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.<\/p>\n
The landscape changed every couple of kilometers from arable land to funnily shaped and colored hills to salt desert.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The hotel I’m in is a definite low. The one Internet caf\u00e9 I found closed at half past 7pm (this may be due to Ramadan, though).<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Cycled: 107km
\nTop speed: 68kph<\/p>\n
![\"Ahar](\"https:\/\/onmytodd.org\/wp-uploads\/2011\/08\/Screenshot-20110817-232220.png\")