Series: Iran Road Tour: Tehran to Mashhad via the Caspian Coast
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Our Iran road trip is really an Escape
And another lesson on Tehran’s illsThis the first story about our Iran road trip from Tehran to Mashhad, by way of the north Caspian Coast region. Don’t forget to leave your comments.
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Touring Iran’s countryside: Our first night
Iranian village stay on Day 2 of our trip to KhorasanWe had the complete symphony this morning waking up in the village of Lāsem (LAW-sem), a couple of hours northeast of Tehran. Then fell asleep again on the floor of the village “suite” we found by chance.
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How to plan a road tour of Iran
First night of an unorganized tripOn our latest escape from Tehran, we intentionally plan minimally, seek traditional lodging and foods and not worry too much how long things take. Goal is to be open to new experiences.
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Iran Road Tour: Mt. Damāvand’s first sighting
Escaping from Tehran keeps paying offThe first sight of the snow-covered Mt. Damāvand was so unexpected and thrilling, that I just slammed on the brakes. Saeideh jumped out and ran.
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Iran road travel: Tehran to Caspian Sea trip
On the infamous & alluring Haraz RoadThe infamous Haraz Road north from Tehran offers lots of danger and bad roadside restaurants. It is, however, the shortest most beautiful and interesting path from Iran’s capital Tehran to the the Caspian Sea coast. The breathtaking views of the Alborz mountains are unbeatable.
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Iran Caspian Trip: Journey into the clouds
The journey to Filband, Mazandran’s highest point“You haven’t even hit the jungle yet!” our host cried on the phone. Just the foggy climb to the 10,700-foot Filband village in northern Iran is an adventure during our Iran Caspian tour.
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Touring Iran’s Caspian Region: Filband
Day 3 of our aimless escape to the highest point in Iran’s MazandaranFilband is a village in northern Iran in the middle of the clouds so dense, you would swear you’re at beach not on top of a mountain. Were having a blast touring Iran’s Caspian Sea area.
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North Iran Tour: Fantastic local food
And avoiding Iranian hotels on our 4th day of escape from TehranGetting non-industrial food in Iran is as likely as running into Joe Biden at the supermarket – unless you specfically ask for farm-fresh food. And beware of Iranian hotels many fake stars.
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Waking in a traditional Iranian village home
Deep unscientific analysis of sleeping on the floor in IranI’m a happy man in an Iranian traditional home because everything – eating, sleeping, receiving of guests – happens not on furniture but on floors covered with nothing but Persian rugs. Empty rooms are peaceful.
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Tour of Caspian Coast: City of Sari
The northernmost province of IranOn our road trip from Tehran to Mashhad, we passed through Sari, one of the largest cities in Iran’s Caspian Coast region.
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Mobster turned Moslem servant
“Mortician, wash my dead body calmly”In the words of this former mobster: “I didn’t even have to ask for protection money. Shopkeepers just came out in the street and gave it to me because they knew what I would do to them if they didn’t. But I have asked forgiveness from everyone of them.”
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Camping in Iran: Alendan of Mazandaran
Fresh water lake at 1200 meters above sea levelThe beach at this 2-million-year-old lake in the middle of an Iranian forest is the perfect camping site for a road tour of the Iran’s Caspian Coast – even if it gets bone-chillingly cold this late in the fall.
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Badab Soort hot springs of north Iran
Iran’s Answer To Yellowstone’s Hot SpringsBadab Soort hot springs is a unique must-sea tourist site in the rocky and arid part of the southwest Mazandaran province of Iran. We visited on our road trip through the Caspian Coast region.
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Our Iran Road Trip > Meeting a shepherd
The hard life of a shepherd in IranFor the Iranian shepherd, wolves, bears and angry donkeys are never as bad as the bad economy. And now global warming threatens what’s left. Here’s an interview with someone we met on our Iran travels who experiences all this on daily basis.
