Day 08 - Tabriz

Day 08 Sunday August 21

We are in Tabriz, the weather is quite pleasant and the plan is to visit the bazaar in the morning and in the evening we go to Kandovan.

2 minivans drop us off at the largest covered bazaar in the world called Amir or Tabriz bazaar. Under its tall arches are shops where you can buy anything under the sun.

Shops selling jewelry, carpets, dry fruits and nuts jostle for space in narrow gullies and people bang against each other to pass. We spent a good two hours doing a lot of window shopping. After bulk group purchase of saffron and dry fruits &&, we went for lunch at Tooska Fast food and then back to the hotel.

At around 5 pm, we headed for Kandovan and on the way Arash conjured up another trick, we refueled directly from the source, at Tabriz Refinery!!!!!! "ekdum tazaa maal" 

Kandovan is a small village where people live in dwellings carved out of rocks. The original inhabitants were nomads but now it's mainly a tourist attraction. It was an interesting climb to see some houses and small shops. A young girl who spoke some English interacted with the group.

A family from Kurdistan had come to visit Kandovan. They had come to Tabriz for medical treatment and were very intrigued by the fleet of cars driven by foreigners. They took pictures with us and enthusiastically shared some facts about their way of life.

Today was our first real experience of meeting and talking to the local people in Iran. All are very friendly and are keen to talk with us. We do not know each other but a smile is the universal language understood by all. We felt welcome and are very happy to be here (thanks to AO) as otherwise one does not think of Iran as a holiday destination. We would have loved to see more of Iran had it not been for the out-of-control delay in getting our car. One of the facets of a road trip that I learned is not to be upset when circumstances are beyond our control. I am still learning and struggling to implement it in my life

Today's figures:

Laleh Park Hotel Tabriz 4.50 pm

Diesel at Tabriz Refinery 5.40 pm - 29 kms

Kondovan village 7 pm - 42 kms

Laleh Park Hotel 11.45 pm - 70 kms

Traveled today 141 kms

Total distance 2354 kms