The Orient Hotel (US$50 per night) did offer breakfast at 7.30 but we wanted to leave early to avoid the heat of the day as much as possible on the 560km trip from Yadz to Bam. So by 7.00am we were on our way, making a brief stop for fuel. Along the desert road we saw an accident that had just happened….but plenty of help was already on the scene so we didn’t stop to offer assistance. We saw sheep for the first time in Iran, previously we have seen goats and a few camels.
At our second fuel stop a group of women approached us, with two small children wanting to take photos….I agreed as the little girl was completely fascinated by me….I also removed my helmet of some of their photos and gave her a sticker…..I guess I am something she has never seen before….it’s illegal for women to ride motorbikes here and even if they are a pillion, none wear any protective body armour or helmets.
There was a vast nothingness to our journey for most of today….but every now and then there would appear a group of domed mud brick houses….literally in the middle of nowhere! I don’t know how people could live in these extreme conditions. Another phenomenon is the sudden appearance of industrial companies…such as concrete, again in the middle of absolutely nowhere!
Kerman was much larger than we expected and quite modern compared to some places we have past through, including works of art along the roadside along with a Dutch windmill, but we didn’t stop…. we were on a mission to crunch the kilometres and get to Bam. We did call into a small roadside stop south of Kerman and bough some drinks, ice-cream and little cakes…..the only food we had all day. Not ideal but you take what you can get!
We passed through some toll gates…..but as usual no charge for our motorbike….which really should not have been on there in the first place.
When we arrived in Bam around 3.00pm and had a bit of trouble finding Akbar’s Tourist Guest House, where we were booked in. A local motorcycle rider helped out by letting us follow him right to the front gate. Akbar was out, but his helper, Sam (also a guest from England), greeted us and made us some tea. With Akbar’s arrival also came the offer of some famous Bam dates….they were delicious. Our room was basic but adequate….although very hot with no fan or air conditioning. Opening the window did provide a bit of breeze….but it was still very hot.
In the evening Sam took us to one of the few local restaurants where we ate outside in a hut, sitting on cushions on the floor. Unfortunately, I left my camera behind so have no photos of this, or the heard of goats walking along the main street!
