Monthly Archives: April 1970
Turkey
Splendid, early start, no bother during the night, LD blowing black smoke, heavy. Good run from Bayburt all the way to the Iranian border. Snow, rain, blazing sun. Had Half hour sun bathe by the roadside after nearly getting LD stuck. Fantastic scenery through thawing snow covered mountains, few eagles soaring, 2 Storks fighting on schoolhouse chimney. Decided … Continue reading
Iran
Wrote home M, L, What a performance today to cross the frontier, lost 2 hours off our time to start with. Up at 7 am then suddenly it was 10am. Through the Turkish boarder about 10 then another hour filling in forms for Iran. Through at last. Good roads on through Tabriz. Stopped for the night about … Continue reading
Iran
Good run all the way into Tehran 350 mile approx. Found camp site Camping-Gol-E-Sarah easy enough. 100 rial per night for 3 people Tent and LD. Nothing of interest from Tabriz scenery very flat and boring bit of a dust storm blowing up on way into Tehran. Found out its impossible to get into India without a Carnet du Passage. Can probably … Continue reading
Tehran
Drove into Tehran town centre today, never seen anything like it in my life, cars come and go at any and every angle regardless of what’s there. Walked from post office (where there was no mail) to Indian Embassy. He tells us “no Carnet, no go” Walked all the way back to Iran motoring club CLOSED. Blisters and sores … Continue reading
Tehran
Found out yesterday there’s been an earthquake in Turkey, it must have happened the same day we left Istanbul. Hope they arn’t too worried at home. Today covered in oil from head to foot put new filters in LD checked timing and generally cleaned up engine. Exhaust needs welding tomorrow. Filled in visitor’s book made foot prints … Continue reading
Tehran
Got exhaust welded excellent job 50r about 2/6 and a packet of Camel Cigarettes. Drove around town with no Silencer( Muffler) sounded like a tank. Drove to Iranian motor club to try and get a Carnet for India. Cost is £5 but a deposit of £250 is required. We have met a couple who will sign … Continue reading
Tehran
Up early and into town again. Chasing up and down! First Automobile Club of Iran for Carnet cost 980 rials £5 and cheque signed for the 2 of us for £500, courtesy of Lee and Pat an Australian and an Irish girl we met. Lucky for us. Then up to the Pakistan Embassy were they … Continue reading
Tehran
Received 2 letters M & L On the road 8.30 finally made some progress, got the Carnet then the road permit for Pakistan. Paid up at Camp Gol e Sahara. 500 rial. Packed and headed off to Isfahan arrived there at 10.30, good run, left at 3pm. 250 miles. 5 of us came along Lee and Pat great couple, LD ran well, … Continue reading
Ishfahan
The most fantastic sight we have seen It’s just how I imagined Tehran to be. The Mosque MASJID-E Shah, the dome and minarets completely covered in mosaic, mainly blue and yellow. It looks just how you would imagine Persia to be. The whole town dates back to the first civilisations in the world, I’m really glad we came down … Continue reading
Tehran
Yesterday we had the spring repaired, taken off new top leaves and put on a few lower leaves, made and fitted by hand no power tools. All finished in 1 hour 700 rial just under £4. Last night at Isfahan airport we had the gas cylinder and lamp stolen from under LD. Met the Germans once again, … Continue reading
Iran
Electrical short on battery melted battery lead. Leaving Tehran we developed a wheel wobble, had to move the roof rack to the front of LD, it cured the wobble. Covered 200 miles to the Caspian sea through Sari, and barren Mountains, holes in side of mountains turned out to be coal mines, all along the length of the road … Continue reading
Iran
All the lush green country as gone now and were back in arid semi desert. The road has changed into a potholed dirt track for 200 miles. A to B is a new road in the process of being built but its taken 10 years up to now. LD has developed a bad wheel wobble, have … Continue reading
Iran
Finished with dirt road at last, 250 miles of it then a good road into Mashed. stopped just west of town. Changed water in radiator, very rusty looking tightened up manifold bolts. Lee and Pat travelling in a 1959 Peugeot and not a bit of trouble with it. Kids hanging around every time we stop … Continue reading
Afghanistan
Through the Afghan frontier without any problems, Gave a lift to a couple travelling to Herat. Had a meal in a café approx 1/3 for rice and meat etc. Went to the couples room to smoke hash, he bought a large piece freely in a shop and also a water pipe to smoke it. Bev … Continue reading
Kandahar Afghanistan
Drove 250 miles today from a few miles outside Herat to Kandahar. The road was through completely barren deserts with the brown tents of nomads scattered about. The heat making mirages on the horizon looked like huge lakes, then gradually the roads are tree lined and there’s green grass. A few whirl winds tried to get going in … Continue reading
Kabul Afghanistan
Banda Kagahar (Lake Kagahar Dam) Left the hotel in Kandahar the grounds were really nice, Roses and plenty of green grass. 318 miles to Kabul through more barren desert land, few nomads and camels, diesel stations about 60 miles apart. Few miles from Kabul a great thunderstorm, tried to photograph the lightening. Green hills all the way into Kabul. Lost Lee and Pat somewhere on … Continue reading
Kabul
Slept late this morning. Beautiful day sun blazing, the lake looks good with the snow on the Hindu Kush behind. Went shopping in Kabul for fruit and bread, got my shoes mended in the bazaar, looks really oriental in there, vegies very cheap. Changed £25 into rupees and £10 into US Dollars got 730 rupees, official rate is … Continue reading
Kabul
Sunshine all day again, just lazing about, wrote home. We were invited down to a spawning ground for trout at the bottom of the Dam by the man who runs it, it was very interesting too, the wages for him in Afghanistan (and he’s a qualified vet) are $22 a month and the workers get about 600 … Continue reading
Kabul
Total Road Tolls 230 Afghanis A day in Kabul again bought a can for water after much arguing and bartering 120 Afghanis . Wrote home again. Collected some water from the trout farm it was beautiful ice cold spring water. Felt sorry for the bloke running the place hes a really nice intelligent person but cant get a better … Continue reading
Khyber Pass into Pakistan
Mileage on clock at 1 pm 99999 Set off for Pakistan, LD boiling over took out thermostat. Changed $3 into Afghanis and gave him 16 US dollars by mistake, bought piece of hash for $3 and find we only have 4 left out of $23. Bought leather bag for 150 af, full length afghan fur coats are … Continue reading