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November
17, 1999
This is
Todd Borgie. Today we traveled from Zahedan, Iran to Kerman, Iran.
When
traveling, always expect the unexpected. Last night we had to keep a low
profile as Zahedan was in mourning. Apparently, there had been a big gun
battle as foreign drug smugglers were caught importing two tons of opium.
A gun battle ensued that took the lives of 10 Iranian policemen and many
smugglers. The battle took place just north of the cities in the
mountains around Kuh-e-lur. To celebrate the lives of the martyred
policemen, mothers, wives and sisters had been invited to Zahedan to
mourn with each other and witness the burning of the two tons of narcotics.
We were asked to do our best to stay out of the way of the mourners,
which we did. We were lucky to get a hotel room after a sympathizing
hotel manager was able to arrange for our stay.
Doug and I
were the first ones up and went down to perform the routine checks on the
vehicles. Everything looked good except the overdrive plugs. Apparently
they had been turned on too tight. Over time, the threads had given out.
We were able to fill them both, but special modifications will be
necessary when we check the vehicles tomorrow.
Even though
the vehicles were ready to go, organization, breakfast and stateside
communication delayed our departure. Nick was off to let Richard Smith,
our Webmaster and stateside contact, know of our arrival in Iran and our
safe departure from Pakistan. Jeff was contacting his girlfriend, Jody,
giving her support for her upcoming surgery. The rest of the team stayed
with the Rovers and were the recipients of much attention. Many stares
and few greetings came our way, but it was most fun to see Chanda and the
Iranian women interact. They were not at liberty to talk to the guys but
they sure were happy to talk to Chanda. It was nice to see how friendly
and helpful everyone was. We all had been nervous about this leg of the
trip, but we were becoming more and more comfortable as a result of the
Iranian hospitality.
After
taking care of morning business, we hit the road. I cannot express how
good it feels to be on a high-quality paved road, although now we are
beginning to realize how slow we really are. With a top speed of about 55
mph we’re certainly not going to break any speed records. We consider
ourselves lucky to keep up with our guides’ Nissan.
Zahedan is
located in the Iranian state of Baluchestan (Iranian spelling), which shares
a border with both Afghanistan and Pakistan. As well as sharing a border,
it also shares a reputation of being a little more lawless than the rest
of the nation. Therefore, we received a military escort starting at
Noratabad. Apparently, they knew we were coming because as we approached
the guard station, our German friend from the previous day was waiting
for us. This was the point where they collect groups to escort through.
We were supposed to have been there earlier, but our delays and slow
speed added up to being an hour tardy. An armored truck with a mounted
50-caliber machine gun ensured that we made it through without any
trouble. It was fun weaving through Kuh-e-khuk mountain pass (7897ft) and
watching behind us as the guards emerged from around the mountains with
their machine gun. At mid-morning, we pulled over to see if the loosely
fitting overdrive plug was leaking. Luckily, it wasn’t, but when we tried
to restart Hercules, we encountered a problem. Deciding not to deal with
it at the time, we push-started and we were on our way. They waved
goodbye as we crossed into the province of Kerman.
The
landscape was dry and mountainous, but once we entered the province of
Kerman the mountains gave way to flat desert. Mile after mile seemed dry
and non-distinct. As Doug and I talked, we half expected to see Lawrence
of Arabia emerge. We were told that we would drive until we reached the
city of Bam. We heard of impressive ruins there that were a real must-see
in Iran.
We
continued through dry and barren land, occasionally seeing small clumps
of date palms, until we came to the greater city of Bam. Bam definitely
was an oasis. Entering the city, you could see many date palms wherever
you looked. On higher ground, you could see the abrupt halt of vegetation
as it was limited to the water source.
We were all
impressed as we drove to the outer walls of Bam. We had not known what to
expect, but whatever we were looking at was sure impressive. Due to our
late start, lunchtime turned into 3 p.m. There was a local restaurant
across the street from the citadel, but apparently they had stopped
serving lunch at 2 p.m. Kamrand convinced them to throw something
together, and they kindly obliged. If that meal was just thrown together
haphazardly, we have some lessons to learn. It was very good, and after
we were fed, we were all very eager to go exploring the Citadel of Bam.
We were not
misinformed. The citadel of Bam was one of the most impressive sights in
the course of our trip. Bam was a walled city built out of mud. Scholars
say it was first built around 224-637AD, however most of the structures
are from the era of 1502-1722. Its inhabitants fled when Afghani invaders
attacked in 1722. People gave it one more shot in 1810 but it was
abandoned again after it was attacked by people from Shiraz.
You have to
see this place to believe it! From the outside of its immense city walls,
you can see just a fraction of the splendor inside. This city is amazing
in its architecture, its placement in the middle of nowhere, and the
imagination it induces when touring it. Nick said it would be the best
place in the world to play hide and go seek. There were walls that
towered three to four stories high, multi-storied mud structures,
stables, shops and houses all made out of mud and confined within these
walls. Although no one lives here anymore, you can easily imagine a
bustling city as you walk down the streets and alleyways.
We spent as
long as we could at Bam, but as the sun was going down and we needed to
get to the city of Kerman. I think we were so impressed with Bam that the
remainder of the day paled in comparison. We eventually made it to our
destination and gave the Rovers a rest. Kamrand, our guide and culinary
expert, took us to an amazing restaurant for dinner. It was a popular
spot as many of the locals came and went in the time we were there. Doug
and Jeff were admiring some of Iran's finest young women, much to the
chagrin of our guides. Jokes were made, but we knew that stares had to
become furtive glances. We made our way back to the hotel uneventfully
and bedded down for another evening.
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