Today was an almost easy day. The first 20km or so were still a bit hilly, but after a last long climb and a 10km downhill section I found myself on a wide plain. That plain was slightly tilted and the winds were favourable, and so I rolled towards Tabriz.
The landscape changed every couple of kilometers from arable land to funnily shaped and colored hills to salt desert.
Tabriz itself is not the western-looking city I had somehow expected to see, at least down-town Tabriz. It’s just as middle-eastern as Ahar or Kaleybar or Astara. Lots of small shops on the main street, lots of traffic, many people on the street, no western tourists.
The hotel I’m in is a definite low. The one Internet café I found closed at half past 7pm (this may be due to Ramadan, though).
Tomorrow I’ll try and find the Azerbaijani consulate to see whether a second Azerbaijani visa (for Nakhchivan) is affordable. Rumor has it that prices have somewhat steeply increased. I’ll also try to find a detailed road map of Iran. A different hotel might be a good idea, too.
Cycled: 107km
Top speed: 68kph
