1st October MirJaVeh, Iran to Taftan, Pakistan
We got up at 7am. The hotel manageress made us some tea
flavoured with cinnamon, served with flat bread. Tea flavoured with the
smallest pinch of cinnamon works beautifully.
The police guard arrived at 8am. We rode 100 metres to the
petrol station to which the night before we were not allowed to visit. The
petrol station would not sell us petrol. The pump attendants directed us to the
black market petrol sellers no more than 20 metres away. They were a ragtag
bunch of chancers with several dozen 20 litre plastic containers full of
“Benzeeen”. Black market petrol was sold to us for 10,000 IR a litre. Our
police escort tried to intervene and negotiate a lower price, but without
success. We topped up to over flowing and left for the border. 5 kilometres
towards the border we were held at a checkpoint for more than hour, we
anticipated an incoming escort pickup with a big machine gun truck…. Ultimately
a young unarmed conscript walked out of an office and climbed onto the back of
my bike. The hour we spent sat by the roadside could not be accounted for.
The young conscript guided us through police checks, carnet
processing and exit visa stamps very efficiently. Hello Pakistan.
The various Pakistani checks completed, the time was then 1.00pm,
Pakistani time (one and a half hours on from Tehran time)
The Levies police guided us into their compound. “Time out”
….. It was apparently too late to travel to Dalbandin, midway between Taftan
and Quetta. The police guided us to a room which was to be our accommodation
for the night. Around the compound were other rooms, mainly with bars at the
window! Around the interior of the compound were a number of cells. We spent
the night in the company of 23 prisoners who were being held primarily for
immigration violations. Some of the prisoners spoke better English than the
Levies Police. Communication was discouraged. ;-)
One of the prisoners told me that I had very beautifull eyes. Modesty forbids! and whilst I was all but overcome by his flattery I reflect that prison affects men in different ways.
Taftan Mileometer 20552 (8 miles ridden)
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