Or the morphing road to the border.

Easy ride today, only a couple of hours up to the Iran/Turkmenistan border. We start to leave the desert now and as we get ever closer to the border the people become less Iranian. It's very lake district here, mountain passes and flowing roads. Lots of trucks passing through. Unfortunately this we have heard that this was the scene of the accident earlier in the week where a rallyists is killed. Very sad. We take care on the roads.

Picnic on the rolling hills then a last dash up to the border in the mountains before dark.

We attempt to use one of the spares the washers for the windscreen doesn't work so Huw goes for the replacement and the Haynes manual. Wrong motor. Hours wasted, but at least we do up the sump guard which is rattling.

Bedbugs. Oh dear. I have to sleep on tiled floor to avoid punishment from bed bugs. Not much sleep.Im grumpy again the next day.

Summary of Iran. So at this point I should summarise our time and our journey so far.

Stage one was Europe and apart from long hours in the saddle was fairly easy stuff. Stage Two was Turkey and Iran. Both countries awesome. Turkey has it's wonderful attention to tourists. Well travelled and sparkled when you get further out from the cities. Istanbul is in a class of its own.

Iran is a very barren mountainous place with very beautiful Muslim architecture. A good basis for regular trips, as the people are just so wonderfully kind and happy to help. But and it's a big but, you can't allow their awful human rights and government enforced attitudes to women, pass un-noticed. A country that makes women second class citizens, and doesn't allow them to express themselves their way stops the country from being my favourite so far.

We always felt along the road that the women wanted to talk to us and help us out. They shied away from helping us unless their husbands allowed it. Crazy that this can happen.

Anyway the place was great, we passed through somewhere that not many will get to, or may ever get to.

It's a misunderstood place that has lots to offer. 4 out of 5.

Onto the Stans. Slightly nervous about what to expect.