The people of Iran
‘We are not animals,’ says Ali Shah, the man who brought me from Tabriz to Tehran. That’s a fact I know too well, otherwise I would not have trust him while he and his wife act as my private taxi hosts.
Author: Cindy
Years of traveling brought me many different insights, philosophies and countries I needed to be (over 90 in total). I lived in Pakistan, went over 15 times to India and when I stopped cycling the world, that was after 50.000 kilometer through 45 countries, I met Geo. Together we now try to be more self-sustainable, grow our own food and live off-grid. I now juggle with the logistics of being an old-fashioned housewife, cook and creative artist loving the outdoors. The pouches I create are for sale on www.cindyneedleart.com
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Short Update
Being in India about a month now I can say I like it. It is a huge difference with where ever you come from, a fact I know too well. Nevertheless it took me 3 weeks to get accustomed to the traffic, the never ending attention, the heat and the effort to get just anything done. Cycling, again, is an absolute different approach to India.
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Iranian Interview
A very funny interview on an unexpected day. Anything can happen in Iran. Read how they interpret two solo cyclists, not in any other relationship than JUST FRIENDS!
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Iran Police Station
The regime
Sometimes I am being stopped by a policeman, nothing serious ever is requested. While cycling with Darryl we are often being stopped. Perhaps we are such an odd couple. Perhaps his Australian passport and my Dutch one -some Farsi words dotted underneath the visa sticker, done by the consul of Tbilisi- are reason for questioning?
This is one of the more interesting -not to say glorious posts- because it has a real newsworthy interview with a newspaper of Iran. It also holds an interrogation which I enjoyed but Darryl not so much.
A long downhill of 25 kilometer made it easy to reach Khorramabad, the capital of Lorestan. I’d asked a taxi driver along the road how hilly the route would be, his answer that it is going to be downwards only is questioned by me, but he was right: finally I made a 90 kilometer day again and I end up in Khorramabad.
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Visa Oman & India
Oman visa regulations coming from U.A.E.
An Omani visa is to be obtained at the border. Three weeks are free of costs and the fourth week should be free at the airport, ask a few days before expiring your 3 weeks visa. I believe a month visa costs about €30
The week starts with saying goodbye to a cyclist from Denmark while I peddel on with Darryl. The Australian born man changed his plans a bit and decided he wanted to discover the country rather by bicycle than by public transport. It is nice to have some company.
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Korte Update
Korte Cindy Update
Eind december bereik ik Dubai, na de pedalen van mijn fiets stevig verzet te hebben zoef ik vanuit Turks Koerdistan door Iraaks Koerdistan en tenslotte Iran.
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Waarom niet Nigeria?
Ergens laat in 2013: Er werd me gevraagd een stukje te schrijven voor ‘de Vakantiefietser’ over Afrika. Ik heb me suf geschaafd aan de tekst, zodat deze niet te ‘stoer’ zou zijn, maar dat was ‘ie toch net wel. Jammer. Zie hier het resultaat:
The Iranian visa The Iranian embassy in Tbilisi
This one is a tribute to you, lady’s of Iran!
Unsuspectingly I am munching from the partly raw fried eggs and paper-thin bread. I mean, what else would you do, while eating? Would you suspect a hand erecting over your shoulder which is about to grab your breast? But that is what happens, the hand of the restaurant owner is firmly holding onto my left breast. He attacks me from behind. The coward!
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Useful Tips
Over the years one will find out what works and what not. I might be able to shine a light on saving money for you, because one thing I found out is that when you start a trip, you ALWAYS spend too much money.
Crossing the border at an altitude of around 1700 meter, having past all the waiting trucks into Iraq and after visited a decent toilet I am off to the first town in Iran, Piranshahr.
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Iraqi Kurdistan III
I am very glad that I came to Iraq. It is the beginning of that feeling such as in Pakistan. Roughness. An overwhelming feeling. It might as well be because I am a woman.
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Iraqi Kurdistan II
I left the country with an over stay of one day but that didn’t matter for the immigration official.
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Iraqi Kurdistan I
Irak, daar wil ik al heel lang naar toe. Zoals ik ook al heel lang naar Algerije en Libië wil. Irak is al lange tijd veilig al wist ik nooit precies hoe en wat. Via een Amerikaans Indiase vriend die er een tijdje als militair gelegerd was heb ik begrepen dat Koerdisch Iraq goed te doen is. Arabisch Irak niet.
Show on two Wheels: whether you like it or not, you as a lone female are more a of a show than any other combination of people on a bicycle! Get used to it.
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Turkish Kurdistan II
I have to get used to it. Being the highlight of a family, the one-woman show being once again on the road. And I will get used to it. Not all families are as enthusiastic as in beautifully named Tilki Tepe.
We need connection please!
Soon after I arrive by ferry from Iran to the Emirates, things start to stir for me.
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Turkish Kurdistan I
The most frequently asked question is “Are not you afraid?” and “You’re just a woman alone.” I am used to hear those questions and I do not flash a strange look towards them who’d ask me. Except this one: “But you’re really all alone and no one is there to help you!” in silence I wonder how they take place in this world? And mind you, these people are westerners…
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Georgië III
Hoort verkeerd rijden bij de charme van reizen?
Ik stop langs de snelweg, snuif de geur in van diarree en poep dat achter het muurtje ligt waarop ik de kaart heb open gespreid, de koe langs de weg zet het op een lopen en ik kom tot een ontdekking, ietwat laat.
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Georgië II
‘Is er een reden dat je fietst?’ vraagt de Azerbaijanse vrouw die samen met haar man in het wegrestaurant ontbijt heeft gegeten, een kachapuri met thee en nu aan de chocolade zit.
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Armenië II
I savor my fresh salad as a gift from Nature, but I’m battling confused feelings. We, as consumers, have been so effective in creating choices for ourselves.
Weer al eens ga ik naar een land waarvan ik niet zo heel veel weet. Behalve dan tragische gevechten dat tot gevolg vluchtelingen naar oost Turkije en Iran teweeg bracht. Heel wat kerkjes heb ik bezocht in die landen rondom waar ik nu ben, en één van de reden dat ik nu naar Armenië ga is juist daarom. In Tbilisi heb ik een heel plan opgesteld hoe te gaan fietsen maar eenmaal in Debet canyon bedenk ik me.
Tbilisi Info: the Iranian embassy is where the Lonely Planet says it is, except not completly correct. Number 8 on Chavchavadze Avenue is the football stadium. Walk past it for a bit untill you reach the Iranian flag on your left. As a Dutch citizen I am allowed one month and can enter within 3 months. No double entree is given. Get the autorization code on http://touranzamin.com/en/
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Africa from A to Z
About Africa
Being in Georgia so quick after Africa did make me think back about this absolute different continent as where I was at that moment, slowly I started to miss certain aspects of it, and so this ‘Africa from A to Z’ was born.
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Wat is het doel?
Wat is het doel?
Deze vraag wordt me wel eens gesteld. Mijn doel is simpel en het antwoord lang: ik wil het leven voelen, zien, ruiken, proeven en ontdekken. Mijn doel is om dat nu op de fiets te doen. Niet Mongolië of 50.000 kilometer op de teller te hebben, maar het leven zelf. Mijn doel is het leven te léven en niet geleefd te worden.
Once you decide to live a life on the road, especially as a single woman, there are some tips and tricks which might come in very handy. I wrote quite a few post ranging from handy items particularly for women, tips on how to react and behave in difficult situations.
How to cycle in Islamic countries
It is not up to you to make an Islamic country more liberal; leave that for the local women to do. Behave and adjust.
How to fix material while on the road
From cheap Ortlieb material to cool your electric devices while cycling.
I’ve learned to unwind; 7 tips for you to enjoy the ride, as cycling is much more about enjoying than counting kilometers.
As a pleasant opposition I dedicated a whole bunch of photos and many tips on how to include yourself in a photo.
A sensitive topic as speed can reach into high numbers and a fall can (will) eventually happen.
In the beginning camping stealthily is rather scary. Here are some tips to boost confidence.
Logic? Well, you’ll learn soon that your cultural behavior might need some adjustment.
What to do when the zipper of your tent derails?
Take some extra sliders for the zippers of your tent with you.
‘Cameroon is really great, it’s nórmal,’ said Yves in one of his text messages as soon as he was into the country bordering Nigeria. My thought ‘nice, another great country’ turned out to be slightly different.
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Why traveling (thoughts from 2013)
Sometimes I need to air my thoughts, analize my views, write them down. They are personal, yet I publish them for everyone to
read. It’s part of traveling. Traveling is not always blissful. It’s life… here are my thoughts.
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What’s in it?
Many people asked me what I was carrying in all those bags. Most people did not understand that I carried my whole household with me. So let me explain without too many words what I am taking with me, still too much though…
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Nigeria III
Fear is nothing more than a negative stream of consciousness The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
From Benin City to Abakaliki I have to take the express highway. This is the most uninteresting way to travel and the most dangerous as well. By now I am really missing the dirt tracks and camping, this makes cycling through Nigeria an experience on its own. I can’t even perform my city skills, which are being the fastest.
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Het waarom fietsen
‘Waarom wil je dat? Op de fiets?’
Een heel simpele en een heel voorstelbare vraag en iedereen die op deze manier reist zal ongeveer hetzelfde antwoord hierop hebben. Iedereen die intensief en langdurig over de wereld reist, zal zich er ook nog wel iets bij voor kunnen stellen. Behalve ik zelf.
Waarom. De vraag ‘waarom’ komt weer op. Dit keer in Nigeria. Als je als lezers dit vraagstuk beu bent kun je deze post beter nu meteen weg klikken. Maar de vraag ‘waarom’ houd me wederom bezig. Een korte uiteenzetting over mijn gedachten volgt.
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Nigeria II
Waarom fiets je?
‘Het is een sport’ en ‘het is een avontuur’ zijn de verkorte antwoorden als ik het met de Franse taal moet doen. ‘Ik ontvlucht de snelle Westerse samenleving’ is een kort antwoord in het Engels, maar omdat geen één Afrikaan dat snapt, stop ik met dat antwoord.
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Het Waarom Afrika
Sorry for you all English speaking people, this is a topic about ‘Why Africa’ and their problems, if at all problems, or do the West only see it as a problem.
‘Your consciousness is your best weapon tool’
At the border. A man ask my passport, I give it to him. He offers me a seat, I sit down.
V: What is your profession?’ and ‘For which company are you working?’
C: ‘You don’t know the company where I work for, if I tell you the name I am sure you don’t know it. Why do you ask me this!’
V: ‘Why are you traveling in Africa?’ and ‘Are you married?’
Cotonou onwards
‘There’s only one important point you must keep in your mind and let it be your guide.