Gavazin - Salakh

After a sumptuous breakfast, on Thursday, 13.02.2020, I pack my belongings, bid farewell to the other travelers, and set off with my trusty companion towards Laft. In the small town, I refill my water reserves in the center and stop at the outskirts for a quick shopping trip and an ice cream at a convenience store. It is already late afternoon as we continue towards the east, a bit inland. Since it has been a while since I have walked long distances, I take another break after an hour of walking. I come across a sort of oasis where there is water, not drinkable but suitable for washing. So, I decide to set up my camp a bit off the main road, after just 10 kilometers of walking. Then I take a nap in the shaded tent before getting ready for the night. I skip dinner as I am quite tired and go straight to bed with the setting sun.

On Friday morning, I make up for the missed dinner from the previous night and once again, I am not ready to leave until noon. The road leads us further inland before we turn southeast. We take a short break at an oil refinery on the shaded employee parking lot, where we are given snacks and drinks, and then we continue to Gavazin. Here, we wait in front of the local supermarket until it opens in the afternoon. Most of the shops in the south of Iran are closed between two and four (or one and five). While waiting, we are repeatedly approached by boys on mopeds who seem to be attracted to my companion. After the planned shopping is done, we head back along the main road for a while and then take a side road northwest towards the coast. According to my map, there is a mangrove forest marked here that I would like to see. We can ride a pickup truck for the last 3 kilometers, which takes us over a dam to the destination. Upon arriving on the artificial island, I can settle down under one of the numerous pavilions, I am provided with tea, chickpea puree, and plenty of sweets by other (Iranian) tourists, and then I can fully enjoy the sunset. It bathes the surrounding forest and the water areas in a yellow-orange-red color palette. A beautiful spectacle. As night falls, tranquility slowly returns and the seemingly popular tourist spot quickly empties out, except for a few young men who, like me, intend to stay overnight, and some service staff. I strike up a conversation with the dispatcher and I am invited for a boat ride the next morning. After postponing my tent neighbors (they invited me to smoke opium), I can wash up after a short training session at the nearby mosque, treat myself to a sandwich for dinner, and then slip under the tarp.

As I am awakened by the morning light on Saturday (February 15, 2020), a peaceful silence hangs over the mangrove forest. Gradually, the sound of birds chirping fills the air and the rising sun treats me to another colorful spectacle. Since my free boat tour is supposed to start between seven and eight, I pack up and have a light breakfast afterwards. By eight o'clock, there is still no sight of anyone with whom I could set sail, and so I let my tent neighbors convince me to have a second breakfast. Bread, tea, and a kind of omelette (various canned goods are cooked and mixed with eggs) are on the menu. As a farewell gift, I receive two bowls of hemp chocolate and a package of opium from the four young men from Qhom. Resistance is futile. They are flying from Qeshm to Tehran on the same day and cannot take the stuff through the security check. Then I can also catch the person responsible for my boat trip, the action starts as the water level rises, and it is already around noon when it finally happens. After the short excursion, they take me and my companion back to the main road, and while getting off, I am offered a ride to Salakh via Tabl. The young man is apparently a fisherman in the village. On the way there, we stop at Qeshm Roof, a viewpoint on a plateau in the middle of the island. A magnificent panorama is revealed after a short climb. Towards the sea and also across the elongated island. Then we continue to Salakh, where I restock my food supplies and take a break for an ice cream. About 8 kilometers west, the family, as well as Ali and Örs, have set up camp on a beach. So, my companion and I spend the next two hours driving along the coastal road towards the sunset. I refill my drinking water reserves in Gambron, and shortly afterwards, Txell and Koohjar drive by in their T4. Unfortunately, they have already picked up two other travelers, but they can at least take my backpack and water to the intended campsite. My companion decides to chase after the van for a while, showing remarkable endurance despite the heat. I almost lose sight of him. Shortly after, the wanderer is once again collected and we reach the camp with darkness falling. Txell and Koohjar have moved on, the girl does not feel comfortable near Rango anymore. Very unfortunate, but understandable. We spend the evening together after a shared dinner by the fire. Örs sells his opium, but we all agree that it is not very suitable as a social drug, it seems to work better as a painkiller, and it remains unclear why it is so popular in this area. Later in the night, we take a short hike to a supposed crater, but in the darkness, we cannot clearly identify it. Back in the tent, we promptly fall asleep.