What is in your cup?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by astra

Ouch. Nothing is ever simple. You make it yourself!

Well... yeah. If I want 'really good' I have to make it myself. If I want just OK, I'll go to an Indian restaurant. The restaurants have to consider making a profit. I don't, so I can use all the very best ingredients.

I have a hard time to imagine tea with milk accompanying Indian food (probably with meat and spices)

Actually, I have the Chai as really more of an after dinner drink. Almost a dessert.

Stitchawl

[GeoffC]

Does anyone juice - and if so with what juicer ? Ta in antic ....

[desertblues]

Yes! Wifi again; excuse the typo's

Beautiful weather it was yesterday; the veil is getting a bit warm, as are the clothes.An early start from Tabriz for a 14-hours drive to Takab.

At our right the Lake Orimiyek. This is a salted lake, like the Dead Sea, so I would float in it, if I would take a bath. That I will not, as one dive in the Dead Sea two years back was enough: eyes pricking like h..ll and every tiny cut burned clean out.
It is part of the Unesco Biosphere Reseve; only living thing in it is a primitive worm, Artimesia, which is greatly liked by migrating birds, such as flamenco's.They would need the minerals as well, of course.
In the middle of the lake is an island where Hulagu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan is buried, with a ceremony where several virgins were sacrificed.

At our left the Sahandmountains once more; rocky surfaces with grass and the inevitable herds of longhaired smelly goats and sheep, herded by Kurds and tall golden dogs, that resemble that special breed from east-Turkey.
A much friendlier landscape then yesterday and more optimistic somehow, hopeful. There's a lot of building going on, the houses are more prosperous, better planned and the people more relaxed. Life is hard, but less than elsewhere near the border.
The farmland on the slopes are walled with loose rocks. There are lots of fruittrees, each with their own earthen wall to keep the water in; hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts and a curious dark flat brown mandarin-sized hard shell with a tiny nut in it. Those nuts are grinded, boiled and produce a very tasty dark translucent spread.I bought a jar, just out of curiosity.I tasted some of it of a large knife, dipped in it, from a friendly Kurd.
And another product of that region is honey and its honeycombs....lovely.Sometimes we have some combs for breakfast.

In Kardovan we stounded at the cone-shaped troglodyt houses and the ones build of rocks, held together by clay, with flat roofs. Time has no meaning there, it seems. I could have been transported into the middle ages. Goats scrambling through narrow steep streets, paved with rocks.Most of the women don't wear black veils and clothes, but much brighter colors. Fierce dark brown eyes;it were Azerbaijani, which make out 25% of the population of Iran.

On to Bonab, known for its atomic research and the derelict Mehrabad Mosque, with wooden pillars, from 1083. It is being restored.
Maraqeh has some fine tombtowers; we saw the Gonbad-e Sorkh.

Through the Baradar-shahmountains we reached Takab; after the long drive. I didn't even bother to eat as I was tired and fed up with salad, which was the only thing to be had.A very primitive hotel,but.....wifi!

Takab is near Takht-e Soleiman (Solomon's throne); nothing to do with King Solomon;just a tale from the 7th century by the Persian temple-guardians, to prevent the destruction by the Arabs, islams, which held the biblical prophets in high regard.This Unesco World Heritage site from the 3rd century, was the spiritual centre of the Zoroastrianism (first mono-theistic religion ever).

After a breakfast of fetacheese,flat bread,eggs and tea, I visited that ancient religious center the next day. Earth, wind, water and fire were venerated there. A water-crater forms the centre of the site and that poisonous water was channeled to a Water-Temple. Fire,through natural volcanic gasses was led to and lit at the Fire-Temple.Though in ruins; it is a beautiful place to behold and to experience in its sanctioness and history.Peaceful; nothing bad here.

We ate lunch somewhere, in the middle of nowhere; I manage to order me a Kukuh-sabsi= omelet with spinach and spicy herbs. Lovely.And tea, always tea.

In Qizil Belakh we were invited in a traditional farmers house, a mud-block home build from rocks, straw and mud/ clay. The women's room was protected against bad things by an amulet above the entrance. Nice oriental rugs on the floor from wall to wall, and the women were weaving another, tradtional rug with a beautiful pattern og red/blue/white flowers.Leaning against an outside wall was a heap of dried dung patties, for fuel.

On with the caravan; our next stop will be Sanandaj, the capital of Kordestan province, the Kurds.
Rain and sun today; not bad weather.

BTW: We discovered today that our Iranian driver, and most of them, are not able to read, to interprete roadmaps. That is a concept that seems, in some way, too abstract to comprehend. Never knew that.

[desertblues]

A beautiful morning again on this fascinating journey through Iran,It seems to be a journey through time as well in some regions.
After a breakfast of Ahmad tea, soft feta-cheese, tomatoes,cucumber and eggs I'm more then ready for this new day.We have a very primitive hotel; toilet a hole, well....

This day will be for the exploration of the Kurdish territory and its cultural history, as we're in the capital of Kordistan, Senna (Sanandaj); a city of major importance in the Middle Ages; a sprawling, friendly, big city now.
Men,also young men, often wear the traditional cummerbands and baggy trousers. And they look good in it; swaggering, a bit dashing, exotic. I like it.

We are near the border with Iraq. Through the gentle green slopes, but at times harsh and
barren as well, of the Kuh-e-Sahu mountains, we drive to Negel. Here is the home, a holy muslim place, of one of the four of the oldest
Qoran since Mohammed's days;732,the third generation. In the Jame Mosque of Abdollah ben Omar. The prophet Mohammed preached from 622-632 from Mekka to Medina, so this Qoran reflects his words best. It has been stolen three times and miraceously recovered each time. Women and men see it seperately, in their own sections, on their pilgrimage along holy places.

Lake Zeribar, nearer to the border, next. We relaxed a bit, had some tea and took a walk along the lake:huge green/ brown frogs and little mountainflowers yellow/pink/lilac/bright white and red. A herd of longhaired sheep wanted to nibble at us, westeners. A beautiful silent lake and the green mountains with eternal snow rising above it.

In Jezli, a few miles near the Iraqi border, we asked and got permission to walk through this Kurdish village. Very interesting; the women are more indepent than elsewhere in Iran, with brighter colors *as well. It is a dangerous area, so we had to stay together and were closely followed by the bus.

On our way back we were stopped at a road-block and got thouroughly searched and
intimidated by the police. Yes, passports back in the hotel (mandatory)and copy in suitcase(stupid of course)in the hotel.We were allowed to pass after some time and arrived safely at the hotel.

Again 'en route' along green moutains and patches of fertile land along one of the small rivers, herds os sheep and the occasional donkey. Men and women both work the fields;a lot of manual labour.There are a many stone-quarries in this region.Our end-destination today will be Hamadan, via Kermanshah,Tak-e-Bustan and Bisotun.

Kermanshah, a city which develloped along the Royal Road to Bagdad in the 4th century AD, is famous for its basreliefs at Tak(q)-e-Bostan. It are Sassanians(AD 224-642)reliefs, carved in a towering cliff:elephant-back hunting scenes, with the kings KhosrowII,ShapurII+III and Shah Ardashir, defeated Roman emperors and the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda.
Well, they are magnificent, impressive in stature. There are also some other bas-reliefs from Kings and gods from 2200 BC.

I visited the Shiite Hosseiniehs: plays are acted out, in remembrance of the martyrdom of
Imam Hossein at the battle of Karbala(AD680), which divided the islam in Shiism and Sunnism.Shiism is most influencal in Iran.
A beautiful shrine that was build in 1913. With res/blue/yellow leaded windows, thousands of decorated tiles; depicting scenes and pre-islamitic figures, but also 19th century scenes and buildings.*
For the Sjiites, the nephew of the prophet Mohammed, Ali is the direct successor of Mohammed, and for the Soennites the appointed Caliph.
In the tiles is also a clay footprint of Ali, worshipped by all.

Bisotun is the next stop. Huge cliffs flank this city, were I saw another series of basreliefs, dated from 521BC. Those are engraved in the cliffs that are part of the Kuh-e-Parawmountains. It is an Unesco World Heritage site.
Most important engraving is the one of King Darius the great(522-486BC, rule of the Achaemenids 550-330). It depicts him receiving imprisoned supplicants while a farohar(Zoroastrian angel of purity)hovers above.And quite low a figure of Hercules, hewn out of the rocks and the remains of a hunters cave of the Middle paleolithical period, where Neanderthaler bones were found.
On the way to the hotel,on the right the Kuh-e-Alvand mountains. A beautiful rainbow divided the sky in dark and light. I could even see the beginning of it....

Folks: this was the most beautiful day since I went to Iran. I'm very happy about all I've seen and heard. Four weeks is too little for this magnificent country and its friendly inhabitants; 17 days to.
Another 4 hours in the bus, before we reach Hamadan, where I really hope to have wifi(+ normal toilet and some other food than lentilsoup and salad)so I can post a 4-days worth of travels. I miss you all a bit...

[kindlekitten]

thanks for checking in! and thanks for the word pictures!

[ProfCrash]

Yeah travel reports!

Awesome.

Thanks

[GeoffC]

Yeh travel reports - is this going to be a book in the making when you're back home .... ?

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

Yeh travel reports - is this going to be a book in the making when you're back home .... ?

Well, I was thinking about some pictures to go with it and assemble it. But just thoughts, as I have a party for 120 to host when I get back.

BTW: I drink Ahmad tea practically every day and liking it more and more.

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by desertblues

i have an arabic keyboard and sketchy internet, so I won't be able to post my travel report tonight and tomorrow. i cannot do ciphers etc. 1234555566034567

To explain: I had this keyboard with Arabic ciphers only, but in the end it converted automatically to " normal" ciphers, but I didn't know that at the time+ a whole load of people breathing down my neck and asking every second if I was done. Just glad to have wifi now and can send my docs via the iPad or iPadtouch.

[maianhvk]

I love Blues' posts. Very informative, yet interesting enough for a lazy one like me to read them all.

I'm having Red Bull.

[GeoffC]

Ginger Drink - Gold Kili ...

[ProfCrash]

Blue Spring Oolong and loving it.

I think that Gong Fu has become my go to shop for Oolong tea.

[beppe]

Originally Posted by desertblues

Well, I was thinking about some pictures to go with it and assemble it. But just thoughts, as I have a party for 120 to host when I get back.

BTW: I drink Ahmad tea practically every day and liking it more and more.

Assimilation team, get ready for the final word. Although ... if I understand just a bit of our traveler, I would not sing victory yet. I am afraid(?) that cold Arabica will win in the end.

[The Terminator]

Tea orange pekoe.

[TenaciousBadger]

wild-berry tea