Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride

We had a bit of cooler temperatures to 31 in the hills, but it was over 40 for the last 45 minutes into the city.

Our traditional/boutique hotel is near the main square and down one of the very narrow laneways of this adobe city. Step one get into the aircon and have a quick rest. We are all a bit delirious from the heat. The hotel owner drove us a few km away to a restaurant that was serving food in the late afternoon. This is a challenge in ramadan. Now back for a bit longer rest on a very full stomach. In the evening after 8 it was a bit cooler and after 9 you can get something to eat, but as it was still hot we decided on ice-cream for dinner.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4211/...b801ffdd_b.jpg Iran-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4290/...7ef82769_b.jpg Iran-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4113/...cc0173f0_b.jpg Iran-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

These charity boxes are everywhere in Iran.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4253/...63a8652e_b.jpg Iran-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

saralou

6 Jul 2017 18:46

Today we will see a few of the sights of the city, but you have to be done this by 1 when it will be over 40. We started out with a visit to the fire temple which is a place of worship for Zoroastrians.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4034/...1fa6cd3b_b.jpg Iran by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4092/...29095a87_b.jpg Iran-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4131/...7b5211a7_b.jpg Iran-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The towers of silence is a Zoroastrian site that was used for “burial” until 60 years ago. They believe the body must be purified after death (a corpse is considered a host for decay) and this is done by leaving it in the sun to be cleaned to bones by vultures and then the bones dissolved by lye. It is a bit of a hike up, but it is only 30 ish now at 9 am.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4278/...12289ec4_b.jpg Iran-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4281/...237d868d_b.jpg Iran-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4205/...48bc9cd1_b.jpg Iran-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Next stop is a garden complex that has a wind tunnel. This is a natural air-condition unit. It is an inferno out and we retreated to the hotel and after all theses long days we were asleep all afternoon. We ventured out again after 8 for some food and a stroll.

saralou

7 Jul 2017 13:35

saralou

7 Jul 2017 13:36

saralou

7 Jul 2017 13:37

saralou

7 Jul 2017 13:38

Finally some camels!!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4094/...054f28f7_b.jpg Iran-31 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4282/...7791d3a0_b.jpg Iran-32 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Our hotel is small cabins that are very nice and most importantly has good air con. The rest of the place seems almost abandoned or have finished we can not tell, but someone had big plans. We were all so baked we got into the room showered and passed out for 4 hours.

It had cooled off to 39 at 7 and we drove into town to find an open place to eat for of course kebab! Across the street is a huge shrine that takes up a city block. I must wear a chador and of course they are located at the exact opposite entrance to where we were. Long walk with Reza to get the green on. Massive and very beautiful shrine to one of the other brothers of the shrine in Shiraz.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4260/...7114d8fd_b.jpg Iran-34 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4237/...f60d2f95_b.jpg Iran-35 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4277/...7c11f18a_b.jpg Iran-36 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

saralou

8 Jul 2017 11:21

The plan was to get going early after the heat of yesterday, but at least we only have 263 km to go to Gonabad.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4240/...d3528e6e_b.jpg Screen Shot 2017-06-22 at 23.11.35 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We were served not a bad breakfast of the “hotel”. We fuelled up and then headed out. It was nice to spend the day on a 2 lane secondary road as most of the roads here are 4 lane highways straight thru the desert. We planned to make one stop only if we found shade half way. The desert goes on and on, but it is much cooler today and the worst was 36. It was as cool as 28 in the hills.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4078/...d3578ce2_b.jpg Iran-37 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4054/...100fdaaa_b.jpg Iran-38 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

saralou

8 Jul 2017 11:23

We stopped in Ferdos for a drink and an ice cream and were mobbed with people with all kinds of questions for us, requests for photos, and invitations to their homes for cold drinks. We did press on, but had been told there was a nice oasis about 20 km before Gonabad in Kakhk.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4279/...7217dbd0_o.jpg Gonabad Iran by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We turned off the main road and asked directions to the “waterfalls”. We were again stopped by the police who wanted to the the documents that Reza has to make us official.

We arrived to the park and it was packed as today is a holiday and Ramadan is over. We pulled thru the gates and parked in the first shaded area. We were completely mobbed with people.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4061/...efa28893_b.jpg Iran-39 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4208/...9456970b_b.jpg Iran-40 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Mehdi who is actually in charge of the park speaks some English came over to talk with us and to invite us to come up “to a nicer place and to have lunch”. This involved getting the gate unlocked so we could ride up past the falls. Medhi's wife Fatime.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4047/...68580c95_b.jpg Iran-41 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

saralou

8 Jul 2017 11:27