DAY 88 – LEAVING THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN FOR THE MILITARY DICTATORSHIP OF PAKIS
Was planning to visit the town of Bam before I leave. Bam was hit by a massive earthquake on the 26th of December 2003. Twenty-six thousand people were killed as the ancient town literally collapsed. International aid has had a lot of trouble getting in and some of it even ended up for sale on the streets of Tehran. Apparently there is still no central government plan to help the people of Bam. Today the only people helping the citizens of Bam are the few Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) who have not been refused entry to Iran. Foreign journalists sometimes report on the situation there but if they are overly critical of the Iranian Government the NGO that was their source is immediately asked to leave the country. Unfuckingbelievable. A year later the people of Bam are still living in tents. The desperate situation has lead to a huge increase in crime and it is no longer safe to go out at night. I am skipping Bam now and heading straight to Pakistan.
Left only an hour to get to airport since it is just out of town. Somehow ended up in the nicest cab in town and the driver took it real easy as he drove me to the bus station. You may ask me how this happened. I said ‘airport’ he said ‘yes’ so I said ‘airport?’ and he said ‘yes yes’. So I got out at the bus station and took another cab. The second cabbie really gave it heaps after I told him ‘airport yella yella’ but his car was a crumby old rust bucket so we barely broke 100kms. Finally got to the airport fifteen minutes before my plane left. Stressful.
Not sure how many border crossings I have failed to get on the first attempt on this trip but today was another.
Flew to Zahedan. Caught a 84km taxi to the border for the same cost as the family of four in the back. It was a rip-off and it cost me ever last Iranian dingbat I had but it didn’t matter because I was leaving. Got through Iranian side okay. But was politely turned back by the Pakistani side because you can’t get a free visa on the border like the Lonely Planet said you can. Can’t really blame LP for this one as my edition is three years out of date and I should have checked because these things do change.
Luckily the taxi drivers were able to get me a special tourist only rate back into Zahedan. When I said I had no local money one of them ‘helped’ me by giving the worst exchange rate I have had in nine days in Iran. Nice.
A thought for any good Muslims out there. Make sure you die in a fiery car crash so you have a vehicle in Paradise, because there sure as hell wont be any fucking taxi drivers there.
Stuck in border town of Zahedan until tomorrow morning. Slightly worried since I have virtually no cash or access to it and I may need to pay for an expensive visa tomorrow.
Have roughly six quid to get visa and get back to the border in the morning. Spent a third on accommodation. A third on food and left a third for the 84km taxi ride to the border once my visa is sorted.
