Day 09 - Salaam Iran, Hello Turkey
Day 09 Monday August 22
A big thank you to the local team in Iran (Arash, Sarah, Amir and Ali) for supporting us and taking care of the smallest details during our stay here.
It is with mixed feelings that we leave. Iran is like a beautiful lady in a hijab. She doesn't feel the need to interact with others nor does she want them to come to her house. She is content with herself and her own world.
As we drive from Tabriz in Iran to Van in Turkey, it's the first time for me and many of us to cross the border from one country to another by road in a self-driving car.
We leave early at 7.15 am and as we climb higher towards the border the terrain changes. The vegetation and trees are different, the air is crisp and I love driving in the mountains surrounded by tall peaks and clear skies.
We reach the Iranian border check post at 12.30 pm. It's a very busy place with hundreds of people and cars (mostly taxis) taking people crossing over from Turkey to various places in Iran. For us as foreigners and driving non-Iranian cars there are a whole lot of formalities to be done. Exit stamps on our Carnet and visas, customs duty to be paid on the fuel (technically we are exporting the diesel that is in the fuel tank of the car), luggage screening (which did not happen) etc. In the middle of all this, the AO team got hot vegetable rolls and cold drinks for all of us. They take so much care of us. Hats off to their thoughtfulness and stellar attitude. It took 4 hours to complete the paperwork and we entered Turkey border control.
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| Iran side of the border |
We got cleared in about 2 hours (total 6 hours formalities for the crossing) but we gained one and a half hour due to the time zone. Turkey is GMT +3 so now we are 2 and half hours behind India.
After leaving Iran At Turkey border control
We had a tea break and entered Turkey at 5 pm local time. The local guide Ms. Tijan is here to receive us along with Tarun, the photographer.
As we are driving to our hotel in Van, there is a noticeable difference in the roads, the houses, the cars and the terrain. The road signs and the number plates of the vehicles are in English and somehow it feels more open and cheerful. It's as if the veil of the hijab has been lifted.
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| A lovely sunset |
Today's figures:
Laleh Park Hotel, Tabriz, Iran 7.15 am
Iran / Turkey border 12.30 pm - 3.30 pm - 254 kms
Double Tree by Hilton, Van, Turkey - 7.30 pm - 110 kms
Traveled today 364 kms
Total distance 2718 kms
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