Thanks Ed! Yes, I suppose I have earned the visa. But here's the kick in the teeth... I can't go. The weather makes it impossible to ride through the mountains in December, I can't really afford to transport my bike (and then I'd still be stuck riding in ridiculous cold in Iran) and I can't find a place to leave my bike without penalty while I fly to Tehran. See? Stuck. I have the visa, but I can't figure out how to visit Iran. This is one of the few times I wish I were just backpacking through with no bike (Gasp! I can't believe I just said that.)

He is, oh, he is! ;)

Yeah, I'm enjoying Iran... but I miss my bike! (I left it in Syria following an intense day spent at the Immigration Office in Damascus wrestling with red tape!)