I decided to write the posts about Iran in English, so everybody can understand. Simple English will be used, so those who don’t master Shakespeare’s mother tongue, can use Google Translate. Yes, I know, it’s also available in Iran… using a few simple tricks. 🙂
It’s been a long wish: visiting Iran. Boti and Péter gave the push, did some research, put together a program, so we decided to go. Last year the failed coup d’état took place in Turkey, we would have had to travel through Istanbul, so we decided to cancel. This year a total of 16 people said: let’s go! The adventure took place between September 9-23, 2017.
Please click on the first picture for infos!
Some of us flew from Cluj/Kolozsvár/Klausenburg to Bucharest (with Tarom), then Istanbul and with a new connecting flight to Tehran. We made reservations for Budapest-Istanbul-Tehran with Pegasus Airlines. No regrets. On September 8, 2017 we (Emma, Bianka, Jocó and myself) went by my Dacia Solenza Grand Cherokee Pathmaker (!) Especially Limited “Trailblazer” Edition to Budapest, stayed overnight and on September 9 at 12:50 PM we boarded the plane to the Turkish city. The picture: Bianka is relaxing on the seat for elderly people. I should have stayed there. We used public transport: Blue subway to Kőbánya-Kispest and then 200E airport bus to the Liszt Ferenc International Airport)
We stayed at Bianka’s relatives in Budapest, a very nice family and place. Bibi’s cousin, Ákos gave her this small neck travel bag, ideal for visiting countries. It’s from the early days of Ákos’s life, he used it when he was in the 2nd grade… This bag became to be an unconventional award for those of us who said 2nd grade jokes or made childish remarks. I think the award has mostly been handed over from Emma to Jocó and back… 🙂
Iranian heart in the airplane. The overwhelming hospitality, kindness and generosity of the Iranian people cannot fit into a “simple” heart, nor this can symbolize their attitude towards all of us. Humanity needs a different syntagma to express the overwhelming hospitality, kindness and generosity of the Iranian people!
Even though we were stressed out about many thinks, upon arrival to Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport we easily received the Iranian visa (tips, advices in a separate blog post!), got our bags, got the rented cars and some of us headed directly to the Damavand. During the 100+ kilometers until Polour (2231 meters/7320 feet), the village situated on the foot of the 5610/5671 meters (around 18,403 feet) high Damavand mountain passed with some of us being shocked about the infernal traffic. Upon arrival we met Mohammed from the Iranian Mountaineering Federation who – together with a friend if his – took us to the mosque at 3000 meters, know as Goosfand Sara by 4×4 wheel drive. Cost: 25 euros/car, plus 4 euros/car road tax paid at the junction of the asphalt road with the gravel covered one. Alternatively you can have a deal with the guys who operate these blue transport vehicles. Ideal if you’re more then 5-7 people… We paied 100,000 rials/person (around 2 euros) for accommodation. Luckily there were 9 free places available… The half open-air latrines here are… basic for mountaineers and horrible for the rest of the people… 🙂
Our goal, the peak of the Damavand (5610/5671 meters, around 18,403 feet) looked so… beautiful, but distant… 🙂
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