all ways lead to Yazd

when we got to Yazd, the taxi driver knew without asking where to take us - there is just one such a famous place in Yazd - the Silk Road Hotel... I just wonder whether the other hotels/hostels do exist in Yazd (apparently yes) and if so, whether they do have any clients? All my friends who visited Yazd stayed at the most famous traditional hotel in Iran - Silk Road Hotel (or Orient hotel). and when we got there, we were really impressed!! it was the spirit of the Middle East and not another second rate, dirty hostel. but since Silk Road is the most famous hostel in Iran, there's no wonder that there were no free places.. But there were rooms in Orient hotel, which is on the same street, has the same managers and is actually the same. Fortunately Orient had also European toilets! some of you maybe don't know that Middle East toilets are slightly different than ours - basicly they are squat toilets, still ok to use (but not to put toilet paper in), but if you're used to a throne, you're happy when you can use it :-)

Yazd turned out also to be a truly meeting place and once more time we became convinced that Iran is such a small country!! or maybe basicly there are so few tourists who visit all the same and this is why we used to meet the smae faces all around in Iran;-) anyway we met so many people we saw already somewhere in Iran(and especially our dear buddy Ross :-) and it was really cool to see them again. we used to spend our evenings by smoking sheesha (well, we have heard that it was forbidden in Iran, but as we discovered already, the word "forbidden" doesn't exist in Iran, there's no rule that Iranians wouldn't break..), talking, playing name game or just relaxing :-)

the dnext day we woke up early, we had a fantastic breakfast and we decided to get lost in Yazd's old town, which is considered by many as the most beautiful and the most interesting Iranian city. well, I stilll find Esfahan to be my favourite one, but Yazd is indeed astonishing! the old town is built all of mud-brick and full of little streets where you feel like in labyrinthe and where it's really easy to loose orientation! Yazd is also considered to be "the oldest living city on Earth" and some say that the city is inhabited for about 7000 years! after 5 minuts of visiting, some mysterious, local guy showed us to follow him... we decided to risk. and it was a good decision as he showed us the most interesting places of the old city. the only problem was, that the guy was a bit too fast and "faster" was one of the very few words he knew in English..

in Yazd I also felt- for the very first time- that Iran is a hot country! actually I'm perfectly resistant for the hot temperatures and wearing long trousers, tunic and a scarf in 35 degrees didn't cause any inconvenience for me. but in Yazd it was at least 45 degrees and even me had to capitulate and come back home ;-)

but Yazd isn't the only interesting place in this area. so the next day - together with Hasan - our guide and driver, our small group went to explore the Yazd's surroundings. we visited some forgotten cities and Chak Chak (Iran's most important Zoroastrian pilgrimage) . here we were witnesses of the very touching moment when an Iranian guy who lives in U.S. saw for the first time after 20 years his sister.. we also me other Zoroastrians, who (like all Iranians) were extremely nice and who (like almost all Iranians) wanted to take pictures with four blondes ;-)

Later, we went to the mudbrick village of Kharanaq aka Ghost City and it was aweeeeesome!! last people left Kharanaq 30 years ago, and since then it stays empty. but the best part of the trip was climbing to the top of shaking minaret! actually we were also supposed to stay and sleep in a hostel, but I just didn't feel like staying there... it was too quiet, no internet, no shops, no hot water, flies everywhere etc.. I'm afraid I'm typical city and civilization animal and when I said I didn't want to sleep there, then eveybody (blaming me!!) decided to come back to Yazd as well ;-))

but we had also a great evening there, as all evenings in Yazd though. Dale made us discover "dizzy" - probably typical Yazd dish :-) it was not very special in taste (though good), but preparing it, was indeed special :-)