Deunpunto Alotro Diary
The confort of the Iranian Buses, called VIP bus incites us to travel by night. Therefore it is in the black of
dawn that we arrive in Isfahan. After the sunrise we
head for the city center to meet with our host in the main square of this
artistic and cultural city. It is an explosion of architectural beauty that we
discover. A Persian jewel, where locals enjoy to walk, paint and dawdle around
as well as to get lost in the surrounding market.
After only seeing a hint of this beautiful city that we leave east, in
direction of Varzaneh. We have been told the desert is waiting for us... At
first, no sign of any desert in the horizon only arid plains with adobe towers,
few centuries old pigeon houses. But kilometers later, leaving the village
behind, we see from afar high golden waves, the dunes we impatiantly expected.
The taxi leaves us at the start of
the desert and we begin the ascent, loaded like caravan camels, in search of
we found a never endind horizon
of sand dotted with small dry bushes.
Night comes in early with
threatning clouds,
we have just enough time to put up the tent
and start a
fire. We will not have the chance
to enjoy the milky way, but we have a good
time playing music and eating our falafel
sandwishes warmed up by the fire.
Winter nights are cold in the desert, and in
the morning the rain follen
rain during the night has
frozen leaving a thin white crust over the sand and
rare bushes. It is a good time for thinking.
On the way back, hitchiking in a
truck since
since there was no more buses to take,
we get in touch with Hossein
met in a
music shop while doing some shopping
the first day we arrived in
Isfahan.
He comes and pick us up in a small
Peugeot 206, and it is stuffed that
we
head to Poulard Sharhr where his family lives.
Finally, we are for the first time
immerged in
an Iranian family.
Hossein is a DJ playing at
weedings and
flamenco guitar player, and Rahmat his
younger brother an artist
with magical fingers.
Not even 18, and already an incredible talent for
some order in Guiller and
Thomas beard and hair!
Also a real pleasure for Manue to have a hairdresser
at
home!
Time flies incredibly fast when we are in good
company... And there, we found a real family.
Welcomed by a mum full of love and attentions
for us. Every meal something different and delicious
to eat, sweet words, tender gestures, smiles and
laughs shared, that is what made us stay one week
in our new family.
Every day, friends came to play music,
dance and eat together, laugh and talk until the
end of the night!
The 24th of December came, Christmas... Obviously, this festivity is not celebrated here in Iran, but with all the respect they have, they wished us a "Christmas Mobarak" and let us cook for everyone. Not always easy to be able to cook food when you are invited, but on this occasion we did not have to fight so hard for them to allow us to make diner.
So we made them some typical plates
from home
(including a tortilla of 20 eggs!), and everyone loved it.
The meal
ended with tears of laughing too much!
Needless to say how hard it was to
leave this home...
And when we did, the tears of laughing became tears of
crying.
We go in another family in Isfahan,
in order to renew our visas and
discover the city
and its ancestral beauties. Internet is good and we
send news
and find the way to send the moto
through Iran at the Turkish border. The fight
with
administrations continues, we don't let go, even if it is sometimes
difficult to keep the focus.
New year's eve is coming and we are still undecided whether to spend it
in the desert or on top of a mountain. After some hesitation, we opt for an
evening in the city in company of our host. It is on top of a neighbouring mountain climb by steep trail that we start our evening, invited in a cave to
share some Irainian snacks with traditional music played by our new friends. At
dawn, we head for the arty theatre, and a restaurant to spend the last hour of
2014. It is with a burger, fries and a coke, along with the 12 traditional
Spanish grapes that we spend the first 12 seconds of 2015.
A strong moment that
they shared with us full of joy although it is not their habits.
A walk in the
splendid Armenian neighbouhood a coffee, again meeting with amazingly kind, smily people full of interests in ouselves without expecting anything in return.
A new year that started with
travelling, adventure and meetings!
A new road is waiting for us,
through the desert into the city of Yazd.
