We had planned to stay for only 2 days in Esfahan but in the end it was 5. Famous for its delicious nougat, it probably is, as our guidebook states, Iran's masterpiece, the jewel of ancient Persia and one of the finest cities in the Islamic world. Its focal point is the spectacular Emam Khomeini Square that contains gardens, pools, fountains, horse and carriages, the bazaar entrance, a palace and 2 mosques. We loved visiting the incredible Emam mosque, completed in 1629, where we watched the faithful pray with a backdrop of beautiful blue and yellow ceramic tiles covering almost every inch of wallspace praising the name of Allah.

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Esfahan shops specialise in carpets, coloured with pomegranates, saffron, walnut skins and indigo; handmade frames and boxes intricately inlaid with coloured wood and camel bone; delicate copper and silver work and Persian style miniatures painted on camel bone. During siesta we relaxed at the old teahouses under the bridges spanning the Zayandeh River, drinking chayi and smoking waterpipes flavoured apple, orange, mint or banana.

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Ancient bazaars bustle with stern mullahs and old men sell pistachios, walnuts and almonds; dried apricots, lemons and plums. Black chador clad women crowd shops full of beautiful fabrics or coloured with gold and the little children must surely wonder, if momentarily, which one is their mother. This amid the autumn heat and the call to prayer echoing over the sunbaked rooftops will ever remain with us.

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Most days riding between cities has been to some degree in the desert, which has felt liberating as I don’t have to wear my long coat and the huge spaces give a sense of freedom. The roads are always busy with trucks but to each side stretching to the horizon is a barren landscape coloured every imaginable shade of brown from brownish-green to brownish-pink, and barely discernible nomad tents spot the landscape. When we have camped in the desert, the night is always cold, still, clear and beautiful. One night we pulled off the road at dusk and prepared to camp within sight of a nomad tent. Within minutes we had a very scared shepherd screaming and gesticulating like a mad man for us to go away. Our bikes and strange clothing and helmets must have terrified him so we moved about a kilometre out of sight of him and his tent. The next morning he came over smiling wildly and watched us for about an hour as we packed up happily jabbering away in a language we could not understand.

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Yazd is renowned for its wind towers that rise elegantly above the adobe-domed rooftops, coconut ice and a kind of baklava flavoured with cardamom. The windtowers catch any breeze passing and tunnel it down long chimneys to cool the homes below – a necessity rather than a luxury in this dry desert town where we lost ourselves many times in the labyrinth narrow alleyways of the old city.

The majority of Iranians we have met are well mannered, cultured, highly religious, university educated people who wonder as we do about the powers of world leaders and whose faces light up with joy when we answer their questions that yes, Iran is a good country for travelling in.

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We can only smile wryly at what the trade sanctions are for when we can buy Coca-Cola; imported cigarettes state on the packet ‘made in the USA for the Islamic Republic of Iran and the latest model police cars are Mercedes. Whilst Iran may not be disconnected from the world banking system for big businesses or governments, foreign tourists can not withdraw money from automatic teller machines or banks. Our friend purchased a carpet and was told by the trusting vendor that he could take it with him and transfer money from his foreign account to the carpet shop’s account. Yet when he tried to do this, the Australian bank said they were unable to due to U.S.A. imposed trade restrictions.

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Persepolis, the massive palace, built by Darius the Great as a summer capital was completed 150 years after he started it in 512 BC. We visited as the sun was setting and turning the stone of its remaining ruins a golden pink. Although not huge, the complex is interesting, as the friezes, statues and columns are distinctly different to ruins of other cultures we have visited.

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The notoriously good but repetitive kebab that all foreigners have told us is the only food available at restaurants has not haunted us too much and we have devoured fantastic stews tasting uniquely Persian with sweet spices such as Fesenjan, chicken baked with a walnut, pomegranate-juice, aubergine and cardamom sauce.

click here to see Rich at Persepolis

We are now in Bam, our final stopping point before we pass into Pakistan. It’s an ancient city that existed as a staging post on the trading route from India and Pakistan to the Persian Gulf. Its about 2500 years old and has survived mainly due to the lack of rain in this region. The new town is a beautiful oasis covered with date palms and we’ve been able to get little things done that needed to be fixed on the bike in preparation for rougher roads.

We’ve met more bikers travelling in Iran than in any country so far.
Before Tabriz we met 2 Austrians riding BMW R1100GS’s and a Croatian guy on a 650,000 km old FJ1100 (he is a mechanic) who were returning home after ravelling through Central Asia.
In Esfahan we said goodbye to Kenny on an Armstrong 500 (Scotland), Marcel (NZ) & Helen (Australian) on an Africa Twin who have ridden ahead having a shorter timescale than ours.
We met Gil & Marleen, a Belgium couple on a BMW F650 who have been touring the Silk Route, now heading home; (www.teatertentog.be).
We met and travelled for a few days with Alec from Melbourne, touring Central Asia and Europe on a BMW Paris Dakar.
And finally we met Steve (Australian) on a Honda Dominator who has just crossed into Pakistan one day ahead of us.

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We will remember having been immersed in the land of 6 inch high snow freeze icecreams; smiling faced Iranians waving from their car as they speed past far too close; giant pomegranates bursting in the late summer sun; water pipes and chayi; the never ending desert; huge juicy melons, cheap petrol, chadors and, most of all, the exceptional Iranian friendliness and hospitality.