Tag Archives: wild camping

Day 282 – Choqa Zanbil and the reappearance of weather

Porridge with mutton for breakfast ... hmmm .. going local

Porridge with mutton for breakfast … hmmm .. going local

Breakfast after a very comfy night was the Persian standard with a European twist. We got the usual bread, cheese and tea with the addition of hard boiled eggs but then coffee, orange juice, milk and jam were also available. Carrot jam really isn’t my thing, while sour cherries jam is a good match to the flat bread. I, then, felt obliged to also try the rose jam which was weird but tasty. Enough food talk now.

We left Shushtar to ride to Choqa Zanbil, maybe 30 more kilometres away. Choqa Zanbil is a Unesco heritage site, protecting the 3300 year old ziggurat. From the pictures on the internet, we weren’t really impressed. Being on the site though, our view changed. We’re unsure if it’s the scale of the ziggurat or if it was a combination of the loneliness of the place (we arrived before the tour buses did) with the dramatic, lead-coloured sky announcing a storm. Whatever it was, it was impressive. The whole structure is built of mud-bricks, some of them burnt. It has five levels going up and is being restored at the moment (or rather, for a long time).

3300 years ... wow

3300 years … wow

The first person I ran into, while Flo took the longer way through the outlying buildings, was a restaurateur. His English wasn’t quite that good but he managed to give us some information, guided us for a bit and allowed Flo to get up on the first level of the ziggurat. All that while lightning could be seen in the distance behind the structure (and I didn’t get it in a single picture) and then the thunder boomed overhead.

The information available in English is much better here than in Persepolis, probably because it got some Unesco funding from 1998 onwards. When the first drops started to fall, we tried to hurry back to the bike…unsuccessfully. A German guided tour had just arrived so we talked to them for a bit and shortly entered the ziggurat again with them. At the bike, we answered more questions of locals, took a couple more pictures with them…and rode off into the storm. The wind was incredible. The rain still hadn’t reached its full potential so we decided to play it safe instead of being soaked through to the bone. At the next intersection/check point with a bit of cover, we put on our entire rain gear, this time including pants.

We took the toll road for 38 km - not sure if we were allowed to, but it was fast

We took the toll road for 38 km – not sure if we were allowed to, but it was fast

Choqa Zanbil was the last point in the low lands of Iran for us so we headed towards the mountains again for which I was grateful. Yes, it was stormy today but yesterday it had been just too hot for me to cope well. So we looked towards Kermanshah as a next destination which we wouldn’t reach today. Lunch was had at a real (real) truck stop where I had rice with yogurt and a salad because all they sold was kebab. It was a slightly weird experience to stop at a real truck stop, I must say.

Parts of the afternoon went by in cruise mode before we stopped to pick up ingredients for dinner. To mix up our usual bread-heavy camping grub, Flo wanted to boil potatoes which could be mixed with the remaining eggplant-tomato-dish from a can. The roadside vendor where we stopped refused to take any money for a handful of potatoes and tomatoes and instead insisted on giving us a watermelon for free as well. No amount of shaking our heads could dissuade him (where should we put a WATERMELON on the bike?) so in the end, we went for the smallest one he had. It got stored in the bag that usually holds our waterproof gear which we were wearing now.

Loaded to the brim like this, we headed into the mountains proper. Already tired, we let one or two promising spots slip before stopping on a meadow with trees that seems to be a popular picnic/camping spot. There was no one else around though so we put up our tent and had a quiet but delicious dinner. By the time we were ready for bed, the now familiar rumbling of thunder was back. The night’s rest was interrupted when the lightning storm started as the strikes could be seen very well even from inside our tent. Luckily, it didn’t cross right over us so we went back to sleep not long after. Earplugs are your best friend in such cases.

Day 280 – The mountainous side of Iran

The mosque from the outside

The mosque from the outside

Three nights in Esfahan seemed enough. But as Flo wrote, we kept missing the mosque that made it to the cover of the Lonely Planet. After breakfast, after packing everything, this was our last stop: Masjed-e Sheikh Lotfollah.

This mosque considerably smaller than the other two that we visited. It was thus a nice stop before leaving the city. Through the blue entrance, you come to a small tunnel which leads into the domed chamber of the mosque. The tunnel is necessary to ensure the orientation towards Mecca but it very subtly done. You mostly realize it because the guide book tells you that’s what’s happening. 🙂

Part of the whole thing

Part of the whole thing

The chamber itself is beautiful with tiles in the lower wall section and then real mosaic for the inscription. Unfortunately, by now we are mosque-d out and didn’t stay long even though we enjoyed it. It is also possible to see the vaults underneath so we went. All the walls are clinically white and a single stall sells tiny wooden versions of the mosque…

For a good bye wave, we crossed two of the bridges that cross the river in Esfahan and rode off towards Zagros Mountains. The Lonely Planet describes the stretch between Chelgerd and Yasuj as “spectacular but without tourist infrastructure”. Doesn’t that sound exactly like our cup of tea? Since we only left Esfahan around noon, we wouldn’t make it all the way today anyway. Instead, we had a picnic lunch under trees and prepared for the height and coldness of the mountains. Well, Flo did. He put on the water- and windproof layer at lunch time. I was still feeling fine mostly because Flo acts as my wind blocker.

Snow-covered mountain view framed by trees...how very picturesque!

Snow-covered mountain view framed by trees…how very picturesque!

The Mountains. We reached a cruising height of about 2200 meters. The ranges in the distance were still higher and completely snow-capped. Snow…a sight we haven’t had in a while. With a cloud cover, wind and the height, it was now c.o.l.d. I didn’t want us to stop just so I could put on a jacket…so we had a tea break instead. 🙂 Hot drinks were amazing on such a day and got us into the right spirit to delve deeper into the world of mountains. We bought everything for dinner and headed out with the intention of camping somewhere along the way.

Sharing the road...

Sharing the road…

Which is exactly what we did. Enjoying the ride with little traffic, sharing the road mostly with shepherds and sheep, we continued. Evidence of nomadic life can be seen everywhere here. Tents, shelters built of branches and the occasional brick house can be seen on the slopes of the mountains while small herds of sheep are being moved constantly. Most shepherds have dogs to help them keep the sheep in line while some also ride donkeys. While the donkeys are universally cute and fluffy (not to speak of the loads they carry), shepherd’s dogs are a bit more worrying. Most of them seem to really dislike the sound Rocinante makes and their sense of protection kicks in. Once or twice a dog chased after us.

All set up with a gorgeous backdrop

All set up with a gorgeous backdrop

When we had enough for the day, we followed a dirt track up into the hills. It turned out to be a service and access road to an irrigation channel. Making sure we didn’t block anything and didn’t end up pitching our tent in a field, we found a spot that was perfect. Out of the way, level and mostly private. Once we had set up camp, a lone fellow visited us on a motorbike. He seemed to belong to the house/farm further down but we couldn’t really communicate. I think he invited us to stay at the house but I’m not sure. Also, with the tent now up that would have been just more trouble than it’s worth. He came back twice in the evening; once to warn us that the sprinklers would now be turned on (which didn’t affect us) and the last time…we’re not sure but he left wishing us a good night. That is one phrase that I know even if I cannot say it; Azemeh and the girls tried really hard to teach me.

 

Day 274 – Pasargadae

Looking along the nave with the stained glass windows

Looking along the nave with the stained glass windows

Time for us to move on. Shiraz has been very nice to us but we only have 30 days in Iran so we need to see more. However, we didn’t quite manage the early start that we had wanted. First, we slept in a bit and then met other travelers just outside the hotel. They saw us packing the bike and started a conversation…which was pleasant and thus lasted more than 30 minutes.

Second, there was one more sight in Shiraz we wanted to see. The mosque of Nasir-al-Molk is famous for its stained glass windows which colour the whole interior in the mornings. By now it was 10.30 am so “morning” had to be stretched a bit but we still managed to see some of the glory that guide books and postcards promise. It was an amazing sight.

Pasargadae! Success!

Pasargadae! Success!

From Shiraz we rode the 110 km to Pasargadae which is another archaeological site. Because it was so late, we had a roadside lunch before arriving at our next destination. It was another case of “we don’t have vegetarian food” and then serving up bread, yogurt with herbs and, especially for me, grilled tomatoes while Flo got his kebab.

In Pasargadae, the tomb of Cyrus the Great is the prominent sight. I liked it and Flo, as a history geek, was quite excited. We took many pictures of the tomb before moving on to the other things on display. I now seriously didn’t feel well so I sat down in the shade while Flo hopped from sight to sight and from sign to sign like a puppy. I’m glad he still had fun even if I was more of a spoilsport.

...and yes, you can! Just need to go off-road for a bit

…and yes, you can! Just need to go off-road for a bit

There was no way we would make it to Yazd tonight but we hadn’t really counted on it. Buying a cheap bread-cheese-veggies dinner in a shop was easy so we were all set for another night of camping. We kept riding until we found a spot that looked promising then went off-road for a bit and around a hill to be well and truly out of sight. Pitching our tent is routine work so in almost no time, we were set for the night; with enough time to spare for a nice, hot cup of tea to make my throat feel a little better.

 

Day 258 – Encounters

Good bye, camping spot! Back onto the road

Good bye, camping spot! Back onto the road

I underestimated how cold it would get up in the mountains. After a hot night in the desert, I now had to put on an extra layer of clothing every time I woke up in the night. It made for some much interrupted sleep. Given that we had quite a bit of extra time, since our plans with Jebel Akhdar fell through, we took it slowly, slept in and generally enjoyed a cool morning in the tent opposed to trying to pack everything before the sun is up.

Even the most relaxed morning has to come to an end so we got back on the road to drive the last 60 km up to Jebel Shams, our camping spot for this night. A short day of riding indeed.

Picturesque abandoned village in the bend of Wadi Ghul

Picturesque abandoned village in the bend of Wadi Ghul

Before starting on the incline of Jebel Shams, you come through Wadi Ghul, a large wadi that still had some water left. We followed its path for a while and found an abandoned mud-brick village on a bend with picturesque gardens in front of it. The new village is on the opposite side of the wadi but the old one just looks nicer.

The road up to Jebel Shams is about 20 km long with 12 km of gravel road. Pretty close to the start of the incline, we passed a truck that was lying in the ditch so we took a bit of extra care. Further up, just before the gravel part started, we stopped at a tiny coffee shop which had run out of coffee. They also didn’t have any non-meat food so we both enjoyed a Chai tea and some hands-and-feet conversation with the staff.

Fritz drove from Kenya to Oman and was looking to get to Asia from here

Fritz drove from Kenya to Oman and was looking to get to Asia from here

The Lonely Planet recommends the “Sunrise camp” if you want to camp but it is on the flank of a nearby mountain instead of on Jebel Shams itself. So the first thing to do was get up on Jebel Shams and check out the view there and the so-called Grand Canyon. The gravel road turned out to be in quite a good shape except for one part which must have had a landslide and thus was now bumpy. Shortly after, we passed a big truck which could only be an overlander. Both parties stopped simultaneously and we had a nice roadside chat with Fritz from Austria who had driven here from Kenya. Fritz also told us about a wild camping spot up on Jebel Shams which would mean that we didn’t have to pay 10 rial (about NZ$40) to pitch our own tent in the Sunrise Camp.

Vertigo much? Good that there is a fence for once

Vertigo much? Good that there is a fence for once

We stopped one more time on the way up as there was a viewing platform for the canyon. Again, it is so vast that pictures cannot reflect it adequately. 300 meters further away we came to the Jebel Shams Resort right on the top of the mountain. We had no ambition to stay there as it clearly was out of our budget (a pool on top of a mountain, huh?) but while we had food for dinner and breakfast with us, we still needed to find a roadside lunch. The coffee shop here was pricey but chances of finding any other eatery up here were pretty much zero so we both had omelette on toast.

While in the process of ordering and sitting down, a Dutch couple returned to the resort and recognized our motorcycle as one they had seen around Sur. So we started talking over lunch and ended up spending the next couple of hours with Heike and Robin who were camping in the resort. We relocated to their “living room” in the shade under a pagoda, had tea and cookies together and enjoyed meeting other travelers once more. We haven’t had that since Chiang Mai.

The most awesome camping spot

The most awesome camping spot

Around 4 pm to 4.30 pm we actually made it to “the” view of Jebel Shams. By this time, the SD card of the camera was full and we had to make room for more pictures by deleting a couple of old ones. Then, we rode around a bit in search of the best camping spot; in the end we decided to stay right at the edge as there was a bit of a sandy patch to pitch the tent.

Dinner was another round of the horrible spaghetti. It started getting windy and cold so we put on more layers to watch the sunset with a hot cup of tea before hiding in the tent until next morning.

Day 257 – Triumphs and setbacks

Leaving our camping spot near the sand dunes in the morning

Leaving our camping spot near the sand dunes in the morning

It was still hot in the morning, probably even 30°C. The ground did not cool down either and still felt warm to the touch. We got up as early as we could and went through our morning routine in a hurry. Back on the road it was just bearable. We really chose the last possible time to do Oman reasonably comfortable on a motorbike. Temperature-wise it would be perfect December to March, but at least so we dodge most of the other tourists.

We reached Nizwa by about 10 am. We could have had lunch then, but decided to do the tour of the old town first, this time.

Looking down into the inner yard

Looking down into the inner yard

The local fort and castle were pretty impressive and very neatly restored and presented. We also had a stroll around the old town, with its mud-brick houses and gardens full of date palms and vegetables. The equally renovated souq had to wait a bit though, since by then our stomachs were loudly demanding attention.

With a full stomach and an equally saturated mind, we were ready to tackle the road up the Saiq plateau on Jebel Akhdar. The road is a famously tough drive and only permitted by 4WD. We wanted to camp up there and explore a bit more tomorrow. We should not get any further than the police check-point at the foot of the pass, though. Only 4WD … no motorcycle … why? Because these are the rules. Of course he believed our bike could do it … we did too, we have ridden in Timor-Leste and Sumatra. No, the rules. Could have gotten a special permit from the Ministry in Muscat, but did not know.

A couple of kilometers further in we had to turn around at the check point

A couple of kilometers further in we had to turn around at the check point

So once again, we got turned away. Not because there is a good reason or safety concern, but just because bikes like ours are an afterthought and it’s not worth having proper regulation for them. We were so gutted. Jebel Akhdar is the only place in Oman where rosewater is produced, and the roses would be in full bloom right now …

After half an hour of sulking and having insult to injury added by hawkers trying to pimp us a ride in their 4×4 for $140 we decided to continue on with the route we had planned for tomorrow and just pick a camp spot when it was time.

View into the direction we have come from

View into the direction we have come from

It got better again then, as we rode up the beautiful road to the mountain village of Hat. It was sealed all the way to the top and down to Hat on the other side and would continue from there as a graded gravel track to the other side up at the coast. But we still wanted to go up Jebal Shams, which is best accessed from the south, so we turned around at the top of the road.

On our way up we saw a bunch of lovely camp spots near the road. Most of them had weekend picnickers when we came up, but a really nice shaded spot had freed up in the meantime. So we pitched out tent on the flanks of a different mountain than we thought. It was lovely and beautiful and nice and cool (up 1500m) and anything we could ask for, so we were happy again. Not even the horrible dinner (spaghetti bought in Muscat a week ago) could spoil it for us.