Esfahan the Beautiful City

I'm rested, relaxed, content and happy. The beautiful, historical and cultural city of Esfahan was just what I needed after such a traumatic 10days of hard riding. When I say traumatic I'm being a bit melodramatic, but really, it was very difficult. Not seeing another foreigner for all that time and riding through harsh unwelcoming mountain and desert roads of West Pakistan and then the long and cold rides through East Iran, sleeping in box rooms and floors really did take it's toll on me both mentally and physically. If for nothing else this journey has taught me the meaning of endurance and mental fatigue. There have been times when I really did think "What the hell am I doing"?, and I'm sure there will be more. There were times when my resolve was really tested on the shivering roads with my badly equipped clothing. Each evening as I approach my destination I don't have a clue of the lay out of the town and where I am going to sleep. However, the rewards are equally as great as the price. On reflection I would do very little differently. Perhaps warmer clothes, a different and warmer time of year and with a bigger engine. To top up my speed I have taken to waiting for passing goods trucks and moving in behind their slipstream, this both boosts me from 80km/h to a cracking 90km/h before the truck pulls away from me, with the added bonus that the slipstream is made of considerably warmer air then the air is pushes out. The beard has gone. I shaved it off when I got to Zehadan about 5days ago. I was looking a little weathered and perhaps a bit like Oliver Reid in Castaway. My mum said I already look younger and we all know how important it is to receive kind words from your mum.
Well enough of my moaning, I am now in Esfahan and the rest of this entry will be dedicated to talking about my time here. A city this great really deserves a whole page dedicated to it. It's relaxed, an Oasis. Very modern. Imagine Barcelona or Valencia with ancient and modern Persian architecture. Wide tree lined streets, fountains, good climate, people walking happily and freely around, crossing the street just to say hallo and shake your hand with genuine educated interest. Trendy shops, cafes, young couple courting. Riverside bridges light up at night reflecting on the water as you sip tea in a river side cafe. Tonight will be my 3rd night in a hotel with a mix of Iranian and foreign tourists. As I rode into Esfahan from the hills I could see the lights just coming on in the distance down in the valley down a long boulevard. I parked firestarter in front of the hotel along side 3 other none-Iranian motorbikes and was greeted by a Finish couple who had spend 8 months riding 2 bikes from Cambodia and an Irish fella who was coming overland on a HUGE BMW, heading to India then Australia. It turns out he is Irish Motorcyclist of the Year 2006, awarded for his last trip around south America. He's a wealth of info and we exchanged routes. I was pleased to find that considering he's a bike expert that he's not a bike snob and was very impressed with what I was doing, particularly on such a small bike. He's says most people spend months and months in preparation and planning and don't just take off on a Nepali 135cc heading into the sunset. I think he thinks I'm a bit nuts, but then again he probably is too. We did some sightseeing together and swapped stories and he helped me fix my bike. I said my chain was a bit loose and was squeaking. He looked it over and was quite surprised it was still on the sprockets. I guess if you don't oil your chain after riding 6,000km through the desert and mountains and dirt roads that it will ware out. Oppsseeeeee.
Anyway, today I got a new set from a very good mechanic, fixed it up and replaced my buggered back bearing and my spark plug cap that had also fused and snapped. Now I am all ready to hit the road again tomorrow. After talking to Jo (the Irish fella) and the Finish couple I have decided to slow down a bit and not do Tehran in one day but 2 and stop at some nice place on the way. Also to set off at 11am when it's a bit warmer rather than 7am and shiver for 4hrs. There was talk from another German guy on a bike who had been riding around Africa for 2 years of a train that goes from Tehran to Istanbul. I must admit that after the cold rides here and also with the sure knowledge that it's only gonna get colder I did seriously consider taking the train. However, how could I live with myself if I did that? How can I set off to ride home and take a train? So I will press on over the snowy Turkish mountains. Although I am a bit stupid I would agree I did buy a new warmer outfit. Out goes the Pakistani/Afghan blanket and in comes a new warm jacket and thick pants and woolly jumper. I also got some thick socks and a woolly hat for under my helmet together with some good water proof pants. Add this to the elastic bands and my plastic bags for my shoes and I'm fully ready for anything.
Anyway I heard today that they just introduced Marshal Law in Pakistan, so Jo has that to look forward to.