Blazing Camels
Location: Mr Mohammads House, Mesr, Iran
Date: 30th April, 2008
I’ve never been a fan of riding something with legs and not wheels and something that you merely influence rather than control. Still, Kristy, being a horse trainer, loves riding camels. I always forget how big the blighters are.
So we got up early to make the most of the cooler temperatures and had an enjoyable, though uncomfortable (more padding in the saddle please), couple of hours riding in the desert and into the village of Mesr.
We were invited, yet again, into another locals house and were entertained by a baby camel, baby goats and some worried looking turkeys. After more tea, we retired back to “our house” and had an easy afternoon dozing in the heat.
As the evening cooled, and before the mozzies started biting, we had a walk around the farm. A great contrast the green fields of maize and alfalfa with the sand dunes behind.
One strange thing was the number of dead palm trees, which we’d noticed earlier. It seems this last winter (2007/2008) was the worst for 50 years, with snow in the desert and temperatures as low as -18C (0F). This cold killed most of them, but a few will recover (well, maybe they’re not quite dead, there’re just resting, or something) in the next 5 years.
Finally, we drove to Garmeh, where we would be spending the night in another local house.
A night in Egypt
Location: Mr Mohammads House, Mesr, Iran
Date: 29th April, 2008
After briefly stopping to admire the Khaju Bridge in Esfahan, we made our way to Na’in.
First stop was the millennium old Jameh Mosque. Complete with cool underground tunnels (much appreciated now we’re in the desert), the mosque was in use as we arrived ahead of 2 coach-loads of German tourists.
Next stop in Na’in was a place a bit off the beaten track. Hard to find without a guide, there are some old workshops carved into the hillside in the old center of Na’in. Cool and dry and also about a thousand years old, one was occupied by two gents well into their eighties. Weaving rugs on old-fashioned looms from sheep and camel wool, we couldn’t resist buying one to support them.
Nearby, we scrambled up the hill to the Mohammadiyeh castle, perched in an ideal defensive position with a 360 degree vista. Unfortunately, the castle’s door was bricked up, so we couldn’t get inside.
Driving into the deep Lut Desert, we continued onto the town of Jandaq where we were invited into another house, drank a very sweet cherry juice and ate more wonderfully succulent Iranian fruit (what do we do to it back home)?
After a short while, we headed up the dusty dirt track to the town to Mesr, a town named by Joseph (not sure which one), as it reminded him of Egypt. Mesr is Farsi for Egypt.
Hasham and his sons, Hussein and Ali, made sure we were looked after. After some welcoming drinks served in the alcove in the north side of the courtyard of this traditionally shaped desert house, we heard much low rumbling from outside – a flock of camels, including some very cute babies. Pick of the bunch was the crazy camel that was raised by a cow, man, I’ve never seen a camel jump so much!
And tomorrow we ride them…
