All too soon it was time to leave Turkmenistan and head for Iran, but I suspect that we’ll be back - there is so much more to see from the shores of the Caspian in the west to Afghanistan in the east, from Uzbekistan in the north to Iran in the south. Ruins, deserts, mountains, mud volcanoes and petroglyphs. But to the present ....
The patterns and colours in the rocks were fascinating. Incidentally most of these pix were taken through the dirty window of our chaff-cutter car hammering along the road.
More patterns. I could have spent hours taking pix and pondering the forces that created such wonderful patterns.
The border region between Turkmenistan and Iran is mountainous and beautiful. Made all the more beautiful by recent rain which has put a green fuzz across the ranges softening rocky outcrops here and there. Apparently there are wolves, hyenas and jackals, goats, antelope and other small animals living in the Kopet-Dag mountain range. At one point a couple of antelope peered down from a high cliff watching us pass. Sadly we were not allowed to photograph here, but it is imprinted on our minds. Multiple check points didn’t spoil our enjoyment of the relatively short drive to the Turkmenistan-Iran border control - 40 odd km.
The border crossing went OK! Nobody likes border control - endless waits, seemingly pointless searches, etc so I won’t say another word on the subject - for now .... ! Soon we were through and driving further into these spectacular mountains with multi coloured, twisted strata, and monstrous shards of rock projected into the sky. Softened in many places by a fine green velvet fuzz. Magnificent and awesome!
Some of the poppies were lined up in rows as if they had been planted, but no. These gorgeous things seem to like tilled or disturbed soil. That and the rain and they explode into glorious bloom.
Lots of people out there to photograph this beautiful display. I was intrigued by the variety of blooms at my feet when we stopped - poppies of course, but euphorbia, forget-me-nots, lupine, ‘Salvation Jane’ and more. The colours were just lovely.
And then we were descending into a broad string of valleys with a brief stop on the way at an isolated village ‘hole in the wall’ for a glass of sheeps milk doogh, a traditional Persian yogurt drink - a slightly salty taste.
Here and there vivid red poppies nodded as we passed - so beautiful in their simplicity. In the distance I thought I saw a tinge of red in the valley spreading into the foothills. That tinged turned into a blanket of red! The recent rain had stirred millions of poppies to bloom. Heavenly! I kept thinking of the poem ‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses ....... ‘. Of course we stopped and took a mass of photos. And just like at home when the canola crops flower creating dense blankets of yellow, this splendid display brought the locals out to take selfies out in the fields. So beautiful!
Our first settlement in Iran in Khorasan, a province in the north east. And my first experience of their loos - always look for thevdusabled cubicles. Otherwise I might have ended up disabled - if you get my drift! Dangerous business!
Oh, I forgot to mention that once in Iran, I had to don the veil and cover myself. A bit hot - phew! but what can you do?
On the streets, in the hotels, everywhere there are scurrying, billowing black figures. Some of the younger women wear shorter, coloured and patterned veils, but it is predominantly full length black - at least in Mashhad where the temperature was in the mid 30s. Of course the men were sensibly wearing short sleeve, open neck shirts! Hmm ... but as they say ‘when in Rome ‘. Heat exhaustion is just not an issue .. . how many days?? Oh dear .....
[To see my pix of this please go to www.flickr.com/photos/hwheat8pix/ and go to Albums and find ‘Iran to Mashhad’.
Or go to Facebook.com/heather.wheat.925 ]
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