Central Iran (August 2013) A 2 week trip taking in Yazd, Shiraz, the Zagros Mountains and Esfahan

Late Thursday afternoon, Rich and I were picked up by a guide and driver we'd booked and taken out into the Dasht-e-lut desert outside Yazd, which extends almost to the Afghanistan border some 300 miles away to the east. We drove south about 60k along tracks and open desert until we arrived in the foothills of the Kharanagh mountains. Our driver pulled over and our guide took us out on a 5k hike which allowed us to get a good look at the salt stained lower slopes. The salt is left by the winter rivers that flow down off the mountains and dry up by March.

By the time we got back, our driver had built a fire and was starting to prepare dinner. Our beds (a ground sheet and the thinnest role of foam) were set out on a jagged flinty floor up against a rocky mound. There was no tent or awning.

After dinner and feeling like a cowboy out on the trail (but not Brokeback Mountain), I asked our guide Mohammed if he knew any campfire songs. I was expecting a shy "no, sorry". But bugger me, with barely a pause, he started up like some persian Pavarotti. After 2 really moving traditional ballads (he explained afterwards) with that soulful wail redolent of the middle east, I was panicking about what on earth I could follow him with. Unhelpfully, all I could think of was something by The Kinks, but I knew I could at best remember the words to half a song, and in any event, it really didn't qute fit the moment. Worse followed. Bloody Rich launched into some folksy number he knew from Croydon Folk Club. So to my shame, when he was done, he offered to sing Waltzing Matilda, so I could join in on the chorus.

A long night of back pain finally ended around 5.30am. As everyone was slowly rousing we spotted a snake under the jeep and I was glad I'd not seen it whilst going to sleep the night before.

The jeep's battery was flat after running an external light most of the evening and so we had to jump start it. About 10k up the road and we then had a puncture. Neither of these things are great when the temperature is climbing quickly through the 30's.

Around 11am we stopped where the scrubby desert gave way to some large dunes. We got out and messed about on the dunes for about 45 minutes until Rich gave himself a nosebleed after we had done one too many swallow dives off the ridges.

Our lunch stop was Fahraj where we were shown some sights, such as Iran's oldest mosque. Just as we were starting to feel a bit grim from lack of sleep and water, and an excess of dune sand in most orifices, we were shown into our guide's brother's hotel. It was stunning. Like most hotels in this part of Iran (and perhaps all of Iran, but I wait to see), it had a pool of water in the middle of the main courtyard and this one bigger than most. These pools are ornamental, which if they are nice ones, can be quite cruel on the parched traveller. Our guide turned to us and smiled, and said - "you can go in if you want to". I was down to my boxers and in the cool water before Rich had taken his rucksack off. The 2 of us, our guide, driver and the hotel manager spent the next 45 minutes messing about in the pond. It was fantastic.....

Before food we were offered a room to sleep in for an hour or so, which we gratefully accepted. The usual x plus rice plus chopped gerkin was lunch and then the jeep back to Yazd. A great 24 hours.