[desertblues]

Ahmad tea. English tea nr 1. In my cup. I put a teabag in a porcelain teapot, half filled with boiling water and let it steep for a few minutes, until it was goldbrown. Taste: mellow. I like it.

Travelling in Iran is turning the clock some decades back. Like travel behind the Iron Curtain some 40 years back. The itinerary has to be approved of by the police and one cannot drive another road, or go to another hotel. Our driver has to check in very regular at the policeposts. Police are stopping cars quite often, to check on them. We cannot say to the driver: let's go over here or there....
In the visa of my passport is a microchip that has been read at the border and by the approved route and hotels, one always knows where I am. If the driver takes too long over his trip; he gets an inquiry from the police to ask what's the matter.
Yesterday we travelled over the sparsely habitated and barren mountains of the Albroz. Eternal snow high upon the slopes. A lot of constructionwork going on: roads and dams, as well. It was clouded and drizzeled a bit. Perhaps that is why this part of the country looks so poor and shabby. Puddles of water, half builded houses, a lot of garbage, practically no
dogs or cats to be seen. But friendly people....
Whenever I make such a trip the first three photo's on my camera are: my house,
daughter and cat Polly. When I talk to someone, that's one of the first things I show and then......ice is broken....I get to see their husbands/wifes/children/whatnot..We touch each other, yes even the men; we may be offered some freshly baked flat bread, or a cup of tea, but above all kindness.
We travelled along ricefields; they have a lovely tasting long grain rice, very soft but firm. In the lagunes fishers, all garbed in black from head to toe, threw huge nets, single handedly, in the water.
Today I'm at the border of the Caspian Sea, in Bandar-e-Azali, the foremost port city of Iran.It was once the harbour of the Russian Caspian&Mercury Mail- Steamship Company. i'm planning to see the beautiful Russian house facades and taste Klucheh Fuman, a Gillian cookie filled with walnut paste, fresh from the oven.
As for the food: till now I've had a lot of greens; all kinds of salads with koriander. Also an eggplant dish that resembles the Baba Ganoush I know from Syria. Last night I ate a salad, two eggs and flat bread. Yes, very healthy (ahem). Breakfast is tomatoes, cucumber, soft fetacheese ( delicious salted), eggs and flat bread.
Tomorrow we' ll be leaving for Astara, near the border with Azerbeidjan. The weather is nice today.