Diary Entry
We have a good time with Moein and he brings us to many interesting places, like the Holy Shrine of Hilal Ibn Ali and the old fortress of Kashan. Like so many times before, people stop on the street to talk to us.
One guy introduces himself to us as Majid and finds his topic with Uwe in football. He also assures us, that “we are not terrorists” and he loves Angela Merkel. Usually, many people tell us how much they like Adolf Hitler.
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The next stop is the ancient site of the underground city of Nushabad. The name of this place is interesting, according to Wikipedia:
Wikipedia
The reason why this city is called Noushabad (meaning the ‘city of cold tasty water’) is because in ancient times, one of the Sassanian kings who were passing through this area stopped here to drink water from a well and he found this water extremely clear and cold. Therefore he ordered the building of a city around this well and named it Anoushabad, which eventually turned into Noushabad.
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Almost 12000 people were living in this city in its great period underground many hundreds of years ago. This site has been excavated just recently.
Apparently, this region was not safe and the underground provided both safety as well as cool temperatures.
We leave the city and find an old caravanserai on our way to the desert to make a short break.
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Very close, there is the Namak Lake, a giant salt lake and extremely interesting site. Until the horizon, you see the white dry crust of salt. A little conserved humidity leads to muddy spots here and there.
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Just in time for sunset, we arrive at the dunes, where we can follow the stunning colorful end of the day. While the sun disappears behind the distant mountains and the world turns over orange to purple Moein prepares a dinner for us.
Uwe and me decide not to sleep in the car, but in the desert. Moein wonders, but fortunately he got a tent with him, which we can use.
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The night is clear, but even in the desert there is still a lot of light from the city. I show Uwe the technique of light painting, while Moein enjoys the space in his car. I have the idea to sleep under the sky, because even in the night it is warm.
This is a very good idea… until in the middle of the night the wind starts blowing and we get sand into our face. We are glad that we have a tent to find shelter.
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On the next day, we find a light breakfast prepared for us. We enjoy the start of the day with some meat, bread and vegetables.
While we are eating, a flock of camels passes by. No one knows where they belong to. They make a scenic sight in front of the dunes.
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