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We make the first town in Iran early enough to explore the town properly for the first time in ages. Normally we dont get into each town until late due to long drives. Even though its the border town they dont see many white faces so we are fairly sought after. Everyone knows the words "i love you" and calls it out across the street or from moving cars, which is nice to hear. I am never really sure they know what they are actually saying but it's nice to hear it from strangers, or police! No, really.
We are staying at the Tourist hotel. We know this because everyone hangs around trying to help us change money or buy car insurance. In a helpful way rather than "relieving us of cash" at the border way.
I am tasked with finding car insurance whilst Huw updates our website. I take a stroll into town to find the nearest meercat. I can't find anything with an English logo so I decide it's time to use my British charm and ask the traffic police.
At every roundabout in every city is a rather dashing gentleman or gentlemen helpfully standing around, smoking fags and not really doing much as roundabouts and junctions are a free for all, but more of that later.
Anyway I bowl up to one of the portacabins housing four policeman and in my best English accent, say "Morning. Do you speak english sir? Can you help me buy car insurance". Needless to say they all look puzzled and say "no English".
Except one of them says "next patient please" in his best Basil Fawlty voice. Impressed with this attempt I push on. Gesticulating a car hitting another and rubbing my fingers together to signify money. They all laugh and pour me out a cup of tea and pass it through the railings to me the street.
This rather generous and spiffing move leads me to keep trying and for ten minutes I have about 8 policemen rolling around laughing at my attempts to simulate a car accident, until one of them decides I have had actually been involved in a serious crash and need assistance.
They all rush around asking me where the car is, am I ok etcetc, until finally I convey that I am looking for assistance in case we have a crash. They give up and send an officer in some direction, who comes back with a local who can speak English. I explain, he explains and finally we all get what we need. They stop the traffic and tell me to follow a junior officer who will take me to the insurance.
Off we pop walking in the middle of the traffic with people still calling "I love you" from their cars.
When we get to the insurance broker he is shut. b*****. Back in the morning then.
Breakfast is Carrot jam and ciabata and tea.
More faffing packing the car. Not me though.
Finally leave the city having had to go back to the border to get insurance. $20 bung to our fixer at the hotel as expected and we are on our way from Maku.
We have no idea of our route across Iran yet, there are also loads of teams kicking around, so we will need to be creative so as not to just convey across this wonderful place...
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