Mashhad

After a good night's sleep, on Saturday, January 18, 2020, we feel fit enough to continue our journey. After a shower in the cold bathroom of our Quchan accommodation (the window doesn't close even in winter) and breakfast, we pack our backpacks and head to the bus station. There, we can board the first bus, while Rango has to take a place in the luggage compartment. After a nearly two-hour drive through wintry landscapes, we arrive in Mashhad around quarter to four. Here, we are immediately greeted by a taxi driver who wants to take us to the city center at a cheap fare. Suddenly, the man demands ten times the agreed price and claims it is a misunderstanding (1 Toman equals 10 Rial). It's a blatant lie, we asked several times before the trip. After a heated discussion, he settles for less, but the situation is still annoying. Then we check in at the Aram Hostel. Rango is allowed in the room, which is a clear plus. However, the room itself is rather shabby and not worth its price. Then we take a first stroll through the city. The streets are wide, the buildings are tall, and the sidewalks are crowded with people. As one of the most significant religious centers for Shiites, Mashhad is a destination for many pilgrims who shape the cityscape around the Imam Reza Shrine. Then we return to the Aram, where we enjoy a soup in the evening and have a conversation with a Japanese person who now has to share the room with us.

On Sunday morning, we decide to move. No one can offer us a cheaper place to stay, and even storing our backpacks would require a fee. Time to go. So we stop at the nearest café with WiFi, looking for couchsurfing opportunities and accommodations marked on our maps. Then I stroll back to the Aram, as I have forgotten my camel wool socks, which have proven to be very useful lately. Meanwhile, Marcus organizes a new accommodation for us. At our meeting point, I am suddenly invited by some construction workers to smoke opium. It's probably meant to be nice, but it's not exactly what I'm in the mood for. Then we drop off our things in the hotel room. It's a lower standard again, but it is centrally located and cheap. In the afternoon, we take a walk to the train station. There are trains, but I would need a box to take the big guy with me, which I don't have. We are directed to the bus station instead. Then we stroll back to Hotel Sivan. In the meantime, I do some shopping and stop by the Aram Hostel again to collect some of our belongings. Meanwhile, Marcus contacts locals via Tinder.

On Monday morning (January 20, 2020), after breakfast, we head to the bus station. A local person takes care of our issue and guides us through the bus station area. There is a lot of shouting and wild gestures. Apparently, I still don't stand out enough with Rango. At times, I'm not quite sure if I've entrusted myself to the right person. In the end, I can find out the departure point, time, and ticket price. Several buses to Yazd, my next destination, leave daily for about 5€. I can probably take Rango with me, but the big guy will most likely have to go in the luggage compartment again. Back at the hotel, I need to rest a bit, as I still don't feel completely fit. In the evening, I go to dinner at a place I was invited to through couchsurfing. Unfortunately, no one is waiting for me at the agreed meeting point, nor is anyone reachable. Back at the hotel, I could surprisingly have someone pick me up, but I'm too tired for this nonsense. Maybe the invitation was just a taarof. Meanwhile, Marcus has better luck again via Tinder.

On Tuesday morning, it becomes clear that our paths will separate soon. Marcus wants to take the train to Kerman. After four months together in Central Asia, we are both ready for new adventures in Persia, but we have slightly different plans. So after a shared breakfast, we say goodbye to each other. Marcus checks out of Hotel Sivan, and I extend my stay for two more nights and then head to a doctor. In the nearby hospital, the responsible doctor diagnoses food poisoning just by looking at me and sends me with a note to the nearest pharmacy. The medications I purchased there are then administered to me at the clinic. The whole process seems very cheap to me, costing less than 10€. I spend most of the day relaxing in the room.

On Wednesday, January 22, 2020, relaxation is the main agenda again. Besides the obligatory strolls with Rango, we also visit the Imam Reza Shrine in the late afternoon. The turquoise-blue tiles and especially the golden embellished domes and minarets shine in the evening sun and create a beautiful contrast to the mostly black-clad other visitors. Back at the hotel, I settle my debts, although the man currently has no change and asks me to come back the next day.

I take it easy on Thursday. In the early afternoon, we check out and make our way to the bus station. Even after some discussion, I don't get the complete change back. I can cope with losing one Euro, but trying to fool me really annoys me. At the bus station, a security guard helps me organize a ticket. Meanwhile, I leave Rango in front of the ticket office with my backpack, surrounded by a group of officials. When I return to the big guy, I just see one of the policemen playing the tough guy and approaching my backpack. Rango makes it more than clear that the man has no business there. The guys in black run in all directions, and Mr. Cool gets an earful from me. It's unthinkable what would have happened if Rango had caught him. After everyone (especially me) has calmed down again, we go for a coffee together, and I am escorted to the bus stop until four o'clock. As expected, Rango has to take a place in the luggage compartment, and I also have to pay for the big guy later. Along the way, I have a small dinner, and I try to doze off. I take advantage of a longer break to take a stroll with the big guy in the wintry night, hoping for some more pleasant temperatures in Yazd, which is located much further south.