Like always in the morning, it was fresh or even cold when I left Massoud’s family.
My plan was, to reach Pasargad, or more precisely, the village Madar Solyman, where I would meet Ashar and his family, between 11-12. So, I had decided to try not to get (or accept) invitations like the days before. The first kilometres mostly were slightly going down and maybe I also had a good wind from the back, so I was fast. And that provoked two ideas in combination with the plan to be in Pasargad early, one was, to break the record for 40km established on the way to Qom (please, don’t ask for a good reason for wishing to break a record) and the other one was, to cycle without any break, if I don’t need it.
These useless ideas brought a problem as after 25km there was a 40min climb. That meant, that my average of 27km/h for the first part and my record-breaking-wish were endangered by section with 8-12km/h. A reasonable adult person would discard useless plans, others try to stick to them. As I tried to climb as fast as (reasonably!!) possible, you can guess where I belong to.
I reached Pasargad without any break and with a new record for 40km at 10 and tried to message Arash. He was not available at that time and I just wanted to wait. But within 2min I was surrounded by a crowd of young teenager boys, making a lot of fuss, joking (about me) and being a bit silly. Neighbours opened gates to see what is going on and finally a man came and tried to understand the situation. He invited me home for the waiting time. It was a family only recently relocating from Tehran to Madar Solyman, so they didn’t know all of their neighbours yet.
Arash arrived soon, he had expected me at the set time, and we went to the home of his aunt. After a tea break, we left the lively place (7 kids running and laughing) with his daughter Negin who is very good in English and was engaged as translator to visit the historical site of Pasargadae. Arash had a lot to tell, from historical and cultural point of view, but also technical aspects like the construction of columns and Negin did her best to translate.
(Additional information and better pics available in the net!)
We went home to get another of those great Iranian lunches that in their elaboration always remind me on food at important festivity in Austria.
Negin and one family had to go back to Shiraz, so, the rest of the day we had to be more creative to communicate, but were quite successful with some digital help…
Next was a nap break followed by a tour to the mountainside with two cousins and one’s son. They showed me a 2500y old path carved in the rock.
If you see the dry riverbed it is hard to imagine that in former time it was necessary to make such efforts to escape the water.
Meanwhile, Arash had collected some wild figs from that tree. If you water them for a longer time (did he say one month?), you can eat them.
We made a stop for tea time, the tea to be prepared on the open fire.
On the way home, we payed a visit to Arash’s grandma, a 90y old lady living alone in an old big house. I was shy to ask her for a photo, so only cousins and a pic of Arash’s grandpa who for me looks so similar to Arash.
Dinner was great again and to my surprise later in the evening we gathered around a fireplace in the yard where Arash’s aunt enjoyed a waterpipe (besides another round of tea).
In the later evening a came back to my “duties” and uploaded photos (had not worked lately) and writing diary.