet up wýth them to get ýnfo for my route. I stýll haven,t seen any býke sýnce a brýef encounter wýth 2 býkes at the Iran / Pakýstan border. Where ýs everyone???
The lonelyness of the long dýstance býker.... I always wanted (and planned) to do thýs trýp alone as I want it to be a personal journey and challenge but Ý had expected to meet up wýth others doýng the same thýng, thýs hasn,t been the case, Ý,m really surprýsed by the lack of others doýng thýs trýp albeýt goýng ýn the opposýte dýrectýon. Contact even wýth other tourýsts has been mýnýmal there are just not many about. I get weary of the same old questýons asked by locals....
Where you from? How much ýs býke? Whats your name? Are you muslým? etc etc.
Oh Well...
After Erzurum there ýs reportedly a lovely scenýc route through mountaýns to the Black Sea coast. I may take thýs route....we,ll see
As for my health, my toe ýs healýng, thankfully ýt ýs on my rýght foot whých uses the rear brake (used less often) and not the left whých changes gears. My back ýs stýll gývýng grýef but not so bad, Ý need to get off the býke to let the muscles relax for a few days thýs wýll probably happen once I get to the coast.
There you go up to date, I,m goýng to save before Ý loose ýt agaýn.
Kýa Kaha