TURKEY & NORTH EASTERN IRAN

Location: Tabriz, Iran.
Speed: Averaging 35MPH
Status: Trying to find diesel!

Travelling though Turkey has been the first taste of the East. We all regarded Europe as the easy bit, familiar cultures and good roads. Turkey would be the beginning of the rest of our journey.

As we drove east towards the Iranian border the landscape became more baron, the roads became dirty tracks and the people became more Persian. The roads would vary from straight flat, well surfaced to gravel tracks and mountain passes.

After a long days travelling we decided to camp near a lake that on the map looked like it might be nice. So we followed our noses and ended up on the waters edge of a fresh water lake that the locals were using for fishing. We arrived at dusk, pitched tents and after a quick swim begun our “Iranian border party” for the next day we would try and cross the border. The logic being we couldn’t take alcohol into Iran so it had to be consumed; and we managed it. Although there was a crate of “Baadog” beer left, which is a rather dark Mongolia beer which we donated to the local fishermen as we left at 05:00.

After around four hours of driving we entered into the Kurdistan region of Eastern turkey which can be a hot spot for Kurdish Separatists. We knew there had been a kidnapping or two so opted to stick with other rally cars, the convoy was now at seven vehicles. The first we were aware of any issues was when we were pulled over by the army. Whilst driving along we turned a corner and were waved in. Not knowing what was going on we handed our passports over as requested and a mobile phone as handed to us. A distance voice on the other end told us not to travel at night and to be vigilant as there has been a recent Kurdish uprising.

As we continued to make our way east there was a very obvious military presence. Armed personnel carriers and several check points where we were pulled over.

Due to the roads we were unable to make the Iranian border by night fall so we heeded the arm advice and stayed in a hotel rather than camping around six hours from the Iranian border.

The next day we woke up for 06:00 and drove towards to Iranian border, leaving Turkey at around 12:30 and entering the Iranian side. None of us knew what to expect, we know how the British media portrays Iran so had a slight air of apprehension.

As the gate opened our passports were taken and we were told to park. We stood around for half an hour with nothing happening until we asked the man who took our passports what was going on. He had them in his pocket all the time! We said we needed to go and register our VISA, so we did - that took another hour.

Once that was done we were clear to enter Iran, but the vehicle wasn’t. We had to process our Carnet de Passage which is a formal document stating we’re temporarily importing the Gobi Ambulance and therefore we don’t pay import duty on her. It’s a bunch of papers that must be stamped on entry and on exit of Iran. If it doesn’t get stamped we loose a rather large deposit that we paid to the RAC back in England.

The process can only be describes a chaos. We spend five hours walking from desk to office, to official back to another desk and waiting. The final stage was a search of the Gobi Ambulance, since we poured all our contraband (alcohol) away we were cleared to leave which was another mini-event in the whole palaver.

One car drove out with an official who still had our passports and carnets. We didn’t know what was going on until another official jumped in the Gobi Ambulance and told us to drive. We then drove down to another gate and parked. After another half an hour the gate opened and we were told to park the other side and ushered into a café.

Stu and I sat down at a table with the officials and the other rallyers. He dished out the fully stamped carnets and passports and when the calculator arrived I know this was going to become a bribe negotiating session. He asked us for 120 Euros per car which we refused. After another few minutes of banding figures around I asked for his ID and a receipt; all of a sudden the price hit the floor. We negotiated down to 20 Euros per car, which I still think is a cheek buy we had been at the border for around six hours and just wanted to go, we paid and drove off down the road.

The plan was to head to Tabriz for the first night, so I took the wheel and started driving. We were all nervous of being in Iran which was totally blown out of the water when I stopped the ambulance to ask how to get to Tabriz. A local chap shook my hand and pointed in the direction of Tabriz. As we go going again people were waving, beeping their horns and all seemed really pleased to see us.

After a few hours driving Russ took over and we eventually made it to Tabriz. Not knowing where we were going we pulled over in the centre of town. The convoy of Mongol Rally vehicles attracted an enormous amount of attention which people gathering around saying “Shalom.. Shalom” (hello is Fasi).

Walking over to a family looking at the ambulance I introduced myself. I asked about hotels and two of family spoke broken English. Rather than give directions they opted to lead the convoy to a hotel and after several laps of town we arrived at a hotel which was fully booked. The father of the family clearly wanted to help us and he started making tent gestures by putting his hands in the shape of a roof. After lots of really disjointed conversation we all jumped back into our vehicles and followed the family.

We arrived at a road with a barrier. The man jumped our and spoke to the attendant on the gate and then ran down the convoy of cars with a voucher. This we were to realise was our camping ticket, he parked up and pointed us a spot to park. The next hour was consumed by taking photos with the family with all the vehicles and half of the happy Iranian campers at the camp site! The family then left and we setup camp.

It was now 01:00 and we were hungry so cooked up some of our tinned food and made a cup of tea. We sat outside our tents and were quickly joined by some locals. We shared hookah, and offered them some English tea which they sipped and then threw a bucket load of sugar into the mug! After food and tea we settled down for the night.

We woke up around 10:00 to a note on the wind screen of the ambulance. It was from the family who guided us though the hectic streets of Tabriz. Just asked us to write to them and send some of the photos we have taken, which we shall do of course.

After packing up and having some tea the family turned up for another round of photographs!