After 7 days / review

Hi friends,

I do walk now since 7 days towards east. Towards Mashad and the Afghanistan border.

Iranian people are just great. Generous , inviting, hospitality, curious , helpful, ….. Beside the invitation in there houses for sleeping its the little things what makes our world so wonderful. So people stop with there cars just to say hello. But often it’s combined with handing over some nuts, sweets, cake, tea….. it’s so beautiful. I also started more to give away the peace birds on he street, for example when a car stops but also when a situation appears, a eye contact, a smile, whatever else connection. And I did in other unexpected situations. Like kids firering some new years cracks, and I was a bit ‚brrr‘ in the first seconds. Then I turn around, open my bag and give some peace birds to the kids. Sooo nice. I always liked the little gifts to show repect, friendship, hearts… to each other. So here we are.

The nature,especially the montains are so great, now still covert by snow. I enjoy.

Nowruz / New Year is coming at the 21.3. Western or Christian calender. At the start of spring Iran is celebration 1.1.1396. That’s the years since Mohammad.  (Other Muslim direction count 12 moons as a year, so than it’s the year 1436. Everyone is so busy here as some where bitten by bees. When New Years starts there is a 14 days celebration. Most people are not working, some travel. Traditionally the younger people visit the elder once. And then the elder once have to visit the younger. Families are big in Iran so that takes time.

All the nights it was easy to find hosts. In nearly all cases I had just to ask one person and there was already a solution. Sometimes the place is luxury, sometimes simple, sometimes offered by rich or poor people. Today I stay in the prayer room of the Red Crescent.

But last night it was different. I arrived in a village of 50 houses with no-one at home. The reason. It is a mountain village. Some snow was still on the ground. Owners are farmers who only come for the summer season. There where some steps from some days ago in the mud. Some tyre prints. One looked pretty fresh. But was leading nowhere. All houses had high walls and everything was looked. There where only some old stalls half broken and wet inside. I could not go anywhere else, because the next villages where to far away. I imidiadly looked for a solution. I found one house with a concreate terasse which had no wall around. This could give me wind cover. Then I wanted to make a fire. I was not sure, but I had a lighter and even matches with me. I found a old metal 10 liter box for oil. Fixed it so I could use it as the fire box, because i wanted the fire most closely. There was also wood. The electric nod was installed outside so I had even light and a box where I could charge my phone…. everything is everywhere. Also a flexible seat for a donkey was laying around so I did not have to sit on the cold floor. It was a bit diffecult to lit the fire and keep it running, because the wood was a bit wet. And even internet was working, so I connected with Bernd in Califonia. That was also helpful to chat with him. After a long while I found out, only the little tiny sticks where doing a good job. Luckily there where a lot of it. From retreats I know, how long a night can be, and there was no way to think of sleep, because the fire needed a lot of attention. By my surprise, the hours after two went more easy. I found a good rhythm with the fire attention. The half moon came out. And I even managed to rest my whole body on the donkey seat and my backpack, so I had 2 or 3 times a 3min nap. Looking back I think it was a bit miraculously how I managed the whole night. There was no panic from the beginning. Everything calm. I have for urgent occasions also always my mohair underwear T-Shirt, that helped and all together 7 layers. It was around -5 degrees…. In the morning at 6am I felt even fresh and started walking. Later at around 9am I had a wonderful 2 1/2h nap in the sun. I left my ‚host‘ a little letter and some peacebirds in a Nivea box…… ???