I got up and found the men from yesterday standing around the bakery close by. They were curious to learn more about this weirdo traveller and invited me for some tea and fresh bread. The baker asked me after he knew that I am Suisse if I like Iranian people, I answered yes. Then he wanted to know if I like the US. My reply was that I liked California very much. Then he asked about Israel... trick-questions in the early morning, here is something to wake you up! I said I don't know Israel, nor the people, but in general people are good, it's the politics that are wicked (now picture me explaining this in body-language).
Then I started dragging my sorry ass across this huge river delta. The scenery with the rice fields, the sea on one side and the mountains just visible through the foggy always humid air is quite special. I did not really expect to encouter tropical conditions in Iran. At a shop an old man indicated to me a good route to the other side of the delta to Lahijan, all on smaller roads mostly through villages.
The farmers went about preparing the fields, ploughing them and repairing the small mud dams. Some fields were read for planting, here groups of women put the small rice plants in the ground. I respected these people a lot for the hard work they are doing. The ones I met during my breaks in the villages had rough hands and a firm handshake that let me guess their strength. My effort compared to theirs looked like nothing.
For lunch I found a dining place that had these couch boxes (little pavilions with carpets and cushions in them) which were all around. This one was idyllic, to be accessed over a small pedestrian bridge leading to, the other side of one of the bigger river arms. I had some meat with bread and a bit of vegetables and then dozed off, cosily lying on the cushions. When I was about to pay the owner returned with his son. The junior carried a new football that needed an Seeing this I remembered that the pump I bought in Tblisi had this metal piece to stick into the balls valve. So I got it and pumped up the ball. The owner was a very kind man and we ended up talking over tea. His wife who was waiting my pavilion earlier was completly changed, from a cold air to a heartfelt one) after she saw me getting along with here husband and children. They ended up inviting me for a second lunch but full as I was I hit the road instead.
In Lahijan I met two boys on bicycles. One of them was shooting with questions and having a bit of fun with me. My Farci seemed to amuse him quite a bit. So I pulled out the phrase to ask for a good hotel, I hadn't had a chance to use yet, more to show off than for information, but the boy said to my surprise that indeed, he knew a place and dropped me off in front of it. The hotel was simple and cheap, its signs were all in arabic, so from looking at it I probably would not have realized it's a hotel. That was probably the smoothest arrival in a big town. Usually I have to stop, orientate and ask around, this time I just rode directly to the right spot with halting even once.
I had a long shower, ouh yeah! This one I need more than ever, since the last days camping I did, not have a river close by very often and if I had I did not dare run around naked to get the full washing program.
After a stroll through the city I got a baseball cap (to give my poor exposed nose some shadow) and got a chance to surf the net for a while in a coffeenet (how they call it here).
The happiest moment of the day was while going to bed early.
Then I started dragging my sorry ass across this huge river delta. The scenery with the rice fields, the sea on one side and the mountains just visible through the foggy always humid air is quite special. I did not really expect to encouter tropical conditions in Iran. At a shop an old man indicated to me a good route to the other side of the delta to Lahijan, all on smaller roads mostly through villages.
The farmers went about preparing the fields, ploughing them and repairing the small mud dams. Some fields were read for planting, here groups of women put the small rice plants in the ground. I respected these people a lot for the hard work they are doing. The ones I met during my breaks in the villages had rough hands and a firm handshake that let me guess their strength. My effort compared to theirs looked like nothing.
For lunch I found a dining place that had these couch boxes (little pavilions with carpets and cushions in them) which were all around. This one was idyllic, to be accessed over a small pedestrian bridge leading to, the other side of one of the bigger river arms. I had some meat with bread and a bit of vegetables and then dozed off, cosily lying on the cushions. When I was about to pay the owner returned with his son. The junior carried a new football that needed an Seeing this I remembered that the pump I bought in Tblisi had this metal piece to stick into the balls valve. So I got it and pumped up the ball. The owner was a very kind man and we ended up talking over tea. His wife who was waiting my pavilion earlier was completly changed, from a cold air to a heartfelt one) after she saw me getting along with here husband and children. They ended up inviting me for a second lunch but full as I was I hit the road instead.
In Lahijan I met two boys on bicycles. One of them was shooting with questions and having a bit of fun with me. My Farci seemed to amuse him quite a bit. So I pulled out the phrase to ask for a good hotel, I hadn't had a chance to use yet, more to show off than for information, but the boy said to my surprise that indeed, he knew a place and dropped me off in front of it. The hotel was simple and cheap, its signs were all in arabic, so from looking at it I probably would not have realized it's a hotel. That was probably the smoothest arrival in a big town. Usually I have to stop, orientate and ask around, this time I just rode directly to the right spot with halting even once.
I had a long shower, ouh yeah! This one I need more than ever, since the last days camping I did, not have a river close by very often and if I had I did not dare run around naked to get the full washing program.
After a stroll through the city I got a baseball cap (to give my poor exposed nose some shadow) and got a chance to surf the net for a while in a coffeenet (how they call it here).
The happiest moment of the day was while going to bed early.
