Iran, hitchhiking Mashhad

[29/11/17]

From Tehran to Mashhad I journeyed for 2 days with an overnight stop in Shahroud. The biggest Shiah mosque is located in Mashhad, which is the second largest city in Iran.

A closed bazaar in Shahroud

The mosque (Holy Shrine) is impressive indeed, alas, you can't take a camera inside as they search everyone who enters. Taking pictures with a phone is still fine somehow.

The minarets of the Holy Shrine

At last I found a satisfactory stand for my camera and played bowling for the first time, even shared the 1st place. Otherwise it wasn't a very exciting visit.

On the following day I've been on the road for 16 hours and 1000 kilometers. I was going south, to Kerman.
By the way, hitchhiking in Iran is surprisingly difficult - not only people don't know two words in English, most of those who stops for you expect you to pay for the ride and you need to make it very clear that you're going for free. In 90% of cases they just leave as soon as they realize that there's no money to be found.

I was going to Kerman mostly to do sightseeing around the city - fortresses, deserts, oases... and get warm as well, as the temperature in Tehran and Mashhad is already drawing near zero.

Kerman itself is a place worth visiting, pretty cool atmosphere, lots of old buildings, fine bazaar and some fort on a hill that isn't marked on maps.