EXPEDITION IRAN: Tehran to the Caspian Coast

Mark’s on the road again ready for the journey South…read on for the second instalment of Expedition Iran!

After a week in Tehran (capital of Iran and the Middle East’s largest city), at times twiddling my thumbs, walking huge distances up and down Valiasr Street and getting around on the city’s brilliant metro (beats London Underground hands down!) I managed to escape by bus over the Alborz Mountains to the Caspian coast.

I would love to tell you how beautiful the Caspian coast is. Really I would. To paint a picture of this particular area would make you want to travel here immediately for the view. Alas, I cannot. This stretch of the coast is one massive straight highway full of trucks and cars belching their fumes, with shops lining either sides of the road: where one might like to enjoy the views, these are blocked by massive concrete walls and steel gates protecting the giant holiday homes of those fortunate enough to own them. I am sure their view is lovely! Every now and then a single muddy track leads down to the water in between these behemoths for the average citizen to enjoy. Not great.

Expedition Iran – On the Road…

After a big couple of days I was somewhere between Chalus and Mahmoud Abad, the town where I could start to head south. Approaching nightfall I wanted to find a place to camp but was prevented by all these walls. Finally, what luck, a wall had come down where 4 half-built luxury homes stood. I had a nose around. Prime beach front property for me to camp on. There appeared to be a watchman living in one of the houses and to save scaring both myself and him in the middle of the night I decided to wait and see if anyone would turn up. Right as the sun went down he arrived and was happy to have me erect my tent on his lawn. A great campsite even with the sound of trucks rushing by in the night. I even had his 2 guard dogs for my own protection!

So far, Iran has revealed itself to be an amazing country. Its people rival,and even match for friendliness and hospitality,my beloved Peruvians and I still have a way to go. The friends I have made in such a short time are amazing. With the most recent news regarding this whole nuclear debacle and Israel popping it’s head in it breaks my heart and makes me feel physically sick to consider the consequences of missiles raining down on this country. What of my friends Mohammad and Abbas? Mr Mousasvi from the hotel? I cannot even get my head around it!

Right gotta go, the bloke sitting next to me has invited me back to meet his friends and fingers crossed put me up for the night…

Find out more about Mark and Expedition Iran by reading EXPEDITION IRAN: An Introduction, or by checking out Mark’s website