I Was Interviewed by Iranian State Media (Oops?)
I was interviewed by Iranian State Media—Channel 3. I probably would’ve said no, but I was being escorted by the big boss of the border outpost. He was friendly and encouraged me to participate, so I went along with it.
Crossing the border itself was smoother than I expected. Some paperwork, a soldier searched through my panniers, and then he handed me off to the commander of the post. He explained Iranian currency, gave solid advice about not shaking hands with women, then suggested I go on national television. I figured it was best to say yes.
During the segment, I said I was excited to experience Iranian culture. I talked about the generosity of the people, how the international news doesn’t always paint an accurate picture, and how I hope to share a more complete one—and maybe encourage other Westerners to visit (if all goes well). I don’t think I said anything that would offend the Ayatollah… hopefully. I have no idea if or when it’ll air, but if it does, I’ll share it here.
Why Iran?
It’s the only way to get from Portugal to Japan without a flight or a long train ride. It’s also one of those countries that gets flattened into headlines, but first hand beta from my friends has all been extremely positive. So that interests me. It’s probably the most logistically tricky country that I’ve been to—visas, banking, guides, all of it. Which made it even more appealing.
My Guide, Reza
My tour guide is Reza. He’s a visa requirement—$2,500 USD for 29 days, which includes hotels and breakfast. Lunch and dinner are on me.
One of the first things he told me was: “Don’t do news interviews unless I approve.” He didn’t say why.
I’m usually not a fan of tour guides. They tend to stick to a script and make it harder to connect with people. I’d much rather be shown around by a friend in an unscripted way. Like Sahide in Ankara—she was amazing. Reza seems fine so far, but we’ve only just started.
Money and Connectivity
Iran uses two currencies: the Rial (used officially) and the Toman (used in everyday life). The official exchange rate is about 40,000 Tomans to 1 USD, but the black market offers closer to double.
International banking doesn’t work here. No credit cards. No ATM withdrawals. You have to bring in USD and exchange it after you arrive. I haven’t exchanged anything yet—I’m still living off Turkish snacks and letting Reza keep a tab.
Cell service is decent, but you need a phone that takes a physical SIM card. Mine doesn’t. Reza says not to worry, since all the hotels on our route have WiFi. Though the one I’m in now… doesn’t.
The Way Through
The plan is to cross the entire country from west to east. On the highway, it’s about 1,950 kilometers. But Reza’s custom route is more like 2,600—with a lot more climbing. He’s already reserved and even prepaid for the hotels.
I told him I want to cycle the full 1,950 km. But if we fall behind, I’m open to throwing the bike in the car. That’s on me—I didn’t go over his itinerary carefully enough. Still, I love a challenge, and I’m going to do everything I can to pedal every single Iranian mile.
Right off the bat we’ve had back to back 1,000 meter climbing days. But the roads so far are surprisingly good. Drivers drive slower than in Turkey, they're more curious. A few honks, a few waves.
Route Recap
Start: Lisbon, Portugal
End: Tokyo, Japan
Total Distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers)
Key gear: stove, patch kit, tent, cigs
Key stops so far: Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome, Istanbul, Cappadocia
Key stops coming up: Tehran
Last Week’s Vlogs
Instagram is working on my phone through VPN but I can’t get it working on my MacBook. So no links this week.
049 - Semiannual Home Tour (my tent)
050 - Slice of Life From the Road
051 - Visiting a Post Office and a Preview of Iran
052 - Top Speed Record and Kurdish Hospitality
053 - Day Off in Kugubeyazit (Burger King)
054 - How I Afford to Travel
Traveler Tip of the Week
I’ve written before that I think it’s bad taste to criticize your host country. In this case it could also be dangerous. So that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Progress on the Map
Last week’s distance ridden: 251 miles (403 km)
Total distance ridden: 3,820 miles (6,147 km)
I appreciate each and every one of you for reading and following along here on Substack. Especially those of you who have opted for a paid subscription to support the ride.
Have a lovely week,
Ian
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