Expedition Persia and Middle-East (pt I aka "the digital appetizer")

Salam fellows and gals!

Will post some pics from Iran expedition we did two up with one bike.
It was more than 17 000 kilometre and 5 weeks of ride from Estonia to Turkey and Iran, then back via Greece and Italy.

The most and the best photos i have all on film which i'm developing, enlarging and scanning now, but i had my digital with me too for some documenting, so these i can post now. But note, if my films didn't got deformed after the crash in Poland, then the best photos are to come.



In Istanbul, front of Blue Mosque. Photo by Denis, we met in Romania






Dogubeyazit aka Dogbiscuit, 30km before Iran border...






Mount Ararat in Dogbiscuit






Met Paal (read Paul) from Norway on the way to Iran. He headed to China with R1200GS.







Paal teaches Iran borderguard to play his guitar. It was positive for us, because we had to smuggle ourselves into country where's more than 250cc and non-Carnet enterers forbidden. But we got in.






Because the officer fellow on the back helped us. Now transporting him to the next police station for some signs and assistance he gave us there.






Met Japanese guy on the road who came from Japan overland to Iran and on the way to Europe, after then going to South Africa to live and work there.






Iran landscape, coming from Tabriz. The beginning of Elburz mountains.






Got lost in small roads in the mountatins. This fellow helped us out, you rarely see a good english speaking people there, this one spoke good because he was a english teacher in Tehran






And he wanted to do a photo from us too. Paal is in the foreground, and you can see his true nature - he's working as an actor in normal life btw






Some poor Elburz mountain roads payed by excellent scenery





Typical situation on Iran roads






Golestan palace, Tehran






Tehran bikers you see hundreds of every day in very wierd and unimaginable forms of transporting things and people...





And extremely typical to have the whole family siting on 125cc. The 250cc is official limit for Iran citizens, but mostly you don't see more than 125cc. Only police had some 400cc similars.






Iranian women






Azadi square, the Tehran symbol






14 million city Tehran sets into night...






Road signs






Getting more deserted as we travelled from Caspian sea to south






The last Elburz mountains before it got into desert plateau






Road into Dasht-e-Kavir desert. More than +40 degrees Celsius heat. When you ride about 130kph you stand up and feel the "sauna effect".






You ride into flat horizons till in some few hundred kilometres separated mountain chains arrive, it's astonishing experience to see those contrasts, just huge mountains rise from completely flat land. No doubt is a huge earthquake area...












Mountains in the desert. The only place you can cool down a bit in iranian august month






Villages before Yazd






Kariina's enjoying wet pipe in Yazd






On the way to Shiraz

Just brilliant

Keep it up Margus, I can take any amount of pic's like these! (Shame about the ending though )

The beginning of Zagros mountains












And great example of Iran plateau from first mountainside






Posing proudly in front of Imam mosque, Esfahan. The bike stood for a night just 10 metres to the left of the mosque, in a friend's carpet shop.






Enduroing roads





Zagros mountains


















Discovering countryside







Problem after speeding on mountain roads and more than 35 degrees heat. But the tyre got us to Ankara circa 2000 kilometres away. Imagine, riding basically on textile, and there was lot of gravel on the way too. Because Ankara and Istanbul are the last hope getting tyres between Europe and Singapore.






Japanese equipment failed in Esfahan city heat. GS didn't. This Yammy was ridden by italian professor. He had to cancel his Iran expedition because of electricity failure and he got no help from Iran.






Before Iran/Turkey border, Kariina tries to find shelter from weldingly hot sun.






Back in Turkey, Mt. Ararat welcomes






Lake Van






East Turkey






Very friendly people in Turkish mountainvillage






Guy demonstrated original Jeep Willis from WW2






Sunset






Cappodocia






City in and on the ground






Tyre change in Ankara. We were lucky to get there with old tyre and lucky to find on second hand tyre in the city.






Marmara sea from south






Trojan horse






Ferry from Asia to Europe






Holy mount Athos of Greece. Going there to non-believers is forbidden, we tried and failed.






Engine guards broken and cracked off the engine's crankcase after accidentially killing big dog on the road.






Ferry to Italy






The Mediterranean before sunrise






...and the tragic end of our expedition... Bike written off by young and fully tattooed reckless polish car driver.


Hope you liked them.

Cheers, Margus

Margus, if these are just the rough digital snaps I can't wait for the "proper" photos!!

I'm sure that these photos and memories will soon overcome the short term loss of bike

Once again Margus, excellent reports and pictures. I hope that you are both feeling better after the accident, and that you get the bike back on the road soon. Take care, Mike

Margus you are nothing short of a photgraphic genius as far as I'm concerned. Amazing clarity and composition. You seriously should try and sell your pics somehow. Thanks for sharing with us, such a shame to see your bike end up that way.

WOW!!!

Fantastic pictures... Thanks for posting them!

Bryn

Got few films developed, looks like some of them are OK after the crash.

If i can get some speical b&w thread about the trip then following up themes:




The truth about iranian bikers








The fascinating archtechture of Persia, from the oldest country ever existed.







The nomad's wedding we take part on desert side, how men play dangerous games there, how to kill ritually the goat for food and how to celebrate the real muslim nomad's weddings in 24h of continous party through different exotic rituals and music.








And the truth about terrorism if there's no Bush or Euroamericanism policy and smart brainwashing involved.



So these will be the followingups on film section, if everything goes OK with my deformed films the crash caused. Stay in touch.

Cheers for now, and ride safe, Margus

Amazing - some of the best shots I have ever seen - and possibly the only shots of Iran - never thought it looked so wonderful. The shot of East Turkey made me gasp - incredible. Congratulations on a big achievement. I am sitting at my desk in the UK dreaming of heat and dust and sunsets and a squirming rear wheel!

Best regards

Mel

I liked the colour shots. A real travelogue. The B&W shots have real athmosphere to them . Amazing that B&W still hold it's own, connects with the soul .

Margus

Every one a beauty keep them coming it must have been a Magical trip for you both.

Regd's K

Ditto everyone else - fabulous photos - you had one hell of a trip. Ride reports like this keep the fire burning in me to do a similar trip. It's a shame it ended the way it did, but memories last longer than bruises!

Nice to be able to put a face to your name, too.

Well done!

PS - I love the gaffer-taped tyres - excellent

Great shots

Keep them coming Margus

Thank You for showing your wonderful photos.

Lee

Speechless as usual Margus.

Thanks as always for sharing.

Wonderful photos - thanks for posting them. I flew over the Zagros mountains a few months ago and gazed down thinking how fantastic it would be to have the GS there. Great to see someone actually doing it

Unbelievable photography mate and well done, those are tourism picture gems

Crisp and clear so much so that I pretty much want to get on my bike and go visit these stunning places

Quite Brilliant!

Thanks for sharing these wonderful photographs - this trip will be a memory you will share with your children and grand-children (all in good time, eh!) in years to come. Keep it up and keep them coming!

Cheers,

Psyko

this is going to be a fantastic thread