Through detours to Iran

Saturday, 24.03.2018 - still in Solingen

A selection of luggage is on my bed. Packing is more difficult than usual because we want to dress appropriately as guests and therefore search our wardrobes for clothes that are not too form-fitting, cover everything that should remain unseen, and at the same time keep us cool in the high temperatures. We'll start tomorrow evening. We fly from Vienna on Wednesday, and before that I'll be staying with Koko for two nights. That's the plan so far.

In the afternoon, I video chat with Uwe and Markus to plan our Sail & Yoga trip.

"By the way, we're having a party at my place tonight, are you coming too?" Uwe asks at the end, half serious, half joking. Two hours later, with my backpack packed, I'm on my way to the airport because the party is in Berlin.

Monday, 26.03.2018 / Berlin - Frankfurt

After a beautiful Sunday in the capital with Uwe and my favorite namesake Caro, I fly to Frankfurt. Koko and I relax in the thermal baths during the day. However, in terms of appearances, the evening would have been more rewarding, we realize when we leave.

Tuesday, 27.03.2018 / Frankfurt - Vienna

About half an hour before arriving in Vienna, I receive a text message: "Lunch is ready." I'm briefly confused, then I remember that it must be Honzo who's writing to me. Honzo is our Couchsurfing host. We have not met him yet, but we're staying with him tonight. On our last trip together, Aga and I encountered quite unique hosts, and I hope that Honzo will be more pleasant.

This time we're lucky, Honzo is very friendly. We have our own room and there are small welcome gifts on our beds. Being a true Viennese, he is also the perfect guide.

Time flies. I have arranged a reunion with Helga (met in Malaysia) and Sebastian (acquaintance from childhood). And unexpectedly, Enrique joins us as well. My jaw drops for two minutes when he suddenly walks towards us with his girlfriend. The two Cologne residents are on a short trip and have spontaneously been invited by Honzo for a glass of wine tonight.

Wednesday, 28.03.2018 / Vienna - Tehran

It's already time to get up at 6:30am. Sleep is overrated, as they say. In any case, I haven't had much sleep the past three nights. Being super fit is something else. "Coffee or tea?" Honzo is already up and preparing breakfast in the kitchen. "Coffee, thanks." I reply and almost feel guilty because I definitely can't eat anything yet.

Therefore, Honzo gives us a bag with bananas and peanut butter and jam sandwiches for the journey. It's so nice and heartwarming how well taken care of we are here.

We sit down together for a moment with our coffees before Aga and I have to catch the bus.

The bus arrives immediately, but we miss our connection at Vienna Central Station.

The next train departs half an hour later. With a 15-minute delay. No, it's cancelled. We're starting to run out of time, and it's almost impossible for us to reach the airport on time using public transportation. We decide to call an Uber. When we step in front of the train station, there's an airport shuttle ready to depart. I cancel the Uber and we get on the shuttle. There's even Wi-Fi, so I quickly check us in online, find out which terminal we need to go to, and when the deadline for baggage drop-off is - 45 minutes before departure. We arrive at the airport one hour before our flight and are on time for the planned boarding time at the gate. But traditionally, they still wait for ten minutes after boarding time.

Shortly before landing in Tehran, we are reminded to put on our head coverings.

The visa process is much easier than expected. Our insurance certificates are only briefly checked and there are no further questions asked. The whole process takes about half an hour, then we are free to go.

As we enter the arrival hall, we cannot see Vali, who was supposed to pick us up. Vali is a good friend of an Iranian family I met in Malaysia. They themselves live in Kuala Lumpur, but Amy gave me Vali's contact information.

Finally, we ask someone if they would call Vali for us. It turns out he was waiting in Hall B and we were in Hall A.

The welcome is warm and Vali is very kind. In the car, he has a bag full of fruits, pastries, nuts, and candies for us. As we pass a watermelon stand, we even get a watermelon.

After checking into the hostel, we take a walk together through the historic part of Tehran. Vali treats us to a dessert at a street stall that is difficult for us to define. It's like a mix of thin rice noodles and water ice. Unusual, but delicious. Afterwards, we have falafel, and then we make our way back to the hostel. We are exhausted from the past few days and the flight and are looking forward to bed.

Since we don't have accommodation for the next few days, we check Couchsurfing for potential hosts and contact Ali. He responds immediately and says he is going with friends to a villa outside Tehran and we are welcome to join.

So, no sleep, but concealer for the dark circles under our eyes, and off we go. We leave our luggage at the hostel. Ali says we'll make it back for check-out anyway.

One hour later - midnight has passed already - Ali and Milad pick us up, and shortly afterwards we pick up another friend. They all make a great impression, and we're happy with the decision to go out again, even though my eyes keep closing during the drive.

The villa is not what we would call a villa. I would rather describe it as a cozy country cottage. Two guys join us. We chat and play cards until six in the morning. Then we set up a sleeping area in the living room. Aga and I take the sofas, four of the guys make themselves comfortable with blankets on the floor, and one sleeps in the next room.

Thursday, 29.03.2018 / Karaj - Alamut Valley

For breakfast, Ehsan makes "omelette". We would call Iranian omelette scrambled eggs. Eggs mixed with tomato paste, tomatoes, and bell peppers in a pan to form a paste. Super delicious.

The guys have decided that we could go to Alamut Valley today. A place that is also on our imaginary list. However, this means that we will never make it back to the hostel on time. We were already running late anyway, but a trip to Alamut would mean that we would only arrive in Tehran around 10pm or 11pm. At least that's the estimate.
Mohammed, the hostel owner, agrees. The room won't be occupied tonight anyway.

The drive to Alamut takes a while, as most of the way goes through the mountains.

When we arrive, it's almost dark already. The journey, including a break for lunch and ice cream, took about five hours. The Alamut fortress is already closed, and Ehsan says we will have to spend the night here.