Salt Lake and departure for Abyaneh

In the morning we leave the caravanserail of Maranjab to return to the road back on board our 4/4 and always accompanied by our young Germans.

Our guide makes us discover the Salt Lake, now a mixture of land and salt.

We also go to the meeting of herds of camels in freedom and who populate the desert.

A technique to get them closer, just shake a plastic bag in the wind. Subdued by the noise, the camels come closer to us.

Back in the late morning to the hotel where we had left our luggage. The expedition that had been wonderfully well ended. The hotel asks for an extra charge of 500 000 IRR. In addition, we are asked €6 per person for accommodation at caravanserai.

The two young Germans were angry at what was clearly an attempt at extortion.

We resume the taxi that had led us to the garden of end. We had negotiated with him the transport to Abyaneh (500 000 IRR).

The Abyaneh road passes to the side of Iran’s security base. The deployment of the missile ramps that have been the subject of a very close negotiation with the United Nations. The area is surrounded by watchtowers. Of course, the photos are strictly forbidden.

Another peculiarity of Abyaneh, the altitude. The city is perched at about 3000 meters and it is less and less pleasing to the driver and his vehicle, which more and more smoke escapes from the engine.

Before entering the village, an agent stops us to make us pay the access: 50 000 IRR per person.

The taxi will eventually abandon us in the centre of Abyaneh more concerned about the state of its vehicle than that of its passengers. We are not going to blame him for the smoke column that was now escaping from the engine.

And it is always in difficult circumstances, that the tourist is being had, pressed by time. It didn’t miss. A big fellow, seeing us lost, proposes to bring us with his car to our hotel. The free act transforms into an invoice of 200 000 IRR for only 2 km.

The hotel is huge and almost empty. The room is spacious with a view of the surrounding mountains.

Discovery of the village of Abyaneh classified in the World Heritage by UNESCO.

Abyaneh is a mountain-flan village. The walls, cobblestones of the streets are ochre-coloured, linked to the richness of the ground in ferrous oxide.

The roofs of the houses serve as terrace to the others. The intermingling of alleys is also one of the characteristics of the village and gives it its stamp.

The inhabitants of the tourist potential of their village await the tourists, dressed in their traditional costume on the step of their home.

They seem to have only one goal to sell you junk and sodas. Stay in the village The Elders, the young people who deserted to inhabit the big cities.

The evening ends with a very serene atmosphere. We walk on one of the trails at Abyaneh and we get hail by a family who picnic by the river.

The Iranians love tourists, more often than not, to just talk. This is the case with this family who invites us to share their meal and with whom we have exchanged a long time.

They come from Qom, high place of worship in Iran. The father is an English teacher, and after a photo shoot, invites us to go home. In an upcoming trip or other life, maybe ….