Iran part 2

Iran alone

Travelling alone as a woman in Iran,
I have to admit that I was a little bit nervous again, as if I was going on another trip, to an unknown place.

Both girls we met before entering Iran said they had experienced some kind of sexual harassment, even travelling in couple.    Both girls had had a man grab them in intimate parts.
Travelling with Bernard I never experienced any of this, so I was growing more confident that it would not happen with me.

Thankfully, I think my gamble paid off. However there was one occasion where a young teenager grabbed me by my butt from his motorbike! Although I was very angry, it didn't feel threatening, neither did I feel scared. This was just a 12-year old kid showing off to his 10-year old friend. I did consider for a moment whether to turn back to his village, wait behind a corner and slab him in the face, as soon as he showed up!
However I knew it was more wise just to let it go...

Not so bad those Iranian shepards.. 😉

From all the days in Iran this was the only little incident. Which disappears into nothing, if you take into account all the good things that happened to me:

One day a little boy was running like hell through the field, to catch up with me and give me a melon.

Basically, I never had to buy dinner or breakfast. If you want to, you're invited all the time.

A family took care of me when I was vomitting non-stop in the park. They dragged me into hospital, took care of my stuff and let me recover in their house.

Teatime, anytime you want; If you come upon a truck parked alongside the road, in the middle of nowhere, you will get some tea under the truck and shelter from the sun; shepherds wave from afar to make you stop and have some tea.

I’ve been given bags of fruit; Cars drive you almost off the road to make you stop and give you water or fruit.

I can continue for a while like this.
Even the police turned out to be helpful. They checked on me in the desert. Arranged a hotel for me and they escorted me through the city, asking me if I wanted breakfast or to visit a museum.

It has been crazy and impressive.

Iranians suppose that the whole world thinks bad about them and they - so much want to prove the opposite. Besides that it's their culture to give a guest everything he needs.
So I would definitely advise Iran as a holiday-country.  I have never ever felt scared or in danger. Not even alone.
And of course men will help a woman, if she is alone. As soon as Bernard was gone, even the woman in black were friendly to me!

 BUT...and here comes the big but!😉

I would still advise one to travel in company, if you can. At least if you plan to stay a few weeks. Not because of safety, not at all, but because of your mental health. 😂
Especially travelling alone as a woman.

Everyone wants your attention. Everyone wants a picture. And yes, they would drive you off the road for that too. Everyone wants to know all about you. Everytime you hear a motorbike slowing down to drive next you, you think: here we go again..
'No I don't speak Farsi, No I don't understand you better if you speak slower or louder. Don’t look at me like that, you better look in front of you!'

I did actually thought about making a print out to give everyone and on it, written in farsi would be:
1. I'm from Belgium
2. Yes I am alone
3. Why I am alone? Because my friends don't travel by bike.
4. No I'm not married and I don't have children. Otherwise I wouldn't be travelling alone would I?
5. I am 34 years old (or was it 31?😂)
6. Can I go now? Thank you goodbye.

For people who speak a little better English and you stay the night with, there would be a second print out:

1. I work as a nurse
2. How many dollars I  make every month, although I’d prefer not to tell you.
3. I don't know how the conditions are for you to immigrate and work in Belgium.
4. No I don't know if you can get married easily to a belgian. I don't think it's  a good idea... 🙄

They are desperate.  They are done with their government. Which I understand.
I just hope for them, that one day their situation will change.
We don't realise how good we have it in Belgium. The girl that took me to the hospital was 14 years old when she got married. She had to get married. One day later I spoke to a girl who was only 13 years old and married.  I was shocked when I heard that. I didn't realise.

Of anyone has suggestions how to make dissepear the dot in the camera.. 

They want to get rid of their hijab and their dictator.
In Belgium we are very good at complaining about everything going wrong.
But at least we CAN complain: Without finishing in prison for it. It took us generations to achieve what we have now. We can not let that slip away. We finally ALL have the right to vote. We have the right to dress like we want, and to decide for ourselves about the beginning and end of life. We can decide to whom and when we get married. And so much more. Even amongst Europe we are a progressive country. So stop moaning about everything going wrong and make sure we don’t lose what we have now.
This had to be said. This is what one month of dictatorship does to me.

 In the end I was completely losing my patience with Iranians.
The worse was in Mashad. It’s a holy city, with a holy shrine (the mausoleum from Imam nr 8, Imam Reza). It's the largest mosque in the world by area, and every year 20 million Muslims from all over the world come to visit it.
So yes, I can understand you need to make strict controls and you need to be frisked to get in. But then I was forbidden to see the shrine because I am not a Muslim, and especially the way they treated me and my friend once there made me so angry and made me want to leave ASAP.
No matter how beautiful the place was, for once those religious-maniacs could put their holy shine in that place where the sun doesn't shrine.

So I am very happy to go forward now. To the next country.
Tomorrow I will be In Turkmenistan to start the famous Turkmenin desert marathon. Because we only have 5-days transit visum. From now on I'm in the bottle neck, direction Pamir, so I expect to meet more cyclists now.
 I guess that will be a good thing for my mental health! 😁