Wednesday 22 August 2012

From Barcelona to Tehran: Day 72


Day 72: Home Sweet Home; From Gachsar  To Tehran in Iran 

July 11, 2012; Distance covered today: 117 Km; Total: 6000 Km

It was difficult to go to sleep last night, knowing that I have only half a day ride home. 

Tehran is a city of 12 million people. Its pollution and heavy traffic is notorious. To avoid riding in its heat and smog, I started early. I was on my bike at 6. I had an easy job to get to Karaj, the last city before Tehran, because it was all downhill, but from Karaj, I had to ride on a flat road. In Tehran, the heavy traffic made it really difficult, but I was in high spirit and just kept going. I had to be extra careful to get home safely though. The traffic was insane.  

I should have probably stopped to take some pictures of the scenery, but I only wanted to get home. And I was fast.  Somewhere close to Tehran a gentleman stopped me and introduced himself as the former cycling champion in Iran. He wanted to take me to the federation right away where cycling federation and officials had a meeting. He insisted so much, but I only wanted to get home, and declined his invitation. 

Finally, after 70 days of riding through Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Iran, covering 6000 km, finally, at 11:30 am, I arrived home where my sister, her husband and my niece welcomed me. Job done! What’s next?
Arrival

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