Hello everyone! š¤
I was introduced to hive a while ago by 
ā¢ This post will feature an introduction to my travels and a part of my journey in Iran ā¢
I'm a backpacker from Germany, traveling in the most basic ways, without a lot of money, trying to get as close as possible to the cultures I visit.
That means that I don't use hotels, taxis and avoid paid services for the most part, the idea behind it - trying to meet people on the same level and not paying someone to provide something for me.
This leads to the most unusual and adventurous experiences, which is exactly what I'm after.
++ A quick overview ++
My travels started over one year ago, in May 2021 on my 20th birthday in my hometown in southern Germany. I went straight to Vienna, Austria, continued to Hungary and from Romania to the Black Sea. Along the coast, my route brought me to Bulgaria and further to Turkey. Continuing along the Black Sea's coast for three months in Turkey, I arrived in Georgia at the end of 2021. A freezing Georgian winter brought its challenges with it but I continued to Armenia after two cold months, where I then got to feel spring arrive in April. That was the end of post-Soviet countries and the beginning of the middle east. Iran.
I have many many stories to tell about this year but I chose to post about recent and current events for the moment, if there is interest, let me know :)
Iran/Persia
The Islamic Republic of Iran is (duh) an Islamic (mostly Shia and secondly Sunnit) country in the middle east and it's... pretty big with a lot of desert, right? Well, let's see.
But from the beginning.
The visa process for germans can be tiring and complicated but with some research and patience, you'll get there bla bla bla... That's not really interesting is it?
So, at the end of April, with all the documents ready, so I thought, I made my way to the only land border between Armenia and Iran and after some complications with Covid-tests and health insurance I made it to the other side.
Immediately, I was greeted by the beautiful, merciless vastness of Iran.
And actually, nature can be very diverse here! Although it doesn't look like it yet.
Everything was new and different, the nature, the language and script, the cultures, religion and rules.
I hitchhiked directly to the historic and legendary city of Tabriz and enjoyed the culture shock to the fullest.
The unmistakable Persian architecture
The famous "Blue Mosque" ā
The old Citadel, built in 1318! ā
And of course, the Bazar. ā
And within, the famous carpet halls. Tabriz is actually the "world carpet capital". ā
Close up of a carpet with about 90% silk. ā
The typical design of a Shia Mosque (an entrance)ā
And the Tomb of the Poets ā
A view of the city before a thunderstorm ā
So, after arriving in the city, I was lucky enough to meet a bunch of university students and they offered me to stay in their dorm - which was, of course, not allowed. But we made it work and it was a very epic welcome for me, directly getting in touch with the people and the reality here. After getting kicked out by the guard, my newly found friends didn't leave me hanging, also part of the Iranian hospitality and concept of guests, and I didn't have to worry about a place to sleep in this city anymore.
I met two cyclists from Mashhad, the second biggest city in Iran, and we took a trip to the nearby ancient cave village, Kandovan.
This village has been intact for centuries (1000 years are claimed) and the houses are quite literally built into the stone.
After some days in and around Tabriz, I continued with the two cyclists from Mashhad towards Qazvin, I might do a post about that in the future.
If anyone is interested in seeing that or has any recommendations or requests for more or different sorts of pictures or stories, let me know :)
To wrap it up, here is a typical middle eastern night - vibe from Tabriz š®
I hope you enjoyed that sneak peak into my journey, here you can check out my Instagram profile.
Thanks again to
Until next time! š¤
Alban
Pinmapple map:
[//]:# (!pinmapple 38.079652 lat 46.288515 long d3scr)