Finally made it over the Caspian Sea and I am getting closer and closer to Europe. Taking the boat from Aktau (Kazakhstan) to Alat (Azerbaijan) is really easy and the ride is a real pleasure.

Cycling wise, I am a bit fitter again then I was in Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan is still very hot but flat. I only cycle there for two days. I want to reach Iran as soon as possible, because my last Iran entry day is coming soon.

Azerbaijan is a very liberal country. No dress code and alcohol is not banned. Iran is stricter in these points. Women and also men have to follow a dress code. Man for example have to wear long trousers. Once on the road its ok though to cycle in (wide) shorts. I just cycled the north of Iran and found out that there are no Persian people living there. All the people are Azerbaijani. Even the regions in the north of Iran are called West- and East- Azerbaijan. Time flies and I want to be home before Christmas, so I decide to just visit Iran for a short while and go into Armenia soon. I could not go from Azerbaijan directly because Azerbaijan and Armenia aren’t best buddies.

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I do a loop south to Tabris, to at least experience one big Iranian city. The city is crowded and very busy. I meet Hamed an Iranian dude studying in Austria. He showed me around the city and introduced me to the local food and the hammam in the town centre.

The ride out north of Tabris is a real jewel! The road climbs up and overlooking the wild northern Iranian mountains with its green valleys makes the cyclists heart pump faster.