We „enjoy“ the typical Iranian traffic on our way out of Kerman. It is surprising how the mentality changes when the friendly, polite guys start to drive. Who slows down, looses. We stop all the time, but still feel like winners. When we finally managed to leave the city, wind is coming up. We are lucky: tailwind. But it is very strong and carries lots of dust and sand with it. To protect our eyes and lungs we cover our heads completely – but despite the murky visibility we enjoy the stunning landscape on our way to the last mountain pass at 2400 m altitude. It seems like all the car drivers get the impression that we were struggling – and they provide us everything necessary... and unnecessary. Again we got lots of fruits, basil seeds, dried figs, water, bread and so on. With some kilograms more we are happy to reach the summit.

Saying goodbye has become a constant companion. After several weeks travelling in the Emirates and Oman, meeting great people and admiring breathtaking landscapes, we pedal towards the ferry terminal. We leave plenty great memories behind...... no, we take them with us. Our next destination is Iran. Upon arriving at the port we realize, saying hello has become a constant companion as well. Among many Iranians, the ferryboat is used by some internationals: There are two Italian couples on motorcycles, two Overlander trucks from Germany and a Mercedes Sprinter with a family from France. We always enjoy those meeting to chat, exchange information and experiences.

On the way to Hormuz we get surprised by the boisterous atmosphere. Almost all passengers were dressed up in outdoor gear with big backpacks and camping equipment. One of the men asked Christian whether it’s ok to sing a song for him about Isfahan. Less than a minute later all passengers came on deck and joined him singing.

In the first part we reported that we had been surprised by a snowstorm in the middle of the desert, got ill and that we were running out of food because of crappy maps (read here). The next morning we solved these problems – or we should say miners solved it: They invited us to warm up inside and supplied us with tea and lunch. They also had a look to our map – and told us it is really bad, same for both navigation apps. To make sure we don’t get lost, they quickly sketch the most accurate map of the area on a small piece of paper. In fact, at the mine the gravel road ends and we pedal on a paved road to a village nearby. There we filled our stocks and could fully enjoy the landscape on our way to Yazd with springlike temperatures. We put away one piece after another of our warm cloths.

We were especially looking forward to pedal Iran ever since we started to plan our route. Right before we arrived, newspaper and TV news were full of reports about demonstrations against the government. As there has been no travel warning issued, we decided to stick to our plan. To create maximum suspense: We didn’t feel insecure at all – rather the opposite: We felt welcome and literally everyone seemed to be happy to talk to us.