8/7/2014 0 Comments Leaving IranLeaving Iran
It has always been our plan to catch the once a week train from Tehran/ Tabriz to Istanbul. However we haven't been able to book tickets, and perhaps misunderstandings at travel agencies. So after trying several times we finally realised the tickets were all sold and we would not be leaving Iran on The Trans Asian Express, that takes 70 hours to travel the 2000km. Wed been quite looking forward to having 3 days on a first class sleeping train journey just relaxing and reflecting. SO what do we do now,?? We needed to hit Istanbul to complete our Silk Road odyssey, so we are now on a 30 hour bus trip heading that way. We want to get back to Denmark for the summer and we will travel Turkey and the surrounding countries of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia at some other point in the future. The weather is hot and being on the road seeing so much in 95 days can saturate your brain. ANYWAY. We were booked on the 8.30pm bus with a taxi pick up at 7.30pm from the office. At 8.45pm we were still waiting. Not a good start then the taxi took us out to the free way to intercept the bus on the slipway!!!! So finally we were on our way on a sleeper bus ( our first) BUT after 15 minutes we pulled in to fill The bus up with 8c/ litre diesel which took a long time. Off we went THEN we had the obligatory 1hour meal/ prayer stop( this happens even if it's a 4 hr trip) THEN around midnight the bus was stopped for a total police check, where all passports were checked and random luggage was looked at. Off we went again until we hit border crossings at 3am, and this ended up taking 2 1/2 hours. Svend and I were the first through but the Iranians were checked more thoroughly. I was asked if I had carpet in my bag, of course, how could you go to Iran and not buy something. We'd just spent the afternoon at the bazaar buying some pieces. Mine are smallish and folded up in the back pack. Apparently it's illegal to bring carpet into Turkey, woops. I was asked to unpack my bag then he changed his mind and let me pass. So by 5.30am we are on our way again and the sun is just coming up, not much use for the sleeper seat!!! Then at 9am yet smother stop, this is where we noticed the Iranian drivers emptying their diesel from their tanks into containers and the Turkish drivers filling it by jerry cans into their trucks. Svend then investigated and found that diesel in Turkey is now $2.20 / litre instead of the 8c the Iranians were paying, no wonder the drivers were selling their stash. Our bus didn't because we still had 1000km to go. Amazing price difference!!!
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August 2014
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